Floating atop the brimful glass of water, the leaf gently, subtly wobbled. If the leaf moves... that means Manipulation, right?
Manipulation, huh... Man, I really wanted Specialization...
Well, nothing I can do about it now. It's a matter of innate disposition. Not something you can brute-force with hard work. For now, I know I'm a Manipulator. That means I just have to create a Hatsu that suits it.
The Archive of Dark Secrets
Now then. What kind of ability should I make?
I pondered deeply, but the truth was: I anticipated this very moment! Over the six years since I started meditating, I had been diligently drafting and compiling various Nen ability concepts across every category in a blank notebook!
The title: 〈Black History〉!
Literal cringeworthy dark past. It was filled to the brim with "cool Nen abilities I came up with." If anyone ever saw this notebook, I'm confident I'd die of sheer embarrassment. I mean, what kind of edgelord writes down Emission Ability: Dragon of the Darkness Flame (Jaou Ensatsu Kokuryuha)...? By the way, the entire book was written in Japanese, so nobody in this world should be able to read it easily.
...Though Japon exists, so I wonder if their writing is Japanese?
Well, aside from the joke skills and chuunibyou attacks, I had thought up plenty of serious abilities too. Let's check out the Manipulation section right away.
...Hmm. If I'm going with Manipulation, it has to be this ability and that one. I don't know if I can pull them off cleanly, but if I attach enough Limitations and Vows, it should work out somehow. If I master these, my training efficiency will skyrocket.
Alright, time to forge my Nen ability... or so I thought. ...Wait. How do you actually create a Nen ability? Do you just intensely visualize the rules and mechanics you designed? Or should I hold off on creating abilities until my Ren becomes much stronger?
Hmm. It's a tough call, but after coming all this way, I don't want to rush and ruin it. Even if it feels like being put on hold, I should develop my abilities carefully. At the very least, I should probably wait until the leaf moves more vigorously before finalizing anything. Should I strengthen my Ren? ...Time for special training.
To strengthen Ren, all I have to do is maintain Ren for longer periods, right? For now: Ren!
N-No good. Five minutes is my absolute limit. I can't hold it any longer! Is this really supposed to be this exhausting?! I'm on the verge of breaking. Up until now, nothing had been this physically draining. Coal mining was just a necessity for survival, Ten was just meditation, and Zetsu wasn't that tiring either...
Dammit! If I don't push through here, all my previous effort is meaningless. Let's set a concrete goal: one month. I'll endure this for just one month. Having a clear deadline gives me at least some motivation. Alright, let's do this!
...Well, for today, I'll just use Zetsu and get some sleep.
One Month Later
I-I'm exhausted... For this entire month, it was work, Ren, work, Ren, on an endless loop. I'm sick of it. If only I didn't have to work, it would be tolerable, but I need to make a living. It's not like I could walk up to the boss and say, "Hey, I'm busy with Nen training, can I have a month off?"
In any case, I survived the month. I can now sustain Ren for 15 full minutes. I worked my butt off.
Now then, back to the Water Divination! Ohhh! The leaf is moving way more than before. It went from a faint wobble to a continuous, lively sway!
...Well, who knows? Is this enough? Did I do the training right? Self-teaching based on vague memories really has its limits.
...Let's just make the ability.
I vividly etched the parameters and rules of the Nen ability into my mind... Focusing my intent, I attempted Hatsu to activate the concept.
How about this?!
[Original Knowledge / Protagonist Perk]—ACTIVATE!
Whoa! Yes!! It worked!!! Instantly, all 29 volumes of HUNTER×HUNTER that I had read in my past life materialized vividly in my head! Incredible. It's literally like reading the HUNTER×HUNTER manga inside my own brain.
Ability Profile: Original Knowledge
[Original Knowledge / Protagonist Perk]
Nen Category: Manipulation (操作系)Ability: Manipulates the user's own original memories to vividly recall all memories regarding the canon HUNTER×HUNTER manga.
Note: Cannot be used to recall any other memories.
〈Limitations〉
Cannot recall any memories unrelated to the canon HUNTER×HUNTER manga.
〈Vows〉
If the user ever reveals to another person that they possess knowledge of the original canon story, this ability will be permanently sealed. This applies even if the secret is exposed through mind-reading or memory probing. (The user is only forbidden from revealing that they possess "canon knowledge from a story"; sharing or acting on information obtained through this ability is completely permitted.)
It actually worked out. In the original series, memory-reading abilities were usually Specialization, so I wasn't sure if it was possible, but manipulating my own personal memories fell cleanly under Manipulation instead of Specialization!
