If one were to describe [Nanika] in a single sentence, Roy would say "unreasonable."
If one were to define [Nanika] with a single word, it would surely be [Wishing Machine]!
His father, Silva, once bluntly evaluated [Nanika], saying it is not human and cannot be regarded as family; it is entirely a "darkness" from another world.
The facts are exactly as Silva described; existences like [Nanika] have already transcended the boundaries of human cognition. In the context of the original story, Roy is more inclined to call them "gods who have lost some 'subjective initiative'!"
They act entirely according to [rules], yet retain a touch of "humanity"...
For example, [Nanika]'s "insistence" and "request," and in the future, due to an extreme reliance on Killua, the ability to ignore "insistence" and "request," directly following Killua's "orders" to heal Tsubone and Gon, serves as a perfect example.
Roy fell into deep thought. To kill an existence comparable to [Nanika], it is evident one must transcend the realm of [humans] and enter the domain of [gods], something even the "strongest human" present couldn't achieve.
'This child is truly contemplating the possibility of slaying a god...' Netero observed Roy intently. The young man didn't find it absurd in the least and mused, "Jager has a good successor~"
The same fearlessness, the same boundless imagination...
The somewhat "neurotic" [Conjuration] type seems to inevitably develop beyond what "ordinary people" can comprehend...
"I understand now." Roy calmed his mind, smiled, and said, "It's late. I won't disturb your rest, Grandpa."
"Wutong, see our guest out."
"Creak~" The young butler opened the door: "Please."
Netero glanced at Zeno: "You're not leaving?"
Zeno: "I'm his grandfather, not a guest."
Netero: "...."
He chuckled softly, waving his sleeves as he left space for the grandfather and grandson.
"Bang~" The door was shut.
Zeno said directly, "The Thought Erasure Master must be found, and you must also make an effort."
"Both your great-grandfather and I will find a way. When the day comes, if the sky turns upside down, and we venture into the Dark Continent, we will take that bastard down!"
The old man, with a hunched back, tiptoed to rub Roy's head: "Just remember, you are not fighting alone."
It seemed like the young man had grown taller in the brief time they hadn't seen each other. Zeno had to tiptoe and stretch his hand to reach, feeling a bit strained.
Roy lowered his head slightly and smiled relievedly: "Perhaps this is the revelation my great-grandfather left for me."
"Since the other side can capture my presence through Grandfather Jager's memory, it suggests... there is a high probability that Great-grandfather is still alive."
"All the more reason to kill him!"
"I agree."
The two shared a glance, both smiling.
Outside the door, Netero hadn't left; he stood by the door, listening quietly with his Buddhist ears perked, his old eyes shimmering with unspeakable envy...
Look at their child, and then look at his. Comparisons can be deadly, just as objects can become disposable when compared.
News came from Kakin that the sinful creature brought a bunch of children into the royal family, while simultaneously building a "Black Whale" and coaxing the old king to move the entire nation to the Dark Continent...
So many years, yet he still hasn't learned to "settle down," insisting on courting death, to the point where now...
He, Netero, wants to hold a grandchild but doesn't know which one to embrace... let alone accompany his own grandchildren as they grow or even touch their heads.
"Sigh..." A long, drawn-out sigh drifted away with the wind...
"Creak~" The door opened.
Zeno, looking relaxed, walked out with his hands behind his back, glanced at him, and said, "Shall we go?"
Netero stared at him for a moment, then kicked over, but the old man dodged it by leaning sideways....
"What's gotten into you?"
"I just find you displeasing, can't I?"
"You wrecked my ball; isn't it fair for me to kick you once...."
Zeno: "..."
Beyond acted foolishly,
snorted coldly, too lazy to bother with Netero, and turned to leave.
Netero took a deep breath, finally feeling somewhat comfortable, and followed suit, not too fast, not too slow.....
Behind them,
"Creak~"
The door closed again.
Only Wutong remained, attending to Roy as he browsed through the notes left by Grandfather Jager, the pages stopping on the [Will Scissors] section.
The annual "Demon Slayer Corps selection" was only a few days away.
Adding travel time, it required two days to get there.
Roy had already made plans to set out in the dream at night to begin hunting "Evil Ghosts," capturing "Life Energy"!
However, before that, he must learn [Shu] as a farewell gift to Sabito, Makomo, and all the senior brothers and sisters, thanking them for their unwavering companionship over the better part of the year.
[The essence of Nen does not depart from imagination]
[The "Conjuration" and "Transmutation" types particularly stand out in terms of "imagination"...]
[First, focusing on "creating from nothing"... secondly, actively "shaping from nothing"....]
[Simulate scissors, shape imagination into scissor form to cut the "Nen Line" between the body and the object, thereby, under the condition of achieving "person" and "object" separation, retaining the Nen attached to the "object" to the greatest extent...]
At night, the light cast a long shadow on the boy... Roy read carefully, not missing any information, and occasionally asked Wutong: "How did you learn [Shu] back then?"
The young butler took out a coin and placed it on the back of his hand, carefully considering his words as he replied, "I thought hard."
Roy looked up, and Wutong fumbled with the coin, smiling sheepishly: "Tsubone always said I was dumb, always couldn't figure things out. Clearly, 'Emission' is more suitable for [Shu] anyway, but in the end, since I needed to bounce the coin as a bullet, I had to break the 'Nen'..."
