Chapter 5

The rain fell all night long, finally ceasing at dawn.

As the sun rose, a light mist enveloped the slopes of the Norimoku Mountains, mingling with the babbling streams and the chaotic chirping of birds.

Whether it was Izuna, Heather, or Kurapika, all three were of the type who excelled in mobility, with their tents and waterproof measures already in place. At this moment, the three were sitting by the fire, drying their drenched clothes from the night before while chatting.

"So, Kurapika, you want to gain the power to fight alone?"

"Yes, please tell me everything about Nen."

Izuna flipped the skewers of horse mackerel and stroked his bearded chin.

"To put it simply, the energy that overflows from the body is called 'Aura,' and the ability to freely manipulate this 'Aura' is called 'Nen.' The four main techniques of Nen are 'Ten,' 'Zetsu,' 'Ren,' and 'Hak,' collectively known as 'Nen.' This is a process of 'elevating and tempering the mind,' in other words, a cultivation to strengthen one's will."

"As a human, everyone has a large amount of 'Aura,' but most people let it dissipate. The technique to retain this Aura within the body is called 'Ten.'"

"Ten..." Kurapika looked thoughtfully at Heather, who was staring intently at the grilled fish on the other side: "Does Heather also know 'Ten'?"

"Heather is different from you and most people; he is a natural Nen user. Although it's not yet perfected, blocking the loss of Aura from his body is as instinctive as breathing for him."

Izuna, unable to withstand Heather's gaze, handed him a skewer of grilled fish: "Don't compare yourself to a little monster like Heather. Listen to me first."

"Yes, please continue."

"Zetsu is the technique to cut off and eliminate Aura, making oneself invisible and undetectable to enemies, and it can also help in restoring energy. Conversely, the technique to release Aura at levels higher than normal is called 'Ren.'"

"Finally, the technique to freely manipulate the released Aura is called 'Hak.' These are the four main techniques of Nen, which need to be practiced in sequence."

Izuna handed another skewer of grilled fish to Kurapika, took the last one for himself, blew on it, and took a small bite. The fish skin was slightly crispy, but the flesh was tender: "I will start teaching you 'Ten' first."

"Can I ask a question, Master?" Kurapika did not eat the fish, his eyes fixed on Izuna.

"Sure, go ahead. Ouch... it's hot!"

"If I master Nen, can I defeat any strong enemy?"

Looking at Kurapika's brown eyes, which were brimming with uncontainable emotion, Izuna smiled slightly: "You want to ask if Nen can kill, right?"

"Yes."

"It can." Izuna's answer was straightforward: "Hunters are not a profession for the weak. Killing and fighting for one's hunting goals are inevitable, so Nen is essential for professional hunters. The rule allowing killing is also in place for this reason. Do you understand? Speaking of which..."

Izuna turned to look at Heather, who was enjoying his grilled fish, and sighed: "It's still amazing to see it. Your glasses are no longer ordinary, Heather."

Heather, with his pot lid hairstyle and black-rimmed glasses, exclaimed: "Really? I didn't know. It's a birthday gift from my mom, and I've worn it for many years."

"Being constantly infused with your natural Nen user's Aura and catalyzed by your 'hidden face' Nen, these glasses can now be considered a 'Nen tool,' with the effect of helping you hide your true appearance. Even I can't see through your true face with 'Ken' now, which is proof."

"Is that so? Then let's call it the 'Superman's Invisibility Glasses.'"

Heather finished his grilled fish in a few bites, wiped his mouth, and looked at his makeshift master: "Should I also start learning 'Ten' with Kurapika?"

"Heather, I've told you many times, just call me by my name."

"Okay, Kurapika."

"..."

"No, your training methods will be different. Before we start, there's something very important to do."

Izuna walked to a huge stone block about half a person's height and gently patted its surface: "It's big enough. Both of you, come and sit on the stone."

The two followed his instructions and sat cross-legged on the stone.

"Next, I will send my Aura into your bodies. It might be a bit rough, but this will open your 'Spirit Holes.' Simply put, because your 'Spirit Holes' are sealed, Aura cannot flow freely within your body."

Izuna rolled up his martial arts uniform sleeves, and an invisible Aura began to gather on his skin:

"Just a little scare to the sleeping body, and it will enter a state where 'Ten' can be easily triggered. It's simple, right?"

Feeling the powerful Aura behind him, Kurapika wanted to say something but remained silent.

Suddenly, Heather spoke up: "Wait, Master, is the way to activate Nen so hasty? Isn't there a more gradual method?"

