Chapter 5: Awakening the Mind

The rain poured relentlessly through the entire night, only ceasing at dawn.

As the morning sun rose, a light mist enveloped the mid-slopes of the Norimu Mountain Range, blending the gentle babbling of streams with the scattered calls of birds.

Whether it was Izanabi, Heather, or Kurapika, all three were highly capable in terms of mobility, having prepared tents and waterproof measures. At this moment, they sat around a campfire, using its warmth to dry their clothes soaked from last night’s downpour while chatting.

“So, Kurapika, you wish to gain the power to fight alone?”

“Yes. Please tell me everything about Nen.”

Izanabi flipped over three branches skewering trout, then stroked his stubbled chin.

“Simply put, the energy that flows from within the body is called ‘Ki,’ and the ability to freely manipulate this ‘Ki’ is called ‘Nen.’ There are four principal techniques—Ten, Zetsu, Ren, and Hatsu—that together form the core of Nen. This is essentially ‘refining and training the mind.’ In other words, it is a practice to strengthen one’s will.”

“As humans, everyone possesses a vast amount of ‘Ki,’ but most simply let it dissipate. The technique to retain this Ki within the body is called Ten.”

“Ten…” Kurapika pondered, glancing thoughtfully at Heather, who was fixated on the grilled fish. “Does Heather also use Ten?”

“Heather is different from you and most others; he is a natural Nen user. Though not yet fully developed, preventing the loss of Ki is instinctive to him, like breathing.”

Izanabi, uncomfortable under Heather’s intense gaze, handed him a skewer of grilled fish. “Don’t compare yourself to a freak like Heather. Just listen to me first.”

“Yes, please continue.”

“Zetsu is the technique to cut off Ki and suppress its flow, allowing one to erase their presence like becoming invisible, avoiding detection by enemies, and aiding in energy restoration. Conversely, releasing Ki beyond normal levels is called Ren.”

“Finally, freely manipulating the released Ki is known as Hatsu. These four techniques constitute Nen, which must be learned progressively.”

Izanabi passed another skewer to Kurapika and took the last, blowing on it before taking a small bite. The fish skin was slightly crisp while the flesh remained tender. “What I will teach you starts with Ten.”

“May I ask a question, Master?” Kurapika did not eat but fixed his burning gaze on Izanabi.

“Go ahead. Ouch… that’s hot!”

“If one masters Nen, can they defeat any formidable foe?”

Seeing the fervent intensity in Kurapika’s brown eyes, Izanabi smiled faintly. “You mean, ‘Can Nen kill?’ Right?”

“Exactly.”

“Yes,” Izanabi answered decisively. “Being a Hunter is hardly a job for saints. Killing and fighting are unavoidable in pursuit of one’s prey, so Nen is indispensable for professional Hunters. The rule permitting killing exists precisely for that reason. You understand now, don’t you? Speaking of which…”

Izanabi glanced toward Heather, who was eagerly gnawing on his grilled fish, and sighed. “No matter how many times I look at it, those glasses aren’t ordinary, Heather.”

Heather, restoring his bowl-cut hair and black-rimmed glasses, exclaimed, “Really? I didn’t know. My mom gave them to me as a birthday gift years ago.”

“Constantly infused with your innate Nen aura and catalyzed every moment by your ‘hidden face’ thoughts, those glasses have effectively become a Nen tool. Their purpose is to help you conceal your true appearance. Even when I use Gyo to look directly, I cannot see through your real face—that’s proof.”

“Is that so? Then let’s just call them the ‘Invisible Glasses of Superman.’”

Heather quickly finished his fish, wiped his mouth, and looked at his thrifty master. “Do I have to start learning Ten with little Kurapika too?”

“Heather, I’ve told you many times—just call me by my name.”

“Alright, little Kurapika.”

“…………”

“No, your training methods won’t be the same. Before we start learning, there’s something very important to do.”

Izanabi approached a massive stone half a person’s height and gently tapped its surface. “Hmm… big enough. Both of you, come sit on the stone.”

The two followed his instructions, sitting cross-legged atop the rock.

“Now, I’m going to send my Ki into your bodies. It’s a bit rough, but this will pry open your Seiketsu points. Simply put, because these points are closed, Ki cannot circulate freely inside you.”

Rolling up his sleeves, Izanabi’s body began to gather an invisible aura.

“By startling your dormant bodies awake, they enter a state that easily triggers Ten. Simple, right?”

Feeling the powerful aura behind him, Kurapika wanted to say something but remained silent.

Suddenly, Heather asked, “Wait, Teacher, is this really how Nen is awakened? Isn’t there a more gradual method?”

