NOVEL NEXT Chapter 17: Chapter 17: Surfing the Web to Understand the World
Chapter 17: Surfing the Web to Understand the World
"The world consists of six major continents and six main oceans... The global order is led by the United States of Saherta (commonly referred to as Saherta), the Begerossé Union (commonly referred to as Begerossé), the Kukan'yu Kingdom (commonly referred to as Kukan'yu), the The Mimbo Republic (commonly referred to as Mimbo), and the United Federation of Oucima (commonly referred to as Oucima), forming the V5 alliance..."
The layout of the world map is as follows:
Ivureka Continent (Mimbo)
Azian Continent (Kakin Kingdom)
Sansame Continent (Kukan'yu)
Noamilic Continent (Oucima)
Yorbian Continent (Saherta)
Vos Continent (Begerossé)
---
Haru carefully examined the map displayed on the computer screen, analyzing it for a long time. He couldn't help but think the positions of Saherta and Oucima should be swapped for it to make more sense.
"If you look at it this way, the underworld capital, Yorknew City, located on the Yorbian Continent, is just like New York, right?" he mused aloud.
The Rock Sparrow on his shoulder tilted its head, confused as it watched Haru seemingly entertain himself.
Thanks to his Hunter License, Haru had no issues bringing a bird into the café; the staff didn't even comment. The Rock Sparrow behaved so well—silent, calm, and perched obediently—that even the staff found it impressive. "As expected of a Hunter," the café manager thought. "If he can't even manage a small bird, how could he call himself a Hunter?"
Haru revisited the Hunter x Hunter storyline in his head and then renamed the map's regions based on the plotlines. It roughly looked like this:
Zoldyck Estate + Heaven's Arena... Kite's Animal Research Location
Hunter Association Headquarters + Exam Site... No Major Plotlines
Yorknew + Meteor City + Chimera Ant... No Major Plotlines
"...."
Haru sighed, feeling exasperated. According to the map, his current location, the Oucima Federation, was in a remote island cluster on the upper left corner of the Noamilic Continent. It was near the northeastern Kakin Kingdom on the Azian Continent, across the sea.
"The right half of this world map is so unfamiliar. Once I train for a few more days and prepare adequately, I'll head to the left three continents to explore," Haru decided.
With a plan in mind, Haru glanced at the date and time displayed in the corner of the screen:
"December 26, 1994, 3:44 PM"
"Ah, so that old newspaper I saw on the yacht must have been nearly a month old," he realized.
It made sense. His adoptive mother must have been fleeing across the sea from the Kakin Kingdom on that small yacht, reaching the remote islands of Oucima. The yacht might not have even been hers originally. Unfortunately, despite the effort, she hadn't escaped her pursuers and met her end on this isolated island under Oucima's jurisdiction.
"Revenge killing? A crime of passion? Or something else entirely?" Haru muttered, furrowing his brows. "Or was it just internal conflicts within a criminal organization? Damn, surely I didn't land in this world only to get mixed up in Kakin's royal family drama? That can't be, right?"
Even in the dangerous world of Hunter x Hunter, where Nen users seemed unparalleled, Haru understood that against the machinery of a state, they were merely drops in the ocean.
Take the Chimera Ant King, for example. Even with his overwhelming individual strength, when pitted against Netero—the world's strongest human—he faced merely a "scrape" in terms of injuries. Yet one "Poor Man's Rose" (a toxic nuclear bomb) nearly left the King crippled.
As its name implies, the Poor Man's Rose is a cheap yet deadly weapon often used by insurgents and low-tier terrorists.
Chimera Ants invaded the secluded East Gorteau Kingdom, but if the Ants had delved into the kingdom's hidden military research, they would have encountered actual nuclear warheads. Those would have posed a much greater threat than a hundred Chimera Kings combined.
And what about the Kakin Kingdom?
