Chapter 384

"If you want to fight Tsukutek, you should also know about 'Nen'."

Let's continue with the topic of interest. Nen is a technique that allows one to do various things, such as achieving physical abilities that transcend common sense, acquiring special powers, and causing supernatural phenomena by using something called Life Energy. I thought Velvet would surely teach me, but she said it was too much trouble and threw the explanation to Blade.

Come to think of it, Hanmok and Peggio, who I fought, were also cautious. For someone like me who saw that power with my own eyes, I am more convinced than questioning this mysterious power.

Nen is a technique that anyone can use. Everyone has different processing abilities, but if you follow the steps and dedicate yourself to training, you can expect good results. However, knowledge about Nen is generally not known to society.

Nen sometimes draws out power that humans cannot control. If you handle it with only an immature consciousness, you don't know what kind of danger might happen. Therefore, it is required that personnel with appropriate qualifications be in charge of guidance. This seems to be a technique that is usually kept secret.

"In this regard, all Professional Hunters, except for beginners, are Nen users."

Blindly teaching ordinary people about the existence of Nen is considered a taboo. It seems that whether or not that person is worth knowing depends largely on the judgment of the instructor.

This time, there was a criminal named Tsukutek who had the potential to be killed by the enemy, and in my case, I had already mastered the first hurdle necessary to use Nen, "releasing Aura." This is what I was able to do. Learn. Apparently, I am now in a state of half-memory, and I was told that I should rather acquire the correct knowledge.

Noah Heliodor also seems to have participated in the lecture. He is a normal person and has not yet awakened his Nen, but it is said that his Aura is about to open.

"In order for the Life Energy accumulated in the body to be able to function, it is first necessary to release an energy channel called Aura. Or, there are two ways to learn."

The latter is my case. I finally managed to help out, but after being attacked by Hanmok, I immediately saw this Life Energy. In this way, it is said that sometimes one is awakened because of being attacked by a malicious Nen user. Most of them end up being killed there.

On the other hand, it is said that Noah opened his Aura immediately through Meditation. It usually takes months to years, but Noah is a top Bar in the ITU and is very talented.

Talented people with extraordinary gifts, such as athletes, artists, and scientists, often devote themselves to work and research to fulfill their missions. It is said that the work itself has an effect similar to Meditation opening the Aura. Therefore, it seems that some people can acquire Nen on their own without anyone else's teaching.

The same is true for Noah, who seems to have been close to the point of having his Aura hit by the killing intent released by Tsukutek. This person himself seems to be a bit skeptical, but he believed it from Blade! That said, I am currently sitting in Zazen and meditating.

"The basics to be determined are the 'Four Major Principles': 'Ten', 'Zetsu', 'Ren', and 'Hatsu'."

Life Energy is the source of the power generated within everyone's body, but in order to use it consciously, it must be drawn out from the body through the Aura. It is not just pulling it out, but keeping the energy clinging to the body surface. This technique is called "Matoi".

It seems that those who have opened their Aura will learn it naturally. Or rather, if I don't remember, my energy will leak more and more, and I will be exhausted. That is to say, I am already using "Matoi". However, Blade said that this is nothing more than an unconscious physiological reaction, and the martial art "Matoi" is different.

Looking back, I felt the Aura that Blade wrapped around his body was tightly wrapped. In contrast, my coat was unevenly shaded, with holes everywhere, allowing a small amount of Aura to leak out.

As a test, I tried to imitate Blade's coat and tried to get close to it. When I followed his Suggestion and circulated the Aura with the image of blood circulating throughout my body, the precision of the coat improved unexpectedly. I felt

"Oh, quite a good Matoi! The basis of Beginner training is this 'coat' Matoi. However, this only has the minimum defense against Nen, so you cannot be overconfident. It will disappear, but if you take a direct hit with Aura, it can be easily broken through."

If you let your guard down, this coat will return to its previous plain state. This does not seem to be an easy technique to master. Just like martial arts, it is a technique refined through daily Training.

"Matoi" is the first stage of the Four Major Principles, and the next "Zetsu" is said to be a technique to block the flow of Aura outside the body by conversely closing the aura nodes and hiding one's presence. Hearing this, I thought of the "indifference mode" I usually use. Perhaps this is the ultimate technique.

