Rimo gave Machi a surprised look.
If it had been when they first met in Meteor Street, Machi would never have shown such a subtle expression of concern. Back then, she was colder—her eyes as thin and sharp as the threads she manipulated. It seemed that during this period of time, Machi had changed a lot, even if only slightly.
Rimo smiled at Machi and said he was fine.
Among them, only Uvogin and Nobunaga were too straightforward to notice the atmosphere at all. Uvogin, with his massive build and booming voice, and Nobunaga, whose temper was as quick as the draw of his katana, rarely paid attention to nuance.
"Oh~ Rimo , do you still have your hometown? I thought you, like us, have been living in Meteor Street all the time."
In fact, people associated with Meteor Street were not necessarily born there. Meteor Street was a dumping ground of the world—"a place where anything is accepted," as it was described in the manga. Its famous creed was carved into the entrance monument:
"We'll accept anything you leave here, but don't ever take anything away from us."
Even members of the Phantom Troupe were not guaranteed to be born there. For example, Feitan sometimes slipped into a strange dialect when angered, hinting that he might have origins elsewhere. And according to the Elder of Meteor Street during the Chimera Ant arc, many residents were abandoned outsiders who later found belonging there.
So for this part of the crowd, Meteor Street chose to accept them without hesitation.
"These things aren't important," Rimo waved his hand. "In this world, I am someone from Meteor Street."
After Uvogin had swept the broken plates and leftover scraps from the table into a corner—far less delicately than Machi would have preferred—Rimo gathered everyone into the living room again.
He looked at Uvogin and Nobunaga with a rare hint of seriousness.
"After I opened your Aura Nodes earlier, the two of you rushed straight into fighting. Do you still want to learn how to train properly after opening your pores?"
Hearing this, the three of them were stunned.
"Huh?! There's more after just opening them?" Uvogin asked blankly.
"Nonsense," Rimo replied. "Physical strength is important in Nen combat, but the core is the control of aura. After opening your Aura Nodes, physical training alone isn't enough. The key is mastering Nen itself. Otherwise, where do you think all those strange abilities come from?"
As soon as they heard about becoming stronger, Uvogin and Nobunaga immediately straightened up. Even Machi unconsciously leaned forward slightly.
Rimo nodded in satisfaction.
"After awakening Nen, practitioners train in four major principles. In the original terminology, they are Ten, Zetsu, Ren, and Hatsu—commonly called the Four Major Principles."
He spoke slowly, recalling the explanations Wing had once given Gon and Killua at Heavens Arena.
"Ten maintains the aura that naturally flows out of the body. By keeping your aura close to your skin like a thin film, you prevent it from leaking away. It strengthens defense and slows aging. In battle, strong Ten equals strong protection."
"Zetsu shuts off your aura flow completely. It closes your Aura Nodes, erasing your presence. In this state, your defense drops to nearly zero—but it's perfect for stealth. Kurapika used it during the Yorknew City arc to hide from the Phantom Troupe. It also helps recovery, since no aura is wasted."
"Ren increases the output of aura. You release a large amount of aura from your body and sustain it. This enhances both offense and defense. At Heavens Arena, Gon and Killua were required to maintain Ren for hours as training."
"Finally, Hatsu is the personal expression of one's aura. It reflects your individuality—your personality, experiences, and resolve. This is where true abilities are born."
Rimo continued carefully, making sure his wording aligned with the original explanation from the manga.
"The Four Principles form the foundation of all Nen techniques. Every advanced skill—like Gyo, In, En, or Ko—is derived from them. If your foundation is weak, your ability will collapse."
Normally, Rimo would have forgotten these exact explanations. But strangely, when he forced himself to relive the scene of reading Hunter x Hunter, it felt as if the panels resurfaced clearly in his mind—Wing standing calmly, explaining to Gon and Killua, the diagram of aura surrounding the body.
Human memory was strange like that. Information you thought was gone was simply buried.
Uvogin, Nobunaga, and Machi listened closely. Even Uvogin, who often appeared simple-minded, was not unintelligent. As shown in his fight against Kurapika, he understood strategy and Nen principles well—he simply preferred direct confrontation.
"Of course," Rimo added after a pause, "the body is still the foundation. Enhancers like Uvogin rely heavily on physical strength. Look at how he fought the Shadow Beasts—pure brute force combined with powerful Ren."
Uvogin burst into laughter and patted his chest. "Don't worry, I'll never slack on training!"
The others nodded.
"Good," Rimo continued. "Next is determining your Nen category."
He visualized paper and sketched the familiar hexagonal Nen chart.
"Based on the water divination test described by Wing, aura is divided into six categories: Enhancer, Transmuter, Conjurer, Manipulator, Emitter, and Specialist."
He pointed to each section.
"Enhancers strengthen themselves or objects. They're balanced in offense and defense."
"Transmuters change the quality of their aura. For example, Hisoka gives his aura the properties of rubber and gum—Bungee Gum."
"Conjurers materialize objects from aura. Kurapika conjures chains, each with specific conditions."
"Emitters can separate aura from their body while maintaining power. Razor on Greed Island is a clear example."
"Manipulators control people or objects by infusing them with aura. Shalnark's antenna ability is a classic case."
"Finally, Specialists possess unique abilities that don't fit the other five categories. Chrollo Lucilfer's Skill Hunter is one such ability."
Rimo tapped the chart.
"The farther your category is from another on this hexagon, the harder it is to master. If your own type operates at 100% efficiency, adjacent types are about 80%, then 60%, and so on."
He paused before adding, "And unless you're born a Specialist, you can't simply train into it. Specialization is innate."
As soon as he finished, Nobunaga immediately raised his hand.
"I know! Rimo , you must be a Conjurer—or maybe a Specialist—since you can produce things out of nowhere."
Rimo froze slightly.
To be honest, he hadn't performed water divination yet. If he followed the logic of the manga, only the water test could determine one's type accurately.
But judging from the strange mutation in his own aura… Specialist seemed most likely.
Nobunaga's confident declaration caught him off guard.
For a moment, Rimo didn't know how to respond.