Chapter 6: 5.5
TL: It's a full chapter I'm too lazy to change the numbers for all the following chapters.
Machi was silent.
She had mentioned before how precious food was in Meteor City. But understanding how precious and actually considering the risk of selling such food were two very different things.
She didn't want to face the dangerous reality that selling such food would bring.
Even so, her eyes lingered on the dessert in her hands, a faint glimmer in them that gave Morin an odd feeling.
"She's not... actually calculating how much money she could make, is she?"
Then again, it made sense. Machi seemed to have a thing for money. Otherwise, why would she stick around the Heavens Arena and run a stitching business on the side?
Even her "comrade" Hisoka wasn't spared—a right hand cost fifty million, and a left twenty million to stitch up.
"Seventy million, just like that. It's way faster than robbing a bank."
"Now that I think about it, female characters in manga seem to love money—Machi, Nami from One Piece, Android 18 from Dragon Ball..."
While Machi quietly considered the value of her dessert, Morin's mind wandered off.
Soon enough, they finished their after-meal treats, and Morin placed a glass of water with a floating leaf in front of himself.
"Alright, time to see what my Nen category is."
Machi watched from the side as Morin reached for the glass.
This was the Water Divination Test, a method created by the Shingen-ryu School of Kung Fu to determine one's Nen affinity.
The process involved filling a glass with water, placing a leaf on top, and channeling one's Nen around the glass.
The reaction would indicate one's Nen category, which could be one of six:
Enhancement: The water's volume increases, causing it to overflow.
Transmutation: The water's taste changes.
Emission: The water changes color.
Manipulation: The leaf on the water moves.
Conjuration: Crystalline structures or other materials appear in the water.
Specialization: Any reaction that doesn't fit the first five categories falls here.
For example, Neferpitou's Water Divination caused the leaf to wither, marking her as a Specialist.
Morin was eager to see which category he belonged to.
"It's probably Conjuration, right?"
With his pocket dimension and the ability to pull items out of thin air, it seemed to align with Conjuration.
Thinking this, Morin activated his Nen around the glass.
Machi observed quietly, asking no questions.
This was only the second day since Morin had appeared in her life, and he had already given her so many surprises.
Who exactly was this boy?
As she pondered this, her gaze remained fixed on his hands.
Soon, under their joint scrutiny, crystalline structures began forming in the water.
"Conjuration, huh?"
Morin wasn't surprised. It made sense with his abilities.
But just as he was about to withdraw his aura—
"Hm?"
To his surprise, the crystalline formations didn't stop appearing.
Under the continued influence of his Nen, more and more crystals materialized, their size and volume increasing rapidly.
Finally—
CRACK!
With a loud noise, the glass shattered under the overwhelming growth of crystals, scattering shards everywhere.
"What... just happened?"
Morin was stunned.
From what he knew, Conjurers didn't manifest crystals in such large amounts or sizes.
When Kurapika did the Water Divination, his crystals were small and manageable—nothing like this.
"So, at first, it behaved like Conjuration... But the overwhelming growth and eventual shattering seem... unique.
"That leans toward Specialization. But..."
Morin scratched his head. "I'm showing traits of both Conjuration and Specialization. What's going on?"
"Am I a Conjurer? Or a Specialist?"
While Morin was preoccupied with his identity crisis, Machi sat quietly, processing what had just happened.
Who was this boy? Why did such a simple action—just placing his hands near a glass—cause such an extraordinary reaction?
Of course, her worldview had already been shaken when Morin first pulled out the Gourmet Tablecloth. This was just another layer of disbelief.
She looked at Morin, her expression complex.
At first, he had seemed like just another boy she had picked out of the trash on a whim.
But now, it felt like they were from completely different worlds.
"What's wrong?"
Noticing her expression, Morin laughed as he cleaned up the mess.
"Were you scared by what happened?"
As he worked, he suddenly smiled mischievously.
"Want to know why that happened?"
He tossed the Gourmet Tablecloth into the air, catching it deftly with one hand as he teased her.
Machi didn't respond, but the faint glimmer in her eyes betrayed her curiosity.
"This? It's actually pretty simple."
Morin performed another sleight of hand, making the tablecloth disappear and reappear effortlessly.
Machi—well, she was almost immune to his antics by now.
"This is because of Nen," Morin said with a grin.
"Nen?"
Machi repeated the unfamiliar term, turning it over in her mind.
"Exactly."
Morin nodded.
Technically, teaching Nen to outsiders was forbidden, as it could disrupt the world's balance. But Machi was destined to learn it eventually and even develop her own Nen ability, Nen Stitches.
Besides, Morin had no plans to leave Machi's home anytime soon. Staying in Meteor City without a proper grasp of its rules or a safe place to live was too risky.
And... well, leaving Machi wasn't exactly an option.
If he was going to be here, it was better to be honest and build trust.
"Alright, listen closely. Nen is—"
Just as he began explaining, a loud BANG echoed through the room.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
The old door rattled under heavy pounding.
Machi's expression turned cold instantly.
Her hands moved with practiced precision, pulling out a fine thread laced with a subtle gleam—a weapon that radiated quiet menace even in daylight.
Morin tensed, ready to act if things went south.
If the opponent turned out to be someone even he couldn't handle, Morin had already decided—he'd just whip out the Gourmet Tablecloth and summon a hundred cans of pickled fish!
Both of them remained tense and alert, their focus sharp.
Suddenly, a rough male voice boomed from outside the door:
"Hey! Machi! You in there?!"
Hearing the voice, Machi's cold, sharp gaze softened instantly.
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