Chapter 3: This is So Interesting!
In his previous life, Jing Yang, stuck at home due to boredom, had binge-watched shows and anime, naturally not missing out on the classic, albeit frustrating, Hunter x Hunter. Therefore, he remembered the world-building details quite clearly.
In the Hunter World, everyone possesses life energy within them, known as 'Aura.'
Ordinary people are unaware of Aura, letting it dissipate. Those who can sense Aura and learn to harness its power are called Nen Ability users.
Nen Ability users have different ability types based on individual differences.
Nen Ability is divided into six major categories.
The 'Water Perception Method' is a way to determine one's ability type by placing a leaf on the surface of water in a glass, then channeling one's Aura into the glass. Based on changes in the water or leaf, the conclusion can be drawn as follows:
Leaf moves on the water surface → Manipulation Type
Water changes color → Emission Type
Water volume changes → Enhancement Type
Water taste changes → Transformation Type
Impurities appear in the water → Conjuration Type
Other changes → Specialization Type
"..."
After briefly recalling this information, Jing Yang sat upright, looking at the glass of water with the leaf floating on the surface, extending his hands.
The great tiger crossed its front legs, lying beside him. Due to being inside the cabin, the glow from its fur pattern was dim. The tiger yawned, tilting its head to watch the human cub, not quite understanding what he was doing. Why wasn't he drinking the water, just staring at it?
Jing Yang, of course, didn't know what the glowing great tiger was pondering. He was focused on channeling his 'Aura.' Perhaps because he had already used his Nen Ability a few times, despite his lack of basic skills, he quickly sensed the Nen and successfully gathered it in his palms, moving them toward the glass.
Then, the leaf on the water surface began to move...
As expected, he was a Manipulation Type.
Jing Yang had anticipated this, so he wasn't too surprised.
The six major categories of Nen Ability, if connected in a system, are: Manipulation Type → Emission Type → Enhancement Type → Transformation Type → Conjuration Type → Specialization Type → Manipulation Type.
There's a general rule, though not always accurate, that can be used to distinguish them:
Emission Type, Enhancement Type, and Transformation Type typically rely more on conventional combat methods, such as fighting, energy blasts, and various transformations of Nen;
Among the myriad Nen Abilities, some, once successfully activated, are almost like rules, appearing more in Manipulation Type, Specialization Type, and Conjuration Type.
In the Hunter World, an experienced Nen Ability user should know: Manipulation Type abilities generally have a "first-strike victory" effect.
In other words, if you let a Manipulation Type enemy successfully use their ability on you, you're done for!
It's that overpowered.
Jing Yang's pink pentagram mark had this characteristic. Once successfully marked on a target, he could control them at will.
"So my ability... hmm, I'll name it later, for now, let's call it 'Star Mark.' My 'Star Mark' ability, what are the specific conditions for activation?"
Jing Yang picked up the moving leaf, pondering. Just channeling Aura for a moment, he already felt fatigued. This showed how meager the Nen Aura reserves of his untrained young body were, no wonder he was exhausted after activating 'Star Mark' once.
Jing Yang shifted his gaze to the wolf he had controlled, looking at the small pink pentagram mark inside its ear.
"Speaking of which, if I want to remove this mark, how should I..."
He reached out, touching the pink pentagram inside the wolf's ear, and instantly, the pentagram dissipated.
"Woof!"
Freed from Jing Yang's control, the wolf immediately howled in panic.
But behind Jing Yang, a low tiger growl sounded. The great tiger, with its glowing jade-like fur pattern, circled around Jing Yang, pouncing on the struggling wolf, pinning it to the floor.
This glowing great tiger, standing on all fours, was over 1.5 meters tall, its massive weight pressing down on the wolf Jing Yang had injured and bled, rendering it powerless.
"Thanks, my tiger bro." Jing Yang approached the tiger's paw, patting the wolf's head, "Don't bark, I'm just testing, it won't take long."
With limited Nen, how should he test efficiently?
In other words, what should he prioritize?
Jing Yang thought for a moment, taking off the loose black suit, draping it over the wolf.
He plucked a hair from his head, placing it on the wolf through the suit, holding his breath, focusing, channeling Aura to twist the hair into a pentagram shape, pressing it against the suit surface, the ability activation failed.
Jing Yang felt it wasn't due to a lack of Nen, but because the activation conditions weren't met.
He took a few breaths, rested, then removed the suit, repeating the process, using Aura to twist the hair into a pentagram, placing it on the wolf's fur, he deliberately let the hair touch the fur without pressing it tightly. The ability failed again.
"So, the 'Pentagram' must be in direct contact with the target's 'skin' to activate? Or must it be neatly drawn on the target's 'body surface'?" Jing Yang pondered, "Preliminarily, the conditions seem to be three: ① The pentagram symbol; ② The symbol must be in direct contact with the target's body, clothing doesn't count; ③ While the first two conditions are met, my Nen Aura must cover it. All three conditions are necessary..."
Jing Yang wanted to continue testing, but he was out of energy, thirsty, hungry, and tired.
Jing Yang picked up the glass of water, gulping it down, then asked the tiger to keep the wolf pinned.
He wandered around the cabin, finding emergency food supplies, like compressed biscuits, bread, chocolate, and small cakes.
He also found pants and a shirt, rolling them to the right length, haphazardly putting them on, tying the pants with a string, finally not having to worry about being exposed.