"What, you can use Zetsu!? Of course, you seem to have released a video closely related to the ecology of wild animals, but... animals living in nature also acquire skills close to Zetsu, as well as techniques to hide them. It is possible that you naturally learned Zetsu in such an environment."

Velvet said with a faint sarcasm: "As expected of a wild child, it's different." Although this Zetsu is convenient for hiding oneself, it seems to have the disadvantage of having almost zero resistance to Nen attacks. In addition, I also learned various useful information, such as being able to see through the application skill "Finger".

"After 'Ten' and 'Zetsu', the next 'Ren' is... as expected, this is not a technique that a layman can suddenly succeed in."

"Ren" is the opposite of "Zetsu", a technique to quickly increase Aura output and gain explosive power. It is said that the ITU Bar, including Tsukutek, who is emitting a powerful Aura all over, is in a state of using Ren. To be precise, it is a technique called "Ken", which uses the power drawn through Training to strengthen the coat and increase its defense.

In front of an attack using Ren, the defense of just a coat is equal to nothing. In other words, if you cannot actually practice it, you cannot even stand on the same ring. If possible, I hope to be able to use it.

This is a trial. Like Matoi, I rely on the memory I just saw to see if I can do the Ren that everyone else is using. Even so, this is an attempt that relies entirely on the senses. Increase output... now, imagine a light bulb, the light will become brighter... just like this!

The Aura gushed out from my body like steam. However, it was not stable at all. It swirled and dispersed like a turbulent airflow. Moreover, severe pain came from his whole body. Especially the hands and feet were in severe pain, and the symptoms were like muscles being torn. I couldn't concentrate, and Ren was solved all at once.

As Blade said, this is harder than you think. Instead of powering up, I was damaged. Muscle pain can be treated immediately by repairing the body, but at this stage, I realized that this is not a technique that can be used in actual combat.

"What is that, the Aura manifested like that monster is..."

"Hmm, muscle muscle! Is Rokkon an Enhancer?!"

Blade praised me with words, but I felt that both he and Velvet were trembling as they watched me. I also asked about the whole body pain, but usually even a Beginner would not experience this abnormality just by practicing. Is the control level lower than the average Beginner?

It is said that if you are immature in handling Aura, Ren will lack the flexibility of the mind, and Ren will have an adverse effect on your Nen growth. Blade said that you should master Matoi first, and then devote yourself to Training.

"Well, in this emergency, I can't say that, so if you feel it's dangerous, please use it. Even an attack that can kill you can avoid fatal damage."

As Velvet said, more options are welcome in an emergency. Let's be conscious so that we can use it quickly.

And the last technique of the Four Major Principles, "Hatsu". The techniques I have learned so far can be used by anyone with a Nen Ability, but it is said that what everyone can do is completely different. In short, this is a special move only for that person. Moreover, it is said that this technique can be thought of and made by oneself.

"I want to tell you, Matoi, you should never try to create an Explosion. After thoroughly mastering Matoi, Zetsu, and Training, you need to understand your own characteristics and fighting style to create good abilities. And it cannot be undone later."

It seems that multiple Hatsu can be created according to talent, but it is said that there are many cases where everyone has only one ability. In other words, an ability that cannot be used cannot be undone once it is created.

After accumulating Training, I was told to think and decide under the guidance of a proper teacher. Nevertheless, the reason why I am explaining it here is because I must know the information about which Fire the enemy uses.

There are six origin systems. They are called Enhancer, Emitter, Manipulation System, Attribute System, Materialization System, and Transformation System. Everyone is good at one lineage, and abilities are usually created based on that characteristic. This is why you cannot freely learn any ability.

Learn the characteristics of each lineage from Blade. Among them, when it comes to the Manipulation System, I thought of something. The Manipulation System is said to be good at manipulating matter and living things at will. Humans are also included in the objects to be manipulated.

Perhaps, Pommerni is being manipulated by the Manipulator ability. His behavior is clearly different from usual. However, if he is being manipulated, it makes sense. No, I can only think so.

"Yes, it is possible. Or it is also possible that the person we imagined for Pommerni is just his acting, and what he is revealing now is exactly his true nature."

