Chapter 241: Trained Body, Trained Mind, Sharpened Tongue—Stunning Beauty!

“No! Lower your hips more, you need to attack from below, use your waist!” Netero yells at Auren. “Didn’t you see what I did?!”“What the fuck are you talking about, old man?! I copied you perfectly!” Auren snaps back angrily, his face visibly frustrated.

“Exactly, you idiot! Are you and I the same? You rely on speed and combinations far more. Your fighting style is much more agile and dependent on physical strength, while I rely on Aura and sheer experience. Obviously, you can’t just copy what I do!”

“Obviously...” Auren mutters, still completely confused, looking at Netero like he is an alien.

“Again! One hundred more sets... “

“It looks good, but I can’t feel any stability or impact...”

“Give me one hundred more!” Netero yells, clapping his hands together.

“If it looks good, why do I have to repeat it?!” Auren snaps back at Netero’s crazy orders.

“Don’t look for excuses! Make it a thousand sets!” Netero yells back.

“That looked much better, but you are still lacking spirit! I can’t see the direction of your growth. You just took what I taught you and adjusted it to your fighting style. You need to go beyond that! Show me the spirit of your potential. Surpass my teachings.”

“Now you are just making stuff up! I did what you told me to do!” Auren complains, completely gobsmacked. “Why are you moving the goalpost suddenly?”

“If you want to defeat me, you need to go beyond my techniques, you silly kid. Obviously, you can’t just copy what I do, learn it, and then merely integrate it into your own style. You need some inspiration!”

“What?! You told me to do that earlier!” Auren yells, now clearly annoyed.

Netero looks just as annoyed, not giving him a moment to rest. “That was just the starting point. Use what I teach you as inspiration, study my techniques, analyze them, and then come up with your own superior techniques, you idiot!” Netero says, slapping the exhausted Auren on the head so quickly that he can’t dodge.

Fucking crazy, contradictory old man... he’s showing his true face now!

“Now, tell me about your Hatsu. I can’t really help you with that, but surely you’ve made progress there as well?” Netero asks suddenly, while Auren continues his exercises, his focus immediately slipping in annoyance.

“FOCUS!” Netero yells, trying to smack Auren again. Auren dodges and spits a large amount of water, created with Limitless Waters, straight toward Netero’s face.

However, the chairman counters by emitting a burst of Aura from his mouth, sending it right back, forcing Auren to quickly redirect it to the side, so that he doesn’t get wet.

What?! Damn monster. Still... I can deal with something half-assed like that.

“Hehe,” Netero snickers.

“I think I’m fine in the Hatsu department,” Auren says seriously, sitting on the ground resting. “I’ve got two core abilities that I can use for a lot of different things... and on top of that, I’ve developed three Hatsu I named and a few other applications. You’ve already seen two of them.”

“Your copies, and your fog, which I assume behaves similarly to En while also hiding you from other forms of detection,” Netero says, stroking his beard. “Not bad, even if they are a bit boring and basic.”

“The last one just creates a heavy rain shower... well, honestly, more like a monsoon-level storm. It’s a great setup for my other Hatsus and changes the environment so I can fight more effectively. In any case, my main Hatsu acts as the base for all three. In any case, I’ve got two great core abilities and those three sub-abilities. Together with my swordsmanship and assassination techniques, I can deal with almost anything threatening me. I might even have overdone it a little by learning so many techniques. Now I just need to train them and push them to their limits.”

“Naive...” Netero mutters, shaking his head. “So naive.”

“What do you mean?” Auren asks, now clearly confused. “Don’t talk to me about Hatsus. I know all I need to know, and multiple people have complimented me already. I am not arrogant, but I chose these abilities carefully. With what reason can you tell me that I am naive? How many do you have, aside from that statue? Are you insane?”

“Stop comparing yourself with an old man! You are so young, and you’ve already stopped thinking about new Hatsu?” Netero asks bluntly. “You can achieve anything. You don’t look like someone who overstepped and exhausted his potential. In fact, judging from your experience and well-executed Hatsus, I’d say you should aim for more! Do so while you are young, that way you can go even further! Aim for something more. As far as I can see, you have one real core Hatsu, and all the others rely on it. The principle is the same, just with different Nen categories and effects. You can aim for something entirely different.”

“Impossible,” Auren says, shrugging.

I’ve made an oath preventing me from doing exactly that. Slight adjustments are all I can do... and all I need.

“You... did you make an oath? Conditions?” Netero asks, now looking genuinely worried. “You fool! You are far too young to make such decisions so early in your life. Did you desire power this badly?”

“You don’t know my circumstances...” Auren replies. “Worry about yourself.”

“Tell me... I can help you,” Netero offers, his expression serious.

“Look, old man... it’s not as bad as it sounds. Honestly, I don’t have any regrets... I am quite satisfied with my decision.”

“Tell me. Everything,” Netero repeats, his face now completely serious, a stark contrast to the past few days.

Fine... I guess I can tell him.

“Will you tell me about yours in return?” Auren asks, smiling.

Might as well get something out of him as well.

“Cheeky brat!” Netero shouts. “Fine, I’ll tell you if you have questions. Now speak!”

“... It’s like this,” Auren begins.

Deciding to trust the chairman, at least to some extent, Auren reveals a few details, though not everything about his Hatsu. He focuses on his Nen Oath, vowing only to use Hatsus related to water, also mentioning the penalty of breaking that promise.