Considering the gang corpses on the shore, Jing Yang wasn't worried about expired food.
"Tiger bro, want some?"
Jing Yang waved a small cake in front of the tiger's big head.
The glowing great tiger, indeed intelligent, shook its head, pushing the cake back with its paw, seemingly urging Jing Yang to eat it himself, not waste it.
As for the wolf, pinned under the great tiger, it had no room to resist.
Honestly, while Jing Yang was grateful for the glowing great tiger's help, he was puzzled by its goodwill. He hadn't paid for it!
Jing Yang devoured the cake, chocolate, biscuits, and drank the remaining water in the glass.
In the quiet night, the empty cabin, aside from the wolf's low whimpering, only Jing Yang's eating sounds could be heard...
While eating and resting, Jing Yang picked up the newspaper he had found earlier.
Though he couldn't read the Hunter World's script, he could at least look at the pictures! The newspaper had many photos.
And there were many numbers, which seemed to be universal?
Jing Yang found amusement in his predicament, feeling somewhat at ease.
He saw a date-like string of numbers under the headline, reading "1994-11-29," and after some thought, he realized the current timeline, according to Hunter x Hunter's storyline, the protagonist Gon Freecss left home to take the Hunter Exam in January 1999.
In other words, it was likely late 1994 in the Hunter calendar, about four years before the "story begins"...
Jing Yang's gaze lingered on a photo in the news.
The photo seemed to be taken during a political event, with journalists capturing the scene, showing two parties meeting amicably, shaking hands, smiling like politicians. More importantly, one of the people shaking hands... was a chubby man, looking somewhat naive, somewhat prosperous, yet exuding a shrewdness, and more importantly, Jing Yang seemed to recognize him!
Wasn't this King of Kakin from the manga?
The royal family with the peculiar surname "Hui guo rou"?
In his previous life, when Jing Yang revisited the Hunter manga, he had read up to the Dark Continent, Black Whale, Kakin succession arc. Though the text in that part of the manga became increasingly dense, to the point of being overwhelming, causing him to give up, he still remembered the important character, King of Kakin.
This meant he had transmigrated to the Kakin Kingdom in the Hunter World?
Thinking of the Kakin Kingdom naturally brought to mind Kite; thinking of Kite naturally led to the Chimera Ant arc; thinking of the Chimera Ant arc...
Forget it, better not think about it.
What a downer! Jing Yang tossed the newspaper aside, feeling rested enough, and continued using the wolf for ability testing.
But just then, Jing Yang suddenly realized something he had overlooked, something that had been right under his nose.
This wolf...
It had nearly been beaten to death by the pack, left with only a breath, yet now it was lively, with no visible wounds?
Was it the wolf's superior breed, with strong recovery, or...
With an idea, Jing Yang wanted to verify it, running around the cabin. The great tiger's head followed him, turning constantly, until Jing Yang couldn't find a suitable "weapon," the kitchen knife was too high to reach! Helpless, Jing Yang returned to the tiger, "Tiger bro, could you lift your paw and give this guy a swipe?" He pointed at the wolf under the tiger's butt.
The great tiger didn't hesitate, raising its paw, slashing the wolf's neck, leaving a bloody wound, warm blood nearly splattering Jing Yang's leg.
With the tiger suppressing it, the wolf couldn't struggle or harm anyone despite the pain.
Jing Yang safely observed the wolf's wound.
But until the torn wound, darkened by blood, with fur matted together and solidified, showed no signs of healing.
Jing Yang pondered, dipping his finger in the wolf's blood, parting the fur on its exposed belly, drawing a pentagram with the blood.
This time, Jing Yang didn't infuse Aura while drawing the pentagram.
Instead, after drawing, he wiped his finger, gathering Nen Aura, pressing his small palm onto the pentagram.
'Star Mark' successfully activated!
A pink pentagram mark appeared on the wolf's belly.
The hidden rule of Star Mark activation: a pentagram symbol can be pre-drawn on the target, then activated by infusing Nen Aura later, not necessarily simultaneously, still successfully activating the ability.
Jing Yang nodded in satisfaction, then continued observing the wolf's neck wound.
The wound began healing at a visible rate...
A control ability meant to manipulate opponents, with an unexpected side effect, the marked target gained a powerful self-healing ability!
However, Jing Yang wasn't disappointed or dissatisfied; instead, he smiled.
He quickly dipped his finger in the remaining wolf blood, thought for a moment, then turned his back, using the third-person perspective of "Jing Wolf" to accurately draw a pentagram on his own neck with the blood. As he finished the last stroke, he infused Nen Aura into the blood pattern, instantly covering the pentagram.
Instantly, a pink Star Mark formed on the back of Jing Yang's neck.
Perfect!
Now he had a powerful passive self-healing skill?
Moreover, as a Manipulation Type user, he had "first-strike victory" control over himself, preventing other Manipulation Type users from controlling him. Fully protected!
The world of Nen Ability is truly... fascinating!
Jing Yang was rejoicing when, through the cabin window, a gunshot echoed from afar.
Bang!...
In the silent, dark night, the gunshot was loud and abrupt, echoing in the sea breeze.
Were there other gangsters alive nearby?
Jing Yang was startled.
At the same time, a strange aura, both cold and hot, drilled into his heart!
Jing Yang's vision darkened, collapsing toward the glowing great tiger...