Two people were walking quietly down a long corridor.
Those two were Cheadle Yorkshire and Pariston Hill — among the ten Hunters who held the rank of Triple-Star Hunters.
Pariston walked slightly ahead, while Cheadle's sharp gaze drilled into his back — more out of habit than anger.
At least for now, since her thoughts were preoccupied with Chairman Netero and his recent stunt.
"Cheadle."
Pariston stopped for a moment as he called her name.
She instinctively halted as well, and when she realized it, her frown deepened as she turned her gaze on him.
"I must insist that you keep the potential topic of this meeting to yourself, alright?"
"You didn't even have to say that. I already know that for the two of you, this is just a form of amusement and nothing more."
"Thank you."
Pariston smiled softly — a kind, gentle smile that caught Cheadle off guard for a moment.
"I'm doing this only for the Chairman!"
"Hahaha! Yes, I know."
Returning his usual punchable grin, he continued walking forward.
This time, Cheadle glared at him with visible irritation, deliberately applying aura pressure toward him.
For most people, such a level of pressure would instantly cause their bodies to tense and break into cold sweat — but for Pariston, it felt more like a warm, affectionate hug.
The moment Cheadle realized that this bastard was actually enjoying it, she quickened her pace, overtaking him just to escape his presence.
Pariston, meanwhile, kept walking at his relaxed pace, humming a tune with his mouth closed.
***
When I regained consciousness, I saw a faintly shimmering aura dome above me, which slowly receded back into my body.
Did they heal me?
After waking up, everything felt different — not bad, just... off.
Unlike before, when my body responded poorly or acted itself, now I was simply overwhelmed with exhaustion, too tired even to think straight.
I guess this is just fatigue... nothing unusual after all that.
I can live with that.
Turning my head, I saw Ponzu and Bodoro, both sitting nearby, clearly excited.
"Hey guys… you don't happen to have any snacks or something to drink, do you?"
My voice came out weak and hoarse as I tried to sit up with a weary smile.
Bodoro looked relieved, while Ponzu seemed a bit annoyed — though she still handed me a plate of neatly peeled apple slices with a toothpick.
That stunned me for a second, but the growl in my stomach quickly redirected my focus.
"Crunch, crunch. How long was I out? Half a day? Crunch, crunch."
"Well… almost three days." (Bodoro)
I nearly choked on the apple slice.
Damn, no wonder I feel like garbage.
"Wow…"
"…"
"Ahem, so, how have you two been?"
That finally broke the ice, and we chatted for a while.
Netero had visited yesterday and given both of them some Nen guidance.
According to him, they'd probably awaken by the end of the month at the latest.
In everything else, they'd been relying on Cheadle, who took the initiative to help.
(Author's note: The MC doesn't know the story perfectly — he just remembers it really well. Keep this in mind, I don't want to bait the comments like this.)
It must've been because of Pariston… Oh! I remember!
Then... No, wait.
Wait, they said they'll awaken Nen soon? But it hasn't been that long since I introduced them to aura and Nen...
That means they're pretty gifted too.
Maybe it's something about Hunter Exam participants in general — after all, getting there and surviving requires some skill and talent...
Still, it's a shame that Bodoro and Ponzu died so early in the original timeline without even touching Nen.
Well, more for Bodoro's case than Ponzu's. Though to be fair, she probably learned a bit from Pokkle, who'd only recently become a Pro Hunter himself...
Wait, wasn't Killua the only one who passed that year? The Chimera Ant arc started not long after that, right?
No, no — he was a Pro Hunter, otherwise they wouldn't have let him enter the country.
So the Examination Committee must've continued the exam.
Anyway, he passed.
Whether Ponzu learned Nen with Pokkle or after his Secret Exam, both of them were talented enough to not only grasp Nen within months but also develop their own Hatsu techniques.
Note to self: recruit them all into my team someday.
Lost in thought, I glanced at the two of them.
Seeing their slightly tense faces, I quickly waved my hands.
"I'm fine, really. It's just… been a while since my head felt this clear.
Heh, constantly juggling thoughts like that had been rough. Still, it was a unique experience.
You know what they say — no experience is ever truly useless."
We talked for another half hour before Pariston and Cheadle dropped by.
The moment Pariston opened his mouth, Cheadle immediately cut him off and rushed to me.
I was bombarded with a barrage of questions and check-ups — eyes, tongue, pulse — and could only awkwardly reply with "Yes" or "No."
"It seems you've fully recovered. That improvised healing technique of yours was truly remarkable."
"What technique?"
I blinked in confusion, and she gave the same puzzled look toward the equally surprised Pariston.
