Rebirth X Roy Zoldyck

The summer in the Republic of Padokea is hotter than usual.

Before five in the morning, a sliver of light can already be seen crawling up from the horizon where heaven and earth meet.

Taking advantage of the time before the heat fully rises, Roy gets up early, puts on a tank top and shorts, and begins his morning run around the entirety of Kukuroo Mountain.

From the family castle deep in the mountains to the butler villas on the mountainside, down to the security office at the foot of the mountain, and finally returning the same way—a distance of nearly ten kilometers... By the time he returns, he is drenched in sweat, as if he had just been fished out of the water, yet he feels an indescribable sense of exhilaration.

Science proves that running stimulates the body to secrete endorphins, bringing a certain level of stimulation and pleasure... but after catching his breath, Roy doesn't feel the expected joy; instead, he furrows his brows, feeling somewhat depressed.

The reason is simple: he, the eldest son of the Zoldyck Family—the world's number one family of assassins whose reputation alone is enough to strike terror into hearts—and a transmigrator from Earth, has recently discovered that his physical growth rate is slowing down.

While it is true that exercise has a plateau period, in the early stages, whether it is muscle gain or fat loss, the effects are usually at their peak, after which they slide down and stabilize at a fixed value.

But this only applies to adults and is not applicable to a child like Roy, who is only eight years old and still in a period of rapid growth and development.

Moreover, his surname is Zoldyck; his physical constitution is naturally superior to others.

It's just that his black hair means he didn't perfectly inherit the Zoldyck family's bloodline talent...

However, adhering to the principle of "slow is fast, fast is slow," Roy adjusts his mindset well, neither anxious nor discouraged. He returns to his bedroom and takes a quick shower.

When he comes back out, he has changed into a clean training uniform and sits at the dining table.

It is now six in the morning, and as an ancient wooden clock in the corner chimes... the butler Gotoh pushes a dining cart in on time, setting a sumptuous breakfast before him.

Cream of mushroom soup... bacon sandwiches... a fresh salad made of wild vegetables freshly picked from Kukuroo Mountain, paired with eggs and drizzled with rice vinegar... and finally, a glass of milk... absolutely nutritionally balanced, except for the lack of flavor...

Roy picks up a sandwich, dips it in the mushroom soup, and takes a bite. While listening to Gotoh report the day's training plan, he quietly opens his status panel and examines it carefully.

[Name: Roy Zoldyck]
[Bone Age: Seven years and eleven months]
[Constitution: 10 → 10.001 (Note: 1 is the average for a normal person)]
[Nen Ability: Nodes not yet opened, awaiting development]
[Combat Experience: lv2 (15/100)]
[Applied Techniques--Shadow Step: Proficient (78/100); Rhythm Echo: Proficient (64/100); Snake Awakening: Novice (83/100) (Note: Applied techniques are categorized as: Novice, Proficient, Mastery, Perfect)]
[Title: A newcomer who hasn't even started, a "tender sprout" prone to early death]

A tender sprout?

This evaluation really doesn't leave any room for face... Roy bites down hard on his sandwich, venting the frustration in his heart.

At the right moment, Gotoh coughs dryly and whispers a reminder: "Young Master, the Madam has been in a bad mood lately; you would do well to be careful."

The Madam refers to Kikyo, Roy's biological mother... Three consecutive births, all black hair, not a single silver one. In the eyes of an ordinary family wanting a son, this is like having three daughters in a row without a single boy—all "grave sins."

Therefore, it is entirely understandable that she would be anxious or even somewhat irritable.

Fortunately, the next child, Killua, will not disappoint her again.

"Milluki is a good kid. Aside from being a bit fat, a bit ugly, having small eyes, and being a bit flatulent, he has no real flaws... Mother doesn't like him, but I don't see anything wrong with that."

After finishing the sandwich, Roy takes a sip of milk and says indifferently.

Gotoh: "..."

He falls into a brief silence, unsure if his young master is praising Master Milluki or deliberately insulting him. Thinking back to how the young master has never liked Master Illumi, always finding him cold and his eyes as hollow as a ghost's... he decides to pretend he didn't hear it.

He shifts to another matter: "Young Master, the Master has decided to open your Nen nodes."

The young butler, who has yet to grow his sideburns, pushes up the gold-rimmed glasses on the bridge of his nose and says solemnly: "The time is set for eight o'clock tonight... At that time, he will be waiting for you in the training room."

Roy's expression pauses, then immediately returns to normal. He pulls out a napkin and wipes his mouth nonchalantly. Beneath his calm exterior, his thoughts inevitably fluctuate...

The bad news is... through these years of observation, the Zoldycks, from Silva to Zeno, have realized that he is merely an ordinary genius. Opening his Nen early might train him into a qualified assassin in the future, but as for inheriting the Zoldyck family, that was just his own wishful thinking...

The good news is, if he opens his Nen and successfully awakens as an "Enhancer"... this might become the opportunity to compensate for his "weak" constitution.

In any case, the matter is settled.

At eight o'clock tonight, whether Roy is willing or not, he must step into the world of "Nen" ahead of schedule!

And this step is the one he has looked forward to most in the nearly eight years since he was reborn into the Zoldyck family.

A flash of light, difficult for others to perceive, flickers deep within the boy's pupils. He finishes his breakfast quickly.

Afterward, under Silva's instruction, he unusually skips training and spends the day meditating and regulating his breath, adjusting his state to the best, waiting for nightfall and the full moon to rise into the sky.

He stands up, walks out of the bedroom by the light of a flickering wall lamp, and follows the deep, quiet corridor all the way to the training room.

"Knock, knock, knock..."

The door is knocked...

"Enter."

A very powerful voice rings out...

The door swings open, revealing a corner of the room...

A tall man stands with his back to the door, his legs spread in a split, resting on two heavy stone pedestals. His silver hair cascades down like a waterfall, and the aura he inadvertently radiates is so powerful that it makes it hard to breathe.

Silva Zoldyck, a world-class assassin, once killed a member of the A-rank criminal organization, the Phantom Troupe, and retreated unscathed. During the Chimera Ant arc, he descended from the sky to instantly kill a Squadron Leader-level leopard with a single punch. Every time they met, Roy could intuitively feel the overwhelming pressure and suffocating sense of danger radiating from this father of his.

This had nothing to do with the bond between father and son; it was more like the natural, dimensional crushing of a lower-dimensional being by a higher-dimensional one.

He calmed his nerves, took a deep breath, and said, "Father."

"Bang!" The door slammed shut.

Silva turned his head, his gaze cutting like a blade as he looked over: "Come here."

Roy stepped forward in silence.

He was immediately met with a palm as large as a fan, which struck his chest with a casual yet lightning-fast motion!

"Crack!"

The force generated by the highly condensed Ren pierced straight through Roy's body, continuing without the slightest hesitation to slam heavily into the wall behind him...

Visible to the naked eye, the thick wall shattered into a spiderweb of cracks...

Along with it, a certain shackle within Roy's body instantly shattered!