NOVEL NEXT Chapter 6: Chapter 6: The Next Goal
Kaizen's aura mastery was still in its infancy, but his foundation was solid.
He'd already grasped the Four Major Principles—Ten, Zetsu, Ren, and Hatsu—along with the basics of Gyo. For a beginner, this was an impressive start. But he knew that mastering Nen wasn't just about the basics. Only after building a strong foundation could he learn the more advanced techniques.
Kaizen's progress wasn't surprising, though. His master was none other than Maha Zoldyck—one of the top five Nen users in the world. Very few people had the privilege of being taught by him, even within the Zoldyck family.
Not even Killua.
The Zoldycks followed a strict line of succession, with only one child from each generation being chosen to fully carry on the family's legacy. Maha passed his knowledge down to Zeno, Zeno to Silva, and now Silva's focus was on Killua. The other children—Illumi, Milluki, Kalluto, and Alluka—weren't in line for succession, though each had their own place within the family.
Kalluto was introduced to Nen early, while Illumi had perfected his own skills long ago. Milluki, however, showed no interest in Nen and immersed himself in technology instead. As for Alluka, her unique situation made her an exception to everything.
But even Killua didn't receive the same level of training that Kaizen now enjoyed. Unlike Zeno, whose own training under Maha had been strict but limited, Kaizen was treated with a degree of attention that was rare even for a Zoldyck.
This difference was hard for Zeno to understand when he first met Kaizen. The boy's black hair stood out—something unusual for a potential Zoldyck heir, as the true inheritors of the family's legacy traditionally had white hair. And yet, Maha had taken a personal interest in Kaizen's development, a mystery that Zeno still couldn't fully grasp.
Kaizen left his room, his thoughts swirling as he made his way through the Zoldyck house.
Maha Zoldyck's figure appeared at the far end of the hall, a presence as quiet as it was powerful.
"Have you developed your ability yet?" Maha's voice was calm, but his gaze carried weight.
"Yes, great-grandfather," Kaizen answered respectfully.
Beside him, an invisible crystal ball hovered silently. Not even Maha could see it—it was as if it didn't exist. Kaizen's ability reminded him of the stealth powers of a chameleon Chimera Ant. In the world of Nen, abilities could manifest in various ways.
Some, like the conjured tools of Manipulators, were visible to the naked eye—such as the items in Greed Island. Others, like Machi's threads or Hisoka's Bungee Gum, required Gyo to be perceived. But some abilities, like the chameleon's invisibility, were undetectable even with the sharpest aura-sensing techniques.
Kaizen's crystal ball belonged to the third category—completely imperceptible, except to him.
He glanced at it and noticed something strange: it was drawing in small bits of energy from the surroundings, little by little. Once the crystal ball absorbed enough, Kaizen would be able to mold those collected traits into a conjured beast of his own.
"One more month," Kaizen estimated.
By then, the crystal ball would be full, and he could finally manifest his creature.
Maha's voice broke through Kaizen's thoughts. "So, what are your plans?"
Kaizen hesitated, then replied,
"I'd like to stay here a bit longer. I grew up in this manor, but I've never explored much of it. I want to see everything before I leave."
Maha gave him a small nod, signaling approval.
"After that," Kaizen continued, "I want to go to Heavens Arena. I've heard a lot about it, and I think it'll be the perfect place to test my abilities."
Maha's expression didn't change, but there was a flicker of recognition in his eyes. Heavens Arena was notorious—not just for its height, but for what happened on the floors above the 200th level. It was there that battles took on a whole new meaning, as fighters who had unlocked Nen faced off in brutal matches.
Many rookies climbed eagerly to the 200th floor, expecting fame and fortune, only to be crushed by the overwhelming gap in power between ordinary fighters and Nen users. For those without prior training, these encounters often ended in tragedy. Some died in the ring, others were left with life-changing injuries.
Still, a few of those who survived found that the trauma of their battles had unlocked their aura nodes, transforming them into what the community called "Initiators."
(T/N: Initiation, achieved by forcing the aura nodes to open via an influx of external aura, such as by having someone who is already able to control their aura channel a light burst of aura into the students body.)
Initiators banded together for survival, but their grasp of Nen was often crude, developed through trial and error. Most never even mastered basic techniques like Gyo, which placed them at a serious disadvantage.
Kaizen was under no illusions about the difficulty of the journey ahead. But he was confident—more confident than most initiators—and he had the guidance of Maha Zoldyck to back him up.
He knew that mastering Nen in the controlled environment of the manor was only half the battle. The true test would come when he stepped into the ring at Heavens Arena, where every fight was a matter of life and death.
And Kaizen was ready to face it.
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