It was late at night, and yet the lights were on.
At this hour, nightlife was beginning. Most people were ready to relax and enjoy themselves after a tiring day of work.
But plenty of people still had to stay up late, unable to rest at all.
Like cartoonists.
And even more miserable than cartoonists were their assistants.
Roy was one such assistant, currently rushing frantically to finish a draft.
As a cartoonist's assistant who had been working in the real world for a year staying up late, working overtime, never even having held a beautiful woman's hand he felt like a perfect example of romantic failure. In that category, he was almost too successful.
At 23:45:56 on January 11, 2019, Roy was working seriously on the manuscript, occasionally cursing the "Old Thief" for not updating the Dark Continent chapter faster.[1]
Suddenly, the lights above him began flickering wildly.
Then
"Bang!"
"So now I can't even complain about people who delay their manuscripts? If I ever become a true cartoonist, I swear I'll delay my manuscripts again and again…"
That was Roy's final thought, but before he could finish it, everything inside his mind went blank. Darkness swallowed him completely.
He didn't know how long he drifted like that before consciousness slowly began to return. Something new appeared in his mind a golden, glowing treasure chest.
"Hiss!"
Before Roy could even touch the treasure chest
A piercing pain snapped him fully awake.
His eyes opened at once. Roy stared in shock at everything around him, jaw dropping so wide he couldn't close it.
A dusty windowsill. A cluttered desk. An old bulky 90s-style computer.Manuscript pages scattered everywhere. Tools ink, pencils, rulers spread across the table.
As a cartoonist's assistant, Roy's first thought was: This is a cartoonist's desk.
He instinctively turned his head to look around.
A slightly old room, barely touched by sunlight, looking gray and dim.Instant noodle cups and used paper piled up in the corners.
"I… what…"
While Roy was still in shock, a flood of unfamiliar memories surged into his mind.
After a long moment, he finally collected himself and forced a bitter smile.
"I didn't expect to end up in the Hunter x Hunter world."
According to the memories, the body he now possessed also belonged to someone named Roy.
This Roy was sixteen years old and a well-known cartoonist's assistant.
Ever since childhood, the Roy of the Hunter x Hunter world had loved comics with an almost feverish obsession. Even though he was an orphan who had been bullied constantly, he never gave up his dream of becoming a cartoonist.
In a world like this, orphanages were little more than a performance a show of justice.So, after his parents died, Roy was forcibly sent to one.
Whenever the director or the nurses abused him, it was manga that soothed his young heart, fueling his deep obsession with it.
He also possessed real talent.
At fourteen, he secretly brought his drawings to a famous cartoonist who also owned a magazine. The man, passionate about manga himself, wanted more people to experience good stories, so he had created a magazine to publish excellent works.
Roy's intense love for comics moved the magazine owner deeply.
After reviewing Roy's drawings and confirming his identity, the owner immediately accepted him as his assistant.
The man loved talent.
Roy was overjoyed.Even though he started with simple tasks like bringing tea and cleaning, he was happy he had escaped the abusive orphanage and entered the world he had always dreamed of.
His dream was to become a great cartoonist.
His talent was remarkable.In just two years, he absorbed knowledge like a sponge. He never wasted time even in the bathroom, he read theory books about manga.
His rapid growth impressed the magazine owner.
As fate would have it, one of the magazine's serialized comics was about to end. Usually, the boss would create a short story himself or invite a known artist to launch a new series. But none of the regular contributors had new material ready, and the owner lacked inspiration.
So he made a bold decision: he handed the opportunity to Roy.
If Roy succeeded, the magazine would gain a fresh and excellent comic and profit from it.If Roy failed, it wouldn't matter; people would simply say the owner was nurturing new talent. It would even earn him a good reputation.
Whether Roy succeeded or not, he would be grateful and stay loyal.
The boss was very shrewd.
[1] the old thief is Yoshihiro Togashi the creator of HxH