Chapter 94: Steady Progress—Aiming Higher

Auren, now with plenty of time on his hands, decides not to further engage with Pariston but instead to invest a little time in himself.I expect my ‘students’ to need a week before they arrive. Jolt should also need some time to purchase the airship, gather his belongings, and then make his way here with his family.

Missing his weights for his regular weight-training, he quickly sends a message to Jolt, explaining that he should buy training equipment and heavy weights so that he can continue his regimen onboard. He writes down in detail what he requires and stresses that the equipment must be abnormally heavy and made from durable, high-quality material—strong enough to withstand the colossal pressure he needs for his training. Along with that, he adds a request for a few other items as well.

Auren spends a day resting, focusing only on basic Nen practice. He prioritizes Ten and Zetsu, using them to clear his mind and find a calmer state, returning to a focused and relaxed mindset.

Finally, feeling more at ease after the chaos of the last few days, his attention shifts back to his Nen development.

I’ve started with Limitless Waters and Azure Restoration. On the surface, these two abilities couldn’t be simpler, but the principles behind them are quite deep, and they carry enormous potential. These two abilities... I shouldn’t change them! They are already extremely powerful, and I can tell—they can make me into one of the strongest Nen users. I just need to increase my Aura reserves. Everything else shouldn’t be treated as a core ability, only as utility. I’ve added two smaller applications that both rely on Limitless Waters but incorporate the two other affinities, mostly from Conjuration, which I seem to be surprisingly good at. Probably because of my training with Eternity, which is entirely a Conjuration ability, even though it isn’t one I created myself.

Hiding in Mist uses condensed Aura from Limitless Waters and then conjures an extremely thick fog. Conjuration is necessary here to give the mist an actual physical appearance. If it were just mist produced by Limitless Waters alone, it would be useless, since even the dumbest Nen user could simply close the Aura nodes in their eyes and render the whole ability ineffective. That’s why I chose Limitless Waters as the base, instead of directly conjuring the mist. Limitless Waters is perfectly attuned to my current affinities. Adding that extra step might sound wasteful or overly complicated, but by doing it this way, I rely on an ability that aligns with my strongest affinities and reduces the requirements for the Conjuration side. Instead of depending entirely on Conjuration, I’ve essentially created a hybrid ability, making it more suitable and efficient.

Of course, it’s also more effective because of my Nen Oath... though not that I really had much choice in the matter since I’ve already committed to only develop hatsus related to water.

Then there’s Heavy Rain. Honestly, this one was inspired by Zeno’s Dragon Dive. Once again, using Limitless Waters as the foundation, I combine it with Manipulation and Conjuration to produce an artificial rainstorm. I send condensed Aura, created with Limitless Waters, into the air, so it draws in moisture from the surrounding environment while conjuring additional water on top of it. The result is strong—it can unleash a downpour over a small area—but it consumes Aura at a ridiculous rate. Still, I think the ability is worthwhile, and I didn’t even have to force myself too hard to create it. It just came naturally... after spending a few months sitting out in heavy storms, I suddenly mastered it. I guess living in Hollow Blade’s open-air fortress wasn’t without its benefits.

Now it’s finally time... to push deeper into Manipulation. I’ve noticed some things about myself. As much as I’d like to pretend to be someone scheming, analytical, and controlling, I simply am not. I prefer direct solutions and enjoy relying on my own potential and hard work rather than searching for shortcuts. So using water to control or influence others is immediately out of the question. That type of ability is also too demanding, and with my relatively low affinity for Manipulation, its efficiency would be terrible. I can’t make that mistake.

The right choice is obvious. I should continue using Limitless Waters as the base of my new hatsu and simply add a Manipulation element to it... Yes, that’s the smart way to proceed. Time to begin... but how exactly?

Instead of blindly experimenting, maybe I should look for guidance. Rakshala? No. She’s already more than busy terrorizing the global markets. Buno and Bunu... they still haven’t even revealed their Nen abilities, though I know they are both Enhancers. Grunah and ... Neffi! Now that I’m out of danger, perhaps I should finally invite her. She’s been sending me threatening mails every single day anyway... better to detonate the bomb now before it grows even bigger and harder to manage.

Is there anyone else truly proficient in Manipulation—someone who doesn’t just rely on seizing control of their targets, but mixes it with other affinities? A strong manipulator... Yes, there is one. Of course! Thanks to my intervention, he shouldn’t even be busy right now! Maybe I could even...! I should try!

Feeling a slight rush of excitement about his future Nen prospects, Auren takes out his phone, holding it in front of him, staring at it, carefully preparing his approach.

“Now... let’s start with the worst call...” he mumbles.

Scrolling through his contacts, he hesitates for a moment before finally pressing the button to start the call.

