"Aoki-sensei, your manuscript payment has been deposited into your account. Please confirm."
"Got it, thanks."
In his apartment, a black-haired youth replied casually to his phone.
"Then, I won't disturb you further. Enjoy your vacation," Machida Sonoko finished politely before hanging up.
Putting his phone down, the teenager walked toward a floor-length mirror in the room.
Reflected there was a body sculpted with compact muscles, every contour defined clearly and sharply, radiating power.
It was surreal to see such a physique on a sixteen-year-old boy.
Such musculature belonged more naturally to professional boxers, MMA fighters, or extreme athletes. Without persistent training and strict dietary discipline, developing a body of this caliber was impossible.
Yet, Aoki Hiroshi had done it.
Because he had an absurd cheat—Gene-Lock.
"Transmigrating into a slice-of-life anime world and getting a cheat suited purely for combat—what a joke." Hiroshi sighed, shaking his head at his reflection.
Originally a typical corporate drone on Blue Star, he was transported by sheer luck into another world—modern Japan.
During a life-and-death crisis shortly after arriving, he unlocked the First-Stage Gene-Lock, gaining powers akin to a minor superhero:
Combat instincts coded into his DNA…
Superhuman intuition…
Millimeter-precise body control…
Nerve reflexes fast enough to track bullet trajectories…
In the original lore, a First-Stage Gene-Lock user could punch through concrete walls, lift a car barehanded, or tear apart steel plates with mere fingernails.
And Hiroshi was equally capable.
Globally, there wasn't a soul who could match him now.
The only issue was—this anime world had no supernatural power system!
"Gene-Lock is just like beauty," Hiroshi muttered sarcastically.
"When paired with something else, it's unbeatable. Alone, it's worthless."
"I've never heard of anyone reaching the Fourth-Stage Gene-Lock without a supernatural foundation."
He rolled his eyes irritably.
Gene-Lock evolved qualitatively at the Fourth Stage, granting power capable of confronting entire armies or nations. But before then, it was simply an amplifier—exponentially boosting the power of any existing supernatural abilities.
His current predicament? He possessed no supernatural abilities whatsoever.
"What a mess," he groaned softly.
Turning around, Hiroshi slipped into casual clothes, deciding a nice meal might soothe his frustration.
Since his First-Stage Gene-Lock wasn't enough to conquer the world through brute force, he'd resorted to "borrowing" novels from his previous life to become an overnight sensation.
"Sure, I can't dominate through violence right now, but becoming the unrivaled king of the light novel world isn't bad either," he chuckled to himself.
Ding!
Just then, a mechanical-sounding voice echoed clearly within Hiroshi's mind, similar to a system notification yet distinctly different.
It appeared directly in his consciousness, beyond text, imagery, or language, inviting him unmistakably:
[Initiate world traversal?]
Hiroshi froze momentarily, then answered without hesitation:
"Yes!"
A surge of white light instantly flooded his vision, swallowing him whole.
…
…
In the blink of an eye, Hiroshi found himself standing within a lush, dense forest.
Bewildered, he scanned his surroundings carefully, discovering he was on a vast mountain teeming with life, breathing pure air untainted by industry.
"This place seems familiar," Hiroshi murmured, narrowing his eyes thoughtfully.
It felt like somewhere he'd seen long ago.
"Besides, something inside me… it's restless," he whispered, eyes sharpening with curiosity.
He sensed a potent force stirring deep within. His previously abstract physical and mental energies transformed into vivid, tangible vitality, swirling impatiently inside him like magma about to erupt.
"Vitality?"
"Qi?"
"Psychic energy?"
He considered the possibilities but remained uncertain. Therefore, rather than impulsively releasing this newfound life force, Hiroshi cautiously suppressed and stabilized it.
After all, different supernatural systems employed vitality in vastly different ways.
"Hmm? People?"
Suddenly, Hiroshi glanced sharply in one direction. His instincts told him two human presences lay ahead.
Once thoroughly familiarized, the First-Stage Gene-Lock granted powerful instinctual awareness even without actively activating it. Or perhaps, the Gene-Lock was always his true power—it just needed unlocking and refinement until fully mastered.
…
Hiroshi didn't travel far before spotting two unmistakably familiar figures:
A boy with spiky hair and a green outfit, and a tall, slender man sporting white hair beneath a blue cap.
Gon… and Kite.
Hiroshi's eyes sharpened instantly, recognizing them in a flash.
Realization dawned quickly:
Hunter x Hunter's world?
And judging by the scenario… this is the Chimera Ant Arc—the day Kite dies.
So, the restless vitality within me is this world's Nen!
Having confirmed this, Hiroshi decisively activated his First-Stage Gene-Lock, his eyes briefly losing focus, becoming unfathomably deep and vacant.
Then, rather than suppressing it further, he pushed firmly, unleashing his pent-up vitality outward!
Meanwhile, Kite sensed Hiroshi's presence immediately.
An ordinary civilian wandered in?
Kite spared just a glance, deeming him unimportant, then urgently instructed Gon, "A dangerous enemy is approaching. You must leave immediately!"
"Gon, I'll stall them!"
Gon's fists clenched tightly. His weakness forced Kite to sacrifice himself, buying him precious time to escape.
"When leaving, take that civilian with you," Kite added, indicating Hiroshi's direction.
"Civilian?" Gon turned, surprised to see Hiroshi.
Hadn't the area been sealed off by V5? Wasn't he afraid of death, coming here like this?
Both Gon and Kite presumed Hiroshi an ordinary person.
Nen users instinctively wrapped their life force tightly around their bodies with a technique called "Ten." Ordinary individuals, unaware of their Nen, continuously leaked their life energy slowly from their heads.
Using the "Gyo" technique, any Nen user could easily distinguish between civilians and fellow Nen users.
Yet, Kite and Gon were clearly mistaken.
Standing there quietly, Hiroshi smiled subtly, his aura now unleashed, radiating immense, formidable pressure.
They were about to see—this was no ordinary civilian.