After Gogus recovered a bit of his strength, he began trying to deal with his own condition.
He pulled out a sharp dagger.
Pfft!
The blade sliced easily through the leaf-like growths on his body.
The cut was close to the skin.
A stream of fluid oozed from the wound.
Red.
It resembled blood, but wasn't quite the same.A mixture of other substances flowed with it.
Gogus leaned in to observe carefully.
"The wound bleeds a mix of parasite blood and bug blood," he muttered.
A single drop of the red liquid fell to the ground.
Almost immediately, the grass beneath it began to grow — visibly, rapidly.
Gogus's eyes lit up.
"Blood that can accelerate plant growth," he murmured.
"If there's no category restriction... this could be huge."
"Especially for cultivating rare, protected plants."
However, before long, new leaves sprouted from the wound, larger and thicker than before.
Gogus frowned.
He pulled out a lighter.
Igniting the flame, he pressed it to the leaves.
They curled up, dried, and crumbled away on their own under the heat.
No more blood flowed from the wound, but a large scar remained.
"Flame treatment works well on the leaves," Gogus noted.
He turned his attention to his skin.
While he'd found a temporary way to deal with the leaf growth, the bark-like texture spreading over his skin was still a serious problem.
It stiffened his limbs and slowed him down.
He tried the lighter again, but the bark barely reacted — resistant to fire.
Gogus gritted his teeth and picked up his dagger once more.
Pfft!
He sliced off a patch of bark.
Red muscle was exposed underneath, raw and jarring to look at.
Yet Gogus remained completely expressionless, unbothered by the pain.
A thin membrane quickly began growing over the exposed muscle.
Gogus continued treating himself methodically, collecting the blood that seeped out in a container.
Watching this, Ponzu froze for a moment.
Something about the scene stirred a vague memory from childhood...
When Gogus finished, he looked noticeably refreshed — at least physically.But his aura was clearly weaker than before.
If Kaizen had to estimate, he figured a B-class combat-focused person could probably defeat Gogus in this state without too much trouble.
Of course, that was assuming Gogus didn't have any hidden tricks left.
After all, most Nen users only have a limited number of abilities.
Nen users like Kaizen, with multiple specialized skills, were rare.
It wasn't just about his Observer's Will; Kaizen's greatest strength came from his identity as a traveler — carrying knowledge and experiences no one else in this world could possibly have.
Chrollo's Skill Hunter was powerful too, but it came with limits.
He could only steal abilities from weaker targets, and only if they stayed alive.
If the original user died, the stolen ability would disappear.
Even the number of powers Chrollo could use simultaneously was restricted.
Kaizen turned his attention back to the crystal ball in front of him.
The progress was already over 90%.
"Ninety-four percent."
At that moment...
Suddenly, the progress bar jumped.
It leaped from ninety-four to ninety-six percent in an instant.
Bright bursts of aura erupted from a nearby direction.
Kaizen looked up and immediately spotted Hanzo.
A flicker of surprise crossed his face.
"Did Hanzo just awaken his Nen?" Kaizen mused. "No wonder."
Hanzo stood there, quietly studying the aura around him like a child examining a new toy.
Of course, Hanzo wasn't a child anymore, but for any new Nen user, successfully developing a unique ability was an unforgettable moment.
After a while, Hanzo composed himself and walked toward Kaizen.
"Kaizen... teacher," he said, bowing deeply. "Thank you for guiding me during this time. I've finally developed my Nen."
Kaizen waved a hand dismissively.
"Don't call me 'teacher.' I was just fulfilling the Hunter Association's commission. If it wasn't me, someone else would've taught you."
"But Kaizen-san," Hanzo said earnestly, "in my homeland, if you teach someone, you are their teacher. It's a matter of respect."
At the start of their journey, Hanzo had found it awkward to call Kaizen "teacher."
They had taken the Hunter Exam together, and Kaizen was even younger than him.
But after witnessing Kaizen's strength and finally developing Nen himself, Hanzo now spoke the title naturally, without hesitation.
Strength earned respect — that was the Nen world's reality.
"Kaizen-san, what should I do next?" Hanzo asked.
"That's up to you," Kaizen replied calmly.
"My job here is done. You've developed a Nen ability, but your journey is just beginning."
"Follow your heart."
"You could return to your hometown and continue honing your skills."
"Or you could team up with others and start your Hunter career."
"Either way, it's your choice."
Hanzo nodded firmly.
"Alright. Then I'll head home first."
"Goodbye," Kaizen said.
"Goodbye, Kaizen-san."
Hanzo turned and descended the mountain trail, his figure quickly disappearing from sight.
...
Siper and Ponzu watched Hanzo leave, a hint of envy in their eyes.
It wasn't that they envied him for leaving...
They envied the fact that although Hanzo had started learning Nen after them, he was the first to develop his own unique ability.
"Hanzo's talent is higher than yours," Kaizen said frankly, "but there's no need to feel jealous."
"Different people walk different paths."
"And you two are very close to developing your Nen as well."
Siper and Ponzu nodded seriously, a flicker of excitement in their gazes.
Kaizen also felt a surge of anticipation.
The Observer's Will had already reached ninety-six percent.
Hanzo's breakthrough had contributed two full points.
If Siper and Ponzu each awakened their abilities...
Would the progress finally reach one hundred percent?
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