Now, for my second ability:
[Perfect Convert]
Type: Specialization
This ability allows me to take in factors that negatively impact my body—such as bacteria, viruses, or Nen-induced status ailments—and forcibly absorb and integrate them at a cellular level. By adapting to these negative influences, I can neutralize them, render them harmless, and convert them into a permanent positive for my physical frame. Furthermore, I can optionally draw upon a portion of the absorbed factor's power.
Conditions and Restrictions:
The ability will not activate until I have personally experienced the negative effect.
The more powerful the negative influence, the more aura it consumes to process.
Once activated, this ability can never be deactivated.
Anything absorbed cannot be discarded.
This ability was designed specifically to overcome the illnesses that have tormented me for two lifetimes. Simultaneously, it serves as a safeguard against the various lethal status effects prevalent in this world, where a single moment of carelessness can lead to instant death. In a world this dangerous, such an ability is non-negotiable.
The inspiration came to me during my Water Divination. Seeing the leaf partially dissolve made me think: Wouldn't it be satisfying to take the very things that make me suffer and turn them into my own strength? I felt a spark of divine inspiration, thinking of Chrollo's [Skill Hunter] or the Chimera Ant King's ability to grow stronger simply by consuming others. Since I was blessed with the Specialization type, I wanted to pursue a bit of that "romantic" potential.
Neither [Daily Health: Healthy Man] nor [Perfect Convert] are offensive abilities. They are powers dedicated entirely to my protection. Even if I am forced into a fight, my style will be one of attrition—surviving and outlasting the opponent. Beyond that, I'll simply have to master the basics of Nen to handle combat. If [Perfect Convert] happens to net me a useful power-up along the way, all the better.
However, there are two major hurdles to mastering these.
First, both abilities clearly require a massive amount of aura. Even with Vows and Restrictions to mitigate the cost, they are far from fuel-efficient. Increasing my total aura capacity is an urgent necessity. But since I can't expand my aura much further without also strengthening my physical body, I'm in a bit of a catch-22.
Second, I suspect I'll need to train in multiple Nen categories to bring out the full effectiveness of these abilities. Up until now, I've been able to get by with sitting in my room and meditating, but it's time I stepped outside for more practical training.
To solve these issues, I have to finally conquer my sickly constitution. My first step is to manifest [Perfect Convert]. To do that—as much as I dread it—I have to get sick. I don't quite have the courage to drink poison yet, so my best bet is a "familiar" illness.
The method was simple. Because I'd focused entirely on meditation and Nen training, my body was still scrawny and weak. Usually, my powerful aura protects me, but I decided to exhaust my reserves with Ren and then completely deactivate my Ten.
Sure enough, the very next day, I was burning up.
Runny nose, a heavy cough—classic symptoms of a common cold. These germs and I were old "friends" across two lives. It was time for a little "repayment" for all the grief they'd caused me over the years. I was going to absorb the cause of this fever, but I didn't act immediately. I waited, letting it linger until it felt like it was bordering on pneumonia. My family fussed over me, terrified that I'd relapsed, and I felt a twinge of guilt—but this was a necessary sacrifice.
After a day, once the symptoms peaked and I felt the bacteria creeping into my lungs, I activated my Ten. Now, the battle against the pathogens began. I slipped into a meditative state and focused on my cells. I visualized my consciousness diffusing into every single cell, surrounding the invading bacteria with an army of "me." I began to slowly pull the bacteria in, absorbing them into the cells.
The most important part of Nen is the power of will. I had to believe—as easily as snapping a pencil—that this was the natural order of things. My body was wracked with pain as the symptoms worsened, but honestly, I was used to it. I poured every drop of my aura into the process.
Despite my lack of fine control, I realized I actually possessed a staggering amount of aura. It's possible the sheer volume of it was why I found it so hard to manipulate. If I could control it properly, I'd likely be able to maintain Ren for over three hours easily. I funneled that massive reservoir into suppressing and absorbing the germs. The rapidly multiplying bacteria were steadily overtaken and consumed. In turn, the cells that had absorbed them were reinforced, becoming even more efficient at the task.
Even my immune cells shifted their directive: instead of "attacking and destroying," they were "absorbing and strengthening." Gradually, the coughing and sneezing subsided.
After a full day and night, I had consumed every trace of the bacteria. I felt the successful manifestation of [Perfect Convert] within me. This particular strain of fever and respiratory infection would never affect me again. Furthermore, I could feel that my lungs and throat had been physically reinforced.
It's hard to describe the sensation—it felt as if my internal organs had leveled up. The aura consumption was... significant, but actually lower than I'd anticipated, though I'd still burned through about sixty percent of my total pool. Since it was the first time, that was to be expected. It would likely become more efficient with practice.
With one success under my belt, I decided to repeat the process with various other germs and viruses. Oh, looks like a new cold virus is trying to force its way in? It certainly knew how to pick its timing. They were coming at me one after another without rest.
Fine. Bring it on!
Over the next month, I intentionally contracted various illnesses, triggering [Perfect Convert] each time. Even "common colds" have countless variations. At first, it took a day and a night, but that soon dropped to a single night, then four hours, then one hour—and eventually, I could absorb an entire infection in about five minutes. I had effectively reached a point where a common illness could no longer kill me.
Initially, I had to wait a day between sessions to recover my stamina, but soon I was doing it daily without issue. My aura efficiency improved to the point where a cold barely registered as a cost. I struggled a bit when a particularly nasty strain of the flu hit me, but even then, I only used about thirty percent of my aura to neutralize it. Thanks to a month of constant "self-infection," the ability had successfully transitioned into an automatic process.
This was enough to ensure I could survive daily life, but there was an unexpected side effect. My body was becoming incomparably stronger. This was the result of [Perfect Convert]'s power to turn negative influences into positive growth. I still looked scrawny on the outside, but my internal systems were now incredibly robust.
At this rate, I might eventually be able to seek out lethal diseases or even poisons to absorb. But I could save that for later.
For now, I was finally ready for the next stage.
Physical training.
***
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