Well, I've completed my farewells with my family, and it's time for me to pull myself together and work hard on a new start. Michael used his ability on me at the end. That kid really put a lot of focus on the visual appearance, didn't he? I'll gratefully accept it as a parting gift.
It's now August of 1760 (graduation from my school here is in August, with enrollment in September), so I'll check the schedule and decide on a plan. I already have a rough idea, though. My goal is the Hunter Exam in January 1761! When I tried to gather information, I found the date and time prominently displayed in the official gazette: January 24th. The location of the first venue is... the Minbo Republic this time, huh? As usual, the specific location is up to me to find...
The exam is a little over five months away.
I'll use this time to prepare for the exam. First, survival training. I'll deposit the large sum of money I received as a parting gift into the bank.
Right, I'll go to the jungle.
I'll head south toward the Mitene Union. Apparently, there are high-quality jungles around there. I'll spend about three months dwelling in the forest instead of the mountains. I'll dedicate the remaining two months to finding the venue. I need to move with plenty of time to spare.
To train, I'll start by running. It's about 500 kilometers to the port. If I run all day, I can make it in three days. Alright, let's get running!
As expected, probably because this is over 200 years ago, once you leave the city, a vast wilderness spreads out. Hence, there are no special notes. The only thing I have to worry about is food. Well, I brought some hardtack, and honestly, I can eat the wild grass growing around here. As long as I don't care about the taste, that is. So, I can actually manage fine.
So, I'll run while leisurely enjoying the scenery. This place seems to be the equivalent of America in my previous life, and the scenery is similar—very beautiful. I feel like I'm in the movie Forrest Gump. That scene where he just keeps running. Maintaining peace of mind is important.
Well, I've arrived at the port, but frankly, it's pretty shabby. It's barely more than a fishing village. There are boats, but... are they safe?
The distance isn't that great, so maybe we can make it...? Anyway, I hand over my passport (which I got in Yorkshin) and some Jenny to the Captain, who seems to own the boat, and ask to be taken aboard.
The Captain silently pointed to one of the boats. ...Is that it? It looks worn out. Is it safe? I get on board anyway. Other crew members are loading things like lemons. Is that for scurvy prevention? Speaking of which, what's my status regarding that?
I'd like to be able to solve that problem if possible. Can I just replenish the necessary nutrients with Aura? It's like eating my own feet, but it's better than dying. Time for meditation.
Two hours later, the boat finally set off. It's an inland sea, so we should arrive quickly. The Captain said it would take three days. Since I have nothing else to do, I meditate on the rocking boat. I remember something similar in Toriko. Autophagy, was it? Can I reproduce that with Aura? If I can restore and absorb cells, I should be able to do it.
Okay, the image is solidified. Now, I'll deepen the image so I can make it a reality. An image of sharing the lacking cellular nutrients with my own Aura... And an image of restoring the damaged cells...
I think I did it. Is this a derivation of [Healthy Man]? But since it's a status ailment, [Perfect Convert] is also involved. Well, it's good practice for simultaneous activation, and I should try a fasting challenge someday. I'll call it what it is: [Autophagy]. It's a derivative technique.
[Autophagy]
* A derivative technique of [Healthy Man] and [Perfect Convert]. If the cause is nutrient deficiency when [Perfect Convert] is activated, it switches to [Healthy Man]. Specifically, it substitutes the lacking nutrients with Aura and restores damaged cells.
* Will not activate if Aura is depleted.
That's the gist of it. Well, I don't think I'll have many opportunities to use it, and it's better if I don't. If I live a perfectly normal life, it should never activate. However, preparing for a contingency is not a bad thing. But wait, given my current Aura capacity, I could survive for quite a few days even if I fast, couldn't I? I think I can last for over a month, by my rough estimate.
I'm getting closer to becoming the man who won't die. Hooray.
While I was doing that, we seemed to have arrived at our destination. It's another lonely, quaint fishing village in a tropical area. Time for immigration procedures, I suppose. Is there an embassy here...?
There was! (I was astonished). It was an immigration control center, to be exact. Purpose: tourism. Duration: three months... What's this, medical history? Bring it on. If I write the truth, I'll be listing a parade of dangerous diseases like rabies and tetanus and will be denied entry, so I have no choice but to write "None." I'm completely cured now, anyway... (Strained voice). You could even say I came here looking for diseases.
And criminal record... I don't have one. I don't.
I successfully filled everything out and was escorted to an inn. They suggested giving me a local guide, but I declined. It would probably be surveillance. When I offered a generous tip to the insistent official, he smiled and backed off, saying, "Please enjoy your stay."
It seems some things never change, then or now. Money talks. Kam learned that.
