Chapter 3

There is something that needs to be clarified in advance.

Heather did not casually pick up some strange old object from a street stall or click on some option she shouldn't have, which led to her gracefully traveling to the Hunter world.

He was expelled from his own world, which is what is referred to as "exile."

From a young age, Heather felt out of place with those around him.

His strength grew increasingly powerful, his agility and explosive power surpassed that of adults, he had never been sick, his skin, though seemingly delicate, was abnormally tough and resistant to injury, his dynamic vision was incredibly sharp, and he could learn almost anything at first try. He also had a face that easily got him into trouble.

And all of this continued to grow stronger as he aged.

Before the age of 10, while flipping through Superman comics, Heather more than once wondered if he was an alien left on Earth, with an alien name like Joe Hail or something.

And wouldn't there be a secret base or a superhero suit waiting for him?

Excitedly, he took the comic to ask his parents, only to receive a dismissive look—Can you fly? Do you have heat vision? Are you invulnerable? Don't be silly, dear, you're just our biological son, just a bit more developed than normal kids.

Despite this, Heather's parents were well aware of the saying "the tallest tree in the forest is the first to be felled by the wind." Their son was not just a good tree; he was like the General Sherman tree in a shrub! So they taught him from a young age to hide his abilities and blend in.

He was seen as introverted, with very few friends, a four-eyed otaku, a sports failure, average academic performance, a decent-looking face but with an awful hairstyle, and a need for better taste...

This was the general impression people had of Heather.

Heather's act of being an otaku went on for so long that he actually became a biased otaku.

He had no interest in cute anime, but loved old-school comics like Dragon Ball and Saint Seiya, could name every model and weapon configuration of every Gundam, was a passionate fan of the Super Robot Wars series, and knew all the superheroes from both DC and Marvel (especially the female heroes) like the back of his hand. He was a max-level player in both factions of World of Warcraft and was adept at internet memes...

If there was one thing that set Heather apart from other otakus, it was that he could punch a rhinoceros to death with a single blow, while other otakus could only rely on shovels and extreme anger.

In recent years, Heather began to feel something was off.

First, his luck became increasingly bad. If not for his robust physical condition, he would have died in various accidents long ago.

Then his parents started to have bad luck too, a few months ago. At this rate, it wouldn't be long before they were hit by cars or struck by falling objects.

Just as Heather was wondering if he was the kind of person in novels who brings bad luck to everyone around him, the unexpected finally happened.

It was a Saturday morning.

Heather, still half-asleep, shuffled into the bathroom in his slippers, humming a song while brushing his teeth and thinking about what birthday gift to get his dad.

Suddenly, he froze.

A line of frosty white letters appeared on the mirror.

"Sorry to interrupt your good mood, but you must leave."

"Huh?"

What was this? After living as a hidden superhero for 18 years, he was finally in contact with the mysterious forces of this world?

Heather excitedly wrote a few words with toothpaste below the frosty letters—God? Monster? Superpower organization? Justice League?

"Can you stop using toothpaste? It damages the mirror and is hard to clean!! Just speak directly!!!"

Five exclamation marks indicated that the mysterious figure behind the mirror was a bit of a neat freak. Another line of frosty letters appeared quickly.

"You really need to leave, or your parents won't make it through this Sunday."

Heather frowned. It wasn't that he was easily deceived, but he had long realized that his bad luck was affecting his parents. He had been unable to find a good solution, and yesterday he had decided to leave the city after his dad's birthday and move to the southernmost part of the country to make a living.

"Why? Why is my luck getting worse and even affecting my parents?"

Heather asked the question that had been on his mind for a long time.

"Can a lion remain curled up in a rabbit's den? Even if you try to hide, the world is beginning to reject your existence."

I want to be a normal person! Heather felt a bit resentful: "What if I leave my parents? If I leave now and stay far away from them?"

"As long as you exist in this world, all those close to you will be gradually rejected and die, inevitably."

"…Just say it straight." Heather could tell the 'mirror' was trying to guide him indirectly.

"Leaving this world is the best choice for you and your loved ones."

Heather was irritated: "Easy for you to say, how do I leave? Are you going to give me a boat to row into outer space?"

