The mastery of Adaptive Evolution came through countless hours of practice, meditation, and experimentation. Dean pushed himself to the absolute limits of his capabilities, testing how far he could push the ability without losing control. He discovered that the more he used it, the more refined his control became. It was like learning to play an instrument—the more you practiced, the more naturally the technique flowed.
One of the key breakthroughs came when Dean realized that Adaptive Evolution wasn't just about reacting to threats. It was about predicting them. By meditating and opening his consciousness to the flow of Nen around him, Dean could sense potential dangers before they manifested. He could feel the subtle shifts in the environment, the changes in air pressure, the micro-expressions of his opponents that indicated their intentions.
This predictive ability, combined with his adaptive power, made him nearly impossible to defeat in combat. He would know what his opponent was about to do before they did it, and his Nen would already be adapting to counter the threat before it fully materialized.
But mastery also meant learning restraint. Dean understood that true power wasn't about using the maximum force available. It was about using exactly the right amount of force at exactly the right time. A master swordsman doesn't need to swing with all their might—they know exactly where to strike to be most effective. Similarly, Dean learned to use his Adaptive Evolution with surgical precision, applying just enough power to achieve his goals without wasting energy or drawing unnecessary attention.
He also learned to mask his power. When he sparred with the family's servants or even with Illumi, Dean deliberately held back, using only a fraction of his true capabilities. He would make mistakes that seemed natural, would lose matches that he could have easily won, would appear to struggle with challenges that were actually trivial for him.
This deception was crucial. If the family knew the true extent of his power, they would either try to control him or try to eliminate him as a threat. By appearing to be merely competent rather than extraordinary, Dean bought himself the freedom to develop his abilities without constant scrutiny or interference.
By the time Dean was ready to leave for the Hunter Exam, his mastery of Adaptive Evolution was nearly complete. He could activate it in milliseconds, could adjust the level of adaptation on the fly, could combine it seamlessly with his combat techniques. He could sense threats from dozens of meters away. He could predict his opponents' moves with uncanny accuracy.
And yet, to the outside observer, he appeared to be just another talented but not exceptional Nen user. That was the true mark of his mastery—not the power itself, but the ability to hide it, to control it, to use it with perfect precision.