Special training underway

On the wasteland at the edge of the Moonlight Tundra, the morning light painted the cracked ground pale gold.

Biscuit stood in the middle of the clearing, her hands behind her back, the morning breeze stirring her golden pigtails.

Leo stood three meters across from her, ready to train.

"Although you already have a thorough understanding of Nen, I'm going to explain this again."

Biscuit extended her right hand, palm up.

Nen Aura surged from her body, forming an even white glow over her entire body.

"'Ken' is a state where your offensive and defensive power are both fifty. A balance of offense and defense, fifty against fifty."

She clenched her fist, and the glow rippled slightly.

"In other words, when both sides are using 'Ken,' neither will suffer serious damage, no matter how they fight. So how would you break that balance?"

Leo answered without the slightest hesitation.

"With 'Ko.' By instantly concentrating all my aura at a single point."

"Correct."

Biscuit nodded, her gaze sharpening.

"But while you're using 'Ko,' the part reinforced with aura has an offensive and defensive power of one hundred, while everywhere else is zero! What if your opponent hits somewhere you haven't used 'Ko'?"

Leo immediately answered, "Use 'Gyo' to observe the path of their attack, then use 'Flow' to quickly adjust my aura distribution—transfer my defensive power to the area under attack before the blow lands."

The corners of Biscuit's lips lifted slightly.

"Right. That's the foundation of combat."

She began walking slowly, her voice echoing clearly across the open wasteland.

"Fifty offensive and defensive power throughout your body is the basic combat form. But in an actual fight, you need to adjust constantly according to the situation—the instant you attack, your right fist's offensive and defensive power rises to seventy, while your body drops to thirty; when defending, the area under attack rises to eighty, while everywhere else drops to twenty."

She stopped and turned to face Leo.

"These real-time shifts in offensive and defensive power are called 'Flow.' Your goal is to make your 'Flow' as fast and your adjustments as precise as possible."

Biscuit rolled her wrists, her joints clicking faintly.

"Today's training is simple. You're already using 'Gyo' smoothly, so next comes hands-on combat training."

She took a fighting stance, Nen Aura gathering around her.

"All right, activate your 'Ren.' I'll attack you with 'Ko.' You need to maintain 'Ken' the whole time, use 'Gyo' to observe the movement of my aura, and use 'Flow' to rapidly adjust your offensive and defensive power—until I'm satisfied."

Leo took a deep breath and closed his eyes. The next second—

Boom!

Nen Aura erupted.

"Ren!"

A white glow enveloped his entire body, steady and even.

Almost at the same instant, Biscuit moved.

Her movements weren't fast, but they were terrifyingly precise.

Her right fist shot straight toward him, highly compressed aura gathered over her knuckles—Ko.

"Right fist! Offensive and defensive power, fifty-five!"

Biscuit's voice arrived alongside her attack.

Leo had already covered his eyes with "Gyo," allowing him to clearly see the distribution of aura on Biscuit's fist.

With almost no time to think, he instantly raised his right arm's defensive power to sixty, while lowering the rest of his body to forty.

Thud!

Fist and arm collided with a dull impact.

Leo's right arm tingled slightly, but he successfully blocked the strike.

Without pausing, Biscuit lashed out with her left leg like a whip.

"Left foot! Offensive and defensive power, seventy!"

This time, her aura was more concentrated, and the force was noticeably greater.

Leo quickly assessed the attack, raised his left leg's defensive power to seventy-five, and took the kick head-on.

Thud! Another dull impact rang out.

Leo retreated half a step, a sharp pain shooting through his left leg, but he remained firmly on his feet.

Biscuit stopped, a flicker of satisfaction in her eyes.

"Very good. I'll gradually increase my speed, so pay attention."

"No problem. Bring it on."

Leo readjusted his breathing, his muscles tensing and his concentration sharpening.

For the next half hour, the wasteland echoed with an unbroken series of impacts.

Thud! Left elbow, offensive and defensive power, seventy-five!

Thud! Right shoulder, offensive and defensive power, sixty-five!

Thud! Left knee, offensive and defensive power, eighty!

