Author's Note:
What did you guys think of this chapter? I'd really appreciate some feedback on the fight scene, especially how it flowed and felt overall. Let me know what you think of the fic so far as well.If you have any questions, I'll answer them as long as they don't spoil the rest of the story.Also, what do you guys think about adding some adventure elements going forward?
And for the love of god give me some powerstones. I want to break through to the top 200; we have never reached it.
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After finishing his meal—enough to feed ten men—Serik leaned back and patted his stomach, suppressing a satisfied burp.
Jons and Tsubone were already clearing the table. They moved with practiced efficiency, one gathering plates, the other stacking them without a word.
"Where is Illumi?"
Without turning around, Tsubone answered, "Young master, Illumi is training three kilometers from here. He'll return by sundown."
"Hmm. I see."
Serik stood, brushed the crumbs from his pants, and glanced at Jons."I'll be training too. I want to surprise him."
He'll be surprised either way, both of them thought.
Humming a light, carefree tune, Serik walked toward the garden. When he arrived, he closed his eyes and began moving his arms in sync with the melody.
He began to dance.
At first, the ground shifted subtly. Stone and soil rose, forming shapes that felt familiar rather than intentional. Buildings emerged one after another—the mansion where he had been born, the old hunter's hut, fragments of Hunter Association structures. None of them were complete. None of them endured.
Serik's breathing slowed. His humming softened.
But the earth did not know how to stop.
Figures began to take shape.
The first stood with his back turned, head lowered.
His father.
He did not move. Nor did he turn around.
Next came Elaria, her posture rigid, her gaze sharp and venomous, filled with a hatred so dense it seemed to press against the air itself.
Serik's steps faltered for the first time, becoming rigid and forced.
Then another figure formed.
Jons.
He stood exactly as Serik remembered—upright, steady, wearing the same warm, reassuring smile from the day he had lifted him up in front of the mansion gates.
The tension in Serik's shoulders eased.
The dance found its rhythm again.
A fourth presence tried to emerge.
Illumi.
The shape refused to settle. Its outline distorted, its proportions subtly wrong. The earth beneath it cracked and shifted, unable to decide whether to support it or reject it.
Finally, the ground grew still.
One last figure rose, more complete than the others.
His mother.
She stood with her arms open, her expression gentle and inviting—unchanged by time or memory. The warmth surrounding her was undeniable.
Serik's humming softened until it was barely a sound.
He stepped forward.
The figure did not embrace him.
Instead, it dissolved.
Piece by piece, it flowed into him—warmth sinking beneath his skin, settling somewhere deep within his chest. When it was gone, nothing remained where she had stood.
Serik remained motionless, arms wrapped loosely around himself, eyes still closed, his posture relaxed.
Unbeknownst to him, the sun had begun to set.
Its light stretched his shadow across the garden floor.
At the far end of that shadow, an extra shape lingered.
An extra head.
From the edge of the garden, Jons and Tsubone watched in silence. They had seen everything.
"Wonderful," Tsubone murmured as the dance came to an end. She could think of no other word. What she had witnessed felt like the psychological evolution of a person unfolding before her eyes, and it left her genuinely astounded.
Jons, on the other hand, remained outwardly calm, his expression unchanged, as though nothing out of the ordinary had occurred. Internally, however, he felt a quiet pride. If he had to describe it, it was like watching one's child grow up—fully accepting who they were meant to be.
"He has almost fully matured," Tsubone said softly, glancing sideways at Jons. "That might not be a good thing."
"Deciding whether it will be good or bad is too soon," Jons replied evenly. "Who are we to judge the evolution of a person on their own journey?"
"I suppose you're right."
Tsubone turned her gaze toward the setting sun, a small smile forming on her lips.
Young master will be arriving soon, she thought. I wonder how he will react to this.
And as she was thinking of the devil, Illumi arrived without announcement.
Feeling his presence, Serik's eyes opened.
They met Illumi's almost instantly.
Illumi did not move closer. He observed Serik from a distance. The Serik from before and the Serik now were too different. Serik's skin was browner, his eyes more mature. No pride, anger, battlelust, or anything else could be seen. Even his Nen was strange—it looked rough to the eye, yet felt smoother than before. Clearly, something had happened.
"What happened to you?" Illumi asked.
Serik straightened fully. His expression was calm, almost neutral.
"I went on a journey."
Illumi's brows twitched—barely.
That was impossible.
He remembered clearly: Serik encased in a cocoon of earth, unmoving. Where could he have gone while lying in a coma?
Before he could press further, Serik stepped forward.
"Let's fight," Serik said. "Same rules."
Illumi's confusion vanished instantly.
His body responded before his thoughts could catch up. He positioned himself, ready to fight.
"Very well," Illumi replied.
Illumi moved first.
His hand hardened instantly, fingers aligned, arm straightening as he drove forward like a spear aimed directly at Serik's neck.
Serik shifted.
Not backward.
He turned his body just enough for the attack to pass, his forearm guiding Illumi's strike off its intended line.
Moon Hollow.
Illumi's momentum was redirected downward, slipping past Serik's shoulder. In the same motion, Serik stepped in and threw a punch toward Illumi's chest.
Illumi bent.
His body folded unnaturally, spine curving as he allowed the force of the punch to carry him backward. He used the impact to create distance, feet skimming across the ground before he landed lightly several meters away.
He did not pause.
Illumi surged forward again, this time with a punch of his own.
Serik planted his stance.
Emperor Roots.
The moment the blow connected, Serik channeled the force downward. The ground beneath his feet cracked as the energy sank into the earth instead of his body. The ground beneath Illumi shifted violently, tilting just enough to disrupt his balance.
Illumi's footing slipped.
Serik moved instantly.
He drove forward, Nen surging through his arm.
Jade Pulse.
His fist slammed into Illumi's ribs.
Illumi reacted at once, fingers already reaching for a needle. He thrust it forward, aiming to interrupt Serik's attack mid-motion.
The needle pierced Serik's arm.
It did not stop him.
Serik's punch landed fully.
The force sent Illumi flying backward nearly three meters, his body skidding across the ground before he regained control. The needle protruded through Serik's arm, the tip visible on the other side.
Serik's expression did not change.
He reached up, pulled the needle free, and discarded it without looking. His Nen shifted in color, taking on a deeper, earthen brown as the wound closed.
Illumi stared for a second while blood was flowing from his lip to his chin. Then he turned and ran—straight toward the forest where he had been training earlier.
For the first time, Serik's calm expression cracked. His eyes widened slightly, his mouth parting in brief surprise.
It lasted only a second.
Then he moved.
Jons and Tsubone were already running after them. It did not take long for them to reach the forest.
The forest swallowed Illumi whole.
He vanished between the trees, trying to erase his presence.
Zetsu.
Illumi struck from above, then vanished again. From the side. From behind. Each attack came without warning.
Each time, Serik was already turning.
He moved with certainty, knowing exactly where Illumi would appear.
Again.
And again.
Illumi's strikes failed to land cleanly. Serik blocked or redirected every attack. Illumi did not know how he was doing it.
Illumi stopped moving.
From the shadows, he raised his hand and pointed.
From between the trees emerged animals—eyes dull, movements unnatural. Foxes slinked forward, two needles embedded in their heads. Squirrels dropped from branches, their small bodies pierced by needles. A boar stepped into view, muscles tense, needles lining its forehead. Behind them, a bear rose slowly, its massive frame studded with countless needles.
Each creature carried a different number.
Each one under Illumi's control.
Serik looked at them once.
He understood immediately.
"It seems I was not the only one who grew."