Humans frequently forget knowledge and experiences, but that doesn't mean the memories are gone forever—they're just dormant in the deepest recesses of the brain. I remember reading that somewhere. This ability simply draws out those dormant memories... though it only works for HUNTER×HUNTER related content.
Historical Realizations
With this, I can completely fill in all my knowledge gaps regarding Nen. For now, let's read through everything from start to finish.
...As I re-read the series, a sudden realization hit me: Is Chairman Netero not even born yet in this era?
He secluded himself in the mountains at age 46, fully emerged/metamorphosed past 50, and based on the scenes of him challenging dojos, he must have descended within ten years. Since that was described as happening over 60 years before canon, he was likely around 120 years old during the original story. Volume 4 also mentioned that Netero had claimed to be roughly a hundred years old since twenty years prior.
And right now, it's roughly 120-something years before canon... which means Netero is either not yet born, or at most a newborn infant.
...In other words, I'm older than Netero?!
Whoa, whoa. Older than that guy...? My confidence in surviving long enough to intervene in canon plummeted to zero.
...Whatever, let's keep reading.
Yeah, no. Impossible. Meruem cannot be defeated. Not that defeating him was ever my goal, but reading it again, humanity is just utterly doomed without insane countermeasures.
Could "Gon-san" pull it off? But what kind of ability even was Gon's adult transformation? Since Gon is an Enhancer, did he super-enhance his physical body and aura to forcefully age himself? That sounds a bit far-fetched... or did his Nen category shift into Specialization? The chance of an Enhancer shifting to Specialization isn't zero. Either way, the Limitations and Vows involved must have been monstrous. Neferpitou thought something along those lines too.
Well, that's over a century into the future. I can worry about that later. First, let's organize all the Nen data into my 〈Black History〉 notebook. Activating [Original Knowledge] every single time during training is tedious and surprisingly draining. For non-Nen information, I can just activate [Original Knowledge] whenever the need arises.
Phew, finally done... Going through every volume where Nen appeared, recording each concept, and organizing them into Fundamentals, Advanced Applications, Training Methods, and Category Breakdowns took a massive amount of effort. If only I had a computer, this would have been a breeze. When do computers even hit the market here?
The technological development in HUNTER×HUNTER is so bizarre compared to my original world. They have nuclear weapons, yet air transport relies on blimp-like airships slower than airplanes. It's totally unbalanced. On the other hand, IT and communication infrastructure seems even more advanced than back home, so computers might hit the market earlier than expected. I mean, having all citizen data interconnected in central computer networks is wild.
Regardless, my Nen training will proceed much smoother now. There are bound to be gaps since the manga doesn't explain literally everything, but this is infinitely better than nothing.
The Path Forward
Having an instructor would be ideal, but I don't know anyone like that. In the three months since learning Nen, I still haven't encountered a single other Nen user (someone maintaining Ten). In the manga, Nen users appeared constantly because the story followed the protagonists. In reality, Nen users are an infinitesimal fraction of the population. You won't run into them easily.
From here on, my training boils down to one thing: pure willpower. And that's the hardest part. The thought of enduring grueling, painful training for years or decades feels completely impossible. Writing "Trained for 100 years → Got super strong" on paper is easy, but actually doing it is a nightmare.
Should I create my second Nen ability after all? If this ability works, I'll be able to sustain my training... regardless of my own weak willpower.
Furthermore, there's the question of whether I should actually create the third Nen ability I've been brainstorming. It has a non-zero chance of succeeding, but the probability of failure is much higher. Nen abilities can be bolstered by sheer conviction and aura volume, so it depends on my effort. And to put in that effort, using my second ability is mandatory.
In short: To use the third ability, I must first use the second ability (neither of which have been created yet).
...If the third ability succeeds, I will definitely be able to get involved with canon. What's more, I'll have become strong enough that interacting with canon characters won't be as dangerous. Which means my initial goal—losing my virginity to a canon character—can actually be executed!
This is massive. But if it fails, the Vows involved might put me through absolute hell. Still, I want to make the dream come true...
Alright. First, let's make the second ability. We'll think about the rest after that. ...Putting off difficult decisions whenever I hit a roadblock is definitely one of my worst habits.
My second ability, just like [Original Knowledge], is a Manipulation ability. Its name: [Absolute Obedience / Geass]
...Well, unlike the anime it's named after, it's not some all-powerful power. It can't be used on others. Just like [Original Knowledge], it's an ability to manipulate myself. I got the idea after seeing Shalnark manipulate his own body with Autopilot.
