Chapter 3 – A Mangaka in the World of Hunters
The morning sunlight filtered through the curtains, casting soft rays across Jin Ha-Joon's face, gently waking him. He took his time opening his eyes, his body still heavy from recovery.
— Ah... right... — he murmured.
It wasn't a dream. He was still the Asian boy who nearly died during a dungeon raid and had awakened the dormant memories of a past life.
Reincarnated into a world of gates and monsters.
The world of Solo Leveling.
— That's right... I really did reincarnate here — he said, adjusting himself in bed, still trying to accept his new reality.
"I traveled through time... but no system, no combat skills, no overpowered cheat. If my old friends saw me now, they'd laugh their heads off."
"'You traveled through time just to stay a side character?' Yeah... that's exactly how it feels."
He let out a dry, humorless chuckle.
The sound of footsteps in the hallway pulled him from his thoughts.
The door creaked open, and Jin-Ah entered with a cheerful smile and a heavy bag in her hands.
— Ta-da! I'm back, Mr. Mangaka! Ready for your new artist life?
She dropped the bag on the table next to his bed and began pulling out the items like she was showing off treasure.
— I went to three different stores! This nearly maxed out your card, but look: professional-grade paper, technical pens, markers, pencils in all thicknesses... even a foldable drawing board. I couldn't find a desk, but this should work, right?
Jin Ha-Joon picked up one of the sheets and stared at it in silence for a moment.
"What should my first manga in this world be...? Ah, forget it. I'll stop thinking. I'll just draw."
He grabbed a pencil and started.
The first stroke was shaky. Weak.
But it was a beginning.
"I remember everything. Every panel I saw. Every style I admired... Now I can use my own hands to bring that light into this new world."
Slowly, his hand began to move. It was his first time truly drawing, but the images in his memory came through clearly, guiding every line.
When he looked down, he realized what he had drawn.
It was the scene of Lucy arriving at the Fairy Tail guild for the first time, with Natsu smiling in the background, holding out his hand to her. The guild's emblem visible on the wall.
The expressions, the atmosphere, the emotion... everything was there.
Jin-Ah leaned in, curious. Her eyes widened the moment she saw it.
— Wow... you drew this?
— Yeah. You like it? It's the manga I thought of after you left yesterday — he said, a little shy.
— But... why this scene? — she asked, genuinely curious.
Jin Ha-Joon looked at the drawing, thoughtful.
— I don't know... I just felt like I needed to draw it.
"To be honest... I wasn't even thinking. I just let go... and before I knew it... you appeared."
"Fairy Tail."
A soft smile formed on his lips. A smile full of memory and quiet meaning.
— I really like it. — Jin-Ah said sincerely.
At that exact moment, something strange happened.
A gentle breeze swept through the room, followed by a faint bluish glow along the edges of the paper. It lasted only a second. So subtle it almost seemed imagined.
But it wasn't.
Jin Ha-Joon's eyes widened slightly.
— Did you feel that? — he asked, glancing around.
— Feel what? — Jin-Ah replied, unaware of anything unusual.
— Nothing... must've been my imagination.
But deep down, something stirred.
A chill ran down his spine.
He looked back at the drawing. The lines seemed sharper. The ink more vibrant. Almost as if the illustration had... presence.
"Did that... react because she liked it?"
He swallowed hard, trying not to show anything on his face.
— Keep going! I want to see the next one soon! — said Jin-Ah, excited.
— How about this: I'm almost recovered. Tomorrow, when you come back, I'll have a full chapter ready. And if you like it... you'll come with me to a publisher. Deal?
— Deal! — she answered, smiling, then left the room.
Alone, Jin Ha-Joon stared at the paper again.
The glow was gone.
But he knew.
"The manga... reacted."
---
"Thank you for following this fanfic. I invite you to discover my original work, Spirit of Gods and Demons: The Legend Continues, where a new and powerful journey awaits you."