He immediately denied this. However, Velvet denied my words.

"What evidence do you have to say that? How much do you know about the Pommerni family? What you believe is up to you, but you should also learn to doubt it. At least, if you assume that whoever betrayed you, you won't be sad."

In other words, doubt everyone. I thought she was saying, don't trust anyone but yourself.

There are 30 minutes left until the start of the match, and the stadium is crowded. This is because many spectators are gathered under the central stage. Cheru and Tokunosuke are also in the crowd.

"I'm sorry, but I have a bad premonition."

"I should have brought stomach medicine..."

Most importantly, the trouble ruined the perfect opportunity for the first meeting with a girl considered a Disaster. Far from being cloudy, the two only felt that the situation had turned into a commotion of heavy rain, Wind, and thunder.

Most of the people waiting for the match to start had their eyes focused on the stage. It is natural that the main characters of the game are there. However, there is also some frustration in the gathered curiosity.

It's no wonder, the match is about to start in 30 minutes, but the players are just chatting, ignoring the crowd. It doesn't feel like a fight. The microphone that picks up the sound on the stage may have been turned off, so I can't hear what they are saying. Fans who support them can only wait.

The electronic bulletin board in the stadium shows the names of the children and the total number of their respective teams. The names of some dropouts are not displayed.

JackHigh (Red Team: 31 players)

BladeMax (Yellow Team: 972)

JJJ Simon (Blue Team: 7 people)

NoahHeliodor (Green Team: 319)

Quick Answer Bat (Black Team: 2 people)

Galaxy Grandfather (Tea Group: 147 people)

TsukuTech (Orange Team: 181 people)

VelvetAlect (Purple Team: 2)

Six People (Silver Team: 4 people)

It can be seen that the number of team members is extremely skewed. The main reason for this is likely the prize money in the game. All winning teams will receive 1,000,000 Jenny. Everyone wants to ride the winning horse. Even if there is a child who always supports the most, there are many people who switched to other players because they wanted the money.

Furthermore, since the total number of participants for each team is displayed in real-time on the electronic bulletin board, teams with a large number of participants attract even more people.

The most popular one is the Hunter-type Blade. After all, he is a Professional Hunter. Everyone knows the difficulty of the qualification exam, and it can be said that his strong point is origami. Coupled with their reasonable personality, nearly half of the participants gathered together.

The second is the idol Noah. There are countless enthusiastic female fans who are not swayed by money, and most of them are probably teams composed of women.

The third is the TsukuTech I tried to make. Judging from his usual data, he does not seem to be a very promising player, but the reason he can still gather a crowd is because his ability to quickly kill a child before the game started was evaluated. Even an ordinary person who has not fully awakened can feel the majesty of a strong person from the deterrence he releases.

The fourth is the grandfather of the Nen system, Ging. Although his popularity is not as good as the three above, it can be said that he played well because so many people who are not good at fighting gathered around him. There are so many followers of his Divination.

As for the remaining members, the number of teams is not different enough to be counted. The total number of all people shown is less than 2,000, but it seems that these are people who have not yet worn the distributed Wristbands.

In fact, not everyone displayed on the screen really wants to participate in the game. There are certainly many people in this situation who cannot keep up with the situation for the time being.

Somewhere in the hearts of the people who are making a fuss about this game, there is a feeling of suspicion. However, I cannot put my anxiety behind me. I asked the staff, and they didn't know either. A big reason why many people stay in this Venue might be "because everyone is here."

If it wasn't a surprise party planned by Pommerni, what is this? When this possibility is denied, the Venue will change from rejoicing to roaring and screaming. No one wants that. So for now, I still try to believe that this is just a game.

The game has started and the Anesthesia Gun has been unlocked, but there has been no gunfight yet. Even in the enemy team, there are people chatting normally. This attitude tells the audience the stance on the game.

No matter how big the bounty is, people will hesitate to Shoot people with an Anesthesia Gun. At least until the first shot is fired.

On the surface, it looks like there is no trouble yet, but there are probably people everywhere venting their dissatisfaction. It is only a matter of time before these negative emotions spread to the whole.

