A full year had passed since Sam began his training under the old man's supervision, a year of hard work and perseverance. In the mornings, he helped the villagers in the fields, planting and harvesting with them as if he were one of them. The rest of his day was spent in intense training, where he learned to control his body and develop his physical strength. He never imagined he would reach this level of power, until he began to doubt his reality.
Over time, his body changed noticeably. His muscles became prominent and well-proportioned, reflecting the effort he had put into both work and training. His skin gained a healthy bronze tone from prolonged sun exposure, and his long black hair swayed with every movement he made. His facial features became more masculine and solid, reflecting the strong character he had begun to develop.
But despite all of this, he couldn't ignore the question that constantly echoed in his mind: "Am I still in the same world?" He had never heard of any human on Earth achieving this level of physical strength. He began to question whether he had entered another world.
Since his arrival in the village, Sam had noticed that most of the men were absent. At first, he thought they were working elsewhere, but over time, as he learned the language, he discovered the darker truth. The men had been forcibly conscripted into the army, leaving behind their wives and children to face the hardships of daily life. This explanation weighed heavily on Sam, further fueling his desire to help these people who had welcomed him.
One day, while Sam was sitting in his usual meditation session under the guidance of the old man, he felt something strange moving within him. It was an unfamiliar energy, slowly rising from the depths of his being until it filled his entire body. At first, he tried to ignore it, thinking it was just an illusion from exhaustion, but the power continued to rise until he felt it burst from within, transforming into a transparent white aura surrounding his body.
Sam slowly opened his eyes, astonished by what had happened. He could see the aura, and more strangely, he felt that he could control it. He raised his hand and noticed how the aura responded to his movement as if it were part of him.
He turned toward the old man, who had been silently watching him. After a few moments of contemplation, the old man smiled and said calmly:
"It seems you have finally awakened your nen."
The moment Sam heard the word "nen," he was shocked, as though a lightning bolt had struck his body. He froze in place, while his mind screamed at him:
"It can't be! Did... did I enter the Hunter world?"
There was no longer any room for doubt. Everything started to make sense. The power he had gained, the way the old man had trained him, the aura he had released... everything matched what he knew about the world of Hunter x Hunter. Sam realized that what he had once considered fantasy had now become his reality.
As he tried to process the truth, a wave of mixed emotions overcame him: fear of the unknown, excitement for what was to come, and curiosity to learn more about this new world he had found himself in.
But there was one thing that was clear to Sam now:
"If I'm in the Hunter world... that means I need to be much stronger."
He smiled to himself, for the first time in a long while, knowing that his true journey had only just begun.