"Perhaps, that probably was the price of such effectiveness. Think of it as a one-time technique — something with limited uses." (Pariston)
"Oooh~, naruhodo…" [translation: Oh, I see…]
(Didn't understand a thing.)
What are they even talking about? I don't remember any technique.
Didn't I just fall asleep and get healed?
"That does make sense. But I doubt he actually understands the concept of Nen limitations to that extent." (Cheadle)
"Well, it's simple, really." (Pariston)
"Oh yeah? Then explain it."
"Well, maybe start by saying 'please,' hmm?"
"Grrr… Puh… lee… ase! Now talk!"
"Hahaha, no need to get so worked up — I just asked for some manners.
Anyway, here's the answer: just like people have their favorites, Aura — the essence of all life — does too."
"I shouldn't have asked… So basically, it's talent?" (Cheadle)
"Exactly!" (Pariston)
"I hate you."
"I know, and I treasure that~"
Watching their banter, I started forming my own theories on what they just said and what happened overall.
Wait… did I actually heal myself?
The last thing I remember was begging to great Aura and...
[̸̶̴̛̞̻̥͚ͤ̎̑ͩͭͪͭ̿̾̚͢8̴̸̛̲͙̬̺͚͕̪̯̬̦̀ͤ̌ͣ̎̈́͋̓ͥͫͦͤ͠9̬̘͕̘̟̦͉͉̤̦̻̟̙̀̌̈̿ͫͦ̓ͩ͐͂ͧ̈̀̔͜%̶̘͙̱͙͈̉ͣͪͮͣ́͆.̴̣̹̰̮͓̬́̿ͪ̈̇̈̇ͧ̚.̧͓̤̗̮͍̯͍̣͛̍ͥ̀͜.̵̴̟̭͖̹͍̰̫̺͛͋ͣͭ͊ͩͤͅ]̵̢̡̡̙̝̗̼͔̪̜̙̖̜͉ͪ̆ͯ͗ͤͬͨ̉̕͢͠͡
I suddenly heard a distorted, eerie voice in my head that sent chills down my spine.
What the hell was that…
Something about 89%?
Seeing no one else noticed my reaction, I stood up.
"Excuse me, but I'm starving. Could we move this to the cafeteria?"
"But of course! We can't let a recovering patient go hungry!"
"Pariston, actually—"
"Oh come on, Cheadle. You know he just woke up from a long recovery sleep." (Pariston)
"Even with all that miraculous healing, his body must've drawn resources from somewhere.
We wouldn't want him collapsing from delayed exhaustion, would we?" (Pariston)
"You're right… I'll admit that, but—"
"Wonderful! Come, dear Mousse! They've just restocked the highest-quality beef at cafeteria. Allow me to treat you!"
My mouth watered instantly.
"Oh, you don't have to—"
"Don't worry! Eat as much as you like — it's on me."
"In that case, I'll take you up on that generous offer."
"Take your time and enjoy yourself. Afterward, you can take a bath or shower and nap for comfortable digestion."
I glanced back at Cheadle, who looked rather annoyed.
I'm sorry, Miss Cheadle — and thank you.
If not for you, I'd never dare eat anything Pariston offers.
Thanks to you, I can enjoy my meal while he's busy trying to entertain himself at your expense.
***
"Damn it, they've been gone for hours already."
A medium-built man kept impatiently tapping his finger on the table, around which nine others sat.
He had light orange, almost yellow hair with black stripes — styled into sharp spikes up front, with a tail-like tuft in the back resembling a tiger's. His clothes fit the same wild theme.
"Kanzai, quit whining, you're annoying. We all got here at the same time."
The one who snapped at him was a woman with dark-blue hair tied up in a bun, partially hidden by feathers and a blue ribbon.
Her outfit was bold and flashy, with a clear avian motif.
"What did you just say?!"
"Come on, you two, don't fight…"
The one trying to calm them down was a tall, broad-shouldered man with a big round belly, an afro and a neatly trimmed goatee.
"Don't bother, Ginta — you know how they are. Once they start, it won't stop anytime soon."
"But Saiyu, they don't mean it. It's just the waiting getting to them."
Sayu was a lean, athletic blond with short hair and sideburns, his style reminiscent of Sun Wukong, complete with a staff and golden headband.
"Yeah, it's all Pariston's fault anyway. He probably managed to somehow talk Cheedle into calling us urgently. Jerk."
That came from a woman with medium-length orange hair and fake rabbit ears, much like Cheadle's own.
She kept typing rapidly on a laptop, resting her chin on her hand.
The remaining five stayed silent, patiently waiting.
Though, judging by appearances, one of them — who looked like an actual homeless vagrant — was clearly asleep, his eyes covered by the brim of a makeshift hat.