After speaking for a while and feeling his throat go a little dry, Rimo lifted the can in front of him and took another mouthful of the happy fat house water. The cold sweetness slid down his throat, and only then did he continue speaking.
"At present, there are three confirmed ways to awaken Nen."
"As far as the Hunter Association's records go, the first method is also the safest and most orthodox. That is to sense your own aura through long-term training, slowly opening your Aura Nodes through meditation, breathing control, and physical conditioning. This is how most Hunters awaken Nen after passing the Hunter Exam, under guidance from instructors like Wing."
"This method takes time. Sometimes months, sometimes years. But the advantage is that the aura awakens naturally, and the risk is close to zero."
"The second method is what we're talking about right now."
Rimo's gaze sharpened slightly.
"A Nen user injects their aura directly into the body of a non-Nen user, forcing the dormant Aura Nodes to open. This skips the entire training process and allows someone to awaken Nen immediately."
"But shortcuts always come with a price."
"Because the aura flow explodes all at once, the person being awakened must learn to control it immediately. If they fail to stop the aura from leaking, their life energy will drain away rapidly. In the worst case, they can die on the spot."
"And the third method…"
Rimo paused for a moment.
"This is also the most dangerous one. It's the way Os awakened his Nen."
"That method is awakening Nen by being attacked by aura itself."
"This is more brutal than forced injection. Only those who survive a Nen attack and instinctively adapt can awaken their Aura Nodes this way. In the Hunter world, this is known as Initiation."
"But almost everyone who survives pays a huge price. Permanent injuries are common. In Os's case, his right hand was destroyed during Initiation, and it's unlikely he'll ever recover it."
Rimo's eyes swept over Machi, Uvogin, and Nobunaga.
"In your situation, which one are you choosing? The first… or the second?"
There was no hesitation.
"The second!"
The three voices overlapped perfectly.
Rimo's lips curved slightly.
As expected.
"Speaking of that," Nobunaga suddenly raised his hand, his expression puzzled. "Rimo, which category do you belong to?"
"Uh…"
For a moment, Rimo didn't know how to answer.
Strictly speaking, his situation didn't fit any standard category. He hadn't been trained, nor had he been attacked by Nen. His awakening came from surviving a near-death experience during a gang shootout, combined with the abnormal changes that happened to his body afterward.
From their point of view, though, it looked like he had simply escaped death and awakened naturally.
"…Probably the first one," Rimo said, somewhat uncertain.
"Alright, alright," he waved his hand. "Don't worry about me. I'm awake anyway, that's what matters."
"Okay, since you all chose the second method, who's going first?"
"Me!"
Uvogin shot his hand up, practically jumping out of his seat.
Rimo looked at him for a second, then nodded internally.
A body like that really was perfect for a first attempt. Strong physique, massive vitality, and absurd endurance. If anyone could handle forced aura injection safely, it would be Uvogin.
"Alright. Uvogin, come here. Take off your clothes and turn your back to me."
"Yes!"
Uvogin didn't hesitate at all. He tore off his clothes and stood in place, muscles tightening instinctively.
Boom.
A terrifying wave of aura suddenly erupted from Rimo's body.
The pressure was overwhelming, like facing a giant beast at the top of the food chain. Nobunaga's pupils shrank violently, and even Machi felt her breathing tighten.
This was Nen.
Pure, unfiltered aura.
Machi was slightly better off, having experienced it once before. But for Uvogin and Nobunaga, this was their first time feeling it directly.
Fear flickered for a split second.
Then excitement ignited.
This power…
They would have it soon.
Rimo quickly restrained his aura.
In truth, forcing Aura Nodes open only required maintaining Ten, but Rimo's life energy was far beyond normal. On top of that, he had only recently mastered Nen, so his control was still rough.
Compared to ordinary Nen users, his aura overflow was excessive.
After stabilizing the Ten, Rimo raised his palm and placed it behind Uvogin's back.
Though there was no physical contact, Uvogin felt a scorching force pressing against him, as if invisible heat waves were drilling into his spine.
"I'll say this again," Rimo said seriously. "Once your Aura Nodes open, you must control the flow immediately. If you let your aura leak out unchecked, it'll drain your life force."
"Relax!" Uvogin laughed loudly. "If I die from this, it just means I wasn't worth much anyway!"
Rimo nodded slightly.
"Good."
Then—
"Here we go."
The aura wrapped around Rimo's palm surged forward.
Under his precise control, the Nen rushed through Uvogin's body, smashing open every Aura Node in an instant.
"This—this is—?!"
Uvogin froze.
For the first time, he could see aura.
White, mist-like energy poured out of his body nonstop, dense and violent.
"Hahahahaha!"
Uvogin threw his head back and laughed wildly. "So this is power! It just keeps coming!"
"Stop laughing," Rimo snapped. "You're wasting aura."
Honestly, Uvogin's talent was ridiculous. He had only just awakened Nen, yet the sheer volume of aura he was releasing already surpassed most beginners.
"Listen carefully," Rimo said. "Imagine aura circulating through your body like blood. From your head, to your shoulders, arms, legs, and back again. Keep it close to your skin."
Under Rimo's guidance, Uvogin gradually pulled the leaking aura back in.
The violent flow settled.
An invisible layer of air wrapped around his body.
Ten—complete.
"…Success," Rimo said with a small smile.
"Uvogin, how do you feel?" Nobunaga rushed over, eyes shining.
"I feel…"
Uvogin cracked his knuckles.
"I feel like I could knock you out with one punch."
"Hey!" Nobunaga exploded. "Don't get cocky!"
"Little spicy chicken," Uvogin snorted.
"I swear, once I awaken, I'm beating you flat!" Nobunaga shouted.
"Come on then. I don't know who was crying last time."
"Shut up! You sneak attacked me!"
As the two started bickering, Rimo sighed.
Nobunaga soon stripped his clothes and turned his back.
With experience now, Rimo's control was much smoother. Nobunaga's awakening went just as cleanly.
Moments later, the two of them ran outside, itching to fight.
Only Rimo and Machi remained.
"…Machi," Rimo coughed lightly. "You'll need to take off your clothes too."
This wasn't him being weird.
Wing had said the same thing.
Absolutely not made up.