Such dense blood energy!
A certain fruit grower once evaluated those of the Enhancent type as having developed limbs but simple minds. While sowhat one-sided, when it cos to pure physical conditioning, if the Enhancent type claims the number two spot, no one dares claim number one.
A faint mass of blood energy drifted through the air out the window. Netero paused in front of the butler villa, abruptly tilting his head to look up at the second floor.
Beans, caught off guard by this sudden stop, failed to brake in ti and nearly plowed straight into him. Stumbling upright, he cast a side glance at Netero. Netero's brow was furrowed, a rare expression of gravity surfacing across his elongated earlobes and white eyebrows. Clearly, he had noticed sothing.
"Chairman..." Beans' mung-bean-sized eyes darted around before looking toward the second floor.
Creak~ At this mont, the doors of the butler villa opened. Zebro stood by the door, extending a hand in a welcoming gesture: "Chairman, please."
Netero cast one last glance toward the second floor, gave Zebro a slight nod, and walked inside wordlessly, leading Beans with him.
One step, two steps, passing through corridors, rounding corners, and stepping up the stairs... Drawing closer to that bedroom on the second floor, the naturally perating blood energy grew increasingly dense. Until, finally, they reached the second floor. With the bedroom right before them, Netero could even hear a faint yet sufficiently powerful heartbeat—thump-thump, thump-thump—exploding by his ears like a beating drum.
The strongest human abruptly halted his steps, closing his eyes to listen intently... A hazy, marvelous state centered around his feet, slowly diffusing toward the bedroom.
Beans, noticing this scene, rely let out a soft "Shh~," stopping Zebro from reaching out to turn the doorknob to lead the way: "Shh~ no need to trouble yourself. The Chairman is already 'looking'..."
Zebro, his hand resting on the doorknob, cast an astonished glance at Netero before quietly withdrawing his hand, standing silently to the side.
Buzz~ That hazy, marvelous state drilled through the crack of the door, tracking along the floorboards to wrap completely around the blood cocoon within. Inside the cocoon, Gotoh, who was sleeping peacefully with his hands clasped over his lower abdon, furrowed his brow imperceptibly. Within his hazy consciousness, he felt as though he had been pulled into a vast expanse of pristine, absolute nothingness. Oblivious to direction, ti, or space, there was only him, facing it all in utter bewildernt.
The King's Domain
The Zoldyck Family Ancient Castle.
Chi~ At eight o'clock in the morning, the sunlight had already begun to turn scorching and intense...
Roy finished his breakfast under Tsubone's service. Having received the ssage sent by Zebro, he paused for a brief mont before setting off for the training room. Casually flipping through the Ga Strategy Guide gifted to him by Silva, a sudden stir occurred in his heart at a certain mont.
His heartbeat slowed down by a fraction of a beat. The boy's beautiful silver hair swayed with the wind, the tips presenting a dazzling glaze of pure golden light. Lifting his eyes to look out the window, his profound gaze seed to penetrate the lush, vibrant mountain forest, casting a direct look at the butler villa.
A long stretch of white hair fluttered. Before Roy could make a move, Zeno strode over with his hands behind his back, casting a glance at Tsubone as he said, "Killua is awake and throwing a tantrum for milk. Kikyo can't leave his side, go on up."
Tsubone responded respectfully, "Yes." Subsequently bowing slightly to Roy, she gathered the clothes he needed washed and retreated...
Tap... tap... The sound of footsteps faded into the distance.
Roy's gaze remained fixed out the window, seemingly oblivious.
Zeno casually pulled up a chair and sat beside him, speaking to himself, "It seems you sensed that ntal flow as well."
ntal flow was different from En. While En relied on Nen aura complented by imagination, this was more of a state... a state of detaching the mind and walking purely through consciousness... colloquially known as Shinkiyoku: Kanchō (Mind-Drop: Fist-Listening)!
Shinkiyoku: Kanchō: Listening to the heart, listening to the fist, harnessing physical perception with ntal will in anticipation of reaching a state of hyper-awareness. It frequently transpires during duels between absolute top-tier masters, presenting several extraordinary, distinct traits.
First: Individuals in this state can read the opponent's psychological activity ahead of ti. The exact instant they clash, they can "hear" the thoughts or intentions within the opponent's heart, rather than relying solely on physical movent anticipation.
Second: Physical perception of ti slows down, subjectively feeling as though ti is being elongated—similar to a flashing-lantern effect, but triggered autonomously, used to elevate reaction speed.
Third: It is not actual ti manipulation. Through a state of abstraction, one breaks free from the body's reliance on ti, thereby altering one's own perception of ti. In reality, actual ti does not change.