Izanabi nodded. “Indeed, the orthodox way is through meditation and seated contemplation to sense your Ki clearly. Only after truly feeling Ki envelop your body do the acupoints open sequentially. But there are two key points.”

“Key points?” Kurapika couldn’t help but ask.

“First, Heather’s innate Nen user physique doesn’t fit that method. He can only forcibly open his Nen.”

“And the second key point?” Kurapika nodded, seeing the logic.

“The second key point is— I don’t know that traditional method! My master forcibly opened my Nen like this, and his master did the same!”

Izanabi declared boldly, “You two talk too much. Get ready, we’re starting!”

The thrifty master stood behind them, hands spread open toward their backs.

Even without touch, Kurapika felt intense heat and pressure pressing on his back, as well as a phantom swelling sensation like scratching an itch through clothes.

“Watch out!”

With a shout, Izanabi’s palms struck their backs sharply. Kurapika jumped in shock. The next moment, heat exploded throughout his body, and visible Ki surged uncontrollably like steam from a kettle spout.

“This… this is…”

Kurapika began to feel weak—a sign of fatigue?

He gritted his teeth, looking at Izanabi, who was sweating profusely and staring to the side. What was wrong?

In Izanabi’s view, Kurapika’s Ki burst forth as expected, but something was off with Heather.

Have you ever seen one hundred fireworks tied together explode right before your eyes?

An unimaginable torrent of Ki detonated instantly, its quantity and quality far surpassing Izanabi’s own, despite his twenty-plus years of Nen training.

Quickly regaining composure, Izanabi wanted to instruct Heather to gather his Ki and achieve Ten, but the terrifying energy had already calmed.

Like a silent, mighty river, the dense Ki enveloped Heather’s entire body, flowing gently.

In an instant, Heather flawlessly controlled and retracted his Ki back into himself as naturally as breathing.

A natural Nen user?

…A monster!

For some reason, Izanabi felt a flicker of fear. Had he unleashed a terrifying monster? If Heather were to turn evil, it would be a failure of his teaching. His duty was to guide this rare genius onto the right path.

Sweating heavily, Izanabi shifted focus back to Kurapika and composed himself to instruct.

“See that? That’s your Ki, Kurapika. If you ignore it, your Ki will soon drain completely, and you might not even be able to stand.”

“How… how do I stop that?”

“Think of retaining your Ki while maintaining your posture.”

Izanabi folded his arms and spoke loudly. “Close your eyes and imagine your silhouette in any pose. Visualize your Ki circulating through your body like blood—starting at the crown, flowing down the right shoulder, arm, leg, then to the left side, cycling repeatedly.”

“Next, imagine this flow slowing, pausing, and hovering around you, forming a kind of wall.”

After a few minutes, Kurapika finally managed to control his Ki.

“Well done. Many fail right here.”

Izanabi stroked his chin, studying Kurapika standing in the clearing. “How do you feel?”

“Like wearing weightless clothes, wrapped in a viscous liquid.”

Kurapika marveled, opening and closing his hands as if a new world had opened. “This is Nen? Amazing…”

“Don’t get complacent. Only when you can freely release and retract your Ki even while sleeping can you be said to have reached the initial stage of Ten.”

Though stern, Izanabi held great faith in Kurapika’s aptitude. Learning Ten in minutes wasn’t something ordinary people could manage—he truly possessed the talent for a Hunter.

“How’s Heather?” Kurapika turned, searching until he spotted Heather sitting cross-legged on the stone. Yet, unlike himself, no visible Nen aura gathered around him, prompting concern. “Has he failed?”

“No…”

Izanabi scratched his head. “Heather has automatically entered the Zetsu state.”

“Zetsu!?”

Kurapika grew uneasy. Didn’t they say the four techniques must be learned gradually? How could Heather use Zetsu just after learning Ten?

“I told you, don’t compare yourself to Heather. He’s different.”

Izanabi’s expression turned serious. “Look—his presence has become very faint. That means he has tightened and sealed all his Seiketsu points and suppressed his Ki. In this state, even skilled Nen users can’t detect him, allowing him to sneak into their blind spots.”

At that moment, a small amount of Ki surged over Heather’s body as he stretched on the stone, spotting Kurapika.

“Oh, little Kurapika has completed Ten? That was fast!”

“Uh… thanks for the compliment.” Kurapika didn’t know whether to retort or be polite.

Izanabi clapped his hands and called their attention. “Both of you have successfully awakened Nen. Next, you must familiarize yourselves with and master Ten—being able to freely control your Ki at all times.”

“I’ll be watching closely. Once you finish this stage of training, we will move on to the next.”