It was a rude and violent awakening, though this wasn't really that surprising. Not a single soul would have imagined that being thrown into a new world would be a gentle process.
The feeling could be best described as rough. The very being- essence of a person churning and swirling in unimaginable magnitudes, much like a wet towel being twisted to rid the water
…
A brown-haired youth seemingly no older than 12 slowly stood up from the ground and rubbed his own head with a pained look. 'Argh, why's my head hurting so darn much...?'
He heard many voices from a faint distance, quickly filling his ears with irritating noise. It sounded like any other tumultuous city. Vendors selling, friends chatting and many other city-ish things.
He slowly opened his eyes, letting the bright shining morning sun destroy his sight. 'Ouch! … My eye's being stuck in my stupid dark room have always been susceptible to strong daylight… Wait, why am I not in my room?'
He looked left and right and saw that he was in an alley… somewhere… with no phone?
'Was I robbed?' It looked really grim for him, but at least he had his clothes, a simple shirt with short pants! This ultimately allowed him to exit that relatively dark ally with zero shame. But shame is meaningless now, he needs to get to his house as soon as possible…
Cautiously he approached an apple selling vendor. "Uhm… sorry I- can I borrow your cellphone for a minute? I really need to call my parents right now."
"Cell… phone?", The vendor just raised his brow "Boy what the hell are ya talkin 'bout."
The merchant just waved his hand, signaling for him to scram away, not to disturb his business. Starkk complied. 'Why was he acting like that?'
Ignoring this first awkward interaction, he went to another man sitting on a bench, reading some strange newspaper, and seemingly enjoying the warm sunlight hitting his skin. "Uhm mister, can I borrow your cellphone for a bit? I really need to call my parents right now."
"Sorry son, that I can't do", hearing the man's response, Starkk's face grew a disappointed look… then the man sitting on the bench finished his sentence, leaving the brown-haired teen astute.
"Because I do not know what a cell phone is. Is that a new word teens invented?" Starkk looked at him perplexed.
'He… he has no idea what a cell phone is?', Starkk eyes shot up wide open. Then he looked left and right. Old-fashioned cars filled the street, and many people were reading newspapers… yet no one had a phone! 'What the Hell?! When am I!!'
…
After another 15 minutes of short investigations, he had concluded that… he either was kidnapped from his home and placed into one of the most expensive movie settings and pranks that were ever constructed… or, he was in the mystical world of Hunter x Hunter.
…
'AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH', internally, Starkk was screaming- in a full on panic mode.
'This is not good, this is so not good', his legs became weak, giving up and making him crash-sit in the middle of the park of the city… 'This is like one of the worst anime worlds to live in.'
His skin began to sweat and his breath began to quicken… "What the hell am I supposed to do? How am I to protect myself?"
Just thinking back and remembering the chimera ants mercilessly eating human civilians, horrifying. The dark continent calamity Nanika mercilessly crushing Zoldyck butlers, which mind you, were one of the most elite humans in the world! A sense of danger and urgency filled his very soul.
Vulnerability, that's the single best word to describe this feeling. 'This is bad, this is very bad… Hunter x Hunter, seriously? Out of all worlds, why this one?'
Death could be lingering around any and all corners of this world… 'I have to leave this city' Starkk thought, reminiscing about the anime.
It took him a bit to decide this very move, leaving the city, he judged it to be the best. He doesn't know the possible mafia families living in this city. What if I accidentally bump into a mafia king pin when strolling around the park? Thoughts like this were swirling in his head endlessly, he could accidentally offend or be forced to join those very dangerous people…
So hastily he took all his belongings (which was nothing) and began to distance himself from the city center. '... According to the newspaper, we have the year 1980. This gives me approximately 20 years to prepare for the dangers shown in the anime.'
He felt a cold shiver on his back. 'I have no idea what to do. I have no money, no connection, no nothing…? No, I have connections, I have my dear mother and father, lingering somewhere outside this universe', a frown formed as he melancholically thought about his loving parents. A small tear escaped his left eye, flowing over his face.
Yet, Starkk quickly shook his head, trying to rid himself of any sadness in the face of this unimaginable adversity. Thinking about what to do is the best he can do now, the wailing can be done at a later date, that's what he told himself.
'The best I can do for now is to get as strong as possible while avoiding every danger. And to be strong, I have to open my microphyles, -aura pores, essentially awakening my Nen and Aura. To do that, I need to train and meditate. For me to be able to train… I hate to admit it but Leorio is right, I need money! I'll need money to feed myself, so that I may train for another day, and not starve to death.'
Starkk scratched his chin. 'I'm sure there are plenty of people searching for workers somewhere outside this city… Being surrounded by fewer humans is the most secure thing I can do right now. This world is just too unpredictable, I need to be strong first before I can visit any city… Actually, that might not be enough. What if a Poor Man's Rose detonates in the city center…? Instant death at best, a gruesomely slow death at worst… My cells being dissolved by the poisonous chemicals, yuck! I hate this, I hate this world!' Images of the miniature rose filled his mind.
The thought that this world experienced full out nuclear war was incomprehensible, the sheer magnitude of destruction is just so, so terrible. He felt even more vulnerable now. The rose was one of the key reasons for him to escape the city… he knows that the rose was used on multiple cities from the anime, but what guarantee does he have that this is not one of them? Dangerous.
…
'I need to be unbelievably strong before I do anything in this world.' A strong resolve formed firm in his heart…
And so began his Martial Arts Adventure.
...
It's been a week since Starkk left the messy metropolis, and during this time, the storm brewing in his heart calmed a bit as he found a secure and stable hotel for him to work at… as a dish washer!
How he got there? No idea! Mito was right, this world simply is insane. The hunter exam is insane (and extremely deadly), so it wouldn't be too far-fetched to believe that some people somewhere in a small-ish town wouldn't be hiring children to work.
Through talking with the locals he learned a few things: He is currently residing in the Yorbian continent, specifically, the United States of Saherta. It's a country far away from the Zoldycks (good!) and an ocean divides it from the Kakin Empire (even better!). If you'd read the manga, you would know how messed up the Kakin's are… Scorched up with greed, embolden by their king to do unimaginable things, an entire Caste system too? … Thankfully he wasn't teleported there.
Also, it seems like he was able to read this world's weird unown-ish looking alphabet. In the heat of his panic, this new ability had completely escaped him. 'It does feel a bit strange, being able to understand the letters, their meaning comes so natural to me, yet it's so foreign…'
"Star!"
"Eh-!" A small eep escaped his mouth as he was completely surprised by his boss.
"Stop stalling around and finish the dishes!"
"Yessir!" The scrubbing intensified, today no plate will be unwashed! He has no intention of losing this new job so quickly!
…
A few hours passed and the work finally finished and Starkk was sprawled on the bed like a corpse. 'This diving feeling… this comfort, heavenly…!'
He almost fell to sleep, but then, a sudden thought energized him, tearing him away from the mattress that was hugging him. 'Focus Starkk! This… this is a once in a lifetime opportunity, the hotel staff gave me a sanctuary, opportunity to live, and a room to live comfortably, use it all.'
In a cross-legged position, he began to meditate on the bed,
And began to awaken his Nen.
- - - - - -
hehehehe
More chapters to come!