Of course, the prerequisite for mastering Shinkiyoku: Kanchō was that the user had to be sufficiently strong, or possess a sufficient level of martial arts attainnt. Clearly, Netero was within this category, and moreover... based on his ability to activate it entirely as he pleased, he was deeply versed in this thod, executing it with absolute familiarity and ease. It must be said, he truly was the founder of Shingen-ryū and a martial arts grandmaster standing at the pinnacle of the Enhancent type.
With his beautiful silver hair draped behind his back, the tips radiating a glazed golden light under the sun, Roy gently put down the ga strategy guide in his hand. Two suns ignited within his eyes with a puff~—True Eye, activate! Transparent World, expand!
A similarly hazy, marvelous state centered around the boy, slowly sweeping into the surroundings.
Zeno, who had intended to explain the nature of Shinkiyoku: Kanchō to Roy, froze abruptly. Swept by the Transparent World, he felt as though he had suddenly plunged into a swamp, his limbs being dragged downward continuously. In an instant... he lost all physical perception and awareness of the passage of ti!
Shinkiyoku: Kanchō? His body was heavily restricted, and even his thinking seed to slow down significantly. Zeno's white hair fluttered as he furrowed his brow, stiffly turning his neck to cast a glance at Roy. No, it isn't Shinkiyoku: Kanchō!
It is Shinkiyoku: Kenchō (Mind-Drop: Sword-Listening)!
There are sword silhouettes!
A sharp sword cry—clang—echoed resoundingly by Zeno's ears as the Transparent World expanded. Within the ancient castle of the Zoldyck family, countless tiny, illusory swords seed to flash within the haze. So of these swords radiated scorching high temperatures, so were wrapped in raging flas, so were wreathed in drawing magnetism, and so wantonly blood with boundless light...
In a single instant, they hovered right before every Zoldyck, butler, servant, flower, bird, fish, insect, and every living or non-living object, forcing everyone to halt their movents.
Whoosh~ In a second-floor bedroom of the castle, the sunshading curtain was abruptly pulled open, revealing a man holding an infant. Silva stood shirtless, exposing his robust muscles, looking calmly at an illusory sword radiating intense heat floating before him. Turning his gaze, it cut straight downward, locking fiercely onto Roy's bedroom. At the sa ti, Illumi's, Scarface's, and One-Eye's gazes arrived right after.
Roy remained completely oblivious, his eyes fixed quietly toward the side of the mountain. At this mont, his consciousness road along with his mind, appearing as though his soul had left his body. Taking it step by step, using the illusory flying swords as a bridge, he paced toward the butler villa. At a certain mont, a leisurely voice suddenly carried over, asking him, "Brat, has your swordsmanship advanced again?"
Roy subsequently halted his steps, his feet resting upon an illusory light sword wantonly blooming with a solar halo. Turning his head toward that dim, small room on the first floor of the castle, he delivered a bow: "Great-Grandfather has a discerning eye. I indeed gained a bit of comprehension recently."
Creak~ Inside the dim, small room, the gentle creaking of the rocking chair carried out slowly.
Taking advantage of the ti before the day turned too hot to breathe, Maha, who was hiding in his small room enjoying the air conditioning, experienced an imperceptible twitch at the corner of his mouth. He laughed and chided, "What you have there is far from just a bit."
Truly, although Level 4 and Level 5 were separated by a single rank, the experience gap between them was as vast as an ocean, incredibly difficult to cross. At the very least, after observing the Sun at a negative distance and elevating his swordsmanship to Level 5, Roy discovered that his understanding of swords and the way of the sword had deepened significantly compared to before.
Right now, it wasn't just the Transparent World; executing it was effortless, not lagging behind Yoriichi Tsugikuni, who was naturally transparent. Even his breathing sword techniques—such as Sun Breathing, Water Breathing, and Wind Breathing—could be unleashed at will, their power significantly vaster than before.
The young boy shook his head and said, "A bit is a bit, neither more nor less."
Roy would never forget the scene where his Atomic Fusion Slash—unleashed with every ounce of his strength, draining his Nen aura completely—was casually blocked by a single slash from Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai. Now was far from the ti to be proud and self-satisfied.
Tick-tock... The curse on the back of his left hand continued to countdown his life like a clock, completely unaffected by Shinkiyoku: Kenchō.
Maha lightly patted the armrest of the rocking chair. Remaining silent for a mont, he spoke leisurely: "You are a child who knows what he is doing. This old man won't say much else, save for one thing." Pausing his words, he let out a displeased snort: "Soone has already co to smash our gate, you can't just stand by and watch."
Roy: "..." The corner of his mouth twitched, leaving him temporarily wordless.
Was Netero here specifically to smash their gate? Clearly not. Just as his sword would not deceive him, Netero's fist would similarly not lie. Roy believed that he wasn't the only one; his father Silva, his grandfather Zeno, and even Maha himself could easily perceive that the reason this "strongest human" had suddenly unleashed Shinkiyoku: Kanchō was clearly out of curiosity, a gentle move to gain an in-depth understanding of Gotoh's status. He bore no hostility.
