Chapter 1 – The Beginning of Fate
Splash, splash, splash...
A sharp, urgent sound echoed in his ears. When Osren slowly regained consciousness, his mind was a complete blank—emptier than a glutton's plate after a feast.
Out of that blank nothingness, faint shadows began to emerge: first black, then red, then gradually green. Before long, a vibrant and colorful world materialized before him.
As Osren came to his senses, the memories hit him all at once—and they weren't pleasant.
This was the beginning of a tragedy.
Just moments ago, he'd been a 30-something IT guy in the real world, pulling endless overtime with nothing to show for it—not even the experience of holding a pretty girl's hand. A total failure in romance, and a shining example of a modern wage slave's misery.
On October 26, 2017, at exactly 4:14:15 PM, he'd ducked into a restroom to sneak in a quick round of Honor of Kings. Just as he was about to pull off an epic five-kill combo, his phone exploded.
"Wait… my phone's not a Samsung from South Korea…"
That was the last thought that crossed Osren's mind before everything went dark.
Ssshhhk!
Before he could poke at the mysterious, glowing golden loot box that had appeared in his mind, a sharp, bone-deep pain dragged him violently back to reality. This was no time to daydream.
His eyes snapped open—and what he saw nearly made his jaw dislocate.
Green aquatic plants swayed around him. Tiny fish darted by. Deep blue water surrounded him. It was crystal clear—he was underwater. Probably in the ocean. No wonder he'd heard that rushing sound earlier.
He hadn't even started to question how he could breathe underwater—or why opening his mouth didn't flood his lungs—when a searing jolt of pain forced him to look down.
Only then did he realize: several clawed limbs covered in bristly barbs were wrapped tightly around him, digging deep into his flesh.
Instinctively, Osren struggled—but it only made the grip tighten.
What kind of creature had claws like this? A giant crab? A sea monster? He wasn't about to just sit and wait to die. He began to thrash harder, desperately trying to break free.
That's when he finally got a good look at his captor—a massive, blood-red, fish-like creature with a tiger-shaped head and several meters of body length. Its belly was studded with limbs, one of which held him in a suffocating grip.
A fish… with claws?
Osren's limited knowledge of marine life screamed that something was seriously off.
Splash!
Suddenly, the creature thrashed violently, tail sweeping in wide arcs, propelling them both forward. The current surged, creating vortexes that kicked up sand from the seabed, turning the water into a cloudy, swirling mess. The claws loosened slightly—just enough that Osren almost slipped free.
Through the murky water, he barely caught sight of a shiny, silver line—like a fishing line.
If I fall now… with my barely-passable swimming skills, I'll never make it back up.
"Now or never," Osren muttered, gritting his teeth. With a sudden burst of determination, he flipped his body and gripped the claw tightly, using it to pull himself toward the direction of the line.
The fish beast shot upward at such speed that Osren's eyes stung from the pressure. He clenched them shut, holding on for dear life.
And then—splash!
He broke the surface of the water.
Just as he gasped for air, something massive and green loomed overhead, and the next thing he knew—
Thud!
He slammed into the ground, surrounded by an entanglement of roots, vines, and thick greenery.
"Yaaah!"
A loud, childlike voice rang out. Osren looked up—just in time to see a small figure clad entirely in green barreling toward him.
"Shhhh—it hurts!" he groaned, realizing the claws were still digging deeper into his body. He struggled, but they refused to budge.
Then—
"Huh? There's a person in there?"
A crisp, curious voice called out.
Crack. Snap. Snip.
Something cut through the claws. The pressure released all at once, and Osren tumbled to the ground like a ragdoll.
Before he could assess his injuries, he found himself staring at a mouthful of razor-sharp teeth—far deadlier than any shark's.
"Whew… thank the heavens it only grabbed me. One bite and I'd be fish food," he muttered weakly.
Then the voice from earlier chimed in again:
"Who are you? Why were you caught along with a Kingfish? Don't tell me… you jumped into the sea to catch it yourself? That's amazing!"
As soon as Osren looked up, he saw a boy around eleven or twelve years old staring at him with wide, curious golden eyes — and… admiration?
"Admiration?" Osren froze. Why would someone be looking at him with that expression? He slowly sat up from the ground, eyeing the boy who looked like he'd walked straight out of Dragon Ball, wild hair and all, completely confused.
One moment, he'd been in the bathroom. The next, he was in the ocean. And now somehow on dry land… and being circled by this strange kid. Something about this situation felt off.
Green outfit, green boots, spiky black hair — the kid looked oddly familiar. And the more familiar he seemed, the stronger the sense of dread in Osren's heart grew.
"Uh, who are—" He stopped mid-sentence.
What the hell? He was speaking fluent Japanese. Fluently. That was… terrifying.
"Hi! I'm Gon. Did your aunt tell you that you had to catch a Master of Swamp before you could take the Hunter Exam too? But I don't remember seeing you on Whale Island." The boy — Gon — cheerfully measured their height difference with his hand and tilted his head curiously.
Osren went pale.
Gon. Whale Island. Hunter Exam.
This was it. This was the final straw.
"Are you kidding me? Of all the places to transmigrate to… why the world of Hunter x Hunter? With its insane death rate? There's no hope here at all!"
His thoughts were spiraling. The shock of transmigration, plus the realization of where he was, hit him like a ton of bricks. A cocktail of emotions surged through his brain.
Facing Gon's bright, eager smile, Osren didn't know whether to respond or pretend he didn't exist.
And then Gon's little height-measuring gesture… That really crushed his soul.
He was shorter than Gon.
Shorter than Gon!
That had to mean he hadn't crossed over in his original body. It was a soul transmigration.
But being shorter than Gon? That made him the same height as Killua — or shorter! That just didn't make sense!
(Okay, maybe it was Gon's hair that made him look taller…)
Gon glanced at Osren, then at the massive Fish on the ground. In his mind, it was obvious — Osren must've caught it himself. But this was already the sixth day of the challenge.
Gon hesitated, unsure how to phrase things. Osren's expression was really not great.
"It's yours. You caught it," Osren said, catching the meaning behind Gon's glances. He recalled the storyline — this was the final day of Gon's challenge with Aunt Mito. So he just cut to the chase.
"Thanks! Do you need one too? I can catch another for you if you want!" Gon beamed, already rolling up his sleeves, ready to spring into action if Osren gave the word.
Facing one of the anime world's three kings of simple-mindedness, Osren was… overwhelmed. But it was also precisely Gon's sunny, straightforward energy that helped him shake off the anxiety of waking up in an unfamiliar world.
"No need, but thanks," Osren said with a faint smile. He still had no idea why he was here, but at least this strange kid wasn't hostile.
"Oh, okay." Gon nodded, a little disappointed that he didn't get to show off again.
Watching Gon's slightly deflated expression, Osren couldn't help but chuckle a little. Thank god it was Gon he met first. If it had been someone else… who knows what would've happened.
BOOM!
Suddenly, a golden gift box exploded inside Osren's mind with a thunderous bang, trying to force some presence into the scene.
A row of glowing text appeared in his consciousness:
[A new journey begins! Welcome to the world, Newbie!]