As Jasoof walks past the dead bodies, he stops at the target's corpse. His expression twists with satisfaction. Without hesitation, he spits on the body, then stomps down hard on the man's head.
"Wonderful!" he says, clapping his hands as he continues to desecrate the corpse. "Now my nephew can finally rest in peace! You took down two more Nen users, too?"
"Yes," Auren answers, casually pointing the axe at the two fallen bodies. "Those two."
"Take pictures!" Jasoof orders immediately, turning to his men. "I want every single one of them documented and analyzed. We need to learn as much as we can."
"I left one of them alive," Auren adds, pointing his axe toward the provisional bunker. "He's inside there."
Suddenly, all eyes turn toward Auren.
"Impressive," Jasoof mutters, clearly impressed. "Not only did you kill so many of them, but you even managed to take a hostage? I said a hundred million, right? Let's bump it up. With the two additional Nen users and the prisoner, I'll double it!"
"Sounds great..." Auren replies. "If possible, request a few fake missions with the extra funds. I know it costs more that way, but I want to bolster my record. Also, I'd prefer weapons over Jenny. You mentioned some special items when we first met? You know my requirements... weapons or items with residual Nen."
"We do it like you said! I'll split this job into several missions and report them one at a time over the next few days," Jasoof responds, then turns to his men again. "Clean up the scene and take the hostage. I'm driving our guest home!"
Auren, still carrying the axe, follows Jasoof and one of his soldiers back to the vehicles.
"Hunter Auren, why are you carrying that colossal axe? Even something like that qualifies?" Jasoof asks, raising an eyebrow.
"I told you," Auren replies, "I'm a collector. This axe qualifies. You might not be able to see it, but it's special. I hope you can gift me with a few pieces like that as well. I don't care about the worth of the item, even nameless pieces are of interest to me."
Jasoof nods, seemingly understanding. "Come with me to the mansion, then. The pieces we collected over the years are stored in an underground warehouse. I'm the younger cousin of the current Clan Head—I've got the authority to give you what you want. I'll also introduce you to the head. You've earned our gratitude."
Back in the car, Jasoof wastes no time talking to Auren. "Auren, say, are you interested in a permanent job? We can offer you whatever you like. Permanent VIP suite at the Royal Glam Hotel, whatever you desire. We can even pay you a billion Jenny per year. Your students can join you!"
No... but I might as well throw him a bone.
"I respect your offer, but I am rich. I don't need the money," Auren replies. "I might come back regardless, so I am not rejecting your offer for future business opportunities. Also, if you ever struggle with something, like the Witch, you can give me a call. I might be able to do something about that, if it's worth my time."
Satisfied with the response, Jasoof smiles, clearly pleased.
Auren uses Zetsu, remaining silent for the rest of the drive, slowly recovering his Aura.
Back at the Mansion, Jasoof leads Auren upstairs, finally stopping before a large room.
Many expensive buildings, decorative plants, and even statues are placed in front of it.
Jasoof knocks twice and then opens the door, gesturing for Auren to follow him.
Auren enters and finds himself in a large, luxurious office featuring even more extravagant paintings, a piano, and expensive furniture. Overall, the office is so incredibly well-decorated that Auren is a little shocked.
A self-proclaimed king... in a sense, he really is a king.
If I remember correctly... the Clan Head of the Glam Clan is old... and a vile and worthless individual. I don't recall the exact details anymore. I don't really want to meet him... well, I'll play nice until I get my payment... and it better be good!
However, as Auren follows Jasoof, he sees a younger-than-expected Clan Head sitting behind a humongous desk. Much like Jasoof, he wears a colorful, expensive robe, has long black hair, and a well-groomed yet thick beard. He looks to be a few years older than Jasoof, likely in his late fifties. Unlike the old head in Auren's memories, he's not morbidly obese or bald, but instead rather charismatic, his eyes sharp and alert instead of dull and lifeless.
So the one I vaguely remember died. Interesting and probably good for the clan.
"Jasoof," he says, setting down a book on his luxurious office table. "You know it's my reading time. I need to focus on my studies! What is it?"
"Clan Head," Jasoof responds, stepping aside and gently gesturing toward Auren with his hand. "This is Hunter Auren. I believe I mentioned him a couple of times?"
