Chapter 318: New Students—A Warning

Back in the caretaker’s shack, which is completely empty aside from them because every butler and Zoldyck employee is currently busy fixing the damage from the flooding and desperately trying to drain the water, Auren sits on a chair with Neffi next to him.

Gon, Killua, Kurapika, Leorio, and Leroute stand in front of him.

“So... let’s begin. By now, I’ve taught you the full set of breathing exercises. Let me see how far you have co—”

However, before he can finish, the snake wrapped around his neck cries out again, whining softly.

Sighing, Auren looks at Neffi pleadingly. “Can you drop her into the kitchen sink and turn on the water for a while?”

“Of course,” Neffi says, gently picking up the snake from Auren’s neck, which reluctantly accepts being carried away.

While she walks off towards the kitchen, Auren continues. “Where were we... show me the breathing and meditation techniques I’ve taught you.”

As the five sit down and close their eyes, seemingly accepting Auren’s request without issue, a loud noise from the kitchen and Neffi’s laughter echo through the room. At the same time, water can be heard splashing everywhere as the snake cries out in joy.

“While it helps to train in an absolutely calm and silent environment, that luxury doesn’t exist in the real world... especially during a battle. Consider the background noise just a little handicap,” Auren explains, for the first time feeling a little guilty for giving such an obvious excuse.

Despite the background noise, everyone performs the breathing exercises correctly.

While Auren manages to spot a slight mistake here or there, affecting their rhythm, which can easily be chalked up to personal preference or an individual habit, everyone manages to perform the entire set of breathing exercises correctly while fully relaxing.

They’re... quite good. If they’re already at this level... they’ll be able to open their Aura Nodes really quickly. 

Sure, I could nag and complain about a few tiny issues, but those only matter if I demand perfect memorization, which I do not. Those small differences don’t hinder the effects of the breathing techniques themselves, and they all manage to reach the mental state the exercises are meant to create, so why would I care?

After only half an hour or so, Auren claps his hands, and all five of them open their eyes, slowly returning to their normal breathing.

“Well... you all pass. Good job. To tell you the truth, I expected some sort of backlash or complaints about me teaching you these seemingly benign and boring techniques. However, you didn’t even ask for many details and simply did your best to master everything I taught you. These results are great. If you continue like this, the next step will be fairly easy and smooth and a lot more interesting.”

“Who would ask questions or complain to the guy who can open all seven of those gates and cause that much flooding by accident?” Leorio asks. “You obviously know what you’re talking about. If I can only get access to 20... no, 10% of your abilities, I’ll be able to live like a king anywhere I want.”

“I have to agree with you for once, Leorio,” Kurapika says, nodding along. “Obviously you’ve already more than proven your knowledge and abilities.”

“...” Killua looks at Auren with a somewhat guilty expression. “I... need to return this to you, Auren. I wanted to do it before this exercise, but I just couldn’t. I can now see why you told me it’s addicting. It helped me out so much; just the thought of giving something this precious and cool away makes me sick... which is why I need to return it now!”

He then hands the Fairy’s Tear back to him, his hand slightly shaking.

“Not bad. You were able to return it on your own. I didn’t ask you for it on purpose, but for you to willingly give it back this easily is quite impressive,” Auren says as he takes the necklace and places it around his neck again, immediately feeling the familiar calming sensation as his Aura becomes much smoother and more stable.

“You’ve really grown. So much mental strength, I’m quite surprised... and impressed. It looks like what your brother did to you... won’t matter anymore.” Auren says, quite impressed.

I was hoping for something like this... it all worked out. I’m glad for him.

Almost immediately after putting on the necklace, the little snake slithers back into the room and somehow manages to jump onto Auren’s back. Wrapping its body around him, it curiously stares at the necklace, resting its head on it.

Petting it for a while, Auren can’t help but smile.

“Well, as I said, you all pass,” Auren declares, looking at Killua. “Your issues are also all cleared up. I’m also done with the things I wanted to do. There is nothing left for us to do here. My offer to all five of you still stands; aside from you, you don’t have much of a choice, Leroute. As for the others, I’m offering to teach you Nen, not only the basics but everything. The complete system. What you do with that knowledge is your decision. I will neither coddle you nor treat you like children and students. I’m just four years older than you, Gon and Killua, while the rest of you are actually a little older than me. I’ll always answer your questions and give my opinion, but I won’t act like a strict or stern mentor. That is not my thing.”

“Should you accept...” Auren continues. “I’ll teach you for a few months; as for the place, I’m returning to what can be considered my home turf, Heaven’s Arena. A place full of combat and fighting where you can really progress in terms of Martial Arts and Nen. As you might know, the 200th floor is full of Nen users. If you want to truly learn Nen and test yourself, I believe no place is more suitable.”

Auren then looks at the five of them. “What do you say?”

“Do you even need to ask?” Killua asks. “Of course we’re coming along. I’d come along even if my dad and grandpa didn’t force me. I want to learn.”

“Me as well!” Gon says, beaming. “To meet my father... I also want to travel together with Killua.”

“How about you...?” Auren asks Leorio and Kurapika.

“I... wanted to become a doctor. That still hasn’t changed. I will become one, but seeing what you just did, Nen might allow me to become an even better doctor,” Leorio suggests, rubbing a certain finger of his. “So despite university starting, I’ll just enroll, but even if I can’t quite attend courses in person, I’ll still come along with you. I believe in the long run this will make me an even better doctor.”

