At his home in Hollow's Edge, despite the ever-growing number of people, Auren feels completely at peace.
His mansion, etched into the walls of the mountain, is not only luxurious but also incredibly spacious. Auren can focus on training in his enormous training room and is not bothered by anyone.
He spends the next three days training, Vanessa and Eren joining him, sometimes asking him to spar with them or demonstrate his Hatsu.
Not willing to go into too much detail with his Water Clone or Hiding in Mist Hatsu, Auren focuses on showcasing his most basic, yet also most versatile Hatsu, Limitless Waters.
As he repeatedly demonstrates his ability, he sees the expression on both Vanessa's and Eren's faces shifting, slowly growing more confident, obviously making progress.
Looks like they're almost there. They'll get to use it once we're in the East, I'm sure.
One evening, he's training in his gym, focusing on his physical body, always careful not to overtrain, and carefully balancing Aura training with physical training—raising both steadily.
Wearing just a shirt and a pair of swimming trousers, his Nen Regalias placed on the floor outside the pool area, Auren sits cross-legged in the part of his gym that can hold water.
Though the water is only around the height of a water bottle, it still lets him immerse himself in a wet environment, deepening his understanding of Water, learning how it reacts, moves, and feels, allowing him to make progress with his hatsus.
Done with his physical training, he meditates and trains his Aura surrounded by water, his Aura slowly changing as he stays within it.
As he meditates—water and Aura are drifting through the air—he works on his Ren and Limitless Waters. However, his concentration is suddenly wavering as he feels a presence entering the floor where his gym is located.
I told them to leave me alone when I'm training. So far, they've been quite accommodating. What is this now?
Glaring at the entrance, he expects Vanessa, Eren, or one of the kids. But none of them step through.
To his surprise… it isn't one of his friends and housemates at all.
Calmly, Rakshala walks through the door and enters his gym.
Without needing to look around, she moves straight towards Auren, his position clearly a known factor to her—her En constantly covering the entire city.
"Good evening, Auren. Training hard, I see," she says, calm as ever.
"You see…" Auren mutters, slightly annoyed. "You knew I was training before you even left the building, didn't you?"
"Of course," she replies, as if it's the most normal thing in the world. "Tomorrow, your first patients arrive. The last wave should arrive in a few days."
"I see," Auren says, exhaling through his nose. "I am ready to go at any time. I'll take Neffi, Vanessa, Eren, and Leira with me. As well as my pilot and his wife. Since I'll be using my personal airship, I have space for more people, if you want me to give them a lift."
"How generous," Rakshala replies. "I'll offer it to the Elders, but key personnel are already in place, or on their way. I'll send at least one squad along with you. It's a 5-man cell that operated in the Kukan'yu Kingdom. That particular cell has accomplished its mission and is now free to work on other projects. Overall, we are quite busy as we're rapidly expanding. Without my new Hatsu, it would be impossible to control all the new… citizens."
"For now, however, I believe I've promised you some training," she adds, her tone turning a shade more serious—less conversational, more instructor.
"Let me quickly get up and drain the water," Auren says, shifting his weight as he starts to stand up.
"No," Rakshala immediately responds, cutting him off without hesitation. "We'll train in your preferred environment."
Before he can argue, she quickly takes off her robe, socks, and shoes, revealing a pair of short training pants and a simple shirt underneath.
That's rather… sporty. Not quite what I imagine when I think of her. This destroys the image in my mind. Well... she came prepared.
Joining him in the shallow pool, she immediately sits down cross-legged as well.
"Show me how far you've come," she orders, suddenly sounding like a teacher.
Auren sighs, not liking the turn of events.
This is not how I imagined this… well, I might as well give it my all. Last time, I did indeed improve.
Sitting down again, Auren steadies his breathing, forcing his shoulders to loosen as he tries to relax.
Then he focuses his Aura, gathering it with care as he builds up his strongest En—choosing to stick to the standard version for now.
A few seconds later, an Aura bubble appears around him, quickly growing bigger and bigger.
Rakshala nods approvingly.
"That's… around 107 meters. It is a commendable radius, especially for someone your age," Rakshala comments, her voice filled with approval.