Biscuit's attacks came like a surging tide, each strike accompanied by a precise announcement of her aura output.

She no longer stuck to a fixed attack pattern—straight punches, side kicks, elbow strikes, and shoulder tackles came in turn.

Her attacks came from tricky angles, their speed gradually increasing.

Leo focused completely.

His eyes stayed fixed on Biscuit's movements as he used "Gyo" to observe the flow of her aura.

His mind raced, making judgments in the instant before each attack arrived and using "Flow" to adjust his defensive distribution.

Sweat began to seep out, and his breathing grew heavy.

Maintaining "Ren" alone required a continuous expenditure of aura. With frequent use of "Gyo" and rapid adjustments through "Flow" on top of that, both his stamina and Nen Aura were being depleted at an alarming rate.

But Leo never made a single mistake.

With every attack, he managed to respond correctly at the last moment.

Although he was occasionally knocked back or felt intense pain, he never let an attack break through his defenses and strike an unprotected area.

Biscuit silently praised him.

Very good. At this rate, he'll be ready for the next stage of special training in just half a month.

Ten days later.

The same wasteland, the same morning light.

But the scene in the clearing was now completely different.

Two figures crossed paths, collided, and separated at speeds nearly impossible to follow with the naked eye.

Nen Aura churned through the air, each clash producing a dull impact.

Biscuit no longer gave any warnings.

Her attacks were completely random, sometimes fast, sometimes slow, sometimes heavy, sometimes light, alternating between feints and real strikes.

Her aura distribution no longer followed any pattern, either—her fist might hold eighty units of aura one moment, only to suddenly drop to forty the next, throwing off her opponent's judgment.

Yet Leo had fully adapted to this rhythm.

He kept "Gyo" active in his eyes at all times, but he was no longer merely observing the movement of her aura. He had begun anticipating Biscuit's intentions.

Subtle changes in her muscles, brief pauses in her gaze, adjustments in her breathing—these tiny clues came together, giving him a sense of her attacks before she launched them.

Thud! Biscuit threw a straight right, its apparent aura output at sixty.

But Leo keenly noticed the unusual tension in her right shoulder muscles—it was a feint.

Rather than allocating too much defense to his right arm, he concentrated most of it around his abdomen.

Sure enough, just before her fist landed, Biscuit abruptly dropped low, her right leg sweeping toward Leo's lower body like a venomous snake!

The aura output of that kick had reached a full eighty-five!

Leo's prepared defense instantly fell into place.

He raised his left leg's defensive power to ninety and took the strike head-on.

Thud!

After the resounding impact, Leo was knocked back three steps, intense pain shooting through his left leg, but he had successfully defended against it.

Biscuit halted her offensive and stood where she was, genuine admiration on her face.

"You've improved tremendously."

She dusted off her hands, though there was no dust on them.

"I thought it would take half a month. Since you've already grasped the essence of 'Flow'..."

Biscuit raised her right index finger. A "7" formed from Nen Aura appeared at its tip, remaining for only 0.3 seconds.

Leo called it out almost the instant it appeared.

"7!"

Biscuit nodded in satisfaction, and the number dispersed.

"Then it's time for the final part: category-specific training."

She walked to a rock at the edge of the clearing and sat down, gesturing for Leo to sit and rest as well.

"Leo, you're an Enhancement Type. You can train only in your own category, but eventually you'll hit a bottleneck. Your progress will slow, and your training won't be very efficient."

Biscuit drew a hexagon in the sand, labeled the top "Enhancement Type," then marked the other categories in order.

"The ideal approach is a mountain-shaped training pattern—centered on your own category, with training in the abilities of nearby categories as well. Specialization is the exception, of course."

Using a twig, she drew arrows on either side of "Enhancement Type," pointing toward "Transmutation" and "Emission Type."

"If you can train evenly in the abilities of adjacent categories, your own category's abilities will become easier to master, and your understanding will deepen."

He nodded to show he understood.

But after a moment of silence, he raised his head and looked at Biscuit.

"Master Biscuit, I have another ability. This ability... is something I obtained in a hidden realm."

A surprised expression appeared on Biscuit's face.

Leo had decided to tell her only after careful consideration.

