"Why are you asking this?"
Zeno cast a haunting gaze as he tilted his head and looked at the young man, "What did you see in the illusion?"
The illusory truth, or the truthful illusion?
The "Life Energy" of Sajin, Gongerdan, and Daso clearly displayed in the panel, Roy was silent for a moment and truthfully said, "Pig-headed Man."
"And what else?"
"Undead." Roy didn't know how to explain "Life Energy" to Zeno, so he used "undead" as an excuse, gripping the fence and looking out at the shimmering lake, "I always felt those guys were real, not just simple memories."
When the false is assumed to be true, the true also becomes false; where there's nothing, something may appear.
The world is both material and void, like "dark matter" with no "electromagnetic entity," not interacting, untouchable, unobservable, yet it possesses mass and gravitational effects that prove its existence, already beyond human cognition of the basic concept of "material."
"Your great-grandfather said he was 'living dead,' but I always felt he wasn't dead, still alive."
Zeno didn't mention the "curse."
He clasped his hands behind him, watching a small boat leisurely carrying a father and son sightseeing. Under the father's guidance, the son caught fish with a small net, a trace of nostalgia flickered in his deep-set eyes, "The 'Demon Eye' at home you also saw, although simple in structure, not as lively as the human brain... but,"
"It carries your Grandpa Jager's memories, at least it's a living thing."
"To say he's alive isn't wrong either."
Roy frowned, "With great-grandfather and grandfather both there, they couldn't stop the mutation of the great-great-grandfather back then?"
"How can you stop someone who didn't come back?"
"?!"
No way! In the original story, Netero first explored the Dark Continent, employed by the Mimbo Republic to search for the legendary "source of liquid" — [Three Waters] south of Mobius Lake, accidentally trespassing into the domain of the [Gas Lifeform Ai] and nearly losing his entire army.
It was thanks to Grandpa Jager making a wish to one of those mysterious [Ai] that they survived and were transported back.
As the price for the wish, Nanika subsequently appeared... Now that Zeno says he didn't return, it means without Grandpa Jager as a vessel, [Ai] couldn't leave its domain and inhabit the Zoldyck lineage in the form of Nanika, and certainly, Alluka wouldn't be born.
"It's a 'Nen Beast,'" seemingly seeing Roy's puzzlement,
Zeno said gloomily, "'Biscuit Soldier' was a game card your Grandpa Jager collected years ago, later cultivated into a 'Nen Beast.'"
"It was it that returned home with the Demon Eye and your Grandpa Jager's will."
Zeno paused, seriously looking at the young man, "Go home more often, visit your Grandpa Jager, everything you want to know is there."
Roy remained silent, standing shoulder to shoulder with Zeno, feeling the breeze and watching the scenery, witnessing the sunset burning the sky in a magnificent red, and after a long pause, nodded, "Grandpa played the game too, right?"
"Hmm."
"Did he clear it?"
"No."
"How far did he get?"
"The Giant King's City, Draugon," Zeno lamented, "I once had the fortune to see the grandeur of the giants with your Grandpa Jager, but... wasn't paying attention, got kicked to death by a passing dog....."
"Uh...."
Zeno: "Laugh if you want to,"
Roy pursed his lips, "No, I just find it a bit exaggerated."
The Golden Crow tilted its head, "Poof~" flapped its wings and rested them on its beak.
Zeno: "..."
Poked the young man, feigning anger, "You're like a frog in a well, not knowing how vast the world is. On that continent, not just a dog, even an ant can take your life."
Roy believed it, as the Chimera Ants forced a certain "strongest human" to self-detonate, triggering a nuclear bomb, which was evident.
Roy patted the little head of the Golden Crow, indicating for it to show more respect to his grandfather, and seriously said, "Grandpa's right, like great-grandfather said, I wouldn't go to such a place even if it kills me."
Zeno stared expressionlessly at Roy without saying a word, the phrase "Do you think I believe that?" almost written on his face...
The young man touched his nose with an awkward smile, excused that it was late and he needed to prepare for tomorrow's test, then hurriedly left...
The sunset chased the young man's silhouette, draping him in a robe of dusk,
After watching him leave, Netero, with sleeves billowing gracefully, came to Zeno's side, "Stop watching, I know you want to go, but unfortunately... our generation can't board the ships of this new era."
"In the end, we must leave it to these young people."
"Am I very old?" Zeno glared coldly at Netero, "Did you forget, I am thirty years younger than you."
"What, want to spar?" Netero squinted, lowered his sleeve to take out a volleyball.
A gust of wind blew, swaying the eight characters on Zeno's chest, "A Kill a Day, Lifetime Active," stirring with them... Having yet to open his daily account, might as well test the sword on this old thing!
Hands behind his back, he then lowered them,
"Spar, let's spar!"
"Bang!"
The hotel door slammed shut.
Roy bid farewell to Grandpa Zeno... Returned to his room, sent Kurajing back to her room and instructed Wutong to guard the door.
He immediately opened the panel and began absorbing the 40 points of "Life Energy" provided by Sajin Gongerdan.
"Constitution" comes up and the human tolerance greatly strengthens, particularly in "pain endurance," meaning... Roy could endure the absorption of "Life Energy" far better than during his time at the "Heavens Arena."
As usual, he took off his outer clothing and went to the bathroom.
The Golden Crow above him seemed to remember being forcibly bathed last time, flapped its wings and refused to go in, so he had no choice but to place it on the bed.
Alone, he began allocating points.
With the panel indication... All 40 points of "Life Energy" were depleted.
The familiar pain came surging, Roy propped himself up against the wall, biting his lips to not pass out.
It felt as if he was thrown into a furnace, reforging!
He could clearly "see" the changes occurring throughout his body.
First the heart, then liver, spleen, and lungs, then bones... blood vessels... muscles... skin... until the hair fell out and regrew...
The young man opened his mouth, exhaling a heavy breath, raising his eyes to look at himself in the mirror once more, not much changed in physique, but his height had jumped another two centimeters.
[Tip: "Constitution": 131.8→171.8 (Note: The average human is 1)]
[Manifested Nen Amount: D (270/10000)→D+ (3600/10000) (Note: Ratings based on ants, ordinary ants as E, Elite Squad Leader as D, Master General as C, Three Guards B-, Ant King B+)]
[Potential Qi Amount: D (430/10000)→C- (120/100000)]
[Evaluation: A thriving little apple tree, ripe for bearing fruit]
"Phew~" The breath fogged up the mirror forming a layer of mist... The energy within his body surged like a fountain, instantly replenishing the depleted mental strength...
Roy straightened up, contentedly stretching his body, "crackling," joints crackled like frying beans, seemingly welcoming the master's rebirth with joyful exuberance.
At this moment, he felt inspired, if encountered with the [Pig-headed General] again, even if unable to win, he imagined he could last a few more rounds, not being flattened into pulp in just a few maneuvers.
"Splash...."
The shower turned on, with some lingering oil and hair on his body needing washing, Roy quickly brushed aside his hair and took a bath.
As his gaze fell on the back of his hand, he was suddenly taken aback...
On the smooth back of his hand, an imprint had unknowingly appeared.
The imprint was disc-shaped, clearly branded with a line of numbers....
In countdown!