Two Mysterious Boys

At the rehearsal venue, Moritonio had long been waiting for Hisoka and Oboro in a corner.

When he saw the two of them arrive, the troupe leader beckoned.

Hisoka sat beside Neo, while Oboro remained standing.

"The troupe members are afraid Hisoka will steal their techniques, so more of them have been practicing in secret..." Moritonio smiled faintly.

Normally, after a tiring day and dinner, the members would return to their dormitories to rest.

But now... figures were still moving about in the venue.

They had not noticed the few of them either.

"Everyone's so timid..."

The troupe leader sighed. "Hisoka clearly isn't interested in other people's things."

"That's not quite true, Troupe Leader... There is one thing I'd quite like to learn." Seeing that the troupe leader seemed to understand him well, Hisoka raised a finger. "The famous Moritonio's Air Swimming... That looks rather interesting."

The troupe leader was not offended by Hisoka calling him by name. He merely smiled. "That? I won't teach it. No matter how talented you are, that's a different matter."

"That makes sense."

Hisoka nodded.

After all, it was the troupe leader's signature technique. If someone else learned it, Moritonio's fame would change hands.

It was the Circus's golden trademark.

"The troupe leader's technique... has something to do with this, right?" Hisoka suddenly changed his tone, his gaze locking onto Neo's body. "This... vaguely flowing thing... or rather, substance?"

"Oh?"

Moritonio was clearly surprised. "Hisoka... you... can see aura?"

"Aura?"

Hisoka tilted his head.

"Or perhaps you could call it Nen."

"Nen?"

"That's right."

"You mean this layer covering my body, this membrane-like light?"

Hisoka's next words plunged not only Moritonio into silence, but also caused Oboro's expression to shift slightly. All along, he had thought Hisoka could at most sense Nen users—the troupe leader's "aura." Ordinary people's aura was too faint to be noticed easily.

He had not expected this brat to see through not only the troupe leader, but also discover his own "aura" because of it.

What a freak!

Even more monstrous than expected... Oboro felt a little jealous. Sometimes, there truly was no fairness between people.

"You... merely relied on your natural senses and perception to..."

Moritonio trailed off.

"My aura is so weak. It isn't nearly as full as yours, Mr. Moritonio."

Hisoka sensed the gap between his own aura and the troupe leader's, then sighed in wonder.

"Aura... is something everyone possesses. Mine is powerful because I've been training it all this time..."

Since things had come to this, Moritonio no longer beat around the bush. He had called Oboro and Hisoka over precisely to see whether the two had talent in this regard. "Those who can strengthen or transform aura, flexibly control it and use it, are called Nen users."

"Ordinary people cannot sense aura. They cannot keep it within or around their bodies, causing it to constantly leak away..."

"To temper and train this aura, you need methods... Keeping the leaking aura contained and flowing around your body is called Shu. Amplifying and expanding aura is called Ren."

Hisoka looked interested.

Oboro, on the other hand, remained calm.

Because to him, everything the troupe leader was saying was kindergarten-level knowledge.

"Abachi, show him."

The troupe leader glanced at the girl.

Abachi nodded. After standing still, she crossed her arms and struck a pose.

Then, with a sharp shout, the Nen aura within her burst forth, becoming extremely clear and surging in Hisoka's eyes.

As for Oboro... he merely felt Abachi's presence suddenly soar, an inexplicable pressure rising in his heart.

He knew she was releasing Nen aura... he simply could not "see" it.

"So this is... Ren?"

Hisoka stood up.

"Ren is the most basic step in learning Nen—the foundational concept of concentrating and releasing aura."

"To learn it, training Shu is also indispensable."

As he spoke, the troupe leader looked at his disciple Abachi and said to Hisoka, "With your ability and talent, Ren won't be difficult. But if you want to master Shu, an ordinary person... even at the fastest rate, would need around a year. To reach Abachi's level would probably take three years."

"Starting today, you will train in Nen under me, just like Abachi."

Moritonio patted Hisoka on the shoulder.

There was no doubt... Hisoka's potential was especially astounding.

Then, after doing all that... Moritonio seemed to remember that there was another boy present.

Several pairs of eyes turned toward Oboro in succession.

Oboro had not spoken or expressed his stance. Neo also had no idea whether the boy could sense Nen aura like Hisoka.

If he could not sense it... then he belonged to a different world from them.

There was an insurmountable gulf between them.

Though... through long-term training, one could gradually strengthen one's perception of Nen aura, that also meant poor talent... Moreover, the Circus was busy with work. As a Nen user, he did not have the energy or time to slowly nurture Oboro.

"I have a request. I hope you can agree to it, Troupe Leader."

Oboro put both hands in his pockets, his tone cold.

"Go ahead..."

Moritonio was taken aback.

Oboro's words were abrupt... At this critical moment, instead of saying whether he could sense Nen aura, he suddenly made a request.

"I hope you can use Nen to forcibly open my Aura Nodes." Oboro's tone was exceptionally calm.

But after he said that, Abachi and the troupe leader's expressions changed drastically.

"You... you know about Nen?"

Moritonio asked in a low voice.

It seemed... Oboro's impact on him was even greater than Hisoka's.

"I once met a Nen user. He told me some things." Oboro nodded.

"I see..."

The troupe leader looked somewhat distracted.

Seeing that Oboro had not reacted with shock and instead possessed a calmness unfitting for his age, he believed Oboro truly knew something about Nen and was not lying.

"You know what this means, don't you?"

Moritonio emphasized.

If forcibly opening the aura nodes caused all the aura to leak away, then the outcome...