Ability Profile: Absolute Obedience
[Absolute Obedience / Geass]
Nen Category: Manipulation
Ability: Issues an absolute command to oneself that must be obeyed without question. Even after the ability is deactivated, the memories, knowledge, and experiences gained during its effect are retained. The user's mentality reverts to their state prior to the Geass.
〈Limitations〉
Can only be used on oneself. To activate, the user must gaze at their own reflection in a mirror using Gyo while issuing the command. Cannot issue multiple commands simultaneously. Cannot issue impossible commands (e.g., "Live forever," "Teleport instantly," etc.). If the user's heart stops, the effect is cancelled.
〈Vows〉
Once activated, the user cannot manually deactivate the ability. Once used, this ability can never be used again (even if the command fails to take effect due to Limitations, the ability is permanently consumed).
Originally, I thought about materializing a written contract that strictly enforces whatever is written on it, but I had zero emotional attachment to paper, and conjuring it would take too long, so I scrapped that idea. If I were a Conjurer, it would be a different story.
The mechanics might seem slightly loose, but by piling on heavy Limitations and Vows, it should hold up... probably.
With this, I can force myself through agonizing training. If I command myself to "Train," I will be compelled to train relentlessly regardless of my own lazy impulses. It's the perfect ability for someone like me who logically understands the need to train, but hates painful effort.
...Having to go to these lengths just to make myself practice is pretty pathetic, but I like to think ordinary modern Japanese students are mostly like this. Anyway, it's a one-time-use ability that burns out forever once cast, even if it fails. I need to think very carefully about what command to give.
The Awakening
Three days have passed since creating [Absolute Obedience / Geass]. I spent that time contemplating what command would yield the greatest efficiency.
That's when it hit me: Nen is heavily governed by the mind. Training while genuinely enjoying it will yield far greater results than training begrudgingly. The same applies to physical conditioning. "What one likes, one will do well," as the saying goes.
It came to me as a sudden epiphany, but it made total sense. In other words: I should command myself to enjoy training! A powerful hypnotic suggestion. With this Nen ability, it should be entirely possible.
Yup, this command is the one. Once decided, things move fast. Time to stand in front of the mirror and cast it. First, gaze at myself in the mirror and use Gyo.
...
...I couldn't use Gyo...
Thinking about it, I hadn't trained advanced Nen applications at all. There was no way I could just casually perform Gyo! Sigh... First, I need to master Gyo...
ARGHHH! This requires ridiculous concentration! Gathering aura into a specific part of the body is ridiculously hard. I truly feel the vast chasm between my talent and Gon's. Those guys learned Ren—which took me two months—in half a day! And they picked up Gyo the very next day... What a sick joke. When I watched that scene via [Original Knowledge], I was so overcome with envy that I almost regretted making the ability in the first place...
Phew. Somehow, I managed to learn Gyo after a week of grueling practice. Now all that's left is casting [Absolute Obedience / Geass]. Oh, right—before that, let's prepare the framework for the third ability.
Whatever happens, happens. If it works, awesome. If it fails, I'll probably still enjoy this life anyway.
Now, standing before the mirror... this time for real. Gyo!
Activate [Absolute Obedience / Geass]!
"ENJOY TRAINING LIKE YOUR LIFE DEPENDS ON IT!"
Euphoria
Having pushed my Ken to its absolute limit, I'm currently lying flat on the floor of my room, catching my breath. By the way, this room is a private rented apartment located as far from the coal mines as possible. A single room, of course. Having people around during Nen training ruined my focus, so I moved out.
It's been three days since I cast [Absolute Obedience / Geass].
Every morning: running with heavy weights attached.
During work: digging coal while wearing weights.
After work: advanced technique drills.
Then: training to extend the duration of Ken.
When reaching my limit: resting while alternating between Ten and meditation every hour.
And finally: resting while holding Zetsu.
For the past three days, I've repeated this cycle non-stop. Right now, I feel completely fulfilled. A truly refreshing, exhilarating feeling. I can't fathom why the me of three days ago couldn't understand this sheer joy.
Who knew something could be this much fun?! Strengthening the physical body is truly a wonderful thing!
Intervening in canon? Losing my virginity? Thinking back, what hollow, meaningless goals those were...
Well, whatever. I am reborn. From now on, I shall spend every waking day training!
I AM TRULY AT MY HIGHEST! FUHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!