To learn Nen, I first needed to perceive that power. So, I had to search for the energy flowing through my body while meditating. I see, so this is where meditation comes in.
We started with how to meditate. I asked for tips, but it was incredibly difficult. Distracting thoughts kept popping up, and sometimes I even fell asleep from the exhaustion of training.
Big Brother corrected me every time, but I wanted to be able to do it without his support. I tackled it with my goal in mind.
After one month, I was mostly getting the hang of it. That's when I finally moved on to perceiving Nen. I asked Big Brother for tips, but I still couldn't feel a thing. I wondered if it really existed. Well, it must, otherwise Big Brother wouldn't have his abilities. Big Brother told me to "be patient. It took me a year," but spending a year on something you can't even tell is real seems insane to me. In Big Brother's case, he was supposedly bedridden the whole time, so maybe it couldn't be helped, but I still think that shows an abnormal level of mental fortitude.
Incidentally, Big Brother now refers to himself as Watashi (a formal/neutral 'I'). Before, he used Nii-chan (Big Brother). When I asked him why, he said it was to treat me as an individual human being so he wouldn't coddle me, since I was his disciple. I was happy that he seemed to acknowledge me in a serious way. He uses Watashi with everyone outside the family, and Dad does too. I want to become a person who suits calling himself Watashi someday.
Six months passed, and I finally became able to grasp the flow of power circulating through my body. Along with that, I could identify the locations where this power originated, and at that point, I could visually see Aura rising from my entire body. The Aura was being emitted from my whole body and dissipating into the air. I immediately reported this to Big Brother, and he instructed me to hold the rising Aura in place. I didn't think I could do it, but when I tried, it was easy. Big Brother said that once you could perceive it, the rest was simple.
This is apparently the absolute foundation of Nen: Ten. It's true; I feel like my entire body is reinforced. I looked over at Big Brother, excited, but I instantly sobered up when I saw the incredible density of his Ten. What is this guy? (Dumbfounded) Mine was so pathetic it wasn't even worth mentioning.
Afterward, when I heard that it was actually possible to force an awakening, I almost lost it. What was the point of the last six months?! However, when he explained that a slow awakening makes it easier to control and that the Nen becomes stronger due to mental stability, I was convinced and couldn't say anything more.
After that, we added basic Nen ability training—the Four Major Principles. They are Ren, which fully opens the Aura Nodes in the body, and Zetsu, which closes them off. When I asked why there were only three, including Ten, he said the last one was too early for me. Ren causes an even more powerful Aura to surge out, making you feel invincible, but as always, seeing Big Brother's Ren immediately brought me back to reality. How to describe it... it felt like standing in front of an incredibly powerful bomb. I lack the vocabulary to express it well, but it was a tremendous, overwhelming pressure that made me want to run away even from a distance.
When I tried Zetsu, my presence became considerably faint. He said that once fully mastered, your presence literally disappears. So this is what Big Brother used when he ran away from me... No wonder I couldn't catch him. He told me that this training is the absolute fundamental and is directly connected to the highest secrets, and he instructed me to do it daily from now on. He declared we would do only this for at least a year. The ideal is to be able to do it even while sleeping. Zetsu apparently has the effect of boosting recovery.
Three months later, Big Brother said he would check my Nen Type. He handed me a glass filled with water with a leaf floating on top. I was supposed to use Ren on it. When I actually did it, the water overflowed. He said I was an Enhancer. Big Brother seemed thoroughly satisfied. What's that supposed to mean? Apparently, there are six types in total. Enhancement, Emission, Transmutation, Conjuration, Manipulation, and Specialization. The way the water or leaf changes determines the type. Big Brother is apparently a mix between a Manipulator and a Specialist. I didn't understand what that meant, so he showed me: the leaf rotated furiously and melted away, dissolving. Okay. I still don't get it.
The types are arranged in a hexagonal relationship. Types adjacent to each other have good affinity, and the closer they are, the easier they are to learn. Conversely, distant types are almost impossible to learn. Since I'm an Enhancer, I'm also strong in Transmutation and Emission. Okay. I still don't get it at all. Incidentally, he said the type can often be determined by personality, and Big Brother had apparently predicted I would be an Enhancer. He said I was simple and single-minded. I was offended, but I couldn't argue. Big Brother, on the other hand, is apparently a rationalist, an individualist who goes at his own pace. Okay. That makes sense. But I think he also has charisma, right? Isn't that why people are so inexplicably drawn to a rationalist, go-at-his-own-pace individualist?
