Of course, Dio couldn't actually use Netero's license to accept a job-
Even though Netero really had tossed him his license.
But who knew whether that old man was playing dumb or really going senile?
Hunter Licenses had hunter ID numbers on them!
Still, Dio ultimately decided to accept the commission, not just for the fee, but more because of something the chairman had said before leaving:
"You can't train a true powerhouse in a training room."
That was true. No matter how long he trained there, he would never match fighters like Hisoka and Chrollo in a head-on battle. They had honed themselves through deadly combat.
Even with the invincible The World at his disposal, battles between Nen users were never simply about whose ability was more overpowering. Besides, even his time stop had a one-minute cooldown.
Back in the training room, Dio settled into a horse stance and began to think.
Before returning, he had spoken with Mizaistom over the phone.
Mizaistom trusted Dio, whom the chairman had personally recommended, so much that he hadn't even asked to assess him in person.
Perhaps that was just how much prestige Chairman Netero held among the Zodiacs.
Mizaistom had also given him a brief description of the assignment over the phone, but further details would only be disclosed after the contract was signed.
One thing was certain: the starting date was August 27, twenty-three days away. Mizaistom had also explicitly warned him that Nen users might attack during the assignment.
If such an attack occurred, the attackers would most likely be experienced Nen users who had already finished developing their abilities. They would be nothing like the amateur Dio had previously killed with Ripple alone.
So before the commission began, he needed to master Hatsu completely, at the very least.
Hatsu was the first step in developing a Nen Ability, as well as the ultimate expression of the Four Major Principles. Ever since Dio had decided to develop an ability centered on Ripple, he had been considering how to make the most of its versatility.
The powerful Sunlight Yellow Overdrive; Metallic Ripple Overdrive, which clung to metal; Crimson Ripple Overdrive, which released intense heat; Blue-Green Ripple Overdrive, which traveled through water.
These so-called "Overdrives" were essentially Ripples of different colors, each suited to traveling through a different medium. Their power varied, as did their properties.
Adding different Ripples also changed the properties of his Nen accordingly, making it more like an enhanced version of Ripple. He and Cheadle had spent an entire night experimenting with this.
Ripple also possessed two properties Dio rarely used: repulsion and adhesion. In a sense, he could even imitate Hisoka's gum-like aura, using repulsion to mimic elasticity and adhesion to mimic stickiness.
In truth, Dio's greatest trump card was The World's time stop. But researching time-related Nen Abilities was essentially something only genuine Specialization users could accomplish. It was far too difficult for an Emission user like him, who relied on Ripple to masquerade as a Specialization user.
Still, being unable to develop an ability related to time stop didn't mean he couldn't make use of it. If he added a restriction to his ability that could only be fulfilled by stopping time, the resulting boost would be terrifying.
It was too early to talk about restriction and pledge, though. That would all come after he finished developing his ability.
Dio now had a few preliminary ideas for developing his ability, but completing it would probably take a long time.
But nearly a month...
That should be enough to make a little progress.
So Dio thought.
Before you continue