No one is born in darkness; they simply haven't seen the light.
Dozzens of [Heart Bugs] wriggled along the threads of karma, burrowing into the hearts of Brook Searle, Cyblus, Shaw, and the countless, immeasurable masses standing behind them...
The warm sunlight shone down, leaving not a single trace of "negative emotion" a place to hide. Swallowed by the [Heart Bugs], they all surged into Roy's [Unconscious Domain].
900...
800...
700...
When the red sun fully leaped above Roy's head, slowly rising into the sky of the [Mental World], everyone couldn't help but look up, close their eyes, and open their arms. They bathed in the sunlight, enjoying a sunbath they hadn't had the chance to experience in decades or even centuries... including Brook Searle, Cyblus, and the others. For a moment, everyone...
"The more one lacks something, the more one desires it, old man." Netero's large sleeves fluttered as he glanced up at the red sun, then turned his head to look at Maha, saying with a hint of envy, "Your grandson is stronger than you, at least."
"He dares to think and act. His ambitions are bigger and wilder than yours ever were!"
The sun that illuminates the world is also the sun that nourishes all things, the sun that grants life, and the sun that leaves no darkness a place to hide... Recalling the Hunter Exam two years ago, he had shared his views with Zigg regarding the boy's visualization of the [Sun] to practice [Ren]...
He once believed that such a "supernatural power" that had existed in nature since ancient times could never be harnessed by humans. In fact, in the original story, Feitan, whose talent ranked among the top of the Spiders, had to place a restriction on his Nen ability before fully unleashing it—
Putting on a protective suit in advance, namely [Pain Packer],
And then activating [Rising Sun], using Nen to create a miniature sun that would burn all surrounding living creatures to death while mitigating the damage he took himself.
This just goes to show... how massive the ambition of someone who uses the [Sun] as a visualization object to practice [Ren] truly is!
Maha straightened his back, looking up at the red sun alongside Brook Searle, Cyblus, and the others. Without even looking at Netero, he said, "It's fine. No matter what, he's still stronger than that son of yours, Beyond."
Netero: "..."
The corner of his eye twitched fiercely, and he instantly fell silent.
The red sun rose, spilling countless rays of sunlight... As Roy opened his heart, he was finally able to project a sliver of his memories through the sunlight onto the space above everyone's heads...
A hazy mental water screen slowly unfolded under the sunlight...
In the screen appeared a man with long black hair, golden vertical pupils, purple eyeshadow extending to the sides of his nose, pale skin, and a pair of blue-green magatama-shaped earrings.
His hands formed seals as rapidly as a fluttering butterfly. With a series of creaks, two coffins slowly rose from the roof. The coffin lids creaked open, and two ninjas wearing red and blue flak jackets and Hokage forehead protectors stepped out...
Roy turned his head to glance at Netero, then reached out and pointed at the two coffins. He spoke to Maha, as well as Brook Searle, Cyblus, Betty, and the tens of thousands of men and women who had perished alongside Maha: "This is my method."
"I call it... [Edo Tensei]!"
[Edo Tensei]: Using a living person as a vessel, the soul of the deceased is summoned from hell and bound to the vessel. It is then covered with dirt and dust to take on the appearance the deceased had in life, achieving the goal of resurrection.
Created by Tobirama Senju, later perfected by Orochimaru, and pushed to its absolute peak by Kabuto Yakushi... It currently lay within the [Scroll of Seals], kept in Hiruzen Sarutobi's residence. It wasn't impossible to exchange for it.
The mental world trembled... Upon noticing this scene, anyone with eyes who wasn't blind understood what it meant the moment the coffins rose from the ground...
*'Summoning spirits back from hell and granting them a vessel to inhabit... What a genius idea, and also... what an audacious one...'*
A group of powerhouses, including Netero, Brook Searle, and Cyblus, suddenly looked at Roy.
The boy stood with the great sun at his back, his expression composed. His beautiful silver hair, with golden light flowing at the tips, sparkled under the solar halo... For some unknown reason, a chill suddenly welled up in Netero's heart. The more he looked at Roy, the more... terrifying he seemed!
When the boundary between "life and death" was completely blurred... then what meaning did "existence" still hold?
