Ryusei, along with Gon and the other two, arrived at a courtyard. They encountered Hanzo and Baudelaire, who were saying their goodbyes. Then Ryusei saw Satsuki. Ryusei quickly went over to ask where Menchi was. Satsuki knew Menchi's location and told Ryusei. So Ryusei said goodbye to Satsuki. Ryusei quickly found Menchi and Buhara.
Upon seeing Ryusei, Menchi guessed his purpose. Having already promised Ryusei, Menchi naturally didn't intend to refuse. Furthermore, she had already told Netero about Ryusei. And Netero agreed to let her observe whether Ryusei could become a true Hunter.
She would also teach Ryusei his Nen abilities. However, her observation of Ryusei was clearly unnecessary. Having tasted Ryusei's cooking on the airship, she was already quite satisfied with him. Once Ryusei learned 'Nen,' he would definitely become an excellent Gourmet Hunter.
So, after Ryusei came looking for her, Menchi led him to a room, preparing to begin teaching him about Nen. Buhara also followed, but he only intended to observe Ryusei silently from the sidelines. Standing before a blackboard, Menchi began teaching Ryusei about 'Nen.'
"Nen is the free manipulation of the life energy overflowing from the body, called 'Aura'."
"Everyone has a trace amount of life energy within their body However, it's mostly lost."
"'Nen' is for retaining this life energy within the body."
"And this technique is also called 'Ten' (Envelopment)."
By practicing 'Ten,' one can strengthen the body."
"To possess a longer youth than the average person."
"Then comes 'Zetsu' (Suppression)."
"As the name suggests, it's the technique of severing the flow of 'Aura'."
"It has the effect of eliminating your presence and treating extreme fatigue."
"Next is 'Ren' (Refining)!"
"The technique of generating additional 'Aura' through intense willpower."
Ryusei naturally had some understanding of these basics from his previous knowledge. However, he only had a general impression of the actual mechanics. Therefore, Ryusei listened very attentively to Menchi's explanation.
This also made Menchi explain more attentively, feeling respected as a mentor. After explaining the basics of 'Nen,' Menchi continued her lecture.
"'Aura' is energy emanating from within the human body," she stated firmly. "Therefore, it's even more effective when used on people. Whether for good or bad intentions. If someone is harboring malice and attacking an unsuspecting person, 'Aura' alone is enough to kill.
"There's only one way to survive against a Nen user. That is, to become a Nen user yourself. To defend with 'Ten.' That is, to use your own 'aura' to defend against the enemy's 'aura.' Otherwise, your body will be pulverized piece by piece by the sheer pressure."
As she spoke, Menchi demonstrated her power using a nearby table. She simply placed her hand lightly on the wooden surface. Then she channeled her 'Nen', and the table shattered instantly into splinters. This greatly excited Ryusei. Although he already had some understanding of the offensive power of 'Nen', seeing it in person still filled him with a deep longing for that strength.
What Ryusei yearned for most was 'Nen'. As a rather idealistic and flexible ability, it could be said that as long as one dared to dream and train, 'Nen' was nearly omnipotent. Of course, the prerequisite was that one must have sufficient strength, discipline, or innate potential. Nen is ultimately a human ability derived from one's own soul.
Menchi had no idea that Ryusei was already thinking about the advanced applications of 'Nen.' Otherwise, she would definitely think Ryusei was aiming too high before he could even walk. At this moment, seeing the excitement in Ryusei's eyes, Menchi involuntarily straightened her posture and felt a surge of pride. She explained even more diligently.
"So-called 'Nen' is actually a power hidden within everyone's body," she continued. "But very few people can skillfully wield this power in their daily lives. Therefore, those who do are called geniuses, superhumans, immortals, or supermen"
"They are considered special beings by society. However, the 'Aura' of ordinary people is in a dormant state. Dormancy means that the orifices in your body called 'Nodes' are closed. It is a state that prevents 'Aura' from circulating smoothly and visibly."
"Originally, one should perceive one's 'Aura' through slow methods such as meditation and seated contemplation. Under the condition of experiencing the 'Aura' contained within the body, one gradually opens the Nodes. Let the body slowly awaken to its own potential. In this process, one can gradually learn 'Zen' and master 'Nen.'"
"But this takes a tremendous amount of time. Talented people generally need several months of daily practice. Of course, exceptionally talented people might learn it in a few days. However, some people never awaken it in their entire lives regardless of how hard they try."
At this point, Menchi looked at Ryusei. After all, Ryusei had previously mentioned that he would soon be heading to a special place. Using this traditional, orthodox method, there was no guarantee he would make it in time before his departure.
Ryusei was also considering whether he should try to awaken his own powers through meditation first. However, time was too tight, and the chances of success in such a short window were slim.
"Menchi, tell me another way," Ryusei said, looking at Menchi earnestly.
Of course, Ryusei already knew what the other way was through his meta-knowledge. But since Menchi had already said so much and was in a teaching groove, he wouldn't mind listening a little longer to ensure he didn't miss any vital details. Menchi didn't refuse and continued with a more serious expression.
"Besides this method, there's another way: forced awakening. Forced awakening means injecting my 'aura' into your body all at once to jumpstart your Nodes. Of course, since the goal isn't to destroy your body, I'll be gentle and controlled. But it's still a very brutal method to endure. In short, it's to stimulate you and awaken you through a shock to the system".
"To activate your dormant body and forcibly open the Nodes in your body. To put your body in a state where it's easy to use 'Ten.' However, this method is not the orthodox way; therefore, forced awakening is also called 'external magic' or an initiation. And if used by an inexperienced or malicious person, it can be fatal or leave the recipient permanently crippled."
Of course, Menchi was only warning Ryusei for his own safety. She had no ill intentions towards Ryusei, and her proficiency in 'Nen' as a Single-Star Gourmet Hunter was top-tier. If she were to try to open all of Ryusei's Nodes, there certainly wouldn't be any problems at this step regarding her control.
"Then, please, Menchi, help me forcibly open my Nodes!" Ryusei looked at Menchi very seriously and said.
To be honest, Ryusei didn't think his raw talent was necessarily stronger than Gon's or Killua's. Therefore, while Gon or Killua could probably awaken Nen on their own within a few days, for him, it would likely take at least a week, or even much longer.
Unfortunately, because of the specific constraints of his journey, he only had three days left in the Hunter x Hunter world. Ryusei wasn't confident he could awaken Nen on his own within three days, so the "shortcut" was his only viable path to power.