Hunter x Hunter: War of the Anime Worlds

"You're back!"

In the brief moment of distraction, Xiang Nan found himself back in the world of Hunter x Hunter once again.

His coordinates were set precisely to the dessert shop where he and Manman had been before they departed for the other dimension.

Xiang Nan was still seated in the same spot he was in before leaving, while Manman sat across from him.

Seeing Xiang Nan's return, Manman immediately called out in excitement. Then, all of a sudden, her expression turned panicked, and she quickly averted her gaze.

Around them came a few startled exclamations from some of the female customers in the shop—along with a few curious, almost appreciative stares.

Xiang Nan's trench coat had been completely burned away by the red flames, and his entire body was still covered with large patches of charred marks and injuries—he was left with nothing on.

He didn't seem too embarrassed, though. He said a quick hello to Manman, then left the dessert shop first.

Manman hesitated for a moment. Once Xiang Nan walked out, she stuck out her tongue, her cheeks flushing, and followed him.

After a while, Xiang Nan found a clothing store, changed into a casual outfit, and then randomly picked a nearby hotel to settle into.

…

"Didn't you unlock the hidden storyline?"

In the hotel room, Xiang Nan looked at Manman and asked.

Back during the third round of the Extinction Game, Manman had also earned some Dimension Coins—even though it wasn't much. But returning alive meant she had passed the first placement match. Even if her performance wasn't stellar, the total number of coins should have been enough for her to unlock the storyline.

"No… Everyone I grouped up with made it back alive, so I just came back too," Manman replied, shaking her head.

"Coming back alive is good enough." Xiang Nan nodded.

It appeared that for Manman and her team, that first placement match wasn't too challenging. After returning, she spent her mornings and evenings at the dessert shop, waiting.

It's worth mentioning that because of the difference in dimensional space, each world's timeline is independent. They don't align with each other.

According to Manman, after she completed the 48-hour basic task, only about two days had passed in the Hunter x Hunter world by the time she returned.

But Xiang Nan, on the other hand, had spent a solid ten days in The King of Fighters after unlocking the subsequent storyline quest. When he checked the date and time in the Hunter x Hunter world, he realized only a little over two days had passed since they originally "disappeared."

"The Druid Master from the Kakin Empire mission?"

After a bit more conversation with Manman, Xiang Nan curled his lips into a smile.

That made sense…

Among the players originally from the Hunter x Hunter world who went off for the placement matches, one of Manman's teammates was none other than the Druid Master they had once worked with—a man who, aside from Xiang Nan's group of three, was the only other person to survive because they completed Kakin's investigative commission.

Back then, Orban and Pigeon had eliminated quite a few high-level players from Hunter x Hunter, which reduced the number of players who could access the higher tiers of the Extinction Game—so it wasn't surprising that Manman eventually ended up in the same group as the Druid Master.

However, considering how important the Kakin Empire considered "enemies"—and how thoroughly they eliminated any related threats—it was a testament to the Druid Master's capabilities that he was still alive.

After all, though the Kakin Empire had formed an alliance with the Republic of Padokea, it had quietly been investigating the republic out of fear that news of the ants and the egg in the jar would leak out… That level of caution made it quite likely that, after the mission's completion, they would have tried to erase any trace of the players involved.

The only reason "Silent Cloud" managed to fake her death and slip through Kakin's grasp was thanks to Xiang Nan's help. The Druid Master had no such assistance. From their prior interactions, Xiang Nan had already discerned that this person had a calculating nature and clever tactics.

Whatever his personality might be, it was precisely because he was the captain of Manman's group in the placement match that they could all "make it out in one piece" relatively smoothly.

The world they entered was from an anime called Re: Monster.

Xiang Nan had never heard of it. It was set in a somewhat Western-style fantasy world with game-like elements, featuring creatures such as goblins, beastmen, and ogres.

Manman's group did not come into conflict with any other intruders. After completing the basic mission, they withdrew. The Druid Master's plan was simple: it was just the first placement match, so there was no point in pursuing any gains or taking risks. The main goal was simply to return safely and get a feel for how the "Reincarnation Dimension" operated.

That was pretty much the same idea Xiang Nan's team had—apart from the fact that they ended up entering the King of Fighters world, where the power system was relatively more formidable. Were it not for that woman from Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan attacking them and Xiang Nan himself unlocking the hidden storyline, their trip would also have been far less eventful.

