The rules of survival in Meteor City

The stench of blood lingered in the narrow gap between shipping containers, drawing several black-and-red flies that buzzed around the bodies on the ground. Lin Ye had regained his composure. He did not look at the two corpses again, nor did he have time to dwell on the psychological shock of killing. In Meteor City, the longer a corpse remained, the more trouble it attracted-not just scavenging insects, but other predators drawn by the smell of blood. Dragging his exhausted body forward, he first searched the two men. The haul was pitiful: half a bag of sprouted potatoes wrapped in a rag, a rusty lighter, a finely sharpened dagger, and less than half a bottle of water. Lin Ye kept everything, especially the dagger. It was far more useful than the metal shard in his hand and was now his only weapon for self-defense. Then he dragged the two bodies out from between the containers and dumped them deep in the garbage heap. Before long, the bodies would be crushed by the heap's processing machinery or disposed of by other street children, leaving no trace. Meteor City had no household registry, no identities. One person dying was like one less shard of glass in the garbage heap. No one would care. After disposing of the bodies, Lin Ye returned to the gap, covered the entrance more securely with discarded plastic sheeting, and scattered some waste that reeked of harsh chemicals around it to mask the smell of blood. Only after all that did he finally breathe a sigh of relief. He leaned against the cold sheet metal and began to assess his situation. He was six years before the original story began. In other words, Gon was still living with Aunt Mito on Whale Island, Killua was still undergoing assassin training with the Zoldyck Family, Kurapika was still in the Kurta Clan's homeland, and the Phantom Troupe had already formed and was operating between Meteor City and the outside world. As for him, he was only ten years old, with six years left before the Hunter Exam. Six years was enough for him to grow from a dying street child into someone strong enough to establish himself in this world. But first, he had to survive these earliest, hardest days. Meteor City had only one rule of survival: the strong preyed on the weak. Here, there were no morals, no rules, no mercy. Food, water, a safe hiding place-everything had to be seized, fought for, won with the knife in your hand and your own fists. The weak could only be robbed, killed, or turned into food. Lin Ye knew perfectly well that he was weak right now. His ten-year-old body was chronically malnourished, covered in wounds, and burning with a high fever. Even with eight years of kickboxing experience, he could not bring out thirty percent of his strength. His victory over those two men had been half surprise and half their underestimation of him. If it happened again, he might not win. If he wanted to survive, his first task was to build a solid physical foundation. The second was to master this world's core power-Nen. As a die-hard Hunter fan, he understood better than anyone how terrifying Nen Abilities could be. The Four Major Principles-Ten, Zetsu, Ren, and Hatsu-were the foundation of every powerful fighter in this world. Without a Nen Ability, even if he trained Haki and the Six Powers to their limits, he would be nothing more than an ordinary person who could fight a little in front of a proper Nen user. But right now, he had no way to study Nen Abilities systematically. Awakening Nen required either years of practice to gradually draw out the aura within the body or the use of Hatsu by another Nen user to forcibly open the body's Aura Nodes. The latter carried enormous risks. A single mistake in control could drain all his aura and kill him. In a place like Meteor City, he could not find a trustworthy Nen user to open his Aura Nodes, let alone teach him Nen Abilities systematically. His only option was to rely on himself first, train his body, and try using Haki training methods to draw out his aura at the same time. Lin Ye's eyes brightened. Before transmigrating, he had not only been a die-hard Hunter fan, but also a devoted One Piece enthusiast. He knew the training theories behind Haki and the Six Powers by heart. After arriving here, he had realized almost immediately that Haki in the One Piece world and Nen in the Hunter world were fundamentally the same thing. Both were life energy, or "aura." Their methods of application, however, were completely different. Haki was the instinctive, will-driven release of life energy. Armament Haki used willpower to compress and solidify aura into armor and attacks; Observation Haki used perception to extend aura outward, anticipate movements, and sense emotions; Conqueror's Haki was the ultimate outward projection of one's will, crushing the wills of others. Nen, on the other hand, was the systematic, rule-based control of life energy. The Four Major Principles formed its foundation, and the Six Nen Types were its branches. Through vows and restrictions, users could develop all manner of strange abilities, exploring countless ways to use aura. The two shared the same source and could complement each other perfectly. Since he had no way to study Nen systematically right now, he could start with Haki training instead, using his will to draw out the aura within his body and establish the foundations of Armament Haki and Observation Haki. Later, when the opportunity arose, he could use Nen's systematic theories to fully merge the two systems. Then there were the Six Powers. Soru, Geppo, Iron Body, Kami-e, Tempest Kick, and Finger Pistol-these six techniques were essentially martial arts that developed the human body's potential to its limits. Every