Activating Sophia's Nen

Sophia followed Leo to his Room 2079.

Leo picked up an ordinary sheet of paper from the table, infused it with aura, and casually flung it at the wall.

The paper shot out like a throwing knife, half of it instantly embedding itself in the wall.

Sophia's eyes widened in disbelief.

"This is Nen." Leo turned around.

"Every fighter on the 200th floor knows it. The only difference is how well they have mastered it."

A blazing light burst into Sophia's eyes, and she nodded excitedly.

Leo walked to the center of the training area and began explaining in a calm, clear voice.

"So-called Nen is the ability to freely control the life energy—aura—that leaks from the body. Although everyone slowly gives off tiny amounts of life energy, most people cannot control its loss."

He raised a finger. "The technique of keeping aura inside the body is called Ten. Once you learn Ten, your body becomes stronger, and you can even slow aging."

Leo paused, his expression turning serious.

"Aura is energy emitted by the human body, so it is most effective when used on the human body. Regardless of one's motives—if someone harbors ill intent and attacks an unguarded person, aura alone can kill."

He lightly stomped his foot.

Bang!

Centered on his right foot, spiderweb-like cracks spread across the floor for a meter.

Sophia swallowed.

"The only way to fight someone who uses Nen," Leo continued, "is to learn Nen yourself and defend with Ten. Use your own aura to defend against your opponent's aura. Otherwise, your body will be crushed."

Sophia took a deep breath and asked the most important question.

"Then is there a way for me to learn Nen too?"

Leo smiled faintly.

"Two ways. Awaken it slowly, or awaken it by force."

"The first requires years of cultivation—using meditation, seated meditation, and other methods to sense the existence of aura, then learning step by step. Whether you can learn it and how long it takes depends on your talent."

He looked at the clock on the wall.

"And you... if you don't register for the 200th floor before midnight tonight, your qualification will be revoked, and you'll have to start all over from the first floor."

Sophia's expression changed.

"The second way."

Leo's voice turned cold.

"Is to come into direct contact with an attack imbued with Nen from a Nen user. Many fighters on the 200th floor learned Nen that way—the price is broken arms and legs. Those struck are either dead or injured. They call it a 'baptism.'"

Sophia's face turned pale, and cold sweat seeped down her back.

She recalled the terrifying pressure she had felt in the corridor earlier—if that had been an attack...

She stood and bowed deeply to Leo.

"Master, thank you! If it hadn't been for your warning, I might have..."

"Stop."

Leo cut her off.

"First, I won't take you as my disciple. I warned you only because I didn't want to watch you throw your life away."

Sophia grew anxious.

"Master, I truly want to become your disciple and learn from you! Please give me a chance!"

Leo fell silent for a moment.

"Let's not talk about that yet. I can help you forcefully open your Nen. Choose for yourself—awaken it slowly, or awaken it by force?"

Sophia lowered her head and clenched her fists. A few seconds later, she raised her head, her gaze resolute.

"I want to awaken it by force! I'm not afraid of failure!"

Leo nodded.

"Fine. Take off your top, turn around, and face away from me."

Without the slightest hesitation, Sophia quickly untied her martial arts uniform, removed her top and tossed it aside, then stood with her back to Leo.

She had a graceful figure, with clearly defined muscles along her back. Several bruises and scars had yet to fully heal.

Leo drew a deep breath and cast aside all distracting thoughts. His eyes became focused and profound.

He raised both hands, his palms hovering roughly a hand's breadth from Sophia's back.

"Are you ready?"

Leo's voice was low and powerful.

"Here I come."

The moment he finished speaking, his hovering palms suddenly thrust forward!

Aura pierced Sophia's back!

"Ungh—!"

Sophia's body shuddered violently!

The aura penetrated her body, and an indescribable torrent from the very source of her life burst wildly from every pore, like a collapsed dam!

In an instant, the lounge was flooded with light!

Dense white streams of aura surged from Sophia's body like boiling steam.

Her hair was blown upward by the current, and her entire body was shrouded in erupting radiance.

Sophia stared at her hands—countless wisps of white aura were uncontrollably streaming from her fingertips and all over her body.

It felt as though a valve had opened inside her. Power surged through her, but it was also rapidly draining away!

"This is... aura?!"

She cried out excitedly.

"That's right! This is life energy—aura!"

There was a trace of amusement in Leo's voice.

"Every one of your aura nodes has now been forcibly pried open by me. Your life energy is beginning to spill out like water through a broken dam. At the same time, the aura nodes in your eyes have also been opened, which is why you can 'see' this invisible energy!"

He immediately shouted, his voice carrying undeniable guidance.

"Don't just stand there staring! Listen carefully! Focus right now! Think about keeping that leaking aura inside while steadying your body. Don't panic! Close your eyes tightly!"

Sophia immediately followed his instructions, squeezing her eyes shut as she fought against the weakness brought on by the loss of power.

Leo's voice was like a spring breeze, soothing Sophia.

"Picture yourself! Any pose is fine, but you must clearly visualize it in your mind!"

"Then imagine your aura circulating through your body like blood!"

Under Leo's guidance, Sophia furrowed her brows and immersed herself fully in the visualization.

She did her utmost to capture and guide that unruly life energy with her will.

Time slipped away, second by second, like sand through an hourglass.

Sophia's brows remained tightly furrowed, sweat pouring from her forehead like severed pearls.

The white aura around her body wavered between erupting wildly and being forcibly drawn back in.

Six minutes later.

The frantic aura eruption began to slow and recede!

The boiling mass of aura gradually calmed, transforming into a gauzy white glow that evenly covered her body.

The glow clung tightly to her skin and flowed slowly, no longer leaking away.

Sophia opened her eyes. Looking at the faint glow surrounding her, her eyes filled with incredulous delight as she felt this unprecedented power.

Leo withdrew his hands and silently assessed her.

It took her six minutes to master Ten... Compared to Gon and Killua, who gained control in just one minute, this woman's talent is only passable. But...

Looking at the almost burning persistence in Sophia's eyes, he completed the thought.

This willpower might make up for her lack of talent.

Sophia turned around and bowed deeply once more—this time, the faint white glow flowed with her movement, remaining firmly over her skin.

"Thank you... Master Leo."

She raised her head, tears glittering in her eyes.

"I... I did it."