Izuna nodded: "Indeed, the orthodox method involves meditation and sitting in Zen to feel one's Aura. Once the Aura surrounds the body, the acupoints will gradually open. However, there are two key points."

"Key points?" Kurapika couldn't help but ask.

"First, Heather's natural Nen user constitution doesn't apply to this method. He can only open his Spirit Holes through forced activation."

"What about the second key point?" Kurapika nodded, acknowledging the reason.

"The second key point is— I don't know that traditional cultivation method! My master helped me activate Nen this way, and his master did the same!"

Izuna said firmly: "You two are too talkative. Get ready, it's about to start!"

The makeshift master stood behind the two, his hands spread out toward their backs.

Even without touching, Kurapika could feel the intense heat and force pressing against his back, as if it were a vague and unreal expansion.

"Pay attention!"

He shouted,

Both palms struck the backs of the two, and Kurapika was startled! In the next moment, he felt a surge of heat throughout his body, and a visible Aura, like steam from a kettle, uncontrollably burst out.

"This... this is..."

Kurapika began to feel his body go limp. Was he starting to lose strength?

He gritted his teeth and looked at Izuna, who was sweating profusely and looking at something beside him. What was wrong?

In Izuna's vision, Kurapika's Aura burst out as expected, but something was off with Heather.

Have you ever experienced a hundred giant fireworks bundled together exploding right in front of your eyes?

An unimaginable amount of Aura burst out, far exceeding the quality and quantity of his own, a Nen user who had trained for over twenty years!

Izuna, who quickly reacted, wanted to guide Heather to control his Aura and achieve 'Ten,' but the terrifying Aura had already subsided.

A heavy, silent river of Aura covered Heather, flowing slowly.

In just a moment, Heather had perfectly controlled his Aura, pulling it back into his body as naturally and easily as breathing.

This is a natural Nen user?

... Monster!

For some reason, Izuna suddenly felt a hint of fear. Had he unleashed something terrifying? If Heather were to turn to evil, it would be a failure on his part as a teacher. His job was to guide this rare genius onto the right path!

Izuna, still sweating, finally turned his attention to Kurapika, composed himself, and began to instruct:

"Can you see it? This is the Aura inside your body, Kurapika. If you leave it unchecked, the Aura will soon be depleted, and you might not even be able to stand afterward."

"What... what should I do..."

"Think about retaining the Aura while stabilizing your body."

Izuna crossed his arms and said loudly: "Close your eyes and imagine your own figure, in any posture. Imagine the Aura circulating through your body like blood, starting from the top of your head, through your right shoulder, hand, foot, and then to the left side, repeating the cycle."

"Next, imagine this flow of Aura slowing down, gradually stopping, and floating around you, forming a wall."

A few minutes later, Kurapika finally managed to control his Aura.

"Not bad, many people fail at this step."

Izuna stroked his chin and observed Kurapika standing in the open space: "How do you feel?"

"It's like wearing weightless clothes, enveloped in a viscous liquid."

Kurapika marveled, as if he had opened a new world: "This is Nen? Amazing..."

"Don't get too excited. When you can control your Aura effortlessly even while sleeping, you will have achieved the initial standard of 'Ten' cultivation."

Although Izuna was strict in his words, he was very optimistic about Kurapika's potential. Learning 'Ten' in just a few minutes was not something an ordinary person could do; he indeed had the talent of a Hunter.

"What about Heather?" Kurapika turned to look for Heather, who was sitting cross-legged on the stone, but saw no Aura similar to his own, and felt some concern: "Did he fail?"

"No..."

Izuna scratched his head: "Heather has automatically entered the 'Zetsu' state."

"Zetsu!?"

Kurapika was unsettled. Wasn't it said that the four main techniques should be practiced in sequence? How could he use 'Zetsu' when I just learned 'Ten'?

"I told you, don't compare yourself to Heather. He is different from us."

Izuna's expression was serious: "See, his presence is very faint. He has tightened and isolated all his Spirit Holes and Aura. In this state, he can even sneak up on a Nen user's blind spot without being detected."

At this moment, a small amount of Aura surged from Heather's body, covering him entirely. He stretched lazily on the stone and saw Kurapika: "Oh, Kurapika has already completed 'Ten'? That's fast!"

"Uh... thank you for the compliment." Kurapika didn't know whether to be sarcastic or polite.

Izuna clapped his hands, getting the two to look at him: "Both of you have successfully activated Nen. Next, you need to familiarize and master 'Ten' to the point where you can control it effortlessly at any time."

"I will keep a close eye on you. Once you complete this stage of training, we will move on to the next step."