Chapter 3: The First Asauchi
"It's a Specialist type!" Zald exclaimed, his eyes reddening as he spoke solemnly.
Mord could hear the excitement in his voice.
"'Hatsu' is the technique of freely manipulating nen as one wishes, the pinnacle of Nen abilities."
"What you like, what you dislike, what you desire. Even where you travel, the people you meet, the experiences you gain—all these shape one's Nen. Broadly speaking, it can be divided into Emission, Enhancement, Transmutation, Manipulation, Conjuration, and Specialist types."
"Among these, Specialist abilities are the most unique. Those without the talent can never learn them. Most who master this attribute possess certain bloodlines or have grown up in extraordinary environments."
Mord stared at the water-formed sword before him—wasn't this the very image of a Zanpakutō's Asauchi!
Could this be related to watching the Thousand-Year Blood War PV before crossing over?
Then why didn't I awaken Quincy abilities? Those would be even more overpowered.
Zald, of course, had no way of knowing the inner monologue running through Mord's mind. He looked at Mord like a drowning man clutching at his last straw.
Originally, he had thought to just give it a try before leaving, never expecting to actually hit the jackpot.
A raw gem like the one before him was probably one in ten million.
It's just a shame his own time was running out.
"Didn't you say you wanted to get stronger?" Zald looked at Mord and spoke solemnly.
Seeing Zald's grave expression, Mord composed himself and nodded seriously.
Then, prepare yourself for rigorous training!
Mord had forgotten the original reason this body's former owner had been so desperate to grow stronger.
Yet this body had inherited that obsession.
The moment he realized this was the brutal world of Hunters, Mord had already made up his mind.
Over these days, he had witnessed several murders in Meteor City.
If not for Madou's protection, a small bartender like him would have long since met an untimely end.
And the situation seemed to be getting worse.
New Star Tavern.
"Don't go out at night these days," Madou suddenly said as Mord was about to leave.
For the past half-month, to accelerate his training, Mord had gone to Zald every night.
Tonight was their last scheduled session.
Mord's Nen ability had manifested several days prior.
[Skill: The First Asauchi.]
But it was just the most ordinary, unremarkable sword—nothing special about it except being slightly sharper.
He might as well have bought a famous blade instead.
It couldn't even compare to Conjuration abilities.
Zald was experienced, clearly a veteran Hunter of formidable strength.
Mord wanted to ask him if there was a way to improve it.
After tonight, there would be no more chances.
"I'll be back before dawn," Mord paused, then walked out of the tavern without looking back.
Violent incidents at night were common, and Mord had grown used to them. As long as he was careful and avoided trouble, there'd be no issue. Ordinary thugs and wanted criminals were no match for him now.
Though Meteor City was chaotic, Nen users were still a minority. With his current strength, Mord believed he could handle himself just fine.
He stepped out of the tavern and onto the street, glancing up at the night sky.
Tonight, dark clouds blanketed the heavens, completely obscuring the moon. The world seemed unnaturally dark.
Visibility was severely limited, but fortunately, Mord could now use Nen proficiently, so it didn't hinder his movement.
Up ahead stood a large mansion—the residence of the Rory Family, the largest mafia syndicate in District D.
Mord instinctively wanted to avoid it, but then he noticed a figure hidden in a tree outside the compound.
The person seemed to be observing something and hadn't noticed Mord spotting him.
Mord quickly averted his gaze, then felt a sudden jolt of unease.
Not far ahead, on a building diagonally across from the mansion, another figure stood.
"Did he notice me?!"
Mord kept his head down, doing his best to appear normal, as if he hadn't spotted them.
He thought he could just pass through this street unnoticed.
Ten meters, nine meters, eight meters...
As Mord walked forward, the distance between him and the figure on the rooftop grew shorter. He could sense the other person scrutinizing him.
Mord could even feel that oppressive, almost tangible gaze.
It made his entire body tense with discomfort.
Suddenly, he recalled what Madou, the tavern owner, had said before he left tonight.
Damn it!
Speak of the devil.
This was trained external energy projection—clearly, the person on the rooftop was no ordinary individual.
In the dead of night, these people lurking near the residence of the Rory family's head undoubtedly had ulterior motives.
Of course, Mord had no desire to know what they were.
Self-preservation was key. Faced with unknown dangers, the best course was to avoid provoking them.
"That kid."
From the high building, a voice spoke up in the darkness.
"That kid looks like a waiter from the New Tavern."
"Madou's place?" The man on the high building frowned. "There's no signal from the mansion yet. Don't stir up trouble. Let him pass. It's not worth jeopardizing tonight's mission over this."
They were afraid any commotion here might disrupt the plans inside the mansion.
Whew.
That was close.
Seemed like he'd slipped past them.
Mord let out a quiet sigh of relief.
BANG!!!
But at that moment, a gunshot suddenly rang out.
Damn it.
Mord cursed inwardly.
Up on the high building, the man glanced down at Mord on the street and said, "No witnesses can be left alive tonight. Kill him!"
With that, he flew toward the distant Rory family mansion.
"As you command!"
Another shadow leaped from the high building.
From five stories up, the figure rebounded off a wall and landed smoothly before darting toward Mord.
Mord, however, had already sensed something was wrong the moment the gunshot sounded and immediately bolted toward the outskirts of Meteor Street.
The pursuer closed in relentlessly.
"A mere tavern waiter, yet he can move this fast?!" The black-clad man was utterly shocked.
But precisely because of this, his resolve to kill Mord only hardened.
This kid was suspicious—he couldn't be allowed to escape.
With a thought—
A faint glimmer of lightning flickered in the darkness.
"No problem at all. At this speed, I should be able to reach Zald before he catches up."
A starved camel is still bigger than a horse.
Though Mord knew Zald's condition was far from ideal, right now, he was his only lifeline.
But then, Mord suddenly sensed the aura behind him accelerating. In just a few breaths, it had nearly closed the gap.
In the darkness, a flash of lightning erupted before his eyes.
A figure materialized out of nowhere, blocking Mord's path.
Behind this figure stood the gate leading out of Meteor Street.