After a quick online search, Haru confirmed that Kakin's power was on par with any of the V5 nations. The current monarch, Nasubi Hui Guo Rou, was a well-known figure, even making appearances in children's textbooks. No wonder Kakin eventually joined the V5 to form the V6 alliance in the manga.
A nation like Kakin would undoubtedly have an arsenal of nuclear weapons, Poor Man's Roses, and countless other conventional and unconventional military tools at its disposal.
Imagining a one-man fight against such a nation was laughable—a delusion at best.
Even the Phantom Troupe, as audacious as they were, wouldn't dare rob a nation's royal treasury.
---
"Stop scaring yourself for no reason," Haru chided himself, slapping his cheeks lightly to shake off his nerves.
He took a deep breath to clear his mind.
The target of the assassins wasn't him directly. They were after his adoptive mother and—if anyone knew—the infant she had been protecting. Now, that infant was a five-year-old boy: alive, energetic, and even capable of wielding Nen and charming women. The idea that anyone could connect him to the missing infant was laughably far-fetched unless they had an unimaginable leap in logic.
Scratching the Rock Sparrow's head idly, Haru leaned back in his chair, deep in thought.
---
"The two birds stationed near the yacht haven't sent any signals... I'll stay here for up to a month."
Haru decided to use this time for training and reconnaissance. If any clues about his adoptive mother or his origins surfaced, he'd deal with them in the future when he was stronger. If a month passed without progress, he'd consider the matter closed for good.
With his plan set, Haru reopened his eyes and placed the Rock Sparrow beside the keyboard, resuming his online research.
---
His mind drifted to the Phantom Troupe, prompting him to search their name. The first result he clicked on revealed a gruesome tale:
"June 6, 1993: An isolated Kurta Clan settlement was discovered, where the entire tribe had been massacred..."
"The scene was marked by a single chilling message: 'We accept everything, so don't take anything from us.'..."
"There is no doubt the perpetrators are connected to the infamous 'Meteor City'..."
"The Kurta Clan's 'Scarlet Eyes,' renowned as one of the world's seven most exquisite treasures, are now extinct..."
"Investigations strongly suggest that the Phantom Troupe was directly responsible for the massacre. Speculation ties them to Meteor City origins..."
Haru quietly read through the old reports, published over a year ago.
Somewhere in the world, the Kurta Clan's sole survivor, Kurapika, was likely reading these same articles, burdened by the weight of his clan's tragedy. The thought of a twelve-year-old enduring such suffering weighed heavily on Haru's mind.
---
Curiosity about Kurapika led him to the Hunter Association website, which surprisingly had a public-facing portal. The most prominent feature was a biography of the association's chairman, Isaac Netero, written in sterile, official language devoid of any mention of Nen.
Searching for "Vice Chairman" yielded no results. "So Pariston hasn't joined the association yet," Haru concluded.
Further browsing revealed an intriguing database: a list of Hunters who had passed the annual Hunter Exam. Among the names of the 1994 exam's successful candidates, Haru found none other than the green-haired Beauty Hunter, Menchi.
---
"Chirp!"
The Rock Sparrow suddenly tapped on the keyboard, snapping Haru from his thoughts.
Looking up, he saw Menchi herself, humming a tune as she confidently walked into the café.
"Why are you stalking me?" Haru groaned. "How did you find me?"
Leaning against his desk, Menchi smirked. "I'm a Hunter! Tracking down a brat like you is child's play. Besides, with your shabby getup from before, you stand out like a sore thumb in crowded areas."
Haru pointed at the screen, grinning slyly. "Brag all you want. But for someone who passed the Hunter Exam nearly a year ago, you're still fumbling with Nen. Isn't that embarrassing?"
Menchi flushed, retorting, "I've explained this already! I took months off to compete in a gourmet competition! Being a chef is serious work—"
"Why is this place called Ghost Island?" Haru interrupted, casually typing the phrase into the search bar.
Menchi rolled her eyes. "Isn't it obvious? It's probably because of ghost stories or urban legends... Wait, let me see!" She leaned closer to peer at the screen.
(Chapter End)