Throughout the past month, Biscuit had devoted herself wholeheartedly to his special training, never once going through the motions.

She not only held him to strict standards during training, but also explained various theories and practical combat techniques for Nen Abilities during their breaks, even sharing her own experiences as a Hunter.

Her unreserved instruction had earned Leo's trust.

He extended his right hand and rolled up his sleeve, revealing the dark red spiral tattoo on the back of his hand.

"This ability is called 'Proof of Humanity.'"

Leo began explaining it in detail—its category, restrictions, growth mechanics, and his current level and status.

He withheld nothing, including how he absorbed energy by killing living beings, how his sense of pain was doubled, and how he needed to reach level 25 to remove the restriction imposed by "Zetsu"...

After listening, Biscuit remained silent for a long time.

Her gaze moved between Leo's face and the tattoo on his hand, the initial surprise in her eyes gradually turning to contemplation, then finally admiration.

"A legacy from an ancient civilization... I never imagined you'd come across an opportunity like this."

She stood, walked over to Leo, and reached out to gently touch the tattoo.

A faint warmth met her fingertips, a sign of life energy flowing.

"This ability really does suit you perfectly. If you use it well, standing at the pinnacle of the world someday will only be a matter of time."

Biscuit's expression suddenly turned serious.

"But you must stay true to yourself."

Her voice was low and firm.

"Power itself is neither good nor evil, but the people who wield it are. An ability that grows through hunting like this... once you lose your way, it's all too easy to become a monster that knows nothing but slaughter."

Meeting Biscuit's gaze, Leo spoke solemnly.

"I will never become a bloodthirsty murderer!"

"Power is a tool for protecting what matters, not a toy for satisfying a desire to kill. That's where I draw the line."

Seeing the unwavering resolve in Leo's eyes, Biscuit nodded with relief.

"Good. In that case, we'll need to adjust the training plan a little."

She returned to the sandy patch, erased the original hexagon with her twig, and began planning anew.

"Starting today, we'll spend the mornings on category-specific training in Enhancement Type, Transmutation, and Emission Type. I'll teach you practical techniques for each category."

Her twig marked out a new schedule in the sand.

"In the afternoons, you'll enter the Moonlight Tundra Forest to hunt and raise your level. There are plenty of powerful creatures deep in the Moonlight Tundra, enough to keep you hunting for half a year."

Biscuit looked up, anticipation shining in her eyes.

"I hope your progress will meet my expectations in five months."

She paused, then added:

"Of course, I'll be there to supervise while you hunt. Partly to ensure your safety, and partly..."

Biscuit gave him a sly smile.

"I also want to collect some materials unique to the Moonlight Tundra. The glowing moss and certain plants here are rare materials used in jewelry making."

Leo smiled too. That was very much Biscuit's style—deceiving people, gemstones, and handsome men, her three great loves in life.

"Then it's settled."

Biscuit clapped her hands and stood.

"We'll begin with introductory Transmutation training this morning."

"Training in Transmutation mainly involves changing the properties of your aura, such as giving it 'sharpness,' 'heat,' or 'paralyzing' qualities. For a close-combat Enhancement Type, that's a tremendous boost."

She extended her hand, palm up.

Nen Aura flowed out, gathering into a white ball in her palm.

"Watch closely. The foundations of Transmutation are imagination and perception. First, you need to clearly imagine the properties you want your aura to have, then perceive the essence of your aura and guide it to change—"

The ball of aura in Biscuit's palm began to transform.

The white gradually took on a faint red tint, its temperature rising with it, while the surrounding air shimmered slightly from the heat.

"This is the simplest form of 'heating.' Now, your task is to raise the aura ball's temperature until it can ignite a dry leaf."

She dispersed the ball of aura and looked at Leo.

"Let's begin."

Leo took a deep breath and focused.

A new phase of training had begun.

That afternoon, accompanied by Biscuit, he ventured deep into the Moonlight Tundra Forest and began hunting.

[Level: 27 (91%)]

He was just 9% away from level 28.

And six months later, with systematic training and hunting carried out in tandem, his growth rate would reach an entirely new level.