Many people seem to be enjoying this event, but this happiness is built on an unstable balance that could collapse at any time. In any case, once the game starts, there is no turning back.

In the mysterious atmosphere where pleasure and tension coexist, a Wristband emitting a silver light shines on Cher's right wrist.

"How often do you wear this kind of suspicious thing?"

"You said you were fine!"

Of course, I was suspicious at first and didn't consider wearing it immediately. However, Toku, who is familiar with mechanical systems and qualified to handle and dismantle explosives, checked every corner and judged that there was no danger.

As explained in the explanation, the device inside is just a reader that reads vital signs such as pulse and a transmitter for notifying location information. This transmitter can transmit signals via infrasound and can be used even in the presence of radio interference at short distances. Normally, there is no need to install a transmitter with such special specifications, so this radio interference is likely installed intentionally.

But other than that, there is nothing particularly suspicious. It doesn't look like there are any ideas. It's just a Wristband that can be put on and taken off. By the way, if you put it on and leave without choosing a color, it seems that one of the colors will be forcibly determined by Roulette. After the color is determined, the light flashes, making it easy to distinguish teams, but it is annoying.

"That's right, Mr. Shuji! If you are also a member of the 'Six Bodyguards', then you have the proof of silver light in your hand! I don't want to raise my shining fist to the sky. Shi!?"

"Same logic."

"Don't you feel ashamed to meet in such a large Venue? Don't be shy."

The three people who interrupted Cher and Toku were just ordinary customers, having nothing to do with the mission of deciding the Fate of the world. They are three of the four members of the Six Silver Team displayed on the electronic bulletin board (the remaining one is Cher).

Chibi-Iwa, the chubby Peppa, and the tall Caesar. All three are equipped with Six-chan merchandise they made by hand. Six-chan fans, Six-chan happi coats, and homemade Six-chan figures hanging around their necks. If there is one thing the three of them have in common, it is that for some reason, they are all wearing dog-ear headbands.

Admittedly, they are a race that one would absolutely not want to get involved with usually, but they were led by a silver light and eventually met in one place. Like insects gathering under the light that attracts moths. Cher doesn't quite understand their mood, but he was able to sympathize with their love for Six. They hit it off with a magical balance and decided to work together. I thought Toku would give me a break.

Cher and Toku are both temporarily infiltrating the Six-fan setting, so if they act with other fans, it is a disguise. If the game starts from now on, they will sooner or later become the same team. If something happens, prioritize the mission. Cher also knows that phrase.

By the way, their real names cannot be revealed, so Toku calls himself Shuji, and Cher calls himself Arthur. These are the names of the characters imitated by the cosplay costumes they are wearing, which the trio uses for cosplay.

That is why the five members of the Silver Team are anxiously waiting for the players on the stage to move, but they cannot see any progress. It doesn't seem like it will turn into a fight, so I wasn't too worried, but I was worried that it would stay the same.

Due to the sudden situation, most of the children are novice Nen users, so this game has become a matchup between novice Nen users and novice Nen users. To be clear, for hundreds of civilians holding Anesthesia Guns like the ones Blade has, there is nothing you can do.

Needless to say, the focus is on observing the trends of other children, ahead of the crowd of ordinary people. Conversely, the children may think that they do not want the audience to perform poorly and make a fuss. At the very least, it feels like the players remaining on the stage are trying to finish things peacefully.

However, this is not convenient for Cher and the others. Although there is a chance to naturally approach Six, if he stays outside the mosquito net and does not move, his mission will be hindered.

"Okay, change strategy."

"Eh!? Seriously!? But the game hasn't started yet, wait a little longer..."

"Is this the extent of your Six-love!?"

The silver team squeezed through the crowd and moved forward. The closer to the front row, the more crowded it is, but there is a line that breaks the pedestrian flow. It is not separated by things like road barriers, but no one in the crowded crowd tried to cross this line and step forward.

This is a well-thought-out effect. It is not a special ability, just killing intent. Its intensity is not enough to make people feel dangerous, but somehow it creates an atmosphere that makes you avoid stepping on it. Velvet is doing this.