“Indeed... Nen can be used for anything. If you want to use it to heal people... then you can do that,” Auren replies. “Leorio, I’ll lend you some funds. Hire the best private tutor or enroll in a university or school in Heaven’s Arena. There is no reason why you can’t study while we’re there. Just make sure you do it on your own when you have time. Just to be perfectly honest, I also don’t plan on teaching you for a long time. I’ll be providing you with all the information you may need and teach you the basics and whatever else you want. From that point onward, you can still call me and ask for advice, but I’m a very busy person. I’m not going to teach you forever in one place. Nen must be integrated into your daily life. Leorio, even when studying hard to become a doctor, Nen won’t distract you; in fact, it will improve everything, even the effect of your studying. You could come up with a Nen ability that would speed it up; the possibilities are truly endless.”

“Great!” Leorio says, smiling softly. “I’m glad I took this exam. I won’t waste this chance. I’ve even gotten this strong in such a short amount of time. I’m finally getting confident that I’ll be able to change things.”

With Leorio also on board, only Kurapika is left.

“To achieve my goals... I have no choice but to follow you,” Kurapika says, leaving no room for doubt. “The road I must walk on is narrow; if I decline now, I can’t see myself ever reaching my goal.”

“I see, then we’ll leave this place tomorrow,” Auren announces.

My bet with Heavy Rain isn’t quite over... but when we reach Heaven’s Arena, it will end.

“Neffi... these boars will really stay with us?” Leroute asks, standing beside Neffi.

“Not with us, with you,” Neffi explains. “I am a little worried about my Master, and I have my company and craft to attend to. I’ll be returning to Yorknew.”

“Geh... so it’s just Master, Auren, and these four...” Leroute says, looking displeased.

“Vanessa... might not leave just yet,” Auren explains, shocking Leroute. “Her training is still ongoing, and if she’s genuinely being taught by someone as experienced as Maha, she shouldn’t leave.”

“I’ll teach you the basics; she can rejoin us when she’s done,” Auren says, smiling at her.

“Are... are you fine with this, Neffi?” Leroute asks her. “You know, I might seduce him away... hehe... shouldn’t you join us and make sure that doesn’t happen?”

“I’m not worried in the least,” Neffi replies. “It’s also not up to me to make such a decision.”

“Indeed,” Auren says, gathering a small Aura ball on his fingers before flinging it at Leroute’s head, causing her to snap back and cower on the ground.

“Ouch... something just hit me. Do you have wasps here or something?!”

“...”

“...”

“Invisible balls of Aura aside, since you decided to trust me, I’ll trust you as well and tell you a little bit about myself,” Auren says, Leroute glaring at him.

He then calmly, but only roughly, describes his childhood, including the training in Lidor’s mansion, yet still revealing the entire bloody game. “So you see... I myself, despite loving Nen, also experienced the horrors of it firsthand. Nen is affected by all kinds of emotions... especially negative ones.”

Auren then conjures the half-black, half-white Eternity, showing it to his new students, their gazes drawn to it.

“In the end, out of desperation, greed, and selfishness, I chose power over everything else. At that time, I simply couldn’t care less. Instead of stopping Lidor... I used him, beat him at his own game, and sacrificed my fellow students without blinking an eye... all to obtain this,” Auren continues. 

“You were quite young... I mean... it wasn’t your fault...” Leorio says, looking genuinely shocked and disturbed.

“It was the smart choice, obviously; the ritual you mentioned needed to be finished. Why take any risks? I’d have done the same thing, even now,” Killua states. “I’m surprised you still think about it. It wasn’t like you willingly joined that guy’s school; he more or less kidnapped you... you were simply the strongest and smartest, so you got to live.”

“Since you still think about it, it’s a clear sign that you’ve grown since then,” Kurapika says. “I... I am grateful that you are so honest. It couldn’t have been easy.”

“In the end... since then, I’ve thought about many things. Revenge on the Elders of Meteor City... but I’ve refrained from doing so. Not because I think it’s wrong, but because it would only serve myself. Instead, I’ve used money to change the way the Elders operate, if only to a small degree. Finally... to end my little story, after I won the little game... I didn’t quite know what to do. In the end, I joined my two instructors. Because of their recommendation, I joined a certain organization. The leader of said organization... is the scariest and most powerful human being I know, far above the likes of Netero and, of course, myself. I can only think of a few individuals who can compare to her. Gon, your father is one of them.”

“Really?” Gon asks, smiling.

“What about my Dad and Grandpa?” Killua wonders.

“Not quite...” Auren says after a brief pause. “It’s not about combat power, but it’s about ambition. It’s quite hard to explain.”

“Anyway, in the end, they all pale in comparison to her,” Auren states. “That person is, in a certain way, invincible. A human who may appear divine and otherworldly. The amount of power and control she holds is at a level where she might destroy the world we know and kill a majority of humanity. She might also create a true paradise and change this rotting world for the better. I myself can’t say what the future holds.”

“You might be confused about why I’m telling you this in the first place,” Auren finally says, the others nodding at him. “Kurapika... that person holds the items you are seeking... and I have bad news for you. You also hold what she’s seeking... namely your own eyes.”

“My eyes?” Kurapika asks, his Aura spiking again.