After agreeing on the deal with the boy called "Amos," Kisho also set a time for the exchange with him—every day at noon, when the sun was at its highest, they would meet at the place where Amos had drawn the map for him—the back side of that dirt mound.
Additional agreement: if one day the other party did not arrive at the agreed time, a mark would be carved on the dirt mound—one line meant the same time three days later, two lines meant the same time seven days later. If the message was received, the mark would be erased. If, when the person who left the mark came again, the mark was still there, then it meant the other party might have run into trouble, and the deal would be permanently canceled.
Over the next few days, Kisho wandered around the garbage mountain.
It looked like idle wandering, but in fact he was experimenting with various ways of using Nen.
What Chrollo had taught him were only "Ten" and "Ren." But, well… something like Nen definitely wouldn't have only those two simple applications.
If there was a way to maintain Nen around the body to form "Ten," then was there a way to completely retract Nen back into the body?
If Nen could be maintained as "Ten" at a certain intensity, then was there a way to suddenly unleash all of it in a single burst?
Thinking this way, Kisho began trying to draw all the "Ten" covering his body back inside.
This kind of attempt wasn't easy either. To give an analogy, it was like holding your breath—you only start to feel your body's aura nodes after holding it for over five minutes, but trying to close the aura nodes and pull Nen back in was very difficult—you can't plug a balloon that's leaking air everywhere, right?
Although it was easier to retract Nen with his eyes closed, there were many people on the garbage mountain who, seeing him alone and weak, wanted to approach him, so Kisho didn't dare close his eyes and court death.
"Ah…"
After maintaining a completely sealed state for ten minutes, Kisho was so exhausted that he let out a sigh.
He didn't even know what this ability was useful for.
After finishing that, next was "bursting."
Kisho slowly exhaled, calmed his mind, and felt the Nen within his body. First he maintained a fully sealed state, then, like pressurizing a balloon, he built up power little by little, condensing all the Nen he could control inside his body, until at a certain moment, it erupted with a bang—!
"Boom—!!!"
The peak of the garbage mountain was blown apart. Garbage rained down from the sky, countless heaps tumbling downward, then smashing into something and stopping.
Panting weakly, Kisho felt fortunate that he had chosen a place with no people around.
After the "burst," returning to a fully sealed state, Kisho discovered in surprise that if he maintained this fully sealed state while completely exhausted, the recovery speed of both Nen and stamina would increase.
...
At noon the next day, Kisho stood at the agreed spot with his hands in his pockets.
Before long, Amos walked over slowly and stared at Kisho.
"Do you know Coren?"
Kisho looked at him blankly.
Seeing his expression, Amos knew he knew nothing and explained, "Yesterday afternoon, probably three people were going around the residential area asking if anyone had seen you."
Amos described, "They were looking for a kid with white hair and blue eyes, no older than twelve."
"Ah… I might have run into that person. And… um, some unpleasant things happened."
Thinking of the man whose arm he had blasted to a crisp that day, and the two he had knocked down by the river last night, Kisho looked at Amos and asked,
"The person you mentioned—are they strong? Do I need to run immediately?"
"Elder Chelsea Taber of the East District controls all the gangs in the East District. These large gangs directly under him also cultivate their own organizations. The White Eagle Association is one of the small groups that was propped up."
Amos frowned, thinking about how to describe it.
"He counts as a small leader, managing a few people. You wouldn't call him particularly strong."
"But… a few days ago someone saw him and said his right arm was gone."
Amos stared at Kisho, his gaze like he was looking at some kind of monster wearing the skin of a human child.
"So it was you."
Amos fell silent, his eyes moving as if thinking.
Kisho waited a while before hearing him say,
"And his people have all gone missing since last night."
He stared at Kisho, as if waiting for an explanation.
But Kisho was stunned—last night by the stream he had only knocked down two people, and there were two others he had clearly let go—how could they have "all gone missing"?
Seeing Kisho spacing out and showing no intention of explaining, Amos shrugged and spoke to pull his attention back.
"Personally, I suggest you run."
"After all, if all of a leader's subordinates die, the hall master would feel humiliated. If he sees this as a provocation, he won't let it go."
"And if that hall master can't recover reputation from a little kid, how is he supposed to stir up trouble in District Five in the future?"
"Let me think…"
Kisho didn't ask why Amos knew so much. After thinking for a moment, he said,
"Then since you've been in contact with me, are you going to be okay?"
Amos sneered.
"What does it have to do with me? I'm just a pitiful kid who got taken hostage and then had all his water and food stolen."
Kisho was left speechless.
"…Ah, right."
"Running away is fine, I guess."
He frowned in thought.
"But if people from the White Eagle Association really come looking for you, just tell them I'm inside the garbage mountain in District Nine."
"Obviously."
Amos tossed the bag in his hand to Kisho and said coldly,
"You don't need to tell me that."
Kisho caught the bag and, with a backhand motion, threw the bottle he was holding to him.
"Then let's pause the deal. I'll come back when things are clear—mm, if nothing happens, I'll leave a mark here in five days."
Amos raised his hand and caught the bottle filled with clean water.
Staring at Kisho, he lowered his voice and asked,
"…You… do you have… abilities that ordinary people don't?"
"Huh?"
Kisho widened his eyes and looked at him in surprise, practically with "How did you know?" written all over his face.
"Tch."
Seeing Kisho's completely undisguised expression of shock, Amos covered his face and sighed.
"How have you even managed to survive here for so long like this?"
The fist hanging at his side clenched, but he didn't continue, instead shaking his head.
"Forget it. I don't really have anything to trade with you anyway. That kind of ability…"
"How should I put it… I do have it, but I picked it up inexplicably. And my method probably won't work for you either. I don't even know how to explain it to you."
Kisho frowned in thought, then shook his head.
"Sorry."
Amos: "…"
He snorted irritably.
"That's ridiculous. What does it have to do with you? Why are you apologizing?"
Kisho: "…I just said it out of habit."
He continued,
"Like you said, if that hall master wants to cause trouble for me and can't find me anywhere, he'll probably search inside the garbage mountain—so I'll withdraw first."
Amos turned around and waved his hand.
"Ah, hope I can still see you next time."
Kisho smiled, also turning away.
"I'll take that as a good omen."
...
Kisho returned to the garbage mountain in District Nine.
The garbage mountain was Kisho's home. There was lots of garbage, and it was good quality garbage—he really liked staying there.
Ah, actually it was just that there were few people, it was quiet and safe, and most importantly, there was no choice.
After all, if there were a choice, who would be willing to live inside a garbage mountain?
Still, because Ten could protect the body, and Nen could be condensed into water to wash clothes and bathe, then dry them by roasting, building a small shack out of garbage inside the heap wasn't completely unlivable.
Ah, having fallen to this point already, being a bit more miserable didn't really matter.
Sitting on the ground, Kisho mocked himself.
But he still couldn't figure it out.
"Amos said 'one of Coren's squads completely disappeared.' Why? Even if those two couldn't save themselves, that's just… two people dead."
Thinking this, Kisho suddenly realized that he had used the word "just" to describe "two people dead."
Kisho: "…"
Kisho: "..."
Kisho fell into silence.
He closed his eyes, withdrew his thoughts, and continued his Nen training.
Although describing it that way was cruel to the two people who had died… if he wasn't strong enough, then perhaps one day, he too would become someone whom others described using a number of deaths.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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