Using killing intent as thin as an exorcism Barrier is amazing, but if the opponent is a Nen user, that is not an Obstacle at all. Following Cher and Toku onto the stage, the three ordinary fans were scared out of their wits and accompanied them. Currently, Cher has created a small "Quan" to protect the three from intimidation.

"Who are you?"

Naturally, the eyes of the children on the stage suddenly focused on this sudden visitor. Looking at the aura flowing around Cher and Toku, I can tell they are Nen users.

"You bastards... A-Formation!"

"Yes, more ice!"

Velvet and Blade bit the bullet as if they were going to start a war without question, but the five people's actions were in a sense beyond their expectations. Each of them posed and introduced themselves like a hero squadron in a special effects show, and raised their shining silver Wristbands.

"We are Six-chan's Bodyguards!"

Looking at the scene in front of him, various emotions flowed in his eyes. Blade was confused. Velvet's eyes seemed to say, "Oh, these guys are idiots." Toku stepped back, looking like a bystander.

And although Six's expression did not change much, he seemed to be timidly approaching the Silver Team. When the plan went as planned, Cher gloated inwardly. With this momentum, he soon approached Six as a fan and immediately became friends. There must be some questions about why two Nen users are mixed in, but I intend to cover it up with momentum.

"Six-kun, don't be fooled."

However, Blade put his hand on Six's shoulder, stopping him.

"It's useless to hide your identity and get closer. Cher Hass and Amamiya Tokunosuke, we have already grasped the news that you are agents of Sahelta, USA."

This time it was Cher's turn to be surprised. Where did the information leak to?

"I didn't expect you to pretend to be a fan and approach me from the front."

"From now on, be careful when you speak."

Cher released a daunting power. There was a weight, disproportionate to the bloodlust that TsukuTech bathed in earlier. Blade gasped.

Their lives have different premises. Cher is a human raised by the military from a young age, as a tool for battle. As a soldier, the end of all her goals is to complete the assigned mission, and for this, she has exercised her body and honed her skills.

No matter how talented the top I-Tubers are, the number and density of the places they have stepped on are completely different.

"Who did you hear the story from?"

Cher's aura told me he would not tolerate lies. Even Blade, who had accumulated achievements and activities worthy of the name as a Professional Hunter, was speechless in the face of the intimidation from one who had returned from the Dark Continent. The difference in ability was obvious. However, Blade was prepared to die and stepped forward to protect Six.

"I am a Scenery Hunter, Blade Mike. With the pride of a Hunter, I will not yield to evil."

Saying this, he threw a card. It was not an attack. It was a Hunter License card thrown in front of Cher.

Those who pass the Hunter Exam receive a License card. This card contains various anti-counterfeiting technologies, and it is said that if sold, the card's value is enough to sustain seven generations. Losing the card does not mean the Hunter qualification is revoked, but the card is never reissued, and as a Hunter, one would be branded a second-class Hunter.

Singing of a Hunter's pride while throwing away the evidence. At first glance, it seemed contradictory, but Blade, who made this move, did so without hesitation.

In other words, his pride as a Hunter did not lie in his license. It had nothing to do with money or the reputation you gain from others. It was a declaration sworn based on personal will and conviction. Even if killed, he would not speak.

"Certainly."

Cher's killing intent subsided.

"I was indeed trying to hide my identity. It was my lack of sincerity."

There was another Six-eyes here. I decided not to show any overbearing attitude anymore. However, an apology alone could not eliminate the distrust Cher and the others felt. And admitting fault here was equivalent to exposing my own identity. Eventually, Six would find out, but that was a plan to be discussed after building a relationship of trust.

"Hmm, is it an intelligence agent from Saherta? That was aimed at Six. Why? Is this information credible in the first place?"

"Due to confidentiality obligations, I cannot say."

Hearing the conversation between Velvet and Blade, Cher and the others became increasingly puzzled. The Licensing Office was the most likely source of information. It was hard to believe that anyone other than the licensing authority possessed such detailed information. However, in this case, the licensing authority would have sent a request to the Hunter Association.

The existence of Six was a secret that must never be revealed to the licensing authority. If direct labor was not used and searching and contacting were outsourced, the risk was too great. The licensing authority and the Hunter Association were major clients, but they remained independent entities.

