Check the Almanac Before Going Out

The morning sun spilled over Oboro.

He sat quietly on a rock in the stream. A few birds had landed on his head, while all sorts of small animals drank by the water... Wild animals were always extremely wary, yet at this moment, they seemed unaware of the human presence.

It was as if, in their eyes, the man was an inanimate object, no different from the trees and rocks, completely harmless.

The next second, Oboro opened his eyes. The little birds on his head were not frightened away. Instead, they spread their wings and flew into his palm, chirping away...

Oboro smiled faintly.

He altered the fluctuations of the aura he released, then raised his hand... and let the birds fly away.

"I only planned to train for half a year. I never expected it to take far longer than planned... A whole year passed before I knew it..." He slowly rose to his feet and ran toward a cave.

He had become thoroughly familiar with this vast mountain range, as though it were his own backyard.

Ten, Zetsu, Ren, and Hatsu had all been trained to a satisfactory degree.

He was quite pleased.

Over the past year, his physical strength had not improved all that noticeably... His main focus had been studying how to use Nen power and control Nen techniques.

By altering the volume of his aura and the wavelength of his Nen power, Oboro could almost make every living thing in the forest see him as one of their own... This was a level that could only be reached through an incomparably thorough understanding of Nen power!

Ten was a technique used to strengthen the body and defend oneself.

Zetsu could restore stamina and conceal one's presence.

The more advanced Ren increased aura volume and offensive power.

Hatsu was when a Nen user combined their own will with aura and used it to create various methods, such as certain finishing moves.

The final Hatsu could be seen as the culmination of all the foundations of Nen power training.

Oboro had not rushed for quick results... He had been meticulously honing every foundation, ensuring he had no weaknesses. Once his control over Nen power reached a certain level, Oboro began more advanced training as well, such as combining Nen techniques to use Shu, Kakushi, Gyo, En, and more.

However, he had only conducted some preliminary experiments and exploration with the advanced Nen techniques... After all, the focus of this long isolation from the world had been the basics.

After a while, he arrived at the mouth of a cave.

Hearing his footsteps, rustling sounds came from the surrounding forest... Then, Grey-Maned Bristle Wolves emerged one after another and gathered around him.

This was the territory of a wolf pack. The wild wolves did not attack Oboro. Once they came close, they rubbed against his body like pet dogs... like a pack of oversized puppies.

Clearly, they were familiar with Oboro's scent.

A giant snow-white wolf with the build of a bull emerged from the cave, its body covered in several scars... This wolf was clearly the leader of the pack! In the world of Hunter x Hunter, Magical Beasts existed... Many creatures looked different from those on Earth and were exceptionally dangerous.

The white wolf carried a bundle in its mouth and delivered it into Oboro's hands.

"I'm leaving... I'll come see you again when I have time."

Oboro smiled and patted the white wolf's head.

"Woo~"

The white wolf let out a cry, seeming somewhat reluctant to part with him.

Oboro did not linger. Carrying his belongings, he turned and left.

Following a long howl from the Wolf King, all the wild wolves began howling together, as if seeing Oboro off.

This training period had lasted far longer than expected.

Originally, Oboro had planned to spend one year training in seclusion deep in the mountains. He had not expected it to stretch to a year and a half.

Compared to when he had entered the mountains, his appearance had not changed much. His temperament, however, had undergone a transformation...

After all, Nen training placed great importance on a person's will and spirit.

Over the past year or so, he had returned to Graham Galance several times, but the Circus was no longer there...

He had heard that after performing at the Graham Grand Hotel, Moritonio, hailed as a master performer, had disappeared. No one knew where he had gone...

The Circus had continued performing in Graham for some time afterward, but its reputation had plummeted. The audiences did not seem particularly impressed, and later, the performers left... returning to the life of wandering entertainers.

"Abachi probably left the troupe too..."

Oboro thought.

The girl would likely inherit Moritonio's dream and become a Hunter.

When he returned to Graham, it was still as bustling as ever. The streets were crowded with people, lively even in broad daylight. Many performers had set up stalls by the roadside. There were clowns handing out balloons to children, women dancing fiery routines to music, and skilled performers breathing fire to waves of applause...

Some walked on stilts, while others juggled balls...

Standing outside the crowd, Oboro glanced around. Having spent some time in a Circus himself, he could tell at once that these street performers were incredibly inexperienced. They had probably practiced at home for ten days or half a month before coming out to perform.

"Hehe... It seems Moritonio Circus still brought some influence and changes to Graham."

Oboro smiled.

Most outdoor performers were copying Circus acts. Clearly... the outside world knew that a Circus had become wildly popular here a year and a half ago. They were all imitating it and coming here to make money.

However, what people remembered more was Moritonio's "Air Swimming." As for small-timers like him and Hisoka, no one paid them any attention.

Afterward, he got a haircut and bought a new set of clothes, returning to the appearance of an ordinary person and blending back into city life.

He also bought a phone.