“So you see,” Auren explains, “I don’t need, can’t, and don’t want to learn more Hatsu.”

“Perhaps... that is true, though I still see possibilities,” Netero replies. “You should think about it more. Thankfully, water is quite a loose condition. You already found a way to expand your repertoire; you might be able to move in another direction as well. You shouldn’t be satisfied with what you have... you are still young. Keep pushing forward. It’s my honest advice to you, Auren.”

Really? Was I too conservative? Maybe I should think about it again... there is one path I considered before, but never followed through with it because it seemed too unrealistic... like I was too unreasonable and greedy... but maybe...

Finally, after around two weeks, Auren feels as if months have passed. Instead of focusing on the exam, which has become more of a side topic, Netero has fully shifted to training him, making unreasonable demands, expecting him not only to copy his techniques perfectly, but to adapt and improve them as well, as if that were the bare minimum. Day after day, he spars and supervises his training, just leaving for a few odd hours here and there.

At last, on December 27th, after Auren has spent the entire time training under Netero’s supervision, even surprising himself with how focused he remained, Netero leads him into a meeting room where a small group of Hunters has already gathered.

“Finally, you’re here. We’ve already finalized the entire exam... only your part is missing! We’ve been here for days, listening to this crazy old man. Why didn’t you come sooner, you lazy, rude bum?” a loud, angry voice shouts at him the moment he enters.

Auren immediately recognizes the girly voice, and a part of his motivation immediately drains away.

How nice...

Anyway, I was the first to arrive... I just ended up getting dragged into private training with Netero. Not sure if I really missed out on anything... who else is here?

Next to an enraged Biscuit Krueger, not only glaring but outright yelling at him, he notices another woman, or perhaps a girl. She has long pink hair tied into a ponytail, unusually voluminous, and wears heavy makeup along with an old-fashioned, polka-dotted one-piece dress. Her head is extremely large, and her face lacks any sort of natural femininity and an aesthetically pleasing form. Overall, Auren can’t help but immediately judge her as hopelessly deformed.

Should I know this one? And that’s all? Netero and these two girls?!

Auren sighs but keeps his composure as he takes a proper look around. “It’s nice to see you again, Biscuit. As for why I am late? I decided to take a two-week vacation to admire my newest treasure.”

Auren then grabs his necklace, the Faerie’s Tear hanging from it, and pulls it over his combat gear, so it dangles in front of him. “You see, some people can’t afford things like this, so I thought I should enjoy my wealth a little. I kept looking at it, and before I knew it, two weeks had passed... if you owned something as precious as this gem, I’m sure you’d understand. Did you have fun with your little friend over there pretending to be young girls? Is the Hunter Examination planned in the room next door? Are the kids waiting for their parents here?”

“... Little brat... you have quite a vicious tongue,” Netero comments, not sounding angry, though.

Perhaps I overdid it a little... spending time with that old geezer really removed a few mental filters that used to stop me from saying things out loud.

“Chairman...” a male voice from the side cuts in, echoing through the room as Biscuit’s head quite literally seems to steam with rage, her face shifting from pinkish red to dark red to almost purple.

“Is this guy insane... does he not know who he is talking to?” a man in a classy black suit with a blue tie and a white button-down shirt says, stepping forward, followed by a familiar face.

That is... Knov... and Morel.

“If it isn’t Auren,” Morel says, “nice to see you again, kid.”

“You know each other?” Knov asks, a little taken aback.

“Well... he is rather rude, but he is also cute... I forgive him,” the pink-haired woman says. “I’m Cutie Beauty, but you can just call me Cutie!”

“How is this going to reform the exam?” Auren mutters, looking straight at Netero.

“Biscuit, Knov, and Morel are my students, and I trust them deeply... as for Cutie, she really wanted to participate, and who am I to deny her?”

“You sure there isn’t some other reason?” Auren asks aloud. “Is she taking care of you that way, old man?”

“I say, everyone here is at least a Single-Star Hunter and highly qualified. Your joke is quite black-hearted, Auren,” Netero replies, completely unfazed. “In fact, I’ve gathered people I truly trust. In this exam, I want to look closely for a way to improve the exam. It’s a long wish of mine.”

Right.... Sorry, but while I can respect three of them... this one is just....

“Excuse me,” Auren says, turning toward Cutie. “I know about you, but I’m not really aware of what you do... a ‘Cute Hunter,’ right? When I looked into what kind of Hunter I want to be, I read about you. Excuse me, but how exactly did you become a Single-Star Hunter? Becoming extra cute?”

A completely worthless job...

“Auren, you are looking down on her,” Morel says. “She’s not only richer than most of us here, but she also owns a dozen pharmaceutical companies and is a leader in developing anti-aging creams and other cosmetic treatments. She has done incredible things for the entire industry.”

Fair enough.

“I’m not sure what that has to do with being a Hunter, but I respect your business, if that’s the case,” Auren replies, shrugging.

Though I do not respect that occupation as worthy for a Hunter... but perhaps she can prove me wrong. I’m kinda interested now.

“Every Hunter hunts something different, Auren,” Netero says. “Your personal bias and opinion couldn’t be more wrong. Every goal is personal, vastly different, yet also equal. In any case. Let’s talk about the exam!”