Of course, at the offline meeting gathered at the ITU Bar, if you made a request to Blade, who was invited along with Six, you could expect a smooth conversation. However, considering the various risks of failure, I did not think this was a very feasible measure.

But in reality, the enemy had already gotten ahead of the game with his crazy ideas. Even with the sabotage of the licensing authority, Cher and the others, who were originally estimated to be operating behind the scenes, were brilliantly thwarted.

The question was how much information about Quinn had been disclosed to Blade. The more information you reveal, the greater the risk of a serious information leak; conversely, if you encounter a Disaster without knowing it, you never know what kind of wrath you will face. The motive for this gamble could not be guessed.

"Then, assuming Blade's story is true. Now I ask, agent, what is your purpose?"

"Communication, conversation, and protection of Six. I swear I will not threaten you."

"Believe me?"

Blade's testimony put Chell in a complete bind. It was difficult to gain credibility by lining up lame excuses here.

"Therefore, I would like to make a Suggestion: if you admit you were at fault, you should show a corresponding attitude and action. We hope to end this game with an uncertain future; please cooperate with us."

Velvet asked me to go hunt Tsukutek. The reason was the end of this abnormal situation, but in short, it was equivalent to saying you should get rid of all troubles and eliminate other risk factors.

"Ah, right. You probably don't want your precious princess involved in the battle between I-Tubers, so please continue to defeat all the children except Tsukutek. Of course, this is a game, so please don't say 'the dead'. You can't say no, right?"

Velvet stroked Six's head and smiled faintly. Six shook off the hand.

Velvet knew that Six was an important person to Cher and the others and tried to use that in the game. On one hand, they might have the intention of saving stamina, and on the other, it was to force Cher and the others to fight multiple Nen-users in succession, leaving them slightly exhausted. However, she also did not want to turn Saherta into an enemy.

Earlier, most of Cher's bloodlust was directed at Blade, but as a restraint, he also hit Velvet with the aftermath. Velvet also understood that the ability gap between them was large. She pretended to be calm, but a slight cold sweat broke out on her forehead.

Knowing that negotiating without knowing one's own position would be dangerous, he had the agility and courage to see the final route and tried to turn things to his advantage. Although Blade was a Professional Hunter, Cher, who had thought Velvet was just a high school student, changed his perspective.

"... I understand. Let's take that condition."

Even if all the children were brought in after being neutralized, Velvet would not trust Cher and the others even by a millimeter. Nevertheless, it made sense to show sincerity. If they could prove they were not shameless, evil Spies, Six might respond, even if Velvet did not trust them.

Tsukutek was a problem I felt needed to be dealt with as soon as possible; I didn't know how much danger it posed to the other children, and if it could be eliminated, it was better to leave it.

For now, we would finish this game as soon as possible, solve the problems at hand, then have full contact with Six, and then change and revise the plan.

"In exchange, I ask you to protect Six."

"Yes, I certainly guarantee it."

"It goes without saying."

Leaving Velvet aside, Cher felt that Blade was a trustworthy person. It was nothing more than her intuition, without any basis, but even as an enemy, one could see the strength of her single-minded will. Because our positions were different, I collided with her, but she didn't look like a bad person. I wouldn't say this was reassuring, but I thought it was okay to let Six be taken care of by me for a while.

"Oh,!"

"Pashat, Pashat" (Sound of silent photography)

"There was a time when I thought 3D little girls couldn't beat 2D little girls."

"Ah, Blade is a bit in the way!? Blade is too Hard, I can't see Six-chan!"

"Please take those Bad Dogs home."

Chell smashed his fist into the three Bad Dogs, grabbed them by their necks, and dragged them off the stage.

"That..."

A voice was calling him. Cher turned around and met Six's gaze.

"Be careful."

It was a short word, but for Chell and the others, it was a word of concern.

There was certainly a sense of distance between the two. After hearing Blade's story, I couldn't help it. There was no atmosphere of welcoming a mysterious person who seemed to be an agent.

But still. The time I spent with Six was short, but in that relationship, she tried to face me without rejecting me.

"Oh! Leave it to me!"

At least she didn't hate me. Cher felt that the harvest now was enough.