"You are awesome, Auren!" Gon says after Auren is finally done explaining, the latter having mustered an incredible amount of patience with him. "No wonder you are one of the strongest; you are smart, and you've mastered all of Nen. Also, you can explain things well. This is so complicated, but with you, I'm sure I can do it as well."
"Hehe, Gon, we've just started; these are merely the basics," Auren explains, shocking Gon, whose good mood instantly vanishes.
"We have a lot of time," Auren says. "We'll practice a lot, and I'll explain anything again, Gon... as often as I have to."
"Thank you, Auren!" Gon says, genuinely grateful and relieved. "That was tough; my head is hurting."
"Now let's move on to the Advanced Techniques..." Auren continues, shocking Gon and Leorio to the core.
Noticing their horror, Auren can't help but sigh, immediately reacting, "Okay... we'll save that for later after all."
Dissatisfied, Kurapika and Killua are both about to speak, but Auren doesn't give them the opportunity. "You'll learn together. A day or two doesn't hurt, right? How about we actually get you to open your Aura Nodes now? A question for you: are there any risks?"
"You are asking us?" Leorio wonders.
"I've told you about Life Force and Aura... what are the risks of opening your Aura Nodes?" Auren asks again. "It's important you understand the entire concept and don't just memorize things. Think: what could potentially happen? Think about the second method you won't be using."
"None?" Leorio replies. "We'll get super strong and can do magical things."
"Yeah!" Gon agrees.
"You two..." Kurapika mutters, now genuinely frustrated. "It's our Life Force; if we just open our Aura Nodes and can't control our Aura, which is also our Life Force, it will simply vanish and continuously leak away. It should be obvious that this isn't a good situation. Obviously that's why it's dangerous to have them forcefully opened by someone else."
"Yes... you'll eventually tire out and could even die," Auren confirms Kurapika's theory. "That's why it's risky to forcefully open them. Not only do you lose a lot of sensitivity when it comes to using Nen, but you could also die if you're not talented or lucky."
"Although, to be fully transparent, I've heard even babies learning Ten by instinct alone; Killua, even your brother Milluki succeeded after I guided him a little... though that was a unique method, hehe. It's definitely possible, but the path you'll take is so much better," Auren reassures them. "And the technique that you'll master first is, of course..."
"Ten," Killua finishes his sentence.
"Yes, you keep your Aura from leaking away," Auren explains. "Zetsu could also save you since you stop your Aura from leaking out in the first place. You can also attempt to simply close your Aura Nodes again, letting only a minimal amount drain, like now, which is the default state, but you should be constantly training Ten or Zetsu. Ever since I learned Nen, I've either been using Ten or Zetsu, even when sleeping. The more you use Ten and Zetsu, the stronger your body and your Nen become. Don't neglect the basics. A quick fact: Netero and Killua's great-great-grandfather Maha are both incredibly old, around 120 years or so. Constantly using Ten makes them age at such a slow rate that they can be expected to double their life expectancy. The reason is simple: their Aura barely leaks and constantly surrounds them. That slows down aging to a noticeable degree."
"Wow..." Leorio says. "That's incredible."
"So," Auren summarizes. "Your goal now is to slowly open your Aura Nodes, turning you into a real Nen user. You do this step by step, slowly learning Ten, then Zetsu. If you open them consciously, you'll also learn to close them the same way. To pass Zetsu, you need to close them even more than they already are. As you know, they're just a tiny bit open. We start at a local level, which is easier to control and way less risky."
"To achieve that... I'm now teaching you the last part of my Meditation Technique," Auren says. "Are you ready?"
"YES!" everyone except Leroute, who already knows the gist of it, speaks up.
Explaining the last steps of their breathing and meditation technique, Auren merely needs ten minutes.
"Now... start with just a single body part. I suggest your hand. Perform the technique and intently focus on it; slowly imagine yourself and your Aura being released. The first step is the most difficult one. You need to sense... to perceive your own Aura and your Aura Nodes, or pores in your body, and then open them," Auren gently explains.
Remaining silent as the group meditates, Auren relaxes for a second.
They're talented... but even with all the previous steps, they'll still need a few days to complete this last one.
Maybe a week or two. As kids, we needed around two weeks, while the slow ones needed months, but adults usually learn faster; also, the preparation we've been doing all this time should reduce that time to a minimum. The rice also probably helps, as their Aura is stronger than usual, making it easier to sense it in the first place. They couldn't have an easier time.
Thirty minutes pass, and Auren senses a hint of Aura around Killua's right hand.
No way?!
"That's easy," Killua says suddenly, and as if the rest of his body were infected by a disease, the Aura slowly spreads throughout his body.
The others are shocked as, within just five more minutes, all of Killua's Aura Nodes are now fully open, and he's performing Ten flawlessly.
"I see your Aura, Auren," Killua notes, looking at Auren with a satisfied expression that quickly vanishes. "It's... really smooth... and a lot thicker than my own. It's like... night and day."
"This... shouldn't happen," Auren notes, completely confused. "Even the most prodigious Nen user should need a while longer. Also, how come your Ten is this smooth?!"