"I have a way, but the question is you. Do you want to leave this world, or stay and wait for the inevitable death of your loved ones?"

"As long as you can send me away, I choose to leave." For his parents, Heather was resolute.

"Then… have a pleasant journey!"

"Wait, who are you…" Before Heather could finish, he was swallowed by a sudden black mist, and the frosty letters and the toothpaste marks on the mirror were wiped away by an invisible hand, leaving the mirror clean.

The bathroom was empty, with only a toothbrush lying in the sink.

...

...

...

Darkness.

Complete and utter darkness.

A suffocating feeling, a suffocation from the depths of the soul.

It was as if he was naked and diving deep into the icy sea, the bone-chilling cold and the pressure from all sides torturing his soul and body.

Unable to move a single finger, all Heather could do was endure the intense cold and suffocation that permeated his body and soul.

It felt like a century had passed when a pinpoint of light suddenly appeared in the endless darkness. Almost instantly, the pinpoint of light expanded into a sea of light, and Heather was pushed by the 'tide' and thrown into the sea of light.

His unprotected soul suddenly returned to the protection of the [World], and the suffocation and pressure on his soul disappeared, warmth once again enveloping his body.

Then, Heather felt himself fall into a patch of grass.

Dew from the leaves covered his face, but he couldn't move a single finger, lying there in the grass.

His consciousness gradually faded...

When he woke up, Heather saw an unfamiliar ceiling. Sitting up, he found himself lying on a slightly worn but clean bed.

Beside the bed, a short, fat old man was dozing off in a chair, his head nodding.

This was how Heather met Old Man Jack.

Although the common language of this world was completely different from any language in his original world, he could somehow understand and speak it, though he couldn't read the written words, making him a "functional illiterate."

If this was his "golden finger," it was pretty lousy, like a monkey version of language proficiency. Every time he thought about it, Heather couldn't help but feel contempt for the 'mirror' that sent him here.

In addition to the common language, this world also had pure English, Arabic numerals, Roman numerals, and even Chinese characters, though the use of Chinese characters was very rare, making it quite a patchwork.

But what Heather never expected was that he had actually traveled to the Hunter world.

He had thought he would start from a supermarket in a different world and eventually become a world-renowned tycoon, but instead, he found himself in a Hunter world where he would have to fight and kill. The difference was significant. If this were a novel website, it would be the difference between an average of 10,000 subscribers and 100 subscribers.

And he, a normal Earthling, just a bit more developed than others, was suddenly called a natural Nen user by Izunabi, and he had to adapt to the Hunter world?

Standing at the entrance of the grocery store, Heather waved goodbye to Old Man Jack with his canvas bag and followed Izunabi towards the train station.

It didn't matter; at least now someone was willing to teach him Nen, which meant he could gain the basic self-defense skills he needed as long as he didn't mess up in the early stages.

In the Hunter world, ordinary people were notoriously powerless, and the strong could crush civilians at will. Hunters even had a license to kill. To survive in this world, Nen was essential.

As for how to return to his original world, Heather had some ideas.

He walked and chatted idly with Izunabi, learning some common knowledge about the Hunter world, and Izunabi answered all his questions, making their relationship quite harmonious.

As they approached the train station, Izunabi led Heather into a roadside restaurant.

They ate while waiting.

"All new hunters must learn Nen to truly complete the Hunter Exam, which is known as the 'Final Test.'"

Sitting at a window table, Izunabi scooped a spoonful of seafood fried rice into his mouth and said, with his mouth full, "After all, this is a cruel world where 'strength' is the main focus. Without Nen, you can't survive in the Hunter world. This applies to you too, Heather."

Heather, sitting opposite, was twirling a forkful of red tomato meat sauce pasta: "Because I'm only a half-baked Nen user?"

"You're not even half-baked, kid."

Izunabi picked up a large shrimp from the seafood rice, squeezed some lemon on it, and popped it into his mouth, crunching it loudly:

"Although your physical condition is excellent, Nen abilities are incredibly diverse and often defy logic. I'll explain more about this during your formal training... Ah, here they come."

Following Izunabi's gaze, Heather saw the target walking down the street outside the restaurant.