Hunter x Hunter: Call Me Master Inventor

"But isn't that precisely why he was able to create the online world?"

Von Clay smiled and pressed the accept button for the invitation message.

In an instant, he felt a blinding light flash before his eyes!

I don't know how much time passed; it felt like an instant, or it felt like an hour.

As von Clay's eyes gradually adjusted to the brightness, or rather, as the radiance dimmed, he slowly opened them.

What met the eye was a vast expanse of white.

The entire surrounding space was almost entirely covered in snow.

Even the ground beneath his feet was covered in white.

It was as if, in this special space, there was no other color besides white.

"This must be the cyberspace that Iksumbe just started creating, right?"

Von Clay glanced around at his surroundings, but wasn't too worried:

"It really is rather rudimentary."

The early internet had not yet developed into the vast and complex convergence of information that would later create such a vibrant and colorful landscape.

In other words, this was the original, very clean network environment.

As von Klay surveyed his surroundings, a faint red light suddenly appeared in front of him.

When von Klay looked over, he saw a small, thin figure standing in front of him.

He didn't know when he arrived, nor how he ended up there.

And so, he stared at von Clay.

"As expected, he's still the same as before, with no change whatsoever."

Looking at that familiar graffiti face, von Klay also smiled.

Iksumbe, the hacker hunter.

It first appeared in the chairman election arc after the Chimera Ant incident.

At that time, he was chosen by some hunters who cast their votes for the next Hunter Association president.

This led to him being listed and even being invited by the Hunter Association to give a competitive speech.

As a result, this guy didn't even show up, and didn't even intend to show his face.

His entire appearance was covered in graffiti, making it impossible to see his true face.

There was only one graffiti face with the letters "Pe" printed on its forehead.

Moreover, he was only at the election site, on the projection screen in the large conference room, flipping through pieces of cardboard.

What he wanted to say appeared on the cardboard.

What is most impressive about him is his disdain for the real world.

"I'm from a completely different world from you."

"I have absolutely no interest in what's happening there."

By then, he was already living in the online world.

And naturally, this opinion was expressed.

Von Klay estimates that he saw the potential of the internet as soon as it was born and then decisively took certain capabilities and measures to enter it.

For example, "constraints and oaths".

They entered the world of the internet at their own expense, built this online world, and intend to live here forever.

"Fortunately, he hasn't reached the point where he needs to use notes to convey messages or meanings yet..."

Looking at the various information boxes floating above Iksombey's head, von Klay could roughly guess his situation.

【Who are you? 】

This is the question that appears in the information box above Iksumbe's head.

"Are one's own way of expressing oneself and one's abilities deeply intertwined with the internet?"

von Clay seemed to be deep in thought:

"That's why this form of dialogue exists."

"As the online world becomes more developed, his own way of expression and abilities will also evolve, and may even become exceptionally powerful."

"It might even reach the level of future online information production and dissemination."

In other words, the capabilities of Iksumbe are almost entirely complementary to those of the network.

He's only using this most basic box information to convey his meaning now.

However, as time goes on, it is very likely that these mediums will no longer be needed, and information can be exchanged directly with a single thought.

Iksumbe is evolving along with the internet.

This means that he has almost completely tied his life and everything to the internet.

This is almost a high-stakes gamble, betting on the rise of the internet and that it will dominate the next era.

The next century will be an information society.

Well, only such a fanatical, crazy, and radical guy could become a "hacker hunter" in the future.

He gambled his entire fortune and his life on it, and without a doubt, Iksumbe won.

The future prosperity of the internet needs no further explanation.

This is why he has the confidence to look down on the real world.

As for him using cardboard to deliver information, there must have been some kind of constraints or limitations.

For example, the inability to communicate or converse with the outside world.

After all, once he has devoted himself to the online world, he naturally wants to focus on it.

In the real world, there might be too many restrictions on him.

The more developed the online world is, the greater the constraints it exerts on the real world and on the influence it has on that world.

This may be the price paid for the "limitations" of Nen abilities.

Nen ability is truly the fairest ability in the world!

As Von Klay pondered, a multitude of thoughts flashed through his mind in just a few breaths.

It was through my previous understanding of Iksumbe from the anime, and after experiencing this online world firsthand, that I gained a general understanding of some of the truth about Iksumbe and this online world.

Of course, what he learned may only be the tip of the iceberg.

The real online world isn't so easily understood or figured out.

【? ? ? 】

While von Klay was pondering these matters, Iksumbe noticed that he remained silent and tilted his head to the side.

The information box above their heads also contained three question marks.

Well, at least he's not Black, otherwise he'd be giving me the same confused look again.

"Ahem, um..."

Von Clay tried to clear his throat to say something, but found he couldn't open his mouth at all.

Or rather, even if they managed to open and close their mouths, not a single sound could be uttered.

Iksombe pointed to the top of von Clay's head.

The latter looked up and saw the information box above his head.

von Clay: "..."