Ryusei chose to undergo the forced awakening. Menchi wasn't surprised by his resolve; she had seen that spark of determination in his eyes since the moment they met at the second phase of the exam. However, there were critical things she needed to remind Ryusei of before they proceeded with such a volatile method.
"Even if I have no malicious intent, Ryusei, listen carefully," she began, her voice dropping to a serious, cautionary tone. "Choosing to force awakening and trying to master 'Nen' is not without its extreme dangers. It is a gamble with your very life force."
"Once the Nodes in your body are forcibly opened, your Aura will leak out at a much faster rate than it ever has before. It's like opening a dam; if you can't control the flow, you'll drain dry. If you can't master 'Ten' (Envelopment) within a certain timeframe to contain that energy, then due to the rapid loss of 'Aura,' you'll quickly become exhausted to the point of collapse."
She stepped closer, emphasizing each word. "At this point, there's a certain probability that the Nodes will close again as a defense mechanism. If that happens, you won't be able to attempt a forced awakening again for at least a year, as your body needs to recover from the trauma. Furthermore, there's a high probability they won't close on their own, which would then pose a direct risk of death from spiritual and physical depletion. Therefore, after the forced awakening, you need to master 'Ten' as soon as humanly possible. Do you understand the stakes?"
Menchi looked at Ryusei very seriously. While she gave this warning out of duty, she actually harbored a great deal of confidence in Ryusei's potential. The Hunter Exam was designed to filter out everyone but the elite, and those who reached the final stages were the elite of the elite.
They basically all possessed the latent capacity to become Nen users. Given Ryusei's performance and his incredible culinary instincts, she had great faith in him.
Ryusei nodded solemnly at Menchi's reminder. "Understood. I'm ready."
The dangers of forced awakening didn't surprise Ryusei. If it were easy and safe, he reasoned, the world would be crawling with Nen users. The fact that it was a 'secret' art guarded by life-threatening risks made sense to him. What he needed to do now was to awaken his 'Nen' and secure his future.
"Take off your coat and turn your back to me," Menchi commanded, her expression turning professional and sharp.
Ryusei readily took off his coat, revealing his sturdy frame, and stood with his back to her. Menchi walked behind him and extended her hand. Her palm hovered about a fist's distance from his spine. At that moment, Ryusei felt a strange, radiating heat spreading across his back. Although Menchi wasn't touching him physically, he felt a tangible pressure pushing against him, like a magnetic field.
Initially, Menchi was only using her 'Aura' to make contact with Ryusei's dormant energy. She hadn't yet begun the process of rupturing the Nodes. After a brief pause to synchronize her rhythm, Menchi began channeling a sharp, refined burst of her 'Aura' into Ryusei's body.
Ryusei instantly felt as if he were standing inside a roaring furnace. His blood seemed to boil, and his nerves fired with an intensity he had never experienced. Fortunately, Menchi was a master of her craft; she quickly withdrew her hand, and the furnace-like sensation vanished as quickly as it had appeared.
"Now all the Nodes in your body are open," Menchi said, breathing a slight sigh of relief as she watched the sheer volume of 'Aura' beginning to billow out from Ryusei's body like white steam. No accidents occurred; the gates were open, and now the responsibility shifted entirely to Ryusei.
Ryusei looked down at the pale, shimmering gas swirling around his limbs. He was incredibly excited—this was the power he had read about, the power that defined the legends of this world. He was finally about to master 'Nen'.
He remembered the rush of obtaining Gourmet Cells earlier in his journey, but this felt different. Obtaining the cells had been a stroke of luck he hadn't fully anticipated, but he had worked, searched, and prepared for this specific moment with 'Nen'.
"Don't let your mind wander! Quickly control your 'Aura'!" Menchi scolded, snapping him out of his reverie.
Hearing Menchi's sharp voice, Ryusei immediately calmed his racing heart.
"Silently focus on keeping the Aura within your body, then assume a stable stance," Menchi instructed. "Close your eyes and feel the perimeter of your energy."
Following her lead, Ryusei closed his eyes. His body began to relax as he shifted his focus inward.
"Imagine the Aura circulating within your body like blood, but even more fluid," she whispered. "From the top of your head to your right shoulder, through your hands and feet, to your left side.
Then, visualize the flow slowing down, forming a protective shroud. Imagine the Aura floating just above your skin, held in place by your will."
Ryusei began to visualize the shroud. Slowly, the chaotic, leaking energy began to stabilize. The 'Aura' emanating from his body stopped dissipating into the air and began to cling to his skin, forming a steady, glowing translucent layer.
Seeing that Ryusei had completely controlled the flow, Menchi smiled broadly. He had succeeded. And in less than five minutes—his talent was truly remarkable, even by the standards of the most gifted students she had ever seen.
"Now you can slowly open your eyes."
As Ryusei opened his eyes, he raised his hands and marveled at the sight. He could feel the new sensations brought on by this 'Nen'. It was like being submerged in a thin, viscous liquid that was both warm and empowering, or like wearing a suit of weightless, invisible armor. In short, the sensation was incredibly strange yet profoundly right.
"Alright, from now on, you need to maintain the state of 'Ten' continuously," Menchi instructed. "Until 'Ten' becomes an instinctive part of your breathing. Only then can you begin learning 'Zetsu' (Suppression), 'Ren' (Refinement), and 'Hatsu' (Expression)."
Ryusei nodded. Although he felt he should be able to learn 'Zetsu' relatively quickly—since he had already practiced hiding his presence during the fourth phase of the Hunter Exam on Zevil Island—he knew he shouldn't be too ambitious. Mastering the foundation was key.
...
Over the next three days, Ryusei stayed with Menchi and Buhara, learning a great deal about the intricacies of Nen. He was a fast learner; he had already grasped the basics of 'Zetsu,' 'Ren,' and the fundamental concepts of 'Hatsu.' But before his time in this world was up, Ryusei had one more critical thing to confirm: his Nen affinity.
Nen abilities are divided into six major categories: Enhancement, Emission, Transmutation, Manipulation, Conjuration, and Specialization. According to the hexagonal chart of Nen:
One's own system's characteristics can be fully utilized at 100%.
Adjacent systems can be utilized at 80%.
Further systems at 60%, and the opposite at 40%.
Specialization is the outlier, usually only accessible to those born into it or those who undergo a radical change later in life.
Determining his system was vital for his future growth. The method was simple: Water Divination. A glass filled to the brim with water, a leaf floating on top, and the student's hands placed around the glass while projecting their 'Ren'.
Under the watchful eyes of Menchi and Buhara, Ryusei cupped his hands around the glass. He took a deep breath, channeled his inner energy, and activated his Nen.
Then, the unexpected happened.
A portion of the water in the glass simply vanished into thin air, as if it had been erased from existence. Simultaneously, the green leaf on the surface rapidly turned brown, dried out in seconds, and then spontaneously burst into vibrant flames.
"A Specialist, huh!" Menchi observed, her eyebrows shooting up in surprise.
Ryusei observed the changes thoughtfully. He already had a theory. The water's disappearance was likely related to the nature of his storage space—the ability to move matter into a separate dimension.
The burning of the leaf, however, was clearly tied to his existing affinity for controlling flames from his Gourmet Cells. Having two distinct, supernatural phenomena occur at once was a hallmark of the Specialization category.
He smiled. He now had a clear direction for developing his ultimate Nen abilities, merging his culinary skills, his physical mutations, and this new spiritual power into one cohesive force.
Would you like me to help you develop Ryusei's specific Nen Hatsu based on these Specialist results?