Aura X Malice

Sky Arena.

Kevin had been so busy making medicine and developing his Nen ability that he had not come here in nearly two weeks.

The moment he entered the building, before he had even reached the elevators, he saw a white-haired child waving frantically at him.

Wasn't that Killua?

Kevin walked over just as Killua, snacks in hand, hurried toward him.

"Where have you been all this time? I thought you were dead."

Killua's first words were startling.

After realizing Kevin had been absent for several days, he had done some simple investigating.

Ever since arriving at the arena, Kevin had never gone an entire week without fighting at least one match.

"Thanks for your concern. I went into seclusion to train these past two weeks, and I gained quite a lot." Kevin smiled as he replied, even deliberately letting his Aura flare.

Of course, he knew Aura could not be seen. He was simply used to demonstrating it in keeping with the conversation.

Yet in that instant—

Killua's expression changed drastically. He instantly leaped several meters back and stared at Kevin with a grave expression.

Kevin found the reaction rather surprising. After his Aura flared, it quickly settled again.

Killua gradually calmed down as well, though his face was still full of shock and suspicion.

"Your instincts are sharp. You actually noticed it." Kevin could not help praising him.

There were countless people in the world without Nen abilities, but this was the first time Kevin had seen someone like Killua perceive it so precisely and react so quickly.

No wonder he had made it past the 150th Floor at only six years old. Was this talent?

Damn talented brat!

Killua had returned to his previous state. His little face was serious as he looked at Kevin and asked, "What was that just now? That presence."

After a pause, he explained, "I've felt something similar from my brother before... that kind of presence."

"Ah, no wonder." Kevin understood.

He had looked up the Zoldyck Family online and could not help marveling once again at how fantastical this world was.

A family of legal assassins—who would have thought?

The area where they lived was even a famous tourist attraction. Did that make any sense?

Still, this also showed just how powerful the Zoldyck Family was.

Now it seemed their family definitely possessed an inheritance of Nen abilities, which explained why Killua's talent was so high.

As for why they had not let Killua learn Nen abilities, perhaps it was because he was too young?

Kevin could not be sure.

But based on what he knew about Nen abilities, he could roughly guess the reason.

After all, Nen abilities were closely tied to a person's experiences from childhood to adulthood, their environment, and their personality.

Killua was still a child. He had yet to form a complete sense of good and evil, right and wrong, or Worldview. Even his own preferences and thoughts were still taking shape.

Perhaps coming into contact with Nen abilities too early was not a good thing.

Kevin naturally did not know the specifics and could only make that guess.

"It's a special kind of presence. You'll understand naturally once you grow up."

Kevin could only give such an adult-like answer.

Sure enough, Killua frowned upon hearing that, looking very displeased.

"Hahaha." Kevin laughed and ruffled Killua's white hair. "Don't look so gloomy, kid. Growing up is an unavoidable process."

Killua irritably slapped Kevin's hand away and began angrily eating his snacks.

"By the way, what floor are you on now?"

Hearing that, Killua snorted. "The 170th Floor. I thought you were dead, so I went and fought a few more matches."

Kevin nodded slightly. "That's good. This makes it more likely that we'll run into each other. Want to go register together?"

"I'm guessing you want to fight me even more now, right?"

"Ha, just what I wanted. Come on, let's go."

Killua tossed away the snacks in his hand, grabbed Kevin, and hurried toward the registration counter.

He had not been that interested in it before, merely thinking he had made a friend in Kevin.

But now, he was interested.

He remembered Kevin saying that they could spar regardless of who won or lost. At this moment, he was brimming with anticipation.

Maybe he could learn that ability through sparring with Kevin? Killua was extremely confident in his ability to learn.

In a corner of the lobby.

A tall man with long, straight black hair stood there with a dark expression.

His eyes were vacant as he stared fixedly at the sight of Killua pulling Kevin away, especially at Killua holding Kevin's hand.

"No... I can't act. Father's order was to observe."

He muttered to himself, doing his best to suppress the killing intent in his heart, afraid that someone might notice it.

The people around him could not help taking a wide berth around him.

"If, if he intends to teach Killua Nen abilities... then perhaps..."

He continued muttering, seemingly pondering something in his mind.

This truly was not the right time for Killua to learn Nen abilities. To eliminate that possibility and prevent any danger, doing this should not be wrong, right?

Suddenly, his emotions calmed. He took a phone out of his pocket.

"Hello."

"...Yes, I understand."

After hanging up, his expression became somewhat regretful, and his entire demeanor grew even more gloomy.

After registering.

Kevin said goodbye to Killua. Their match had been arranged for the next day.

After all, they were both highly anticipated fighters, so naturally the hype had to be built up first.

"Ring, ring, ring."

Kevin picked up his phone.

He had rarely used this phone since buying it. Phones had limited functions these days, and apart from making calls and sending text messages, they were practically useless.

Moreover, he had only a few numbers saved in it, and very few people knew his number.

The caller ID showed—Mito.

"Hello?"

"I see."

"No problem. I'll be right there."

After hanging up, Kevin headed straight for the Grilled Meat restaurant he had visited before.

The waiter led him directly to a private room.

Inside, Mito was staring solemnly at the mountain of meat skewers piled before him, seemingly lost in thought.

"What are you thinking about?"

Kevin's sudden appearance startled Mito.

"What are you thinking about? You've completely let your guard down?" Kevin asked in confusion.

Mito let out a long breath and muttered, "During the two weeks you were in seclusion resting, I made it to the 200th Floor.

While I was walking through the corridors on the 200th Floor... I felt an intense malice. It was enough to make my blood run cold."

Kevin understood as soon as he heard it and roughly guessed why Mito had called him over.

Sure enough.

Mito asked, "What was that? That overwhelming malice? You should know, right? After all, you're so strong."

He considered himself fairly capable, yet whenever he faced Kevin, he still felt powerless, unable to even harm him.

And without question, Kevin was the strongest person he knew. So after sensing that inexplicable malice on the 200th Floor, Kevin was the first person he thought of.

"It's rather embarrassing to say." Mito leaned back in his chair and looked up at the ceiling. "At the time, I was so scared that I only wanted to get away as quickly as possible. For a Martial Way practitioner, that's truly shameful."

After saying that, he looked at Kevin with blazing eyes.

"Please tell me. What exactly was that?"