"So after a lot of practice, desperately thinking 'I must break the Nen line,' one day, it just broke..."
To break it as you wish is not exactly dumb... Roy closed the notebook, pondered for a while, and then earnestly looked at Wutong: "When you get back, prepare a sword. After the test is over, I'll teach you a set of 'sword techniques,' make sure to practice diligently."
The importance of the "Breathing Technique" is evident from how it can forcibly level the numerical gap between "humans" and "Evil Ghosts."
Now that the "Water Breathing" is in hand, there's no reason not to teach it to Wutong.
In the future, if any "Loyal Servants" appear, it will be given as a reward, which can also be considered as strengthening our side's combat power in preparation for "slaughtering the gods" in the future.
"Yes!" Wutong bowed respectfully.
Roy waved his hand, seizing the last moment before sleep, calming his heart to delve into the [Will Scissors Technique]. Sitting cross-legged on the bed, he let the Golden Crow roll around, placed his hands on his knees with palms up, closed his eyes in meditation, controlled his breathing, and maintained the operation of "Sun Breathing"....
With a thought, he began constructing the "Will Scissors" in his mind.
"Scissor Handle," "Scissor Hinge," "Scissor Blade," "Scissor Spine"...
Each component formed and shattered in the mind, shattering and forming again, repeating over a dozen times, lasting more than half an hour... Finally, they came together...
Roy timely opened his eyes, raising his hand to summon, using [Magnetic Force·Adsorption] to swiftly grab the Staff Blade, enveloping it completely with a layer of "Nen," then letting go to drive the [Will Scissors] to sever the Nen line connecting the Staff Blade and his palm...
Just hearing a crisp "snap," floating in his mind.....
Looking again, the Staff Blade, wrapped with milky white "Nen," fell onto the bed without dissipating from Roy's palm, clearly... it had already become a Nen Device endowed with [Shu]!
"Impressive, young master!" Wutong watched intently from the side.
From inquiry to meditation to achieving [Shu], all in less than forty minutes. Tsubone wasn't wrong; compared to the young master, he was just a wooden block with no enlightenment.
'Done, it seems... not as complicated as imagined....'
Roy raised his hand to grab the Staff Blade again, repeatedly practicing without errors, everything was accomplished.
A realization gradually surfaced in his mind... Humans instinctively maintain reverence for the [unknown], not because the [unknown] is so terrifying, but simply because they don't want to take risks, to make contact; they are more inclined to stay in their [known] comfort zone for that tiny bit of safety.
But once someone takes the first step, finds the right method, pierces the [unknown], exposing its true face, the so-called "fear" will disperse like smoke...
Just like himself, because of the "Will Scissors Technique," he could uncover the secret of [Shu] faster than Wutong...
'My fear towards that "unknown" is entirely due to not understanding it.'
'If only I could catch it by its weak point, like how Killua will later control Nanika through Alluka, there's nothing to fear....'
"Tick... tock..."
Despite the "time mark" on the back of the hand still counting down...
Roy understood it in a flash, just pretending it didn't exist, silently planting a seed in his heart——
Sooner or later, I'll make a move on the Dark Continent, let that "unknown" truly experience... what it means by the world's number one assassin family!
"Dang—" At eleven o'clock at night, the big clock in the city center of Saba City chimed the full hour...
The Golden Crow seemed to be tired from rolling, it laboriously climbed up Roy's arm to his head, pecked him lightly, reminding him to sleep quickly.
Roy dismissed Wutong: "With Jinx watching, you can rest assured and sleep."
Wutong nodded, no longer insisted, gently closed the door for Roy, and turned to see Kurajing.
The girl held a notebook in her arms, adjusted the glasses perched on her delicate nose, almost as if she had been waiting at the door for a long time.
Noticing his gaze, she took out a pen, opened the notebook, and earnestly asked: "About 'Nen,' there are some things I don't quite understand, and I'd like to ask you."
Wutong looked at her in surprise, but the girl stared back without flinching, ultimately... the young butler conceded, nodding and saying: "Alright."
Under the dim corridor lights, he began to explain to her.
"Caw—"
Inside, the Golden Crow yawned, urging Roy to sleep.
The boy's ear twitched, hearing the commotion at the door, he smiled slightly, glanced towards the window...
A pale face, hair disheveled, hung upside down, hollow eyes staring straight at Roy, as if saying... "If you don't let me in, I'll hang myself immediately!"
Silently observing.....
A black line appeared on Roy's forehead.....
He glanced over: "What are you doing?"
Disqualified yet not going home?
Illumi didn't answer, just kept staring at Roy: "Why did grandfather enter your room?"
"Nothing."
"What happened to your hand?"
"Nothing."
"Who did it? Tell me, I'll kill him!"
A head of black hair danced wildly, the foolish Mamen Beans finally noticed the bandage on the back of Roy's hand, uncontrollably releasing a murderous intent!
"Eeek—" Occasionally, some birds crashed blindly into it, their large eyes rolling over, screaming as they plummeted...
"Shh—" The curtains were drawn, immediately blocking Illumi's gaze.
Roy withdrew the magnetism, casually saying: "I said it's nothing, go back to sleep."
Illumi hung outside the window, swaying with the wind, his side face illuminated by the moonlight, so grim that it seemed water could drip out of it, indescribably terrifying!