It simply meant that if the boy wanted you to "live," you lived, and if he wanted you to "die," you died!
"Roy." A gentle breeze blew across the lake of the mind, causing the few remaining strands of Maha's hair to sway slightly... The old man held Betty's hand with one hand, feeling his wife's body trembling with excitement. He turned his head, looked deeply at Roy, and said, "These people... are they also from the world in your dreams?"
"Yes." Since he dared to show the scene of Orochimaru using the Chunin Exams to invade Konoha, fighting Hiruzen Sarutobi, and casting [Edo Tensei] to summon the First and Second Hokage, Roy had no intention of hiding it. After all...
With Maha's discerning eyes, Roy knew that some of his secrets couldn't be hidden from the old man. Fortunately, whether it was a dream or the world within the dream, as long as the [Gate of Cognition] was in his hands, he was the master, and no one could shake that!
Roy smiled faintly and pointed at the sky screen. "The one with the eyeshadow is Orochimaru, and the one in the blue flak jacket is Tobirama Senju. They are the two who invented [Edo Tensei]... In my dreams,"
"I once crossed paths with Orochimaru, so I know a bit about it..."
Wait... What "dream"? What "people from the dream"?
Netero suddenly shot a sharp glance over, his eyes flashing brilliantly as he stared straight at Roy and asked, "You brat, do you have two Nen abilities?"
He already knew about the [Ren] developed using the [Sun] as a visualization object... But what was the [Ren] developed using a [Dream] as a visualization object?
*Thump, thump...* His heart skipped a beat...
Netero narrowed his eyes at Roy, the chilling sensation in his heart growing stronger...
How many years had it been? This was a chill he hadn't even felt back when he faced Maha, getting beaten and kicked, and miserably chased out of the Zoldyck estate... It was bizarre yet real, appearing on Roy. For a moment, it made Netero feel as if he had returned to the past, to when he, Linne, and Zigg first landed on the Dark Continent. After encountering the [Sandworm], they stumbled upon a [Disaster] and nearly died on the spot... It was an unbearable past, one he didn't want to recall...
"Netero, you talk too much!" A calm, profound gaze suddenly fell upon Netero.
Maha narrowed his old eyes, looking over dangerously... Netero's eyes also narrowed. He pretended to look at the sky, let out a hearty laugh, and said no more.
Although Roy didn't say it, judging from the old man's protective reaction, this brat Roy possessed two or even more different "Nen abilities." It was pretty much confirmed...
As for whether he "plundered" them from his "believers" or developed them himself... Netero didn't even have to think about it; he was certain it was the latter.
Because... the [Mental World] did not lie.
Unlike Maha, Roy's heart currently held no trace of any "believer."
*Chirp, chirp...* A few water birds skimmed across the lake of the mind, letting out soft cries. The lake rippled, shimmering with light... After Netero's sudden interruption...
After warning him, Maha took another deep look at Roy and said, "Tell me, what price do you have to pay?"
The world of "Nen abilities" was not without limits... Just as the "Law of Equivalent Exchange" truly existed... With Maha having immersed himself in [Nen] for countless years, he instantly thought of the word "price"!
Just like how Kurapika used "revenge against the Spiders" as a price to conjure [Chains] that were specially effective against the "Spiders" but weaker against others.
Or how the overuse of the Sharingan would lead to blindness.
Making a wish to Nanika required following the mechanics of [Demands] and [Requests].
Anyone with any understanding of [Nen] knew that "Nen abilities" could not be abused recklessly, nor could "aura capacity" be squandered at will...
Maha's words rang out like the loud *dong* of a massive bell...
The sound waves radiated outward, instantly catching the attention of Netero, Brook Searle, and the others.
Netero looked down his nose, feigning complete ignorance and detachment...
Brook Searle, Cyblus, and even Betty couldn't help but frown. The latter secretly tightened her grip on Maha's hand. Clearly... they had also thought of this issue.
However, did [Edo Tensei] have side effects? Did casting it require a price?
The answer was yes.
[Edo Tensei] not only had side effects but also flaws in combat and control.
Simply put... First, the caster's lifespan would be depleted. As long as [Edo Tensei] was cast, it would reduce one's lifespan, especially for those with weak chakra or