But where did Big Brother acquire all this knowledge? I don't know anyone else who can do this. When I asked him, he laughed, told me to keep it a secret, and said, "I have memories of my previous life, and this knowledge was in there." I thought, That's ridiculous, but then again, it's Big Brother. Well, with the Blood Oath, I wasn't going to tell anyone anyway.
After continuing the basic training for a year, Big Brother said it was time to start the advanced Nen-type training. He said we were changing locations and took me to the slag heap the family owned. I knew Big Brother worked part-time here, but isn't this where people who get caught in the underworld are sent? How was he okay...? Oh, right, because he's Big Brother.
Apparently, we're going to do Nen training here. He said it's hitting two birds with one stone—we can train and earn money—but he's crazy. Nonetheless, he handed me a shovel, and we started digging holes. He said it was also good for muscle training. After we started digging, I realized Big Brother's digging speed was abnormal. I concentrated my Aura (Gyo) (I was learning that too) to see why, and I saw he was coating the shovel with Nen. Cheater, I thought. When I tried to copy him, it was much harder than I expected. My Aura ran out quickly. I collapsed after pushing myself to the limit, but Big Brother kept digging and did the work of about fifty people by himself. He really is crazy... The foreman, being used to it, casually handed Big Brother his pay. He also paid me, but it was less than half of Big Brother's amount. Well, it can't be helped. Big Brother was breaking up hard rock with Ko and crushing large chunks of slag that came out with Shu. But the foreman was smiling, saying he could earn even more now that I had joined.
For the next one year and four months, we incorporated Nen-type training. Some of the Nen-type exercises were logical, and others were weird. Some of them were apparently Big Brother's own original ideas.
I said, "What does Enhancement Level 5 even mean?" and he showed me: he shaped his Aura like a rock drill and was vigorously boring into the rock. He's insane.
But I enjoyed the training for Big Brother's specialties, Manipulation and Emission. We played by smashing Aura blasts into each other and shaping water or sand with Aura to attack. I seem to be good at Transmutation too. I could write messages with Aura without speaking and communicate with Big Brother. I actually ended up becoming faster at this and won against Big Brother for the first time.
The basic training itself also broadened. The training where we attacked and defended with punches and kicks using Ryu (Aura Shifting) was quite difficult. Big Brother was delighted, saying he hadn't been able to do it before because he didn't have a sparring partner.
Inevitably, we got injured doing things like this, but I recovered faster because I'm an Enhancer and used Zetsu. Big Brother, who was holding back his Aura during training, also got injured sometimes, but his recovery speed was literally on a different level. He healed instantly. When I asked him, he said this was his Hatsu, his unique ability.
Frankly, just mastering the basic training is superhuman, so I was stunned to find out there was a level beyond that. Big Brother's are called [Perfect Convert] and [Healthy Man]. He said they are abilities to instantly heal injuries and to assimilate status ailments like illness and poison. What the hell is that?! I said, "Doesn't that mean no one in the world can beat you?" but Big Brother told me I was wrong.
"A Hatsu ability must never be underestimated; though compatibility is a factor. I created my abilities not to fight from the start, but to escape and survive. Any ability can become powerful depending on the user. That's why there's no such thing as the strongest ability."
Then he told me about some of the abilities he knew of. He mentioned an ability that conjures a giant humanoid that launches over a hundred unavoidable, gigantic hands; an ability to steal an opponent's abilities; an ability to transform Aura into smoke and use it for various attacks; an ability to transform Aura into electricity to attack... and so on. How am I supposed to fight those?!
In response, he introduced an ability that allows the user to stick and stretch their Aura. When I asked if that person was weak, Big Brother said they were a top-class ability user. Just as Big Brother said, a Nen ability depends entirely on the user. But hearing these stories helped me clearly define what my own Hatsu would be.
My ability will be one that protects my family and the Family. That's enough for me.
Big Brother said that since an Enhancer's simple Nen operations already pack lethal power, I technically didn't need a unique ability and should focus on mastering the basics. But I told him what I had been thinking. The ability is called [Blessings Upon You, Anderson Familia].
[Blessings Upon You, Anderson Familia]
* Enhancement-type Ability
An ability to share and enhance the Aura of a designated person. Simply put, it's like applying a buff, making them physically tougher and making them recover easier from minor injuries and illnesses.
* The power and duration change based on the depth of his affection (love/bond).
* Once applied, it cannot be removed.
* The time it can be maintained, and the number of people who can be affected, changes based on his Aura capacity.
When I explained the details, Big Brother gave a wry smile and said, "That's so you," and told me that the manifestation of this ability would be my graduation.
I understand. It's finally time.
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