"This is my maximum output," Auren explains, concentrating on keeping it stable. "I can only do it when I really focus. I can increase it, but it will take time and effort. This isn't just about increasing my Aura, but also training how to expand it further and further without breaking down the technique. I know how to work on it, so I'm not really stuck at anything. It just takes time."
"Indeed, how about that advanced version you developed?" Rakshala inquires.
Auren swiftly changes his En into his personal variation. The stable Aura circle shifts, becoming a cloud—like a dense field of fog, vaguely shaped like a circle.
As it changes, the range increases. On some sides, the radius actually drops from 107 meters to only 90, but as it constantly shifts, retracts, and expands, other sides reach well over 150 meters.
"I see… it's an average increase of around 20 meters, and you can change the form," Rakshala comments.
Auren then condenses his En and focuses nearly all of his attention into a single direction, shaping a thin fog-tentacle that stretches out to around 250 meters—at the cost of reducing almost all other sides to a measly fifty.
"What do you think?" Auren asks, voice tight from the effort.
"Impressive and commendable. You've taken what we discussed previously to heart," Rakshala says, then her gaze sharpens. "However, you are merely warping En—consciously mimicking something familiar. In your case, fog. An average increase of 20 meters is well below your capabilities and potential. I believe you can improve more. While you should continue to improve the standard application of En, you can't neglect your own variation."
"Really? Below my potential?" Auren asks, a frown pulling at his face. "Honestly, while I can't compare with you, I'm proud of my En.... What else am I supposed to do then?"
"Manifest your Aura—your personality, your very soul," Rakshala explains. "Do not consciously mimic something. You need to manifest your true Aura."
"That's…" Auren hesitates, clearly not satisfied. "That's a rather vague and unscientific concept. I like Nen because it makes perfect sense. It's logical, built upon clear principles… not something vague like that."
"Indeed," Rakshala confirms, unbothered. "Though Nen is built on a logical foundation, it is also something deeply tied to emotions and your subconscious. Rage, sadness—it all affects Nen. Aura is powered by emotions as much as it's strengthened by your conscious will. If you are satisfied with your results thus far, you are already on the correct path, and you don't need to do anything different to improve, just like you said. However, you'll also be limited. You may improve, but it will be quite slow and without large results. I think your potential allows you to think bigger, Auren. I believe in you, and I want you to at least try and take the next step."
"I see..." Auren replies. "I might give it a try... it's at least a direction. I'll continue and make slow and steady progress, but I will do my best to take the next step as you said."
Rakshala giggles softly. "I'm sure you will. Focus again and continue. I'm giving you one more hint."
As Auren continues with his En, the fog-like shape continuously retracting and expanding, he feels Rakshala move and sit down behind him.
Her hands settle on his back, warm even through the thin layer of fabric. Then—suddenly—through his own En, he feels her En.
Despite his En's enormous size, Rakshala's En—even without her scarlet eyes—is large enough to swallow his own En easily.
Through their connection, he feels Rakshala's En clearly. Even though it holds a seemingly standard shape, it is something else entirely. The Aura is imbued with something beyond Aura alone, formed into a dome that feels distinct the moment it overlaps his own.
It's filled with her emotions... I can feel hatred and negativity. It's hard to describe.
"I see…" Auren says. "I can feel it, but I can't really describe it."
"It's my own Aura… my own uniqueness. You don't need to copy me. Just take note," Rakshala whispers.
Easier said than done.
Time passes, and after a few hours, Auren's Aura is completely drained.
Tired, he still walks Rakshala through the door of his gym and towards the exit of his mansion.
"Thank you for training me," he says as they arrive outside. "I am truly grateful."
"It's the least I can do," she replies. "Take care of yourself… if you need anything, call me."
"I will," Auren states.
Seeing her off, Auren finally returns to his bedroom and rests.
What a day. Now, I'll quickly heal the injured people, and then we'll leave. I'm getting a little excited.
-----------------------------------------
A/N: Always thankful for Power Stones, Comments, and Reviews. Thank you for reading!
If you are interested, then please support me at patreon.com/FRWriter
40+ Early chapters available
New Chapters every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday!
Bored? Complains? Demands? Check out the Discord: https://discord.gg/puVqWsf3y9
Thank you for supporting the story with Power Stones!