Now, before I rush into the jungle, I'll genuinely spend one day sightseeing. One day won't hurt. This place has a Vietnam-like atmosphere from my previous life. I've never been there, though. I bought some skewers from a food stall. ...It was delicious, but a normal person would get an upset stomach. [Perfect Convert] activated. This time, it was parasites. I won't be coexisting with you. Instead, you will become me! I thoroughly break them down and absorb them.
All three meals were like that. Thanks to that, my digestive organs have become unusually strong. I'm glad I came here. But how do the locals manage to live? It truly seems like they've adapted to coexist with nature. The human body is amazing.
By the way, I ran into pickpockets three times, but thanks to the perception of my En, their movements were completely visible. The moment they acted, I caught them, and with the combo of catching and Aura intimidation, the poor pickpockets all wet themselves and passed out. Don't worry. I only hit them with the back of my hand.
I ate what was served at the inn that night, but I felt strangely sleepy. The moment [Perfect Convert] activated, I realized I had been drugged. My head instantly became physically clear. This place really provides endless opportunities to gain experience.
Excited about what kind of welcoming party awaited me, I pretended to be asleep. That night, I sensed about ten people gathering. I don't want to destroy the inn, so I stepped outside to meet them. They were fully armed, which was unexpected. Did the word about the pickpockets spread? But if this happens in the inn I was guided to, that official must be shady, too...
They were surprised that I came out, but they relaxed when they saw the difference in numbers. Someone said something, pointing a blade at me.
"You idiot! Hand over the money!"
"Leave your luggage if you don't want to be killed!"
Yeah. I don't understand the local language. They're probably saying "Hand over the money" or "Leave your luggage."
There are no firearms, though. Maybe they haven't spread to this area yet. Well, even if they had, they wouldn't work on me.
While I was having these extraneous thoughts, one man stepped forward.
Oh, a Nen user.
The first one I've seen besides Michael. I need to be cautious. For now, Gyo! Hmm, no traps or In set up.
Alright, this is my first all-out fight. From what I can see, he's not much, but his ability might flip the tables.
But what's the deal with him not using Ken even though he's in fighting stance? Is he warming up? Well, whatever. I don't need to match him.
Ken!!!
I instantly shroud myself in Aura. With the results of my training, my manifested capacity has increased even more, so I think this is a pretty good Ken. Heh, are you scared?
Come on, use Ken already. I'll decide whether to engage in delayed combat or fight based on the amount of Aura you use!
"W-What is this! He's a monster!!!"
He seems panicked. Just use Ken, damn it. I'm going to make a move now.
Oh, he made a blade out of Aura and launched it at me. One, two, three... six blades. He's quite skilled. He's got a good mix of Transmutation and Emission training. Alright, I'll match that.
"Hah!"
Kaka-kaka-kaka!
I make my claws into blades and launch six of them like shurikens. Come to think of it, there was a technique like this in JoJo... Tusk, was it?
Anyway, I shot down all of his blades. Is he still not going to use his unique ability? Is he going to fight only with the basic types? He's saying something, but I don't understand the language. Okay, my turn next. I'm using Emission. I'll do that.
I drop my stance, pull my hands together, and strike the pose from DB. I'll use about 5,000 units of Aura. Time for a big expenditure!
"Ka—am—ehaa——!!!"
I launch a torrent of Aura at him. The name still sounds bad. Is there a cooler name for it? I should think of one.
It's an Emission-type technique, but I'm forcibly increasing the power with sheer Aura volume. You could call it brute force. What are you going to do?! It'll be a direct hit if you stay there!
Ah, he just got swallowed up by it. He was blown away. Did he die?
Immediately after he was hit,
"Our Big Brother got taken out!!"
"Impossible! Is that guy a monster!?"
I don't know what they were saying, but after a moment of commotion, they all ran away in a panic. I feel a bit unsatisfied, but he didn't die, so it's fine!
I returned to the inn afterward. Don't worry, old man at the inn, I won't do anything to you. I kept En up for a while just in case, but since nothing else seemed to be happening, I slept for about two hours.
But I wonder what his ability was. I'm curious.
[Sword Dancer]
User: Nameless Aniki
Transmutation and Emission-type ability
* An ability to change Aura into the shape of a sword and launch it. It has tracking capability. To an ordinary person, it's an invisible blade flying at them that they can't resist, making him quite skilled in this region. It's the Aura version of Infinite Four-Sword Style. However, he had the misfortune of encountering the wrong opponent this time.
Kam-kun simply thought it was a basic Nen-type ability. Kam-kun always includes the thought of "fleeing" against any opponent. Bisky would probably get mad at him. But there's no way "Kamehameha" is an acceptable name. Absolutely not.
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