Chapter 4
Time passed in increments.
Ghost learned that survival wasn't always about fight or flight—it was about rhythm. In the following weeks, he established one: errands in the morning, surveillance or delivery runs in the afternoon, scavenging at night. He never stayed in the same place twice, even though Tajima still let him sleep behind the shop some nights.
The city didn't get safer, but Ghost got sharper.
He collected rolls like a miser hoarding coins. Daily tasks. Minor achievements. A rare mission to trail a courier unnoticed. An alert that he'd navigated five unique districts in one day without being seen. Slowly, the numbers piled.
> [Inventory – Rolls]:
Common Rolls: 18
Uncommon Rolls: 9
Rare Rolls: 4
Epic Roll: 1
One night, while holed up beneath a sloped rooftop during another hard rain, he discovered the mechanic by accident.
He selected ten Common rolls in frustration, trying to burn through them quickly. Instead of spinning, the system pulsed with a new prompt.
> [Upgrade Eligible: 10x Common Rolls → 1x Uncommon Roll? Confirm?]
His eyes widened.
He confirmed.
The result was addictive.
Soon, he was refining everything. Ten Uncommons for one Rare. Three Rares to reach his first Epic. The higher the tier, the slower the grind—but the rewards changed.
Common gave him thread, rusty knives, rope, minor passive boosts. Uncommons gave him useful tools and conditional perks. Rares gave him templates and trait choices. But the Epic—
The Epic was different.
He didn't spin it right away.
Instead, he waited until the first snowfall coated the capital's outer district in silence. It had been four months since he arrived in this world. He still didn't know its rules—only what he saw, heard, and felt.
But he had something now.
A choice.
He activated the Epic roll.
> [Spinning…]
[Congratulations: You have obtained Power Template – Nen Initiate (Hunter x Hunter)]
> [Would you like to apply this Power Template? This action cannot be undone.]
Ghost hesitated.
Then: Yes.
> [Nen Template Applied]
Initial Talent Assessment: Moderate Affinity
Aura Type: Enhancer
Nen unlocked – Level 0.1
Training required to develop further.
The moment it locked in, Ghost felt it.
A pull beneath his skin, like a second heartbeat.
He spent the next few days learning the shape of it. Aura flowed like warmth he could barely direct. The system didn't offer instruction, but it gave milestones:
> [Train for 2 hours: +0.1 Aura Control]
[Meditate for 1 hour: +0.05 Nen Sensitivity]
Progress was slow. But progress existed.
Tajima never asked about the bruises on Ghost's knuckles or the mornings he woke drenched in sweat. He only passed him a steaming cup of bitter tea and said, "You look older."
Ghost trained when no one watched. Punches in silence. Stretches in the shadows. Hours spent staring at his hands, feeling the quiet rhythm of his aura pulsing beneath skin.
He was building something. Something real.
By the time winter thawed into spring, his status screen had changed.
---
> [Status Screen – Ghost]
Age: Approx. 10
Class: Street Orphan → Initiate
System Type: Roulette
---
Attributes:
Strength: 4.1 (Average adult: 5)
Agility: 6.3
Endurance: 4.7
Perception: 7.1
Intelligence: 6.5
Willpower: 7.8
---
Skills & Traits:
Danger Sense (Passive) Lv. 1
Stealth Template (Passive) Lv. 1
Composure I (Trait)
Minor Agility Boost (Passive)
Minor Perception Boost (Passive)
---
Inventory Highlights:
Hunter's Gloves (Rare)
Bronze Bell (Uncommon – Effect Unknown)
Rusted Knife (D-Rank)
Tin Cup, Rope Scrap, Thread Spool
---
Power System: Nen Initiate (Hunter x Hunter)
Aura Type: Enhancer
Nen Level: 0.3
Known Techniques:
Basic Ten (45 seconds max duration)
Early Zetsu (requires full stillness)
---
Spring winds carried more than warmth.
Rumors drifted in from travelers: a border skirmish here, a strange child with red eyes sighted in a mountain village, a caravan attacked by rogue ninja.
Ghost listened. He always listened.
The world was waking up.
And now, so was he.