It's been around a month and a half since I started trying to open up my nodes, and I've finally made some progress. I've been able to feel it for a while now, but being so young seems to have made it more difficult than it needed to be. Still, the benefits of starting this young are a big boon. Barely after starting my training this morning, I finally felt my nen start leaking out of me. It was exhilarating—feeling the essence of life wash over me.
As I was basking in the feeling, I heard footsteps behind me. I opened my eyes and turned to see a shocked Albert staring at me in awe.
"Young master… this is incredible!"
He yelled in pure excitement, shedding his usual professional demeaner. I turned back to look at the aura surrounding me. It flowed out from me, dissipating once it reached about a foot away.
"We must now work on controlling your nen, or you may experience some issues," he said as he picked me up and set me on my feet.
"Now that you've opened your nodes, it's time to control your aura. This is known as Ten, one of the four major principles of nen. Knowing your talent, it shouldn't take too long."
I nodded, trying to control it as best I could. Knowing Gon and Killua took way less than an hour, I was trying to compete with that vague time frame. I stood there for only a couple of minutes before my nen was flowing around me instead of out, making Albert sweat slightly.
"You definitely have the potential for the inheritance, young master,"
he muttered, not giving me time to question what he meant before continuing.
"That ball on the pedestal contains post-mortem nen that will influence the future of your own nen. It's something that will give you countless opportunities—but that is still far away."
Knowing my hatsu wouldn't be entirely my own creation was a bit disheartening, but the thought of what it could be did soften the blow. After a bit, Albert put me on my next task: using Ren to increase my total nen output.
"Ren is the act of flaring one's nen, as if puffing out one's chest to intimidate those around you. This increases the overall strength of everything you do at the cost of more nen. It's also the best way to increase your nen reserves."
He didn't spare much time for conversation, giving me only the information I needed and waiting for me to use it. I managed to hold it intensely for a while before gassing out and laying on the ground panting. It was a struggle, but those moments of great strength made it a little more bearable.
"Remember, young master—this is only the beginning. You're only going to get stronger from here,"
he said with a proud smile as he picked me up. He carried me to the bathroom, letting me sink into a warm bath. As I lay in the water, I wondered what my future held. I didn't know what year Gon left Whale Island—I couldn't find out until I gained more autonomy from the maids and Albert. I didn't even know if I was in the same generation as them. It didn't matter too much, but it would be nice to see them in the flesh. I got out of the bath, dressed with the help of a maid, and continued with the rest of my day.
Weeks went by and everything began falling into place. My aura was progressing at a rapid pace, which shocked not only Albert but also the few maids who were trained in nen. On top of Ren and conditioning, Albert began training me in his expertise—swordsmanship.
"I may not be as good as your ancestors, but I will say I'm one of the best teachers you can get,"
he said as he showed me how to hold the sword more naturally. The sword was a common two-handed blade whose name I didn't know. We spent the better part of two hours just on stance. It wasn't boring—it was one of the best times of my life. This was my life now: constant training of the mind, body, and soul (nen). Hard, but rewarding.
As I continued with everything else, Albert incorporated Zetsu into my regimen, making my already busy days even more cramped. It wasn't hard to learn, but mastering its execution—to the point of being nearly invisible to the senses—took time. Nonetheless, I kept up with everything, managing only thanks to those heavenly nen-filled massages.
Months passed, and I finally hit the bare minimum that Albert had set—ironically, on my 5th birthday. After a heartwarming celebration, Albert once again led me down to the room.
"Touch the ball,"
he said. I didn't question him and followed his words. As I palmed the ball, I felt the nen being absorbed into my hand. It was probably the worst pain I will ever feel. My body went into a sort of shock—my hand burned, my veins bulged to the point of concern, and sweat poured out of my body like a waterfall. It took minutes of tears and muffled cries of agony before tranquillity finally came, and my body sank into the embrace of death's cousin—unconsciousness.
(I typed the last line while listening to N.Y State of Mind banger song BTW)
Credits
"Proof-reader & editor: ChatGPT"