Water Breathing... is this some technique I don't know about?
Razor looked at Roy tentatively, and Alena followed suit, looking at him. The so-called "Water Breathing" obviously came from the boy's hands.
The woman adjusted the blue-glow glasses on her nose, counting the abilities Roy showcased after they met—endless abilities. He was like an iceberg spanning the ocean. Each time Alena thought she understood his Nenryoku, Roy would pull another surprise from elsewhere, leaving her speechless.
"Haha, that's good." Ging's gaze lingered on Razor and Wutong for a moment, finally giving Roy a deep look.
No words, no questions,
The group then ate breakfast, packed their bags, and boarded the ship Alena had rented in advance, heading towards the target sea area.
"Vroom~" The engine roared, driving the yacht through the waves and away from the shore.
Roy and Ging each held a fishing rod, sitting cross-legged at the bow, beginning to fish.
The corner of the hood was blown by the incoming sea breeze. Ging pressed down on the brim, flicked his hand, and a red bead, pulling the fishing line, formed a graceful parabola as it landed into the sea. The man just then turned his head to look at the boy holding the Staff Blade [Crescent] as a fishing rod, extending the "Nen Line" as "fishing line," leveraging the [Hookless Fishing] technique learned from his grandpa Jager's notes to hone his nen abilities. The person, clearly only in his teens, already displayed a maturity beyond his years.
"Roy, I find it increasingly harder to understand you."
In the cabin, Alena held the blue screen as a guide, directing the helmsman to adjust their course.
On deck, Razor used his palm as a blade, studying a thin book on [Water Breathing] with rigorous attention.
Behind Roy, Wutong was meticulously cleaning the [Infinite Handgun] with a square cloth.
Occasionally, a seabird would let out a soft cry... Ging shot a sideways glance at the boy with the Finch Parrot perched on his shoulder.
"Caw~" The Golden Crow spread its wings, emerging above Roy's head. It, like a fat chicken as always, found a spot atop the boy's raven hair and settled down, "Chirp——"
The Finch Parrot fluttered in, landing next to Jinx on Roy's head, its small bean-sized eyes squinting, affectionately nudging Jinx's chubby face, causing a subtle twitch at the corner of Ging's mouth...
"What's so incomprehensible? Aren't you just the same?" After two days together, apart from stealing Razor's Nen Bullet through the Finch Parrot and exchanging a move with him, Ging hadn't used any other methods—not to mention Nenryoku...
However, since the other party bore the surname Freecss, had ancestors who personally explored the Dark Continent, and left behind a [New Continent Travelogue] considered a guidebook by the Transit Hall... And given the Finch Parrot on their head, plus... every time Ging appeared, there was no shortage of Magical Beasts or Mythical Beasts around him. More exaggeratedly, he was once seen riding a dragon, accompanying several Titan-sized creatures no smaller than mountains, playing stacking games...
Roy vaguely guessed that the other party's abilities might be related to "Magical Beasts" or "Mythical Beasts," and pursuing the path of a Relic Hunter might indeed involve this factor.
"No, we are different." Ging, holding the fishing rod, watched as sunlight shimmered across the sea's surface, lost in thought, "You're tougher than me."
"You need to handle 'people,' while I..." The man tossed his arm, the red bead shifted, the hook snagged a pike, which flailed up onto the deck, only to be knocked unconscious by a sailor and turned into an option for lunch.
Ging turned his head and smiled at the boy, "I just need to get along with animals."
"Human minds are too complex for you to handle?"
"Unmanageable." Ging scratched his head, "I hate those petty squabbles and schemes... I prefer being with animals."
"Little Sakura." Ging gestured with his hand, and the Finch Parrot reluctantly flew back, settling on his shoulder, affectionately rubbing against his palm. The harmonious interaction with the animal reminded Roy of Kate, who became an acknowledged disciple because of similar harmonious interactions with surrounding animals.
As Ging once told Kate, "Someone deeply loved by animals must have good character."
Now, it seemed... Roy lifted the Staff Blade, similarly hooking another pike, which was tossed onto the deck and knocked unconscious by a sailor.
The boy agreed, "Seems like your 'Nenryoku' is animal-related."
"Contract." Ging cast another beautiful throw, watching the hook make a small splash, murmuring, "I can choose any among Magical Beasts or Rare Beasts, or Mythical Beasts to form a contract. Whoever I contract becomes my partner, whom I can command, and even... lend me their innate Nen abilities."
Roy was startled, which indeed resembled his [Demon Encyclopedia], except... Ging didn't need, like himself, to kill the demon to seize its innate Nenryoku.
On the contrary, Ging's method through [Contract] is more gentle; as [Partners], they entrust faith, bearing the [Nature]'s repercussions, albeit to a lesser extent.
"Since you're my friend, and we are about to venture into a secret realm... I wanted to inform you in advance, as knowing each other facilitates smoother cooperation and exploration."
Ging noticed Roy's surprised expression and explained, "Razor's Release, Alena... you probably already know her from last night."
The four mind-insects correspond to... Wutong, Alena, Razor, and Ging... Roy indeed had a heartfelt conversation with Alena, and said noncommittally, "Conjuration... I'm from the Conjuration line... you can take it as...."