Hanzo listened to Ruco as she introduced Nen to him, finding it somewhat odd. Someone who hadn't passed the Hunter Exam was now explaining things to him, a successful examinee? Was this so-called Nen really that powerful? Was it the reason Ron and the others seemed so strong? Even someone like Elita, who didn't stand out much, was also that formidable?
Before, Hanzo had assumed only Hisoka, Ron, and Illumi were on a different level from him.
"Now I'll explain the technique called Ten. Once you've memorized and understood it, I'll help you open your aura nodes."
"Alright."
Hanzo nodded as Ron went over the key points, then Ron turned to Ponzu and Ruco. "Bring two cups of water, each with a leaf floating on top."
Ron had placed a call back to the Zoldyck Estate right after the Hunter Exam ended, letting his great-grandfather know that the Hunter Association wanted him to teach someone Nen. Maha had no objection and told Ron to make his own decision. After giving it some thought, Ron agreed. First, he'd only be covering the fundamentals, with only a slight tinge of Maha's style. Second, he needed this job to gain more 'traits.'
He'd already noticed that teaching Nen to Ponzu and Ruco let him absorb certain traits as well.
"Which makes sense. After all, Ponzu and Ruco both took the Hunter Exam. They just didn't pass. But they still count."
Realizing this, Ron thought of something else: if teaching Hanzo, Ponzu, and Ruco still left him just short of fully mastering Observer's Intent, he could look for other failed examinees—people like Bourbon or Tonpa—and teach them too. If he reached 100% before that, there'd be no need.
Holding out two cups of water, Ron said, "Stay still. Gather your aura in your hands."
This was Water Divination—the simplest way to determine one's Nen category. As he expected:
• Ponzu was Manipulation.
• Ruco was Emission.
"Ron, I'm ready," Hanzo's voice cut in. Ponzu and Ruco turned, exchanging a quick glance. They remembered how, when Ron had explained Ten to them, it had taken quite a while before they grasped it. But Hanzo had finished in no time.
Both women felt a twinge of jealousy.
"He's that talented? No wonder he passed the exam and we didn't. If we hadn't met Captain Ron, we wouldn't even get the chance to learn Nen," Ruco thought, clenching her fists. She wasn't as affected as Ponzu was, since she believed she could eventually pass the exam if she kept trying. But Ponzu needed power badly to help her village, so the difference in talent stung all the more.
"Are you sure?" Ron asked.
Hanzo nodded. "Yes, I'm sure."
"Then I'll open your aura nodes."
Ron raised his hand, and a surge of aura enveloped Hanzo. Though Ron wasn't hostile, Hanzo could sense the sheer strength behind it. If Ron wished him harm, that aura could crush him.
Pow!
The aura nodes opened. At Ron's mental command, Chii manifested at his side. Hanzo looked down at his hands in delight. Several minutes passed. Ruco couldn't help urging him, "Hanzo, don't just stand there. You're in a dangerous state right now. You need to learn Ten as quickly as possible."
Hanzo glanced up at her. "Thanks, but there's no need to worry. I've already got it down." He smiled.
From the sidelines, Ponzu and Ruco exchanged another silent look. His talent was dealing them a second blow. Meanwhile, Chii finished analyzing Hanzo's data, arriving at the conclusion that he could very likely reach A-rank in the future. Ron withdrew his gaze, acknowledging that Hanzo's potential was indeed higher than Ponzu's or Ruco's.
Even so, Hanzo wasn't necessarily more valuable to Ron's team than Ponzu. Hanzo's focus was combat, while Ponzu offered more support skills. In an RPG-like scenario where you raid a boss, you needed different classes to round out the party. But the requirements for picking a DPS character could be higher, whereas support roles had more flexible standards. That was why many free-to-play or light-spending gamers tended to choose support classes.
Besides, Hanzo came from a secretive ninja background, which could complicate matters. Ron wasn't planning on inviting him into the group.
…
Two days later, the four arrived in the Sahelta United Republic. They stepped off one airship only to board another almost immediately. The layover was short, leaving Ron barely enough time to settle into his seat before his phone began to ring.
"Hello?"
"Ron, are you in the Sahelta United Republic right now? I just saw someone who looked a lot like you."
"Tuck, were you at the Noril Airship Terminal?"
"Yes, so it was you after all."
"It was. I have some business to take care of here."
Tuck fell silent for a moment. "Ron, do you have any free time?"
"Hmm?"
"I want to hire you…to kill someone."
"To kill someone?" Ron's voice cooled. "You know my principles."
"Of course I do. This is a legitimate job. I wouldn't ask you for free. I'll send all the details and payment info to your email."
"Alright. If I decide to accept, I'll let you know."
"Great."
Tuck hung up. "Who would've thought I'd run into Ron here? If he takes this job, it'll make my work so much easier. Those scum are getting bolder by the day—even daring to openly assassinate nobles."
Not long afterward, a new message arrived in Ron's inbox. He took out his laptop to check.
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Note: If you were wondering, Tuck is a new character. We will see how they know each other next chapter.
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