Chapter 1: The Crossing
When Ronin woke up, he found himself being carried on a broad, sturdy back. The wind howled past his ears, and freezing rain battered his body.
"You're awake," a steady, deep voice rumbled from the man carrying him.
Ronin felt like his skull was splitting open. A torrent of foreign memories flooded his mind, forcing themselves in.
It seemed he had transmigrated.
Through the ringing in his ears, he could faintly hear the long, flatlining tone of a heart monitor from a hospital room—the sound of his previous life ending. But the memories overlaying that sound were far more visceral: visions of clansmen bound in the town square, their eyes gouged out one by one.
The situation... was beyond desperate.
Before Ronin could sort through the chaos in his mind, a sharp, searing pain shot through his eyes. Immediately after, he felt a warm liquid trailing down his cheeks.
Blood.
He tried to raise his hand to wipe it away, but his world suddenly spun.
The warm back he had been leaning on disappeared. The world tilted violently as pain radiated from his arm through his entire body. He had been thrown.
Thud!
Ronin hit the mud, his body aching all over. Following the trajectory of his fall, he looked back and saw a massive log shattered against the ground exactly where they had been running a second ago.
"Run, Ronin! Go!"
A desperate, slurred shout pierced through the tinnitus ringing in Ronin's ears.
Ronin shook his head, trying to clear his vision, and looked at the man who had spoken.
The man possessed a pair of glowing Scarlet Eyes, though right now, they were filled with anxiety and terror.
He was dressed in the traditional garb of an ethnic minority. His body, though not particularly large, was shrouded in a faint, shimmering aura. Seeing Ronin struggle to his feet, the man turned around, his muscles tensed, staring intently at the direction the log had come from.
In that moment, Ronin saw a look of absolute resolve in the man's eyes.
The memories clicked. This man was his father. Or rather, the father of the body he now inhabited.
"Done running already?"
A cruel, mocking voice drifted from the darkness. A figure, far larger and more imposing than Ronin's father, stepped out from the dense forest.
Ronin, now standing, felt the stinging pain of his injuries, but the physical pain vanished the moment he saw the newcomer's face. It was replaced instantly by pure, unadulterated fear.
He knew this face. He had seen it countless times in manga and anime.
Spiky, porcupine-like hair. A rugged, savage face wearing a playful, predatory grin. His eyes were like a wolf's, glancing briefly at Ronin before locking onto his father.
The man wore a vest and boots made of bear fur, enhancing his wild, barbaric appearance. As he stepped closer, his presence—his Ren—intensified, suffocating the air around him like a beast preparing to slaughter its prey.
Uvogin.
Member #11 of the Phantom Troupe. The Spider.
The moment Ronin recognized him, adrenaline hijacked his system. He made the only correct choice available: He turned around and ran.
"Heh."
A cold, dismissive chuckle came from behind him, but Ronin didn't dare look back.
He knew with absolute certainty: If I stay, I die.
That was the only thought in his head.
Hearing his son flee, the frown on the father's determined face relaxed slightly. He shifted his stance, blocking Uvogin's line of sight to the boy, and flared his aura. It was the aura of a man who had accepted death—a burning resolve to take his enemy down with him.
Uvogin glanced in the direction Ronin had fled, then lost interest. He turned his full attention to the man standing before him, the one ready to fight to the death.
His eyes flicked to the large bloodstain on the man's abdomen, and a trace of disappointment crossed Uvogin's face.
Such strong fighting spirit, but the body is already broken. What a waste.
Despite the thought, Uvogin's disappointment was quickly replaced by battle lust and brutality.
BOOM!
The sound of fists colliding exploded through the forest like a cannon blast.
Ronin turned his head for one last look. Through the rainy night, he saw two silhouettes crashing into each other.
He didn't know how long his father could last, but he knew the man was no match for a Spider. His memories were clear—his father had already been gravely wounded saving him earlier.
The only stroke of luck was that only Uvogin had pursued them. If the other Troupe members were here...
Ronin gritted his teeth and sprinted forward.
But after only a few strides, he faltered. He stopped and looked back again.
He was now over a hundred meters away from the fight. Yet, despite the distance, the darkness, and the rain, he could see the battle with terrifying clarity. He could see every movement. He could even see the flow of energy—the Nen—coursing through their bodies.
This isn't right.
His eyesight was too good. And the speed at which the two men were moving... it was superhuman, yet he could track it perfectly.
Ronin knew he couldn't afford to stand there gawking. He spun around and forced his legs to pump faster.
As he ran, his mind raced. His body was undergoing a change, specifically in his eyes.
The Scarlet Eyes.
He remembered his identity: The Kurta Clan.
The Kurta were famous for possessing the Scarlet Eyes, considered one of the Seven Most Beautiful Colors in the World. When their emotions were heightened, their irises turned a deep, glowing red.
Based on Kurapika from the manga, these eyes weren't just for show. Once a Kurta learned to use Nen, the eyes acted as a catalyst. When the eyes turned red, their aura output spiked.
For Kurapika, the Scarlet Eyes changed his Nen category from Conjurer to Specialist, granting him the ability Emperor Time, which allowed him to use all Nen categories at 100% efficiency.
So, what is my ability when my eyes are red?
Ronin thought about his abnormal vision. But if that was all it did, it wouldn't help him escape a monster like Uvogin.
Wait. Do I even know how to use Nen yet?
He raised his hands as he ran, staring at them.
There was no aura shrouding his skin. However, he could see a stable, flowing energy circulating inside his own body.
Am I in a state of Zetsu? Is my aura completely suppressed within me?
But considering how fast he was running—far faster than a normal human—he doubted he was just a regular civilian.
He tried to force the energy out, to release his Ren, but it felt blocked. It wasn't simple. At least, he couldn't do it instinctively right now.
However, since he could visually perceive the aura on his father and Uvogin, Ronin concluded he had definitely "awakened" to Nen. It was just manifesting in a way he didn't fully understand yet.
This unknown variable might be the only thing that could save him from Uvogin.
Then, Ronin froze mid-stride. The realization hit him like a lightning bolt.
I can see the energy flowing inside my own body.
That wasn't normal. That wasn't just "good eyesight."
He needed to see his reflection. He needed to know what his eyes looked like right now.