Conrad entered a small coffee shop near one of Zaban City's side streets.
There were only a few customers mostly locals keeping away from the cold.
He didn't have any money. Jenny, as it was called here. But for now, that didn't matter.
No one stopped him as he walked in.
He chose a seat beside the window, placing himself where he could see the street outside.
Conrad rested his back against the chair and watched them for a moment.
He didn't look out of place. That was important.
After a few seconds, he closed his eyes.
He lowered his voice and whispered.
"Infinite Nen Memory."
The response was instant.
Infinite Nen Memory – Activated
There was no sound, no light, no visible change. Only a subtle shift in his awareness.
His thoughts felt more organized, cleaner.
The pressure he normally felt when thinking about Nen abilities disappeared.
This system was the reason he was calm.
It wasn't a source of power by itself. It didn't give him aura or strength.
What it did was far more dangerous it allowed him to manage Nen without the natural limitations of memory and mental load.
Normally, Nen users could only maintain a limited number of abilities.
Each Hatsu took space in the mind.
The more complex it was, the more strain it caused.
Not to mention the fact that allocating "aura" for different nen abilities is a hard thing to do start with.
Hisoka had explained it once in simple terms Kastro had failed not because he lacked talent, but because he tried to handle too much at once.
He tried to handle too much so that he forget how to use nen for other things.
Conrad would not make that mistake.
His system allowed him to separate every Nen ability from his total aura pool as well as his mind space.
Each ability existed as its own structure, independent from his core mental load.
He could create, archive, and refine abilities without overwhelming himself.
In simple terms, he could experiment freely.
That alone put him far ahead of most Nen users.
Still, Conrad knew better than to rush.
He opened his eyes and stared at the table in front of him.
"Before trying for a Hatsu," he said quietly to himself, "I need mastery over the basics."
Nen fundamentals were everything.
Without them, even the strongest ability would fail.
-
He began with Ten.
Ten was the foundation.
The act of maintaining aura around the body. It was defensive, stabilizing, and essential for survival.
Conrad activated it naturally, letting his aura spread evenly across his skin.
He checked for leaks.
None.
His Ten was clean.
Next came Ren.
"I should not train "Ren" here..."
Conrad knew that he needs to earn some money to find himself a private place to train.
He stood up, glanced once more at the window, and left the coffee shop.
Outside, the cold air greeted him again.
Snow crunched beneath his boots as he walked aimlessly for a short distance, thinking.
He needed a method that was fast.
He began listing options in his mind.
First option: Work for it.
He dismissed it quickly. Honest work took time. Days, maybe weeks. It also meant exposure employers, coworkers, routines.
"Yeah, it does not suit me at all."
Second option was Stealing.
That was faster, but dangerous. Stealing from random people meant risk. Innocents would fight back, report him, or attract attention. That kind of attention spread quickly, especially in a small city like Zaban.
Third option made more sense to him
Stealing from the deserved ones.
Gangs. Criminals. People who already lived outside the law.
Taking from them would not only solve his problem but also reduce theirs.
If he acted carefully no killing, no witnesses it could be clean.
Conrad slowed his steps.
This choice fit his situation best.
He did not want to hurt innocent people.
He also did not want to play hero.
This was practical, not moral posturing.
If he took down gang members and relieved them of their money, it would be a net positive.
And it would serve as controlled practice.
He had heard the name already.
Artek's gang.
Small. Violent. Active in Zaban City.
Known to extort traders and migrants.
That made them predictable.
Predictable targets were safe targets.
Conrad adjusted his Ten slightly, reinforcing it just enough to protect him without making him noticeable.
His aura remained calm, evenly spread.
"So, this will be my first hunt..."
Conrad could not help but get excited as his eyes radiated power and wish to see what will happen.
He wasn't planning a fight in the open.
No killing.
Just enough force to incapacitate.
He turned into a narrower street, letting the noise of the main road fade behind him.