one of them could blend perfectly with Nen and Haki. Soru, for example, required tremendous leg strength and an instantaneous burst of aura, corresponding precisely to Nen's Ren. Iron Body required solidifying aura throughout the body, matching Armament Haki and Nen's Ken. Kami-e required exceptional perception and bodily control, matching Observation Haki. Once he understood this, a clear plan immediately formed in Lin Ye's mind. Short-term goal: within three months, improve his physical fitness, treat his wounds, and establish himself in this garbage heap, at least well enough to withstand attacks from groups of ordinary adult street dwellers. Mid-term goal: within a year, awaken rudimentary Armament Haki and Observation Haki, master the basic techniques of the Six Powers, and try using Nen theory to stabilize his internal aura and complete his initial Nen awakening. Long-term goal: within six years, fully integrate Haki, the Six Powers, and Nen Abilities, gain enough strength to leave Meteor City, take the Hunter Exam, and obtain a Hunter License. With his plan clear, Lin Ye's heart finally settled. He took out the half bag of sprouted potatoes and the bottle of water he had found earlier. Using the dagger, he cut away the sprouted portions, leaving only the edible parts, and ate them bit by bit with a small sip of water. These were his rations for the next few days. He had to make them last. After eating, he regained a little strength, and his fever subsided slightly. Rather than rest, Lin Ye left the gap between the containers and found an abandoned underground air-raid shelter deep in the garbage heap. It was better concealed and safer than the gap, with more space-enough for him to hide and train. Inside were plenty of discarded metal chunks and some dry rags, perfect for weights and bedding. Lin Ye cleaned out the shelter, blocked half the entrance with stones, leaving only a gap through which he could watch outside, and used chemical waste to conceal signs of the entrance. He made this his first "home" in Meteor City. By the time he finished, night had fallen. Nights in Meteor City were even more dangerous than days. There were no streetlights, no illumination, only the glow of burning garbage and the screams and gunshots that occasionally rang out in the distance. Hungry wolves lurked everywhere in the darkness, waiting to hunt prey that strayed alone. Lin Ye stayed inside. Leaning against the shelter wall, he began his first training session. Following the Armament Haki training method he remembered, he closed his eyes, focused all his willpower, and tried to sense the life energy within his body, guide it into his right hand, and harden his arm. But no matter how hard he tried, he could not feel anything. His body was too weak, and the aura within it was so scant that he could not manage even the most basic perception. He tried for an entire night, exhausting himself until he was drenched in sweat, without making any progress. He did not lose heart. He knew perfectly well that neither Haki nor Nen could be mastered overnight. Luffy had trained for over a decade before bringing his Haki to its peak. Which powerful fighter in the Hunter world had not spent years, even more than a decade, honing their Nen Ability into shape? He had six years. That was enough. After dawn, Lin Ye left the shelter and began physical training. He used discarded metal chunks to make two crude weighted pouches, strapped them to his legs, and ran through the garbage heap. The ground was rough and uneven, littered with sharp metal fragments and deep pits. One careless step could injure him, but he paid it no mind. He ran step after step, stopping to rest only when his strength was completely exhausted. During his rests, he practiced basic kickboxing moves-straight punches, hooks, roundhouse kicks, and blocks-over and over, gradually imprinting the muscle memory etched into his bones onto this ten-year-old body. When he was hungry, he searched the garbage heap for anything edible: moldy bread, sprouted potatoes, even scraps left in discarded cans. When he was thirsty, he found discarded plastic bottles to collect rainwater, or sought out factory wastewater that had undergone basic filtration. When he encountered other street children, he avoided them if he could. If he could not, he had no choice but to fight. In Meteor City, not stealing from others did not mean they would not steal from you. To protect your hiding place and the food you had found, you had to bare your fangs and make others fear you. In just one month, Lin Ye fought more than a dozen times. His wounds multiplied, but his gaze grew colder, his attacks more ruthless, and his body stronger. Firm muscles developed on his once-scrawny torso, and color returned to his sallow face. His ten-year-old body could now easily defeat two adult street dwellers. Everyone living on this garbage heap learned that a vicious little brat occupied the air-raid shelter. No one dared provoke him lightly anymore. At last, Lin Ye had secured a temporarily safe foothold in Meteor City. And at last, his training made progress as well. That night, Lin Ye focused his will and guided his internal aura as usual. This time, he distinctly felt a faint, warm current inside his body slowly flow into his right hand under the direction of his will. A tight, hard sensation instantly spread through his right hand. Lin Ye's eyes snapped open. Looking at his right hand, he drove a punch into a discarded chunk of iron beside him. A sharp clang rang out. A shallow fist-shaped dent remained in the iron. His hand, however, was completely uninjured. Lin Ye's eyes lit up. At last, he had sensed the existence of aura and reached the threshold of Armament Haki.