Fortunately, oddballs were common among Nen users.
Kite was used to it and didn't press further, simply asking, "Would you be interested in joining the Hunter Association?"
The Hunter Association was all-encompassing. Even Netero accepted those who opposed him.
They wouldn't mind someone with an unclear background.
"Does the Association provide training resources?" Aoki asked.
As he spoke, the confusion in his eyes faded, his gaze sharpening once more.
At the same time, the cold, detached aura around him dissipated completely.
Aoki had exited the first stage of the Gene Lock.
Immediately afterward, intense backlash struck. His insides churned violently, organs spasming as his muscles burned with searing pain.
This was agony beyond what most could endure.
The vast majority would collapse from the torment, passing out on the spot.
But Aoki remained expressionless—he was long accustomed to it.
'And…'
With a thought, he withdrew all the aura around him, not a trace leaking out.
[Zetsu]!
—Cutting off the flow of 'aura' to rapidly restore physical and mental condition.
'Just as I thought!'
A glint flashed in Aoki's eyes.
Once his aura was fully retracted, he felt a cooling current flow through his body.
The backlash's pain was swiftly alleviated.
'At this rate, I'll fully recover in just three hours!' Aoki thought with excitement.
Back in the ordinary world, activating the Gene Lock even once would leave him bedridden for at least a week.
That was the drawback of lacking a supernatural system!
But once he possessed extraordinary power, the backlash from unlocking could be greatly mitigated.
Allowing him to unlock more frequently and evolve faster!
Opposite him, Kite remained unaware of Aoki's condition. He only sensed that the newcomer had suddenly become 'safe.'
The prickling sense of threat had vanished.
'He suppressed his killing intent and aura?' Kite guessed inwardly, relieved.
Honestly, he had been struggling under Aoki's pressure.
His instincts had been screaming at him to flee!
"The Association is a platform—it only teaches Nen knowledge," Kite replied. "If you want resources, you can complete missions for money and internal points."
Pausing, he glanced at the distant corpse of the cat girl and added, "You eliminated a unique Chimera Ant, and she seemed to be an important Royal Guard."
"That's a significant contribution to the Association."
"If you're willing to hand over the body, you should receive a substantial reward."
Aoki nodded.
Neferpitou's corpse was useless to him—naturally, he'd let the Association take it.
At this point in the story, during the early Chimera Ant arc, the Hunter Association urgently needed samples for research.
"Gon, come here."
Kite waved the boy over before turning back to Aoki. "That's my teacher's son. He's been helping me investigate the Chimera Ants."
"Chimera Ants—like the cat girl you just killed."
"They're a dangerous species from the Dark Continent. Now that they've learned Nen, they've become even more terrifying."
As he spoke, a look of apprehension filled Kite's face.
If it weren't for Aoki, he would have certainly died here, killed by Neferpitou.
Aoki listened quietly without saying anything.
Truthfully, the Chimera Ants weren't particularly fearsome. Top-tier Nen users combined with high-powered weapons would be enough to exterminate the entire species.
However, the mid-to-lower level people weren't aware of this fact.
In the original story, Kite had indeed been killed by Neferpitou, only barely reviving thanks to his unique Nen ability.
"Kite!"
Gon, having been called over, came running excitedly.
He first waved at Kite, then turned to Aoki: "I'm Gon Freecss, you can call me Gon. What's your name?"
"Aoki Hiroshi," he replied with a smile.
He was quite fond of Gon.
'Wait a minute!'
Suddenly, Aoki felt a strange sensation pass through him.
Coming into contact with Gon seemed to have given him something.
This thing was something he already possessed, yet it seemed destined by nature—neither increasing nor decreasing.
But now.
As he killed Neferpitou, this intangible thing suddenly increased by a fraction.
[Fortune Increased!]
At the same time, a message appeared in Aoki's mind once more.
This was the same as the invitation that had appeared when he first crossed over.
It was as if he had connected to some ethereal higher plane, receiving certain information—but his current level was too low, allowing him to barely decipher only fragments.
'Fortune, huh?'
Aoki's expression remained unchanged, but inwardly, it was as if an earthquake had struck, sending towering waves crashing through his thoughts.
According to the worldview of the Infinite Universe, unlocking genetic potential actually required 'fortune.'
'Those with abundant fortune can unlock their potential more easily and withstand the backlash afterward,' Aoki's thoughts raced.
'Those with weak fortune face near-certain death when attempting to unlock it.'
'Either they never encounter the right opportunity, or they face overwhelming crises—even if they unlock it, they won't survive.'
Aoki quickly pieced it together, his mind growing clearer.
So, traversing different worlds and altering their storylines allowed him to borrow fortune?
Or perhaps seize it?
'I see.'
Aoki finally understood the true purpose of crossing countless worlds.
At the same time, his heart burned with excitement.
'Under normal circumstances, reaching the Fourth Stage is already rare.'
'The Heart Demon Tribulation is an insurmountable chasm, nearly impossible to overcome!'
'But with the blessing of fortune, I might just have a chance to awaken my Inner Light—or even… the Fifth Stage, the Saint Realm?'
The more Aoki thought about it, the more exhilarated he became.
The Fifth Stage, the Saint Realm, was an existence beyond life and death.
One who engraved their Dao upon the multiverse, ascending into a higher-dimensional being—what walked the earth was merely a projection.
Even if destroyed, they could reappear at will.
In terms of combat power, they were so absurdly powerful that they could hurl planets like baseballs, with a single casual strike equivalent to a supernova explosion.
Distances within the light cone meant nothing—zero.
Their mass and energy were comparable to an entire singular universe!
'What a thrilling prospect, that kind of realm!'
Aoki took a deep breath inwardly, calming his emotions and suppressing his thoughts.
It was still too early to dwell on such things.
The immediate priority was developing his own unique Nen ability!
All these thoughts flashed through Aoki's mind in an instant—less than a second had passed in reality.
"You're really strong, Aoki!" Gon exclaimed excitedly. "Even someone as powerful as that cat girl was defeated by you."
"And you just awakened your abilities!"
"As Bisky-sensei would say, you're definitely a one-in-a-million genius!"
----------
For advance chapters join my Patreon.
[email protected]/Aarvan