Before he can even say a word, a loud voice bursts through the speaker:

“AUREN! Finally! Do you know how worried I was?! Aside from a few short messages, you just disappeared! I’m so angry! Do you know how left out I felt?! The entire higher-ups were involved in your little operation, but I was forced to stay home!”

“... I’m sorry, Neffi,” Auren says at last, a faint sense of guilt creeping into his tone. “Things got dangerous. Look—even Buno and Bunu got crippled and taken hostage. I am sorry, but I don’t regret leaving you out. I hope you understand. Afterwards, I was busy... but now I’ve dealt with most of the urgent matters, so I called you. I have a few things I want to discuss with you and Grunah. Is she nearby?”

“Hmph... I’ve activated the speaker... she’s listening in,” Neffi replies, sulking a little.

“Grunah, I’ve gotten in contact with one of the Zodiacs. Please, aggressively invent rehabilitation measures for Neffi. Go all out, clear her remaining sentence right away, even if you have to be totally unreasonable. My contact will approve whatever you come up with,” Auren explains, his voice steady, though inside he feels a flicker of satisfaction.

One more problem solved. With that, she is finally free!

“Really?” Grunah asks. “I don’t know how to thank you... I’m truly grateful, Auren.”

“Forget about it. Now that I’m Vice-leader, it’s my responsibility in the first place,” Auren says. “That’s the most important thing, but there’s one more issue I’m having. I’m somewhat experienced with all Nen affinities, but I’m still lacking a Manipulation hatsu. For now, it’s only an idea, but I want to train and widen my arsenal. Can Neffi come over to Swardani City? I don’t know much about your own Hatsu, Grunah, but maybe you could teach Neffi some basic exercises which she could then explain to me?”

“I have the information you’d need, but I’m not a Manipulator, so my own experience is limited. Neffi, however, trained under a few different Manipulators. She’s probably more experienced than me. Of course, you’ll help our Vice-leader, won’t you?”

“Of course!” Neffi responds eagerly.

“Since I’m Vice-leader, I’m authorizing a private transport to Swardani City for Neffi. Can you arrange it? Maybe prepare the fake documents first, so we can erase her remaining sentence the moment she arrives,” Auren says firmly.

“Hehe, using Hollow Blade as your private army?” Grunah snickers. “I’m kidding. I actually heard in a meeting, a few hours ago, that you donated five authentic Hunter Licenses to the cause. They’re already being distributed for ongoing projects. People are quite surprised and pleased with your attitude, Auren. Even while busy with your own matters, you still think of the family. The other elders and higher-ups are grateful and are taking note of your actions.”

“I’ll do what I can...” Auren replies. “Nice speaking with you. I’ll see you soon, Neffi.”

“She’s already gone... packing her things...” Grunah mumbles. “Take care of her.”

“I will,” Auren answers, ending the call.

Now that that’s over... let me see... I still have that card.

Auren quickly dials the number and saves a new contact.

After a few moments, the call connects, and a weary, unmotivated voice speaks:

“This is Goreinu... who is it?”

“Heh, you sound a little depressed, my fellow Hunter. Things not going as planned?” Auren asks, his tone carrying a subtle trace of amusement.

“No, they’re not! Who is this?” Goreinu replies, sounding irritated.

“How about a hint. Two-hundred and eighty-third Generation,” Auren teases.

“Auren... how are you? Didn’t expect your call. I’ve been... busy,” Goreinu admits.

“I heard through the grapevine you were interested in Greed Island. Did that change?” Auren asks, smiling knowingly.

“Yes... Battera rescinded the reward! I was actually ‘playing’ for a short while, but it’s all for nothing now. He gave us some compensation, but it was laughable. He’s more or less vanished from the world by now! My entire plan of making it big is ruined!” Goreinu complains bitterly.

“Too bad. So you’re interested in money, then? Are you a Jackpot Hunter? I recently earned a cool 350 billion and honestly have a hard time spending it. How about I hire you?” Auren suggests.

Goreinu pauses. “... Are you serious? You’re not lying, are you?”

With a calculating smile, Auren continues, “I have access to far more money, but that’s just my personal fund. Some of it is tied up, sure, but I still have plenty. I want to hire you, my friend. Maybe even invite you into a little group of mine. Are you free?”

“I am!” Goreinu responds eagerly.

“How about this—I hire you for a year? I’ll pay you one billion, no strings attached,” Auren says, choosing not to be stingy.

“I’m in,” Goreinu answers without hesitation.

“Great... make your way to Swardani City. I need you right now,” Auren informs him.

“I will. Is there anything specific I should bring? What exactly will I be doing?” Goreinu asks, his voice filled with both curiosity and confusion.

Auren responds, a satisfied look crossing his face. “No need to bring anything, just yourself. Jackpot Hunters are a little desperate these days. How about a new career... as a teacher?”