"Nice to meet you, Hunter," the Clan Head responds, perking up a little as he spots Auren. "I'm the 35th Head of the Glam Clan—Amir. Jasoof tells me you and a couple of your students have been helping us with our missions? I've heard good things. I thank you for your efforts."
"No problem," Auren replies. "After all, it's a job, and we got paid for it."
"True," Amir says, nodding slightly. "I just wish more people would accept our jobs. For some reason, our cherished Glam Gas Land is not very popular."
I wonder why...
"Head," Jasoof adds, "Auren and one of his colleagues took out the Witch a couple of days ago. He even managed to save a few children. Just now, we got rid of that bastard who took our poor Umar. In just a few days, the site will also be under our control again, and we even have a hostage that will hopefully answer a few long-awaited questions. He did it all by himself in just a few minutes. We just returned."
Amir's eyes briefly sharpen as he turns to Auren, studying him for a moment before speaking. "You didn't even get hurt? You also show no signs of fatigue, and your clothes look completely untouched. That is impressive. The witch was also a blight on our community, so you have done a great thing for our people."
He sees himself as a king indeed.... typical. Frankly, he doesn't give a fuck about his people—he sees them only as people that might be of use to him, and probably pay a lot of taxes.
"Clan Head, I am not looking down on you or Glam Gas Land," Auren begins, his voice calm yet forceful. "But there is a reason I took my students here. While Glam Gas Land is rich with resources, only small conflicts happen here. Most hunters or powerful Nen users are not interested in this place. You might not know me, but I have trained extensively and I am used to dealing with Nen users. Low‑level Nen users aren't even worth mentioning to me."
"I see... our Clan has a few Nen users, but they are constantly hard at work. Someone like you, a Floor Master of the famous Heaven's Arena, is indeed in another league. I wonder if our teaching methods are simply ineffective?" Amir wonders.
"There are two ways to become a Nen user. One is deadly and carries with it a large risk. It also dulls the senses and is usually a bad path to take. The other takes time and talent. You probably only have the latter method, and I am not sure how you practice Nen or open your Aura Nodes. I learned through a special breathing method, taught to me by an Elder. It's based on his ancestors' experiences and is highly effective."
Lidor's teaching methods were excellent. I wonder how others awaken their Nen? I'd better not go into detail. He can beg me all he wants, but I won't risk the method spreading. I have been careless in the past. Thankfully, everyone I taught is here with me. I won't take any more risks.
"Any chance you can sell us a more effective method?" Amir asks, staring fiercely at Auren.
"Sure," Auren replies, "No Problem. It will take a day or two, however. My personal method is something I can only teach to students."
"An Oath is involved," Auren quickly adds.
I'll ask Hollow Blade for a better publicly known method. I add a few of my personal experiences, and I'll earn a fortune for something that really doesn't cost a thing. I just need to scare him a little.
"Great! You deserve a reward for your accomplishments, and we can negotiate about the price for the technique later," Amir says, his eyes showing a hint of greed.
"That's why I'm here, Head," Jasoof intervenes. "Auren desires no money, but he is interested in weapons and special items. However, he only cares about Items with Residual Nen."
"Residual Nen? What is that?" Amir asks. "Is that the reason you are carrying that giant axe with you, Auren?"
Auren, still carefully carrying the axe, hands it to Amir.
"I see nothing special about this axe. It looks rather crude," Amir says as he grabs it.
Auren lets out a small laugh. "It's just a hobby. This axe is not valuable at all—the same is true about the items I seek. It's just a personal interest, I've developed."
"You can go through our items," Amir says, a hint of suspicion in his eyes. "Jasoof probably told you about our debt collection. We've collected a mountain of miscellaneous items over the years... but I wonder..."
"You wonder why I collect them?" Auren asks without hesitation. "I see you are a little suspicious and wondering if they have a use?"
"Frankly, yes," Amir responds, grinning. "You strike me as a smart and ambitious young man. Surely you have a reason?"
"I tell you the truth. Three reasons," Auren explains. "First reason: I am a Treasure Hunter, currently focusing on Weapons and other equipment. Second reason: I am intrigued by them. Residual Nen is rare, and it usually takes a prodigy or a special circumstance to create an item with permanent residual Aura. Finally, the third reason..."
Auren steps forward and takes out his favorite Ben's Knife No. 223. He extends it toward Amir, who takes a step back as he sees the sharp edge.
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