A week later.
I don't quite remember how it all came to this…
Not long ago, we landed at the Swardani City's Airport and were now driving in a limousine toward the Hunter Association Headquarters.
The limo's rear seats faced each other.
On one side, in the middle, sat me — still struggling with progressing forgetfulness and scattered thoughts — while at both ends near the doors were Ponzu and Bodoro, radiating nervous anticipation.
Opposite us on the long seat sprawled the old man himself, munching noisily on cookies from a crinkly bag while casually watching us.
"I still don't get it, Master. Why are we heading to the Association's HQ for the secret phase of the Hunter Exam?"
"I already explained when we made the deal, but fine, I'll repeat it. Did you really think we'd be heading into some jungle depths or the Heavens Arena while you're in this state?"
"I did—uh, I mean, no!"
Realizing that I had spoken without thinking, I did the same, denying it.
"Mm-hmm, incredibly honest — even when lying. Let that be a lesson to you."
"I regret nothing."
I smiled, and he mirrored the gesture — stuffing another cookie into his mouth.
"I have a question about Nen."
He neither agreed nor objected, so I went on.
"What do you know about Nen?"
"Nen is the ability to use and manipulate life energy, also known as aura.
Though, over time, those two terms have become synonymous — just like how the Gyo technique has become associated purely with concentrating aura in the eyes.
Anything else?"
Finishing his cookie, he asked while lazily picking his nose with his pinky.
Glancing around, I noticed Ponzu's face twist in disgust, while Bodoro tried to stay composed — though his twitching eye betrayed him.
"Sorry, I guess I didn't phrase it right. I meant — what do you think about Nen overall?"
I raised my palms apologetically, then asked again, genuinely curious about his opinion.
"Nen overall, huh? That's not an easy one…"
He began stroking his beard thoughtfully, flicking away the little booger he'd just excavated, then looked up at the limo's ceiling.
I didn't rush him — and apparently, my friends were intrigued too.
Both of them had already started opening their aura nodes recently.
"To start with, I don't deify aura.
I don't see it as some divine being or a mindless cosmic essence.
To me, it's closer to a concept than just a form of energy."
Hearing that, I touched my chin thoughtfully, my eyes wandering toward the small coffee table between us.
"Then… would you mind sharing a bit more of your thoughts on Nen, after I tell you about my situation?"
I began recounting my experience — my "death," and how I seemingly returned to the past.
Their reactions varied: genuine surprise from the old man, and pure concern from my friends.
"I'm not convinced that it was an actual time travel." He said after a pause.
"It sounds more like a form of Precognition. Although I can't say that your version is impossible…."
"What if it is possible?"
I interrupted, eyes locked on him, both anxious and curious.
"I see where you're going with this. You want to know about the limits of aura — and its influence."
"Sorry to interrupt, Chairman. We've arrived." Suddenly female voice came from outside of the car.
"I see, thank you. Well then, let's continue this talk later — if you'll still remember it."
Huh… we already stopped? That was such a smooth ride.(Already forgot…)
"Um, Chairman Netero…"
"Yes?"
I turned to Ponzu with interest — she had been the one to speak up.
"Could you please explain why we're here?
Mousse asked us to accompany him without giving any details, so we thought he still wasn't feeling well.
We didn't even know you'd be here — or that you'd become his teacher."
Standing by the door, Netero nodded in understanding.
"Well, it's simple.
When I offered to be Mousse's guide into the world of Nen, he refused at first.
But then he changed his mind and agreed — on a few conditions.
You two happen to be part of one of those conditions."
"I see. Thank you for explaining."
"No problem, it wasn't any trouble."
Ponzu rested her chin on her hand, glancing at Bodoro.
I don't know what condition involved us, but it's obvious he did it to help us.
Seeing her look, Bodoro gave a knowing nod — clearly on the same page.
Meanwhile, I was… occupied.
Wow, these interior lights are color-changing…
I was cycling through the limo's lighting settings, despite it being broad daylight.
"All right, kiddos, out you go. Follow me."
The limo door slid open, revealing a woman in a business suit — and beyond her, the grand entrance of the Hunter Association Headquarters.
"Oh, we're here already?"
"…(x2)"
"I think the first thing we should do is get you checked by a healer."
Inside, it looked like any major corporation — sleek and imposing.
Heading toward the staff area, we passed through turnstiles that opened by scanning our Hunter Licenses.
But for the lazy ones, like Chairman Netero, it was possible to imbue the license with aura and the system would remember it, automatically opening by scanning leaking aura.
Now that I think about it…
I haven't seen a single normal staff member.
Every one of them can use Nen.
Even with my fried brain — which felt like it had ten times fewer convolutions than normal — I could still reasonably thinking time to time.
But that lack of focus, like ADHD turned up to eleven, was driving me crazy since I couldn't fix it yet.
Damn it, I'm off-topic again.
Okay, think about Association staff… about staff...
That means these Pro Hunters come here to work, like employees in an office.
What were they called again? Temp Hunters? Yeah, from "temporary workers", if I'm not wrong.
I'm sure they're all expert-level Nen users — yet they're stuck doing paperwork, just like me in my previous life.
I'm trully can't understand them…
In the elevator, I got distracted again, staring at the ascending floor numbers.
We stopped on the 7th floor — bustling and alive with activity.
As we walked down the corridors, Netero nodded to everyone passing by, some even coming out to greet him personally.
Eventually, we reached a striking white steel door that looked more like a vault than an entrance.
Blinking, I stared at the old man.
"Ho-ho, did you really think everything up to now was just ordinary?
We're in the Hunter Association, after all.
Wouldn't it be stranger if our medical wing looked like a regular clinic?"
I, caught off guard, accidentally said in my mind both "yes" and "no" at once.
But when he added that there were, in fact, regular medical rooms on every floor, I relaxed — quietly feeling vindicated.
Approaching a terminal, he entered a code and scanned his retina.
The gates, just like in the movies, slowly began to open with a sound like someone releasing gas from high-pressure cylinders.
Maybe they'll finally be able to fix me.
Objectively knowing I've gotten dumber than usual is killing my self-esteem — and patience.
My distraction keeps me from maintaining Ten even a little bit, and I can barely hold Zetsu state from time to time.
Now this is what I call a lesson — consequence harsher than the price itself.
"I want a strawberry-vanilla-chocolate ice cream from the vending machine…"
"Oh, I feel you!.. I'd kill for a mint-pistachio ice cream right now!"
A bright, cheerful voice rang out behind us.
Turning around, we saw a smiling blond man with medium-length hair, dressed in a stylish suit that somehow reminded me of a dragon fruit.
What?! When did he—?
Ponzu and Bodoro turned around at the same time, eyes wide in shock and confusion.
They hadn't heard a single footstep.
Even though they'd only recently begun their Nen training, their senses were already sharp enough to perceive nearby auras.
As for me…
Right now, I was genuinely thinking only about ice cream...