"Alright, kid, don't look so gloomy."
Killua trudged beside him, a baseball cap pulled down so low it almost hid his face entirely. Kevin reached over and ruffled his white hair. "I'm actually very strong. Losing to me isn't anything to be ashamed of."
Killua responded by baring his teeth in a mock snarl. "That last move... you learned it from me, didn't you?"
Despite the bone-deep fear that final feint had instilled, Killua's sharp instincts hadn't missed the uncanny resemblance to his own attack patterns.
Kevin nodded. "It wasn't a perfect copy, but yes, I was mimicking your style."
"No," Killua said, his tone unexpectedly serious. This wasn't consolation. "In that short a time, you learned it very well."
The entire fight had lasted less than ten minutes. In that span, Kevin hadn't mastered the technique, but he'd grasped a frighteningly high percentage of its essence.
"Really? Haha." Kevin chuckled. Of course he had. He'd been using his Nen ability, Blank Meteor, while taking those hits.
Nen abilities were truly mysterious things. When he'd constructed Blank Meteor, his goal had been to enhance his body's capacity for muscle memory. The effect was as expected. But when he applied it in combat, deliberately experiencing an opponent's attacks, that learning capacity seemed to undergo a further, qualitative leap.
As blows landed on him, information—data on power, angle, technique—flowed into his body through the ability. Even when he blocked with his hands, as long as he didn't actively dodge, each impact left a corresponding "imprint." His body was like a sophisticated, self-optimizing machine; with each strike it analyzed, and through continuous analysis, it gradually simulated the opponent's methods of applying force.
Moreover, Killua's attacks caused him negligible damage, and the boy's speed was exceptional. This combination drastically accelerated Kevin's simulated learning. In just ten minutes, he'd absorbed thirty to forty percent of Killua's attacking technique. It was an unexpected and thrilling discovery.
"Merely understanding Nen theory isn't enough," Kevin mused inwardly. "I need to delve into the very essence of it." He knew his current knowledge was just the finished product; he was ignorant of the processes that created it. Unraveling those would be a long, arduous journey.
This discovery, however, solidified his decision not to linger too much longer below the 200th floor. Of course, training sessions with Killua were now a non-negotiable part of his schedule. The kid was a treasure trove of refined technique, far surpassing most martial artists in the arena.
"Alright then," Kevin said aloud, his smile returning. "As we agreed, I'll be your training partner from now on."
Killua rolled his eyes dramatically, a clear 'don't think you can trick me just because I'm a kid' expression. After the fight, he'd naturally realized Kevin was learning from his attacks. But he didn't really mind. Having someone this strong as a personal "punching bag" had its own benefits. More than that, Kevin was a rare friend—even if he was an older "big friend." Killua secretly wished for a friend his own age, but this would do.
Back at his apartment, Kevin faced the daily dilemma. "What to do today?"
Brew potions? Or train?
He could only choose one. Each activity consumed massive amounts of his stamina and aura. Muttering to himself, he nevertheless walked decisively into his material storage room. He began selecting ingredients from an array of jars, vials, and climate-controlled containers.
"I'm running low on the valuable stuff again… Do I have to place another order?" He sighed, the sound heavy with the weight of his wallet. Each major order drained a small fortune. Thankfully, today's arena victory had netted him tens of millions in prize money.
According to his plan, he'd fight a few more matches in the coming days and ascend directly to the 200th floor. By then, his accumulated wealth would reach the hundreds of millions. He just had to make the current stash last until then.
The money would have to last. With materials running low, training was the only option left for the day. After a rigorous session, Kevin washed up and fell into a deep sleep.
Late at night.
A tall, slender figure stood on a rooftop not far from Kevin's residence. Under the pale moonlight, long, straight black hair stirred gently in the breeze. With a few soundless leaps, the figure arrived at the window of Kevin's apartment. Not a single shingle creaked.
The window was slowly pushed open. The aura clinging to the intruder's body suddenly expanded outward in a perfect circle.
"Hmm?"
A surprised gasp escaped his lips. His arms instantly crossed in front of his chest.
BANG!
A thunderous impact shattered the night's quiet. The tall man was violently launched backward by a colossal, unseen force. The attack was utterly unexpected. He crashed through the air, slammed onto an adjacent rooftop with a sickening crunch, tumbled, and finally plummeted to the street below, leaving a dent in a parked car.
Immediately after, a muscular figure dropped from the sky like a meteor.
CRASH!
Another deafening explosion.
The fallen man reacted with preternatural speed, rolling and leaping aside in a fluid, desperate scramble.
Where he had lain, the asphalt now held a deep, crater-like depression, as if struck by a small bomb.
Kevin stood in the center of the street, clad only in thin pajamas. He slowly withdrew his fist from the crater. "Who are you?"
He'd been asleep, only to be abruptly awakened by the foreign, invasive sensation of another's aura brushing against his own. His own Nen had fluctuated in warning the instant the other's approached. Someone sneaking into his room in the dead of night was, by default, hostile. Without a second thought, he'd thrown a punch—a Ko-enhanced strike that shot out like a cannonball and sent the intruder flying.
"Not talking, huh?" Seeing no response, Kevin clenched his fist tighter, aura coiling around his limbs as he prepared for a real fight.
Swish-swish-swish!
A sharp whistling filled the air. Several Nen needles, shaped like sinister lollipops, streaked toward Kevin at high speed. He could clearly see the dense, potent aura swirling around their tips.
He dodged sharply to the side.
But the needles seemed to have a mind of their own. They curved mid-air, adjusting their trajectory to continue pursuing him.
Enough of this. Kevin stopped mere evasion. Landing lightly, he gathered a thicker concentration of aura into his palms and began slapping with rapid, precise motions, batting each needle aside with resounding thwacks.
They had physical substance, weren't pure aura constructs, were coated in aura, and could be controlled with such precision...
"Manipulation System," Kevin identified the intruder's Nen type instantly.
His expression hardened into one of extreme wariness. He had some understanding of this category. It was, frankly, one of his most disliked. Abilities that controlled people, that forced actions upon others—many originated from this very type. The very name, 'Manipulation,' was distasteful and ominous to him.
The thought of falling victim to such an ability was a nightmare scenario. He couldn't let this drag on.
I have to end this. Fast.