His savings had not been depleted much over the past year and a half, and he still had some left... Food, drink, and everything else could be handled in the mountains.

"Next, I'm heading to the Republic of Padokea, to Heavens Arena!" In a small inn room, Oboro looked at the few Jenie in his wallet and let out a soft sigh.

He still had too little money... He needed to earn money. He needed to live.

Besides, although he had thoroughly reinforced the foundations of Nen... Oboro knew what his current weakness was.

He lacked real combat experience... He needed a great deal of actual fighting to enrich his methods and ideas for using Nen power. He could not possess inborn combat instincts like Hisoka, so he could only grow bit by bit through later effort.

And if there was any place where money came quickly and fights were available every day, it was Heavens Arena.

Although the strength of Nen users in Heavens Arena varied wildly, and aside from the floor masters, many of them were practically useless... For Oboro, they were more than sufficient as training guinea pigs.

After resting well for a day, Oboro appeared at Graham's long-distance terminal the next day. Wearing a white shirt, black casual pants, sunglasses, and short hair, he bought a ticket and prepared to take an airship to the Republic of Padokea.

The airships of this world traveled far slower than airplanes on Earth... It would take him at least several days to reach his destination this time.

And when speaking of the Republic of Padokea, aside from Heavens Arena, one had to mention Kukuroo Mountain, where the Zoldyck family lived.

"Killua must have gotten used to that hellish life by now..."

Sitting on a chair in the waiting hall, Oboro curled his lips into a smile.

Judging by the timeline, Killua should currently be four years old... As the most promising and gifted member of the Zoldyck family's next generation, the environment Killua had to grow up in... was anything but ordinary.

From the age of three, he had already needed to undergo terrifying assassin training. A year had passed by now...

As he was thinking, Oboro noticed the seat sink. Someone had sat down in an empty spot in the same row as him.

The waiting hall was extremely spacious. Although there were plenty of airship passengers, there were still many empty seats...

Oboro instinctively glanced at the newcomer.

Then, his eyes narrowed behind his sunglasses.

A few meters away sat a man with long black hair and highly distinctive clothing.

His skin was pale, and his face looked young... about the same age as Oboro.

The only difference was the man's features... His expression and the look between his brows were extremely stiff. It was impossible to tell whether he was dull or indifferent, and an invisible chill seemed to radiate from him.

Even some nearby passengers unconsciously got up and changed seats after seeing him sit down.

Soon, the entire row was empty, leaving only Oboro and the other man.

"I really am..."

Oboro calmed the unease in his heart.

Speak of the devil and he appears. He had just been thinking about the Zoldyck family, and one of them had shown up... Though it was not Killua, but... Illumi Zoldyck! Oboro preferred to call him Illumi... A person no less dangerous than Hisoka...

Birds of a feather flocked together. The fact that Hisoka and Illumi could "play" together in the future said it all.

As a transmigrator, Oboro had imagined many scenarios in which he might encounter characters from the story... But he had never expected Illumi to be in Graham, much less appear in such an ordinary, everyday manner...

There he was, standing vividly before his eyes.

Afraid that he might have mistaken him for someone else, Oboro looked a few more times.

His hair was not yet as long as it would be in the future... But Oboro knew this outfit far too well.

That distinctive aura made people instinctively overlook how mature he looked... According to the timeline, Illumi was only sixteen right now. Oboro was eighteen, while Hisoka was nineteen.

"Ah... I should have checked the almanac before leaving home... Too bad this world doesn't have such a thing as an almanac..."

Oboro thought to himself.

What was Illumi doing in Graham as a member of the Zoldyck family? Oboro could guess without thinking. Naturally, it was business... murder.

The Zoldyck family's creed was that as long as the price was high enough, they could kill anyone...

Suddenly, Oboro's heart tightened, but he kept calm... because Illumi beside him stood up, walked over, and sat in the neighboring seat, their bodies close together.

"Do you... know me?"

Illumi stiffly turned his neck and asked in a voice devoid of emotional fluctuation.

His deep, lifeless gray eyes carried an indescribable pressure.

Too perceptive!

He had only looked a few extra times...

Still, since the other man had taken the initiative to speak, Oboro could not keep silent.

Pretending to be surprised, he looked at him and smiled faintly. "No... I just thought your clothing was rather distinctive."

"Oh."

Illumi responded, then... turned his head back.

Yet he did not leave. He simply remained seated in front of him... The two of them fell into an exceedingly strange atmosphere of silence and awkwardness.

Oboro did not know whether he was doing it deliberately, or...

Time passed bit by bit. Passengers continuously entered and left the hall, but after seeing the two of them, some seemed to silently understand and kept their distance. Even if they had to stand, they would not come sit in the empty seats.

"..."

Oboro.

"Attention, passengers. The airship from Graham Galance to the Republic of Padokea will soon depart. Please prepare your tickets and proceed through inspection in order."

At last, the staff announcement echoed through the hall.

Oboro slowly stood and headed toward the passageway.