"If we're going to assume a confrontation with Tsukuteku, you should also know about Nen."
The conversation shifted to the topic I had been curious about. Nen was apparently a technique that allowed one to use life energy to exert physical abilities far beyond common sense, gain special powers, or cause phenomena bordering on the supernatural. I thought Velvet would be the one to teach me, but she claimed it was a hassle and dumped the explanation onto Blade.
Looking back, the men I fought, Mock and Pejjo, must have been Nen users as well. Having actually witnessed that power, I felt more a sense of understanding than doubt regarding this mysterious force.
Nen was said to be a skill that anyone had the potential to use. While the aptitude for handling it varied from person to person, high results could be expected if one followed the proper steps and devoted themselves to training. However, knowledge concerning Nen was not generally known to society.
Nen could sometimes draw out immense power that was too much for a human to handle. If one lacked a mature understanding and handled it incorrectly, there was no telling what kind of dangers might arise. That was why the transmission of Nen required those with the proper qualifications to take responsibility for guidance. It was a technique that was kept secret from the public.
"In that regard, every Pro Hunter is a Nen user, except for the rookies-muscle. The Hunter Association has a history of Nen refinement that allows no others to follow, and you can trust them regarding their instruction-muscle."
Teaching the existence of Nen to ordinary people recklessly was considered taboo. It was largely left to the discretion of the instructor to decide whether a person was fit to know about Nen or not.
In this case, because the criminal Tsukuteku was an enemy and there was a possibility of being killed, and because I had already mastered the first hurdle required to use Nen, the "Release of Aura Nodes," they decided to teach me. Apparently, my current state was one where I had halfway learned Nen, and they told me it was better to acquire proper knowledge instead.
Noah Heliodor was also going to attend the lecture. He was an ordinary person who hadn't awakened his Nen abilities yet, but they said his aura nodes were also in a state where they were about to open.
"To make the life energy accumulated in the body usable, you first need to release the paths for that power called aura nodes-muscle. There are two ways to learn: either open the paths slowly through meditation, or have a Nen user forcibly wake them up through assistance-muscle."
My case fell into the latter category. It wasn't exactly what you'd call gentle assistance, but immediately after being attacked by Mock, I became able to see this life energy. It was said that one could awaken to Nen by being attacked by a malicious ability user in this way. Most people apparently just ended up dead right then and there, though.
On the other hand, in Noah's case, he was in a state where he could open his aura nodes at any moment by meditating. Normally, it would take several months to years, but Noah was a genius with the immense talent of a top iTuber.
Many geniuses with world-class talent, such as athletes, artists, or scientists, immersed themselves in their work or research to fulfill their vocation. That lifework itself had an effect similar to meditation for opening aura nodes. Because of that, some people reached the point of mastering Nen on their own without being taught by anyone.
The same could be said for Noah, and furthermore, after being hit by the aura filled with bloodlust emitted by Tsukuteku earlier, he was just a step away from his aura nodes opening. He looked somewhat skeptical, but after Blade told him to "Just believe in Nen!", he was now sitting in a meditative posture.
"The basics of Nen are the Four Major Principles: Ten, Zetsu, Ren, and Hatsu-muscle. First, let's try to be conscious of Ten-muscle."
Life energy was a source of power that everyone produced within their bodies, but to utilize it intentionally, one had to draw that energy out from the body through the aura nodes. Moreover, instead of just letting it out, it was necessary to keep the energy staying on the surface of the body as if it were shrouding it. This technique was Ten.
It was a technique that those whose aura nodes were open would naturally learn. Or rather, if you didn't learn it, the energy would just keep leaking out, leaving you exhausted. In other words, I was already able to use Ten. However, Blade said that was merely a physiological reaction performed unconsciously, and Ten as a martial art was different.
Now that he mentioned it, the aura Blade had shrouded around his body felt like its density was firmly packed. In comparison, my Ten had uneven thickness, and there were holes in places where small amounts of aura were leaking out.
I tried to imitate Blade's Ten and bring mine closer to his. When I did it according to his advice to "circulate the aura with the image of blood flowing through the entire body," the precision of my Ten improved surprisingly easily. Or so it felt.
"Oh, you have quite a good knack for this-muscle! The basis of a beginner's training is this Ten-muscle. However, this only provides the minimum defensive power against Nen, so don't be overconfident-muscle. You won't be overwhelmed by bloodlust alone anymore, but if you take an attack shrouded in aura directly, it'll be easily broken through-muscle."
If I let my guard down, my Ten would return to its previous unrefined state. As expected, it wasn't a technique that could be mastered easily. Just as he called it a martial art, it was likely a technique that would be polished through daily discipline.
Ten was the first stage of the Four Major Principles, and the next, Zetsu, was the technique of closing the aura nodes to shut off the flow of aura to the outside and conceal one's presence. Hearing that, what came to mind was the "Indifference Mode" I usually used. Could this possibly be the technique called Zetsu?