"He didn't try anything against you… I guess he realized that completing Kakin's commission back then was largely thanks to me."

Xiang Nan gave a small smile.

"Mm, he did ask me about the details from that time, but I didn't tell him anything," Manman said happily.

"Aren't you in pain?" She gazed at Xiang Nan, worried about his condition.

Although Xiang Nan had changed clothes, there were still some noticeable wounds on his arm, and his hair had all been burned off.

"I'm fine," Xiang Nan replied calmly.

Kyo Kusanagi's crimson flames had been immensely powerful. To resist their burning effects with Nen, he had to ramp up both his aura output and consumption.

Fortunately, the Riot of the Blood had boosted Xiang Nan's total amount of aura, so even if that one strike's residual force was terrifying, he was still able to hold out.

Glancing at the branded fist mark on his arm, Xiang Nan couldn't help but recall that in those final moments, he truly sensed a "danger" from Kyo Kusanagi.

Luckily, no unpredictable twists occurred. Otherwise, toward the end, when confronted with that awakened version of Kyo, Xiang Nan had felt his own heart beating faster than usual.

"I wonder how many teams from the Hunter x Hunter world participated in these placement matches this time… and just how many people in total. But the Druid Master's reasoning and approach make sense, and that's probably what most players think as well. After all, it's only the first placement match; there's no need to go all out. Getting a feel for this Reincarnation Dimension mode is enough," Xiang Nan said, somewhat dismissively.

"Still, I'd say I gained quite a bit from this run—mainly some insights into the rules and gameplay of the Reincarnation Dimension, as well as the potential avenues for developing one's power."

He changed the subject.

"What happened on your side?" Manman asked eagerly.

Xiang Nan gave her a simple recount of his adventures in the King of Fighters world. The reason he took the time to share all this with her was because he knew that for any "player," gathering information about various worlds was of the utmost importance. The more they knew, the better they could compare power systems across different settings.

"Body, mind, energy, skills, and combat approach—these five elements basically sum up the power factors in the Reincarnation Dimension, or, put another way, the 'Multiverse Worlds.' From a player's perspective, you can boil them down to these five points."

"In terms of body and mind, those are your fundamental stats. The nature of your energy—its strength, level, and magnitude—determines your damage output. Take our Nen as an example. Let's say our Nen is 'Gold.' Then, if we go up against a weaker 'Silver'-level energy, the other side will face disproportionate consumption to hold their ground. For instance, our Nen consumption might be measured as 1 unit costing 10 points, whereas the weaker energy might need to spend 5 or even 10 units, at 50 to 100 points, just to keep up with us. That's how they'd maintain any kind of balance in a direct clash of energies, after which everything else—like skills and combat tactics—comes into play."

"Conversely, if we run into opponents with energy stronger than ours, we become the side that's at a disadvantage, facing higher consumption costs."

"Apart from the consumption rate, the total amount of energy each side possesses also matters. If our opponent's energy is strong but limited, we could potentially outlast them until they run dry."

"Another factor is the complicated relationships among all the intruders who appear in each world. That includes…"

"And let's not forget the story's characters native to each world. In relation to the main world, they're basically like the 'wall' standing between the players and the core. If those characters fall, it means the main world's progress toward being conquered advances. In other words, they're part of that world's defensive strength, which is also very significant for players."

Xiang Nan continued at length, regardless of whether Manman fully grasped everything. He believed it was crucial for her to have at least a vague understanding of all this. The sooner one understood the nuances of the Reincarnation Dimension, the better off they'd be.

His explanation went on until nightfall. The sky outside had already darkened, and off in the distance, the top of Heaven's Arena—the towering spire in the city's center—was lit up.

Manman, who was perched on the edge of the bed, was already struggling to keep her eyes open. She was practically dozing off, barely managing to pay attention.

"Alright, that's enough for now. You should go back to your room and rest," Xiang Nan finally said after a moment.

"Okay!" Manman jolted, hastily wiped away a bit of drool at the corner of her mouth, waved at Xiang Nan, and then trotted happily out the door.

Xiang Nan rose to his feet and walked over to the window, gazing at the beautiful city lights. After a few moments, he summoned the system screen to review the messages he hadn't had time to check while in the King of Fighters world—along with the rewards from his "first kill" achievement.

~~~

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