At the same time, because Oboro had not answered whether he could see Nen aura and had changed the subject, coupled with his understanding of Nen, Abachi and Moritonio subconsciously assumed that he too could sense the existence of aura.

Perhaps... he had long since discovered that Moritonio was a Nen user.

He had merely been waiting for an appropriate chance to tear through that veil.

"For your safety, I can refuse."

Seeing Oboro's Unflinching gaze, the troupe leader replied, "With your ability, there's no need to take a shortcut. Shortcuts mean risk... Besides, you're still young..."

"This is my own choice. I'm willing to bear all the consequences."

"I'm mentally prepared."

Oboro was extremely resolute.

"You..."

Moritonio looked into Oboro's eyes.

After sensing Oboro's will, he relented. "All right... I'll do my best to control your condition."

Having gotten his answer, Oboro revealed a smile.

"What... are they talking about?"

Nearby, Hisoka noticed the change in Oboro's expression and asked Abachi.

"Is this guy... insane?!"

Abachi bit her lip.

Then she turned her head... and briefly explained to Hisoka what "forcibly opening aura nodes" meant.

A moment later, after hearing her out, Hisoka laughed.

The way he looked at Oboro became somewhat strange...

Oboro glanced at Hisoka, then left with Moritonio.

He knew... Hisoka had definitely seen through it... He could not sense Nen aura, and his talent was poor.

Yet Moritonio and Abachi had been completely bluffed by his words and had not realized that at all.

Shortly afterward, the group arrived at an empty room.

Hisoka and Abachi watched from the side... about to witness the miraculous moment when Oboro stepped through the gate of becoming a Nen user.

"When my Nen aura enters your body, you must focus all your attention on sensing the flow and disorder of your own life energy... Once the aura nodes open, it will be like a dam breaking. Your own aura will be the floodwater... It will pour out in a short time. Once it is completely depleted, it means your vitality will be exhausted and you will fall into extreme weakness. Even if you ultimately survive... the aftereffects... will not be something you can endure."

"You must quickly sort it out, control it... and seize hold of your aura!"

Moritonio was extremely serious.

"I understand."

Oboro nodded, still exceptionally calm.

Since he had made this choice, he had certainly weighed it carefully...

He did not have Hisoka's potential. If he wanted to restrain this freak, he had to take a dangerous gamble.

He could not compete with Hisoka in time... Once Hisoka became a Nen user, living under the same roof, Oboro's sense of insecurity would rise to its peak.

He knew what opening aura nodes was like... He had some experience, though he had never experienced it personally. Still, that made him better than a complete novice.

Then Oboro sat cross-legged on the floor, his breathing gradually steadying as he closed his eyes.

Seeing this, Moritonio pressed his palm, wrapped in Nen aura, onto his shoulder...

The next second, a violent gust erupted in the room, lifting the hair of Hisoka and Abachi across from them and sending the white sheets of paper on the table flying in disarray.

Hisoka's narrow eyes opened to a thin slit. His lips parted slightly, and he extended his tongue to slowly lick around them...

He saw an incomparably marvelous sight.

A vast amount of aura surged wildly out of Oboro's body, its volume terrifying! The amount of aura represented the strength of one's life force. Although aura volume could be increased through training after birth, for Oboro to possess such considerable life energy as a newly initiated beginner meant... his initial vitality already far exceeded that of ordinary people.

Scenes of Oboro diligently training in the park woods every night surfaced in Hisoka's mind.

Hisoka understood Oboro's physical condition.

It had been transforming along a curve ordinary people could not comprehend...

Among people his age, Oboro was not the person with the strongest flesh and blood Hisoka had seen, but he was the one whose growth rate was the most terrifying!

"You really are... different from the rest."

Hisoka licked his lips and murmured softly.

"Hm?"

Abachi beside him heard the movement and instinctively glanced at Hisoka, a sudden chill running through her heart.

She saw... Hisoka was smiling.

But... she did not know how to describe that smile. Especially that look in his eyes—it made even her feel deeply uncomfortable.

She had never seen Hisoka wear such an expression before.

Oboro's life energy spilled madly from every pore on his body.

Sweat had formed on Moritonio's forehead as well. He was using his own Nen aura to forcibly seal the aura leaking from Oboro's body... Though the effect was limited, it was still better than doing nothing.

Abachi clenched her fists, extremely nervous.

Only Hisoka appeared relaxed... as if he was not worried in the slightest that something might happen to Oboro! Shortly afterward, beads of blood surfaced on Oboro's skin, and pain appeared between his brows.

Forcibly opening aura nodes naturally came at an extraordinary price.

However... after only a few minutes, they saw that the aura that had been leaking out without any pattern was effectively brought under control. It clung to Oboro's body, wrapping around him completely.

"He succeeded?..."

Abachi's eyes widened as she cried out in disbelief.

Although it was her first time witnessing someone's aura nodes being forcibly opened, she had heard the troupe leader say that because it was not Nen aura slowly cultivated and familiarized through training, suddenly coming into contact with "aura" made it difficult to grasp and control in a short time.

Even if one succeeded, a person of exceptional talent would need a quarter of an hour.

But Oboro... had taken only a few minutes.

What did that mean... It was like the world champion's record for the hundred-meter sprint being nine seconds, while Oboro only needed two or three! This completely shattered Nen users' common sense and understanding! It was a total overturning! Moritonio, who had withdrawn his own Nen aura, was stunned as well. Even he had not expected it to happen so quickly!

The old man looked at Oboro sitting on the floor, then glanced at Hisoka...

Who exactly... were these two boys?