Hello to all the readers of this story.
It's hard to believe, but after more than a year since I first began this fanfic in the pursuit of a good Hunter x Hunter story, I've finally reached 100 published chapters.
Getting here wasn't easy. It has been an incredible journey filled with both rewarding moments and unexpected challenges. There were moments when writing felt natural, and there were others when I struggled to find motivation or even wondered if I should continue at all.
But every time those defeatist thoughts plagued my mind, I found the same thing when coming back to Webnovel: readers who were still following the story, leaving comments, sharing doubts, and encouraging me to keep going. Your continued support has been the greatest motivation to keep moving forward.
So, from the bottom of my heart, thank you for your patience, enthusiasm, and loyalty.
I especially want to thank Gemaxter and Random_Player_0812. I'm not entirely sure whether Random_Player_0812 is still following the story because he hasn't put any comment yet, but if you are, thank you and Gemaxter for sticking around for so long. Your support has meant more than you probably realize.
Aside from all the long-time readers who have supported this story over the past 100 chapters, I'd also like to give a special mention to a couple of newer readers who have been actively participating in the comments section recently: Think_Awasome and reader111.
I really appreciate the way you engage with the story. Rather than jumping to conclusions or criticizing without thinking, you take the time to think about the events, the characters, and the implications behind them. Reading your comments often makes me reflect on my own writing, and I genuinely enjoy discussing the story and explaining the reasoning behind certain decisions or things that may not be immediately obvious.
So, thank you. Your comments have been a pleasure to read, and I hope you'll continue sharing your thoughts as the story moves forward.
As some of you may have noticed, my upload pace still isn't what it used to be before my last hiatus five months ago. Although I'm making steady progress, I continue to worry about whether I can develop plots, characters, and situations with the same level of complexity, emotional depth, and creativity that makes the original manga so engaging. Those expectations can sometimes feel intimidating, but they also inspire me to strive harder to become a better writer.
Recently, I've also started using AI as a creative tool to help organize, edit, and expand my ideas. It doesn't write the story for me, the prime plot is mine, but it assists me to organize ideas, polish scenes, look at my work from different perspectives, and strengthen the overall quality of my writing. I'm hoping this will help me become a better writer and deliver a higher-quality story in the chapters to come.
Even so, the most valuable feedback still comes from all of you, the readers.
Your comments, reviews, and opinions remain one of the most important parts of my writing process. They help me to gauge my skill and understand what works, what could be improved, and how different readers experience the story. That's especially important for the current volume, which contains significantly more original content than previous ones, diverging further from the manga's canon storyline and into my own interpretation of the world.
With that in mind, even though this volume isn't finished yet, I'd love to hear your thoughts on several aspects of the story and on some ideas I'm considering in future chapters and volumes.
Please answer the questions honestly like you always do. Whether your feedback is positive or critical, I'll read every response carefully, because every opinion helps me improve as a writer and motivates me to create a better experience for everyone following this story.
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What did you think of Nicholas's first assignment as a Blacklist Hunter?
• Excellent. I loved how you worked on Nicholas's development and experience in a crueler world.
• Good overall, but I think there was room for improvement addressing certain issues.
• Decent, but it didn't fully capture the tone and realism I expect from Hunter x Hunter.
• Weak. It felt underdeveloped, and the character interactions or themes weren't convincing. It's obvious you lack experience.
Rereading the wiki, I realized that I misinterpreted the "Guidepost" card function in Chapter 81: Starting the Gameplay. In the manga, it only reveals a card's location, not how to obtain it. Would you like me to fix it so the MC discovers how to obtain the cards in another way?
• Yes. I'd prefer it to be consistent with the manga. Otherwise, "Plot of Beach" would be easier to find.
• Either option is fine with me.
• No. I prefer the current version.
• No. Even if it didn't appear that way in the manga, the difference is too minor to matter.
I've recently started using AI-assisted editing to polish my chapters, and I'm very happy with the results. Would you like me to revise previously published chapters as well, correcting mistakes and improving the writing where appropriate?
(Note: This poll has also been edited with AI.)
• Yes. We'd love to see the older chapters polished as well.
• Yes, but only the chapters or sections that would benefit the most from revision.
• We'd rather see you revise the entire story and eventually release a fully revised edition as a separate version. (If you choose this option, I'd appreciate hearing what you think should be improved.)
• No. Correcting occasional mistakes in future updates is enough.
• No. We are satisfied with the story as it is, although we applaud your efforts to improve.
Recently, a comment reminded me of how I wrote in the first chapters of the fanfic. Do you think my writing style has changed since the beginning of the story?
• Yes, and it has improved noticeably.
• Yes. It has evolved naturally to showcase the growth of the characters and their encounters with more complex situations.
• No. The writing and characters feel largely consistent throughout.
• Yes, and it seems to have become weaker in terms of creativity and addressing certain points.
It has already been established that Kai is after a restricted slot card, so one space has to be reserved for him. However, I've come up with an idea that would allow him to get two, but it would require more work and text. Would you like me to go with that idea, or should I stick to my original plan?
• Yes, we would love that. (Please give your personal opinion on which to choose.)
• No, one is enough.
• Both options work for me. Do whatever you think is best.
Is there anything you feel the story is currently missing?
Is there anything else you'd like to share? Any criticism, suggestions, or ideas for future chapters are always welcome.
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As always, you can simply vote with a 1 or leave a detailed comment explaining your thoughts. I truly appreciate every bit of feedback and honesty from your part.
As part of this commemoration, and because many of you have asked about it over the course of the story, I also want to share my personal Hunter x Hunter power scale, which covers not only the 2011 anime, but also characters introduced in the ongoing Succession Contest arc.
The ranking reflects my overall evaluation of each character at their peak, taking into account combat feats, reputation, intelligence, and Nen abilities rather than raw strength alone. That's why characters with exceptionally broken abilities—such as Morena, Kurapika, Halkenburg, and Benjamin (whose Guardian Spirit Beast can essentially turn him into a god upon his death)—are placed so highly despite having seen relatively little action.
On the other hand, some of my placements like Gon, Morel, and even members of the Phantom Troupe may seem underrated to you. I went back and forth thinking if it was correct to place them in those categories of the ranking, but in the end I'm satisfied with where they landed based on my criteria.
I want to share this ranking mainly to give you a better idea of how I personally evaluate the characters overall strength. f you have any thoughts or comments, I'd be happy to read them and debate about our perspectives, so feel free to leave them below.
Power Scale Image (in the comment)
Thank you once again for accompanying me on this journey to 100 chapters. This achievement belongs just as much to you as it does to me, and I truly hope you continue enjoying the story as much as I enjoy writing it.
Here's to the next milestone. Let's keep moving forward together and aim for more than 200 chapters.
And don't worry—this isn't another hiatus announcement for an arc ending! This is simply a commemorative poll, so Chapter 101 will be coming as scheduled.
See you in chapter 101.