But orders from the top required execution. Putting Maha's command aside, with Gotoh currently at a crucial juncture of his advancent, Roy naturally wouldn't stand idly by either, needing to keep an eye on things to prevent any accidents.
A eting of Intents
Whoosh~ A leisurely gust of wind blew past, cutting straight through Roy's illusory body.
The young boy nodded helplessly toward the dim, small room. Turning his head back, he departed with the wind. With a light tap of his toes, a small sword would generate beneath his feet, bearing him along as he flew out of the ancient castle, soared over the mountain forest, stepped down the stairs, and entered the butler villa halfway up the mountain. In the blink of an eye, he materialized right beside Netero.
"Hoho... It seems the old man is still angry with ..." A hazy phantom abruptly drilled out from Netero's physical body the exact instant Roy arrived. The old man, his form and mind unified within his billowing robes, tilted his head and gave Roy a helpless smile. Those tilted old eyes rippled with a wave of light, freezing slightly as they registered Roy's hair color.
Silver... silver hair? And it isn't pure silver... Netero's gaze shifted downward, discovering that the tips of Roy's hair overflowed with a glazed golden light, looking exactly like the sun leaping out from the horizon in the morning, wantonly radiating its halo. The old man's eyes narrowed sharply once more, a sharp glint flashing within them as he looked deeply at Roy and said, "Zeno told this old man that you intended to defeat Silva within a year. I rely took it as a joke at the ti, but looking at it now... it seems my vision was shallow. You are different now, Roy!"
Their parting at the Hunter Exam felt like yesterday. Facing Roy directly, Netero saw his blood energy piercing straight into the heavens, forming two massive pillars of light alongside his Nen aura that broke through the do of the villa.
Complented by the state of Shinkiyoku: Kanchō, his hyper-awareness inford him that the boy before him possessed a profound Aura Volu and a surging blood energy. He was completely a different person compared to the past, making it impossible to treat him as a re kid any longer!
"The Chairman overpraises ..." Roy greeted Netero politely. That pair of eyes still burning with great suns wantonly shot two beams of boundless light upon Netero's form. A stream of information subsequently surfaced within Roy's mind:
[Na: Isaac Netero] [Species: Human] [Physique: B?] [Manifested Nen Aura: B?] [Potential Nen Aura: B or A-?] [Evaluation: B]
Roy calmly withdrew his gaze, focusing significantly on those few question marks for two seconds. He vaguely guessed that the reason for the question marks and the amount of uncertainty was likely linked to Netero falling into a state of "declining blood and energy."
As the saying goes, fists fear the young and strong, staffs fear the old master.
Being young and strong was exactly when a fist was heaviest. Decades had passed, and ti had acted like a butcher's knife, refining Netero's body, permanently sealing his peak era on the day he comprehended the "Punch of Gratitude" and descended the mountain to defeat nurous dojo masters.
"Are you sorrowful?" An emotional fluctuation presenting a lancholy shade of grayish-white escaped from the top of Roy's head. Noticeable to Netero's gaze, the old man looked over.
The boy stated slowly, "No, rely a bit sentintal." Roy's gaze turned profound as he looked at the dense wrinkles covering Netero's old face like chasms filling his forehead and the corners of his eyes. He said frankly, "You truly are old, Chairman."
Netero's body trembled violently. Given Roy's current height, which was nearly catching up to Silva's, he actually couldn't look down on him anymore. Freezing for a good while, he snapped back to reality, resting his hands on his waist as he chuckled, "I am looking at your butler beneath the bridge, while you are looking at from atop the bridge... Hohoho... Roy, you must understand, not everyone can possess a stroke of fortune like your Great-Grandfather, being able to cross paths with longevity rice..."
"Entities like myself and your grandfather Zzigg are, in the end, rely human, completely unable to escape the destiny of aging..."
Was that truly the case? Perhaps there was also the factor of different "paths." Roy thought of Gods, thought of Calamities, and thought of the mysterious Sonata of Darkness floating across the continent... In a world of Nen where anything was possible, the concepts of "aging," "death," and "birth" couldn't be simply summarized by a single definition.
Much like his own crossing over and rebirth, it was unbelievable, completely independent of human will... And much like Gotoh, whom he had granted the First Embrace, undergoing rebirth and reconstitution...
Crack, crack... Gotoh, who had been lying quietly inside the blood cocoon, suddenly moved.
☆☆☆
-> 20 Advanced chapters Now Available on Patreon!!
-> spat-reon.co-m/c/Inkshaper
(Just remove the hyphen (-) to access patreon normally)
If you like this novel please consider leaving a review that's help the story a lot Thank you
User Comments
0 comments from readers