After Conrad settled the matter after he accepted that he would trade life for life, he felt something.
"The feeling,"
"The way Nen responds when the path is right."
Conrad knew many things about nen due to his knowledge of Hunter x Hunter, but feeling and understanding how it feels to have nen and how it responds to him are different.
His life energy, as nen responds to him when he decides something and it feels right.
"I think that maybe the reason why Hisoka, Bungee Gum, and Texture Surprise are powerful."
"It may seem like a flirt attempt, but when he explained his abilities and where the names come from to Machi, he added that two names came from 'gum' that he loved and 'snack' that he always ate."
"Maybe emotional feelings towards those gum and snacks when named accordingly made his Nen more powerful…"
Conrad then came back to the present time and nodded as he kept on working.
"The condition is harsh, but it's clean."
"Most importantly, it is something that I want to do."
"If I cannot do what I want to do, why am I improving myself and getting more powerful in the first place?"
He had already calculated his income trajectory.
Possible future missions.
Even conservative estimates placed him far above what was required.
As long as he planned correctly for long-term funds managed by third parties, there would be no risk of interruption.
He took a fresh sheet of paper and rewrote everything carefully, refining each clause until it was airtight.
Life Chain – Hand of Future
A Nen ability that activates only when the user is struck by an attack that would result in immediate death or a state equivalent to death (complete loss of ability to fight, irreversible incapacitation).
Upon activation, a Nen-constructed hand formed from the silver chain intercepts, deflects, or absorbs the fatal effect, preserving the user's life.
Conrad paused, then continued.
Conditions
Life Chain Requirement
The silver chain, designated Life Chain, must be worn on the user's body. The ability is inseparably linked to this object.
Forced Activation
The ability cannot be activated voluntarily or by command. A lethal strike must be initiated against the user for activation to occur.
Life Preservation Contract
To maintain the ability, the user must allocate sufficient funds to save and support ten children per year whose lives are demonstrably at risk.
If the children that are supported die by other causes after funds were given to them to fulfill the condition, ability will not be affected.
These children must not come from stable or middle-income households. Priority is given to orphans, abandoned children, war victims, and children in life-threatening circumstances.
If not given help from Conrad and his funds, the children in question should be destined to die or have a high chance of dying.
External Evaluation Condition
The determination of required funds and eligibility of the children is handled by an external authority or organization, not the user. The user cannot nitpick the children that he wants to save.
The user must accept all expenses without dispute.
Maturity Condition
Funds must ensure each child's survival, education, and basic well-being until at least the age of eighteen.
Usage Accumulation
For every ten children fully supported to maturity, the ability will activate once per day.
Long-Term Extension
Supporting one hundred children allows daily usage for ten consecutive years.
Conrad stopped writing and stared at the page.
"This is already excessive," he admitted.
But his thoughts did not stop there.
"Instead of 'children'…" he muttered. "What if I narrow it further?"
He tested the idea mentally.
"Orphans."
"Finding a hundred orphans won't be hard," Conrad said. "Finding a thousand isn't impossible either."
He ran the numbers again in his head.
"If I start with children around seven years old… support them for eleven years…"
He exhaled slowly.
"That's one hundred years of protection."
Conrad nodded, then moved on to tightening the limits.
Limitations
The ability may only activate once per day, regardless of accumulated conditions.
Maximum accumulation is capped at ten years. Additional saved lives beyond this point do not extend duration further. The user must personally fulfill the conditions again.
If no lethal or near-lethal strike occurs, the ability remains dormant and inactive.
If Life Chain is destroyed, all accumulated conditions are nullified.
The user loses the ability until a new chain is bound and all conditions are fulfilled again.
The ability does not activate against large-scale Nen curses or ritual-based collective effects.
The ability does function against manipulation-based attacks (needles, control Nen).
However, if activation occurs due to manipulation, the user must save one additional child to maintain continued use.
Conrad set the pen down.
"Good."
He leaned back in his chair, eyes drifting to the silver chain resting on the table.
And for the first time since entering this world, Conrad felt that if he survived long enough
It would actually mean something.