Balance Equals Mediocrity

It was obvious that the match between Bodrō and Gon had been decided from the very beginning.

After all, one was a child who had gained Nen abilities less than a day ago, while the other was an adult who had developed his Nen abilities to a certain level with the Dungeon's tenfold Time Difference.

In particular, the moves Bodrō had developed by combining his martial arts with Nen abilities were highly distinctive. Rather than blindly pursuing greater Destructive Power like other Enhancement-type Ability Users, he had taken speed, strength, technique, and defense into account.

Given Gon's current condition, let alone fight on equal footing, simply dodging his opponent's attacks had already pushed him to his limit.

Several times, he tried to counterattack through openings, only to have every attempt blocked perfectly by a move called Flowing Style.

This so-called Flowing Style was actually a typical defensive technique. It used a two-meter-radius En to enhance his all-around, three-hundred-and-sixty-degree awareness without blind spots, then relied on Ken and Ryu to swiftly block the enemy's attacks.

When attacking, Bodrō switched to the immensely destructive Blazing Fire Style, or the speed-focused Thunderclap Style.

By switching between these three states, he had gradually formed a combat system of his own, one with almost no major weaknesses.

Blazing Fire Style incorporated Transmutation-type Nen, coating his fists in fiercely burning high-temperature flames. Thunderclap Style, meanwhile, incorporated Emission-type Nen, allowing him to fire chopstick-thick cylindrical Nen bullets from his fingertips at extreme speed, instantly piercing vital organs and joints.

Because the targets were small and fast, they were extremely difficult to evade. The only option was to defend by covering one's entire body with Ken.

Watching his friend's miserable state on the arena floor, Killua finally could not help asking, "You're not seriously planning to let Gon get beaten into a severe injury, are you?"

"Why not? Don't you think this is the best chance to make him understand the brutality of Nen battles? Besides, the right to end all this has always been firmly in his own hands. The problem is, he clearly doesn't want to end it yet," Allen replied with a smile.

"Damn it! You really understand Gon's personality well. Looks like I'd better reserve a hospital bed in advance," Killua said, rolling his eyes irritably.

"Don't worry. It should be over soon."

The moment he finished speaking!

Bodrō suddenly switched from Flowing Style to Thunderclap Style, lunged in front of Gon, and began hammering the boy's vulnerable abdomen with fists moving too quickly for the Naked Eye to distinguish.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

"Agh!"

Although he had not used advanced techniques like Ko or Ken, the overwhelming gap in aura alone was more than Gon, who had only come into contact with Nen abilities less than a day ago, could bear. He immediately spat out a mouthful of dark red blood, rolled his eyes back, and completely passed out.

The referee stepped forward to make a brief confirmation, then immediately declared the match over.

Before long, the medical team carried the unconscious Gon to the special ward Sky Arena had prepared for its competitors.

"How did it feel?"

Allen took the initiative to ask the Martial Artist who had just emerged from the competitor's passageway.

Without hesitation, Bodrō replied, "Very good! His sharp senses and observational ability, his incredible focus During Battle, and that beast-like sixth sense. As long as he keeps training consistently, surpassing me will only be a matter of time."

Hearing that, Allen could not help shaking his head lightly. "No, I mean, through your battle with Gon, did you notice any shortcomings in yourself as a fellow Enhancement-type Nen user?"

"Shortcomings?" Bodrō froze for a moment, then furrowed his brow and fell into thought. "I've already developed my Transmutation and Emission abilities in a well-rounded manner. Whether in attack or defense, I'm already quite comprehensive."

"Heh, being comprehensive is precisely your greatest shortcoming. Enhancement, as the name implies, uses aura to enhance everything that can be enhanced, even certain highly abstract concepts. For Enhancement-type Ability Users, balance means mediocrity. It means being unable to deliver the decisive blow in battle. Put simply, you lack a powerful trump card and a true ace up your sleeve. You've spent too much effort refining your Transmutation and Emission abilities, while neglecting your true Enhancement-type Nen abilities. Otherwise, with your current aura reserves, one punch would have been enough to finish Gon. There would have been no need to waste so much time in a battle of attrition."

Allen hit the nail on the head, pointing out the misconception the Martial Artist had unwittingly fallen into. It was also a mistake most Nen users were prone to making: developing their auxiliary types as though they were their main type.

However, Enhancement could wield eighty percent of the power of Transmutation and Emission, so there was no harm in training them in advance.

That was also why Allen had noticed it long ago but had not pointed it out.

"Then how should I develop an Enhancement-type trump card of my own?"

After realizing he had taken the wrong path, Bodrō immediately sought the opinion of the teacher who had taught him Nen abilities.

"It's simple! Follow the deepest desire in your heart. Think carefully about what you truly need and what you truly long for. Then turn that intense desire into action—use your aura to enhance it. In the end, you'll obtain the ability best suited to you," Allen advised meaningfully.

With that, he turned and disappeared around the corner at the end of the corridor.

"The strongest desire deep in my heart..."

Just as Bodrō stood there somewhat dazed, Killua suddenly came out of the hospital room and asked in surprise, "Where's Allen?"

"He already left," the Martial Artist hurriedly replied, raising his head. "Gon's not seriously hurt, right?"

"Hmm. He broke a few ribs, and there are signs of some internal bleeding, but overall, it's nothing serious. According to the doctor, he should wake up in an hour or two. Also... I'm really sorry about what happened during the Hunter Exam. I couldn't really control myself back then."

Killua decisively seized this chance to apologize while the two of them were alone.

But Bodrō merely smiled, unconcerned. "You don't need to apologize. It wasn't your fault. Besides, I never held a grudge against you over that."

"Huh? Really?"

Killua's eyes widened. He could hardly believe that, after doing something so excessive, he had been forgiven so easily.

"Of course! A martial artist must be broad-minded. That was the first thing my master taught me when I began learning boxing. If you still feel guilty, then train hard and strive to stand in the arena as soon as possible. Come have a match with me as a fighter. There's no communication between men more direct—or more likely to foster mutual understanding—than the collision of fists." Bodrō took the initiative to extend his right fist, a faint smile appearing on his face.

"Got it! But you'd better be careful. I'm very cunning, unlike Gon, who only knows how to charge straight ahead. Maybe you'll lose to me in the arena."

Killua extended his right fist as well and bumped it against Bodrō's. His whole demeanor instantly brightened.

As an Assassin, he could clearly sense that the man before him truly did not harbor even the slightest resentment toward him. A trace of emotion rose in his heart despite himself.

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