"I know how the Aura is supposed to feel... the feeling is quite familiar. It helped me so much these last few weeks, and now I miss it dearly. Having opened my Aura Nodes and feeling my own Aura dulls my desire for it a little," Killua vaguely states. "Once again... I owe you, Auren."
"It..." Auren mutters, repeating his choice of words, grabbing his necklace. "The Faery's Tear."
"I'm not sure if I did you a favor or not, Killua," Auren mutters. "But since the Aura from Faery's Tear is so gentle, I believe you won't lose any sensitivity. Interesting."
"The rest of you, continue. Killua, you as well. Slowly close your Aura Nodes and return them to how they were previously, but go a step further and try to close them completely if you can! Take your time to slowly get used to Ten, and then try using Zetsu." Auren instructs them.
He... is special... he can probably use Zetsu already.
Killua then calmly uses Zetsu, succeeding in one attempt.
"... That's Zetsu," Auren confirms. "But... it looks like your assassin training already allowed you to learn that technique a long time ago. You're heavily advantaged here. As long as you can do that, you're 100% safe, and your Life Force won't get drained away. Continue with your Ten and let the others try in peace for now. Don't be discouraged; usually people need many weeks for this, and despite your preparation, anything under a few days is unnatural."
With Killua continuing to practice Ten and Zetsu, switching every thirty minutes, Auren feels Gon and Kurapika concentrating heavily. After many hours, Auren feels that the Aura surrounding their hands has marginally increased.
A few Aura Nodes opened. Not enough that they can feel it, but they're on the right track. They succeeded on a subconscious level.
Continuing into the night, the group finally stops and returns to their rooms.
The next day, not far from Heaven's Arena, after a large breakfast making up for their lack of meals yesterday, they continue their training under Auren's supervision.
With just a few hours left before their arrival, Auren sees first Gon and then Kurapika, half an hour later, succeed, with almost all the Aura Nodes on their hands open.
"Good... you've both sensed it and opened your first Aura Nodes. Continue. Slowly open the rest throughout your body. Always make sure you can close your Nodes too. Don't rush it!" Auren commands them.
Only Leorio shows no sign of progress. At this rate, he'll need a few weeks....
Like Vanessa, who also needed a bit of time, this doesn't reveal talent. Talent can't be measured by just sensitivity to Aura.
But this ruins my training plan... unless....
His eyes still closed, looking a little eager and pressured by his own lack of results, especially compared to Gon and Kurapika, Leorio is approached by Auren, who takes off his necklace and silently puts it around Leorio's neck.
Leorio's stressed face, slightly sweaty, immediately begins to relax.
Within thirty minutes, Leorio looks like he's in a trance, and much like the others, the first Aura Nodes on his hand open.
Smiling, Auren stares at the Faery's Tear.
It's a treasure... not only for Nen users, but for those aiming to become Nen users as well! It speeds up sensitivity to Aura while calming and relaxing the wearer.
It's a cheat for learning Nen the proper way; no wonder it's addictive. You get the full benefits of the orthodox way almost at the speed of the unorthodox way. Too much might be a bad thing... but this much should be fine.
With notable progress made, around one-fifth of their Aura Nodes awakened, Auren and the others arrive at Heaven's Arena, yet aside from him, no one notices as they're fully focused on their training.
Before the training concludes, Auren sneakily snatches the Faery's Tear from Leorio's neck, the man being none the wiser.
Clapping his hands softly, the group of three rookie Hunters stop meditating and open their eyes. Of course, Killua and Leroute, who have both already opened their Aura Nodes, stop their practice of Ten and Zetsu as well.
"That's it... we'll continue once we're inside... at the very top, to be specific," Auren announces.
While his students slowly walk onto the deck, gazing at Heaven's Arena, the sun shining on it as the colossal tower comes closer and closer, Auren approaches Jolt and Marsha, who have joined him.
"Excuse me, you two... could you maybe stay with us for a while? You two wanted to enjoy the Tower's facilities anyway, right? It's best to park the airship somewhere protected, of course," Auren asks.
"Of course," Jolt says. "Do you need help?"
"Yeah, maybe... I've got a floor that's rented, so it's taken care of, but there is still my Penthouse apartment on the highest floor. Thankfully, it has quite a few rooms, and we can all live there.... As much as I don't want to take advantage of you, Marsha, the rice is too important, and I don't want anyone else touching it, much less cooking with it, so maids are out of the question. We can all help with cleaning, but—"
"Ha, don't worry about it, Auren dear," Marsha says, smiling. "I'll clean a couple of hours every day and cook, and I'll still get to enjoy the facilities. That's nothing for me!"
"I'm truly grateful... you don't know it, but your part is essential. Without your support, things would be much more difficult. You as well, Jolt; I'm truly glad you're supporting me. The day I met you was one of the luckiest in my life."
"You saved our lives when you took us in. Now we are rich, our daughters' future couldn't be brighter, and we get to travel the world; there is absolutely no need to thank us," Jolt says, putting his hand on Auren's shoulder.
"I really appreciate it," Auren says, genuinely happy to have them at his side. "You're already family..."
With a tear in their eyes, both hug him for a second before Auren joins the others on the deck as the airship slowly descends, aiming for the familiar airport close to Heaven's Arena.
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