Chapter 7: The First Step of the Journey

Ultimately, Haise graduated before Kurapika.

It wasn’t that Haise had fully developed a unique Nen ability of his own, but rather that he needed to travel and broaden his horizons, which would aid in the eventual cultivation of his Nen—a suggestion made by Izunabi.

Although the cheap master had never inquired about Haise’s past, it was clear from their time together that this disciple was profoundly unfamiliar with worldly knowledge and human geography, which was far from ideal.

Fortunately, Haise had already successfully awakened his Nen, and combined with his monstrous physical constitution, he should have no trouble protecting himself outside.

Meanwhile, under Izunabi’s guidance, Kurapika was still diligently working on the materialization of his chains, a process that couldn’t be rushed. He carried a chain with him constantly—eating, sleeping, never letting it out of his sight—and he touched, sniffed, and even licked it so often that one might suspect he had a fetish.

According to Izunabi, this helped form a comprehensive mental image of the chain. Once Kurapika could feel the illusion of holding the chain even after letting it go—or dream of grasping it—that would mean he was very close to achieving materialization.

After a month of training in the mountains, Haise returned to the town.

Dressed in tattered clothes, Haise walked down the street, completely indifferent to the looks from passersby, who regarded him as a beggar. He hurried back to “Octopus Jack’s Department Store,” only to find the store closed tight, the shutter pulled down and locked.

“What’s going on? Has Old Jack closed so early? Could he have drunk too much again…”

Haise pulled out the key Old Jack had given him and unlocked the shutter and door.

Jingling bells rang as he opened the door, revealing that the previously shattered display case had been replaced with a new one. All the fresh produce on the shelves had vanished, replaced only by canned goods and other long-lasting items.

The store was empty.

Looking around, Haise noticed a piece of paper held down by an empty cigarette pack on the counter.

“Brat, I’m staying with my girlfriend for a few months. The grocery store’s up to you now. Whether to open or stay closed is your call. If you want to go out and have fun, head to your room upstairs. I left you some money and a new phone there. That’s it—see you in half a year!”

Below the note was a string of numbers—probably Old Jack’s phone number.

“Girlfriend? Are you sure she’s not just a fantasy?”

Haise smirked, folded the note, and stuffed it into his backpack. Climbing the creaky wooden stairs, he pushed open the attic-style room on the second floor.

Inside, there was only a bed and a wooden desk with chairs. The windows were shut tight.

On the desk lay an envelope and a brand-new box.

Opening the box, Haise found a beetle-shaped phone inside.

“Beetle Model 07—global network compatibility, no reception limits outdoors, built-in camera for photos and videos, translation software for two hundred ethnic languages, movie streaming, daily news updates... and a touchscreen, no less. But this world is supposed to be stuck in 1999—what kind of black magic tech is this?”

Glancing over the included manual, Haise quickly saved Old Jack’s number into the phone. He considered calling but decided to give the old man some privacy, instead sending a text to let him know he was safe.

Before parting, Izunabi and Kurapika had also shared their numbers, so Haise saved theirs too and messaged them his new phone number.

Then he picked up the envelope.

It was blank on the outside, but inside was a thick stack of cash—one million Zenny. The currency’s purchasing power was similar to that of the Japanese yen, enough to cover his travel expenses.

“Watch the store? Don’t make me laugh. I’ve already decided to go out and have a proper adventure.”

In his original world, Haise’s parents never let him travel far for fear of revealing his secret. The schools he attended were always the closest to home, and the farthest he’d ever been was to his grandmother’s house ten kilometers away.

This time, Haise intended to truly enjoy traveling.

Oh, and there was also the matter of training his materialization-type Nen ability—if he couldn’t make progress, Izunabi would harp on him again.

Haise didn’t rush to set out immediately. Though he had never truly traveled before, movies and television had taught him that preparation was essential before a journey.

He took a satisfying shower, grabbed some canned food from the shelves to tide him over, and slept straight through until morning.

Wearing a black hooded jacket and simple jeans, Haise no longer maintained his awkward bowl-cut hairstyle, letting his hair fall naturally. The “Superman invisibility glasses” still perched on his nose. His shoulder bag contained a few changes of clothes, a map, and a popular novel (he had fully learned to read and write the universal language within his first month here).

Jingling bells!

Standing at the store’s entrance, watching the ebb and flow of pedestrians, Haise took a deep breath and stepped toward the train station, beginning his journey.

One million Zenny was just enough for travel expenses; if he wanted to live better along the way, he’d have to earn some money.

The “Sky Arena” from the original story seemed like a perfect option. Climbing at least two hundred floors there could net him hundreds of millions of Zenny, which would be easy for him.

But there was one issue: according to the timeline, the manga’s protagonists, Jay Furies and Killua Zoldyck, should be at the Sky Arena as well. Should he meet them? It didn’t matter much; their worldviews wouldn’t clash with his, so he could just pretend not to know them.

After all, the only place where you could simultaneously fight to hone your skills and earn money was the Sky Arena.

Decision made: he would spend a month at the Sky Arena, climb two hundred floors to meet other Nen users, then use the money to travel freely.

At the train station, Haise learned that the Sky Arena was located at the easternmost edge of the Archfield Continent, while he was in the northern part of the Urubian Continent, in a remote mountain town called Norimu. The two continents faced each other north to south, separated by a vast ocean.

Norimu only had a train station due to its remoteness. To reach the Sky Arena on Archfield Continent, he’d first take the train to the large western city of Flash City, then board an airship from there.

As for the identification needed to buy a train ticket, Izunabi had already arranged everything two weeks ago through connections with the Hunter Association and the Shin’yuan Sect, so there would be no issues.

Despite Norimu’s isolation, many tourists passed through due to the scenic Norimu Mountains and unique architectural sights. The town also lay on the trade route between Flash City and the Republic of Kdoridana, benefiting from commerce between the major kingdoms.

“Ladies and gentlemen, hello. Train D175 is now boarding. Passengers on train D175, please prepare your luggage and proceed to…”

After the conductor checked tickets, Haise found his seat—number 39 in car F—stowed his shoulder bag in the overhead rack, and sat down to read his novel.

Soon, he sensed someone sitting across from him, likely another passenger headed to Flash City.

“‘Evil Hero 4: Revival of the Armored Dragon Legion’? Young man, you have excellent taste!”

Haise looked up to see a tall, slender man with a long face and golden curly hair, staring intently at the cover of the novel in Haise’s hands.

“These days, few people dare read this series. Everyone says the Legend of the Black Swan King is better, but I think they just don’t understand art!”

Seeing Haise’s puzzled expression, the tall man suddenly realized something.

“Sorry, sorry—I can’t help myself when I see a reader of the Evil Hero series. My name’s Gokai. I’m a travel novelist.”

“Izunabi, unemployed wanderer,” Haise replied, shaking the offered hand and holding up the novel. “You wrote this?”

“Impossible,” Gokai chuckled. “I’m just a poor, struggling drifter and a devoted fan of the Evil Hero series. If I had truly written such an excellent work, I’d be grinning so hard my jaw would dislocate.”

Gokai smiled slyly. “Izunabi, may I call you that? You…”

He lowered his voice, leaning in conspiratorially.

“Are you a professional Hunter?”

Haise bookmarked the page and closed the book, smiling at Gokai.

“You’re joking, Mr. Gokai. I’m just an unemployed wanderer. There’s no way I could be a professional Hunter.”

“No, no, no—you can’t fool me.”

Gokai glanced around to ensure no one was paying attention, then lowered his voice further.

“I’ve met several professional Hunters, and you have the exact same aura.”

“Aura?”

“Well, it’s like your body is enveloped in an invisible magnetic field, or as if you harbor a terrifying energy inside.”

Gokai made gestures with his hands. “You know what I mean, right? It’s like there’s a fundamental difference between professional Hunters and ordinary people. So, what do you think? Can I learn it? Do I have the talent?”

Sharp as he was, Haise realized the reason Gokai could sense this was because he constantly kept his aura extended over his body surface, as part of his training with ‘Entangling’ and ‘Refining’. It was surprising that someone completely ignorant of Nen could detect it.

“Now?”

Haise retracted all his aura, entering his ‘Absolute’ state.

“Gone… gone now. How do you do that? So this strange aura thing can be cultivated?”

Gokai looked as if he wanted to rush over and examine Haise’s body for any structural differences from ordinary people.

Though Gokai seemed friendly and outgoing, Haise detected a hidden malice behind his eyes. This man’s intentions were not pure. Even the Shin’yuan Sect was careful in choosing disciples; Haise had no intention of teaching this so-called travel writer, but as long as Gokai didn’t provoke him, Haise wouldn’t strike first.

So, a firm refusal was in order.

“Don’t ask further, Mr. Gokai. This isn’t something you’re meant to know.”

Haise looked down at his novel, flipping to the bookmarked page without raising his head.

“Also, a friendly tip: next time you encounter something like this, don’t recklessly ask. Not every enthusiastic question is met with a peaceful response. I believe you understand what I mean.”

Gokai’s face turned pale. Suddenly, he felt a powerful malice emanating from Haise, like a frog caught in a snake’s gaze. Then, as quickly as it appeared, the malice vanished like spring snow under the sun.

He looked around instinctively. The other passengers and staff seemed oblivious to the exchange. Gokai touched his collar, which was soaked with cold sweat, and all his selfish schemes and ill intentions evaporated.

“Th-thank you for the advice…”

Clang! Clang!

The train slowly pulled away, and the journey continued in silence.