"What, you can use Zetsu-muscle?! If I recall, you were posting videos following the ecology of wild animals... Animals living in nature also acquire skills close to Zetsu and learn how to hide their presence-muscle. Perhaps while immersing yourself in such an environment, you naturally mastered Zetsu as well-muscle."
"As expected of a wild child," Velvet said with a bit of light irony. This Zetsu was convenient for hiding, but it seemed to have the disadvantage that one's resistance against Nen attacks became almost zero. I was also taught various other useful pieces of information, such as how it could be seen through with an applied technique called Gyo.
"Following Ten and Zetsu, the next one, Ren... as expected, this isn't a technique a novice can succeed at suddenly-muscle."
Ren was the opposite of Zetsu; it was a technique to rapidly increase the output of aura to gain explosive power. The way Tsukuteku and the other iTubers were sporting powerful auras all over their bodies earlier was also a state of using Ren. To be precise, it was a technique called Ken, where Ten was strengthened with the power drawn out by Ren to increase defensive power, and this was the neutral state in a fight between Nen users.
In the face of an attack using Ren, the defensive power of a mere Ten was next to nothing. In other words, if you couldn't practically use Ren, you couldn't even stand on the same stage. If possible, I wanted to be able to use it.
I'd give it a try. Just like with Ten, I would see if I could reproduce the Ren everyone was using, relying on the memory of what I saw earlier. That said, it was an attempt completely dependent on sensation. Raising the output... for now, I'll imagine a lightbulb and have that light become "flash!" stronger... like this!
Aura overflowed outward from my entire body as if steam were erupting. However, it wasn't stable at all. It swirled like chaotic air currents and dispersed. Moreover, intense pain occurred throughout my body. The pain in my limbs was especially terrible, and I was overcome with symptoms as if every single muscle were tearing apart. My concentration couldn't hold at all, and the Ren dissolved in an instant.
Just as Blade said, it was harder than I imagined. Instead of powering up, I ended up taking damage. I was able to treat the muscle pain immediately by repairing my body, but I understood that at my current stage, it wasn't a technique I could use in actual combat.
"What is with that monster-like amount of manifested aura...?"
"Ma-Muscle, muscle! Are you an Enhancer, Six? Even if only for a moment, to succeed at Ren on your first try is quite a talent-muscle!"
Blade praised me in words, but I felt like both he and Velvet were looking at me as if they were repulsed. I asked about the pain that occurred throughout my body, but apparently, even for a beginner, such an abnormality shouldn't happen just from doing Ren. Does that mean my control level is lower than a regular beginner...? I felt a bit depressed.
Blade said that if one tackled Ren while their handling of aura was still immature, it could lead to a lack of mental flexibility, and that lump could have a negative impact on the growth of their Nen ability. He said one should first master Ten thoroughly before devoting themselves to training in Ren.
"Well, in this emergency, we can't afford to be so leisurely, so please use it if you feel it's dangerous. Even with an attack that might kill you, you might be able to avoid a fatal wound."
Just as Velvet said, I welcomed the increase in options I could take in an emergency. I'll keep it in mind so I can use it instantly.
And then, the last technique of the Four Major Principles, Hatsu. The techniques I had been taught so far were things any Nen user could use, but only Hatsu differed completely depending on the individual. In short, it was one's own personal special move. What's more, you could think up and create that technique yourself.
"Let me tell you this clearly-muscle: absolutely do not think about making a Hatsu yet. Unless you have thoroughly mastered Ten, Zetsu, and Ren, and create it after well understanding your own characteristics and combat style, it won't become a decent ability, and you won't be able to take it back later-muscle."
Hatsu could apparently be made in multiples depending on talent, but for the most part, it was common to have one ability per person. In other words, once you made an unusable ability, that was it; there was no turning back.
I was told to think about it and decide under the guidance of a proper master after accumulating training. Still, the reason he explained it here was because information about which type of Hatsu the enemy used was something I needed to know.
There were six types of Hatsu. They were called Enhancer, Emitter, Manipulator, Specialist, Conjurer, and Transmuter. Every individual definitely had one type they were good at, and normally, they would think of and create an ability that matched that characteristic. So it wasn't like you could just learn any ability freely.
I listened to Blade talk about the characteristics of each type. Among them, something occurred to me when the topic of Manipulators came up. Manipulators were said to be good at controlling matter or living things at will. That target of control included humans.
Could it be that Pomerni was being controlled by a Manipulator's Hatsu? His words and actions were clearly different from usual. But if he was being controlled, it made sense. No, it was the only thing that could be considered.
"Indeed, that possibility exists. Alternatively, there is the possibility that the persona of Pomerni we had envisioned until now was nothing more than his acting, and the figure he is exposing now is his true nature."
I immediately denied such a thing. But Velvet denied my words right back.
"What is the basis for saying that so definitively? What do you know about Pomerni? What you believe is your business, but you should also learn to doubt in the same way. At the very least, please have the assumption ready so that you won't be shaken even if anyone in this group betrays you."
To put it another way, she was saying to doubt everyone. I felt like she was telling me not to trust anyone but myself.