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Chapter 16 - Chapter 16: Farewell × Hunter

"Stop!"

The daily shout.

Kevin was once again lying on the ground.

But this time, Yun Gu was also sitting cross-legged, panting as he recovered his strength.

It had been over two months since Biscuit's training began. All in all, they had stayed here for three months.

Biscuit would bring them the necessary living supplies.

Even so, Kevin and Yun Gu now looked like savages.

"You've finally made some progress," Yun Gu said, panting.

He wasn't talking about the time it took before Kevin called for a stop—but about Kevin's combat techniques during battle.

As for battle time, it was steadily increasing in proportion with Kevin's aura reserves.

Yun Gu had also learned various techniques for using Nen during this time and could now control them proficiently.

Of course, he was still far behind Kevin, whose control was practically innate.

"When is Master coming back?" Kevin asked while lying on the ground.

He needed the Nen ability known as "Cookie Miss"—that was Biscuit's power. Without it, the upcoming hellish training might kill him.

Biscuit used to visit every day, but over time the visits had dropped to every two or three days, mostly just to deliver supplies.

"Missing your Master already?"

Biscuit arrived as if summoned.

"Hearing a pretty girl who looks way younger than me call herself 'Master' still feels strange," Kevin quipped.

She had previously referred to herself as the 'Beautiful Princess of Youth and Grace.'

"Really?"

Biscuit widened her eyes, sparkling with delight, clearly enjoying the compliment.

"You can call me Bisky-chan."

She placed her clenched fists to her chest, striking a bashful girly pose.

Yun Gu shook his head sternly. "No, that would be too disrespectful."

Biscuit's expression immediately darkened, and with a flick of her hand—

The two of them dodged instantly.

"Hmph. Barely acceptable," she huffed, hands on hips. "Pack your things—we're leaving. Training at this stage is finished."

The two sprang into action—after three months of wilderness survival, they were finally returning to civilization.

They drove back to the city.

At the hotel, after a thorough wash-up, Kevin threw himself onto a soft bed.

"Ah~"

He let out a satisfied sigh from the depths of his soul.

"A bed… A real, sink-into-it bed… I almost forgot what you felt like."

Just then, the door opened.

Yun Gu and Biscuit walked in.

Kevin sat up and looked over.

Yun Gu had clearly cleaned himself up too, shedding the savage look.

But… he still looked kind of messy?

His hair was wild, he wore a white dress shirt with slacks and dress shoes.

But why was half the shirt hanging out, the tag still on, and a bit of his underwear showing at the waist?

Had the wilds changed him? Had he stopped caring about his appearance? He was still so young!

Kevin shook Yun Gu furiously in frustration.

"Don't let the savage world beat you, Yun Gu! Pull yourself together, have some dignity!"

Yun Gu looked confused, then checked himself.

Blushing with mild embarrassment, he quickly straightened his outfit.

Biscuit, standing off to the side, was so used to this that she didn't even react anymore.

Sigh… Enhancement types.

"Alright, I've got something important to say."

Kevin and Yun Gu immediately sat up straight.

Biscuit looked at Kevin and said, "Training at this stage is mostly complete. You need to continue physical training on your own—but keep it moderate, don't injure yourself."

Kevin sensed something unusual in her tone.

Sure enough, Biscuit continued, "We'll be parting ways for now. While it was Jin Freecss who asked me to train you, I truly enjoyed being your teacher."

"But…" Kevin began, only to be interrupted.

"But your training isn't over. I'm assigning you a long-term mission. Once it's complete, I'll give you advanced training."

Kevin went quiet, listening carefully.

"There's a place in this city called the Heavens Arena. I want you to reach the 200th floor without using Nen-based attacks."

She looked at Kevin silently for a moment, then added in a calm tone: "During that time, fully understand your Nen ability. Think about what you truly want, and use what you've learned to build it."

Kevin nodded. He understood.

Then he looked to Yun Gu.

But Yun Gu said, "Uh… I've already completed that process, and I learned Nen through it."

He thought for a moment and added, "That method will really help you. Yep, really help."

"Really?"

"Really."

Yun Gu nodded firmly.

With their instructions given, Biscuit and Yun Gu left right after.

There wasn't much sadness—just a temporary farewell. They'd see each other again, and they'd exchanged phone numbers.

Kevin was on his own again. He lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling.

Then suddenly sat up and turned on the hotel's big built-in computer.

He began searching for information.

Heavens Arena.

The fourth tallest building in the world.

It had 251 floors, standing 991 meters tall.

The city's most iconic landmark, and a world-famous tourist destination.

The entire structure was dedicated to "combat," and considered sacred ground by martial artists worldwide.

Was that… reasonable?

Then again, in a world of Nen, it made sense.

He continued researching the building's combat system and quickly understood Biscuit's intention.

Due to Kevin's poor learning ability, Biscuit had given him a brute-force method to improve his skills—

Let his body memorize through endless battles.

It reminded him of test-drilling through practice exams—truly a haunting tactic.

The mission was to reach the 200th floor without using Nen attacks. The building had 251 floors.

From the 200th floor onward, things changed dramatically.

Kevin's research helped him understand the difference.

If there were no surprises, the upper levels were likely the domain of Nen users.

Which meant below the 200th floor, encounters with Nen users were rare.

No Nen attacks—but defense was allowed. That made it safe enough for his body to learn through battle without dying.

Let his body adapt and grow through real combat.

With that understood, Kevin continued his research.

For example: Hunters.

He hadn't forgotten that both Biscuit and Jin Freecss had called themselves "Pro Hunters."

"What the—Hunter License?!"

The first thing he saw was the Hunter Association and the privileges held by Pro Hunters.

The symbol of their identity was a license with a double-X mark.

Once you had one:

You could enter 90% of restricted countries and 75% of no-go zones.

Enjoy banking privileges like top-tier corporations, including high loan limits even without collateral or a passport.

Free access to internet services and 95% of public facilities.

Many famous individuals were Hunters—60 out of the top 100 richest people were Hunters.

This was still a civilian organization? How?

Nen, right—Nen.

To get a license, you had to pass the Hunter Exam.

It was held every year in early January.

The current date was May 17, 1994.

Still over half a year to go.

Alright! It's decided—he'd spend the next half-year completing his mission, fully understanding and constructing his own Nen ability, and mastering A Moment's Dream.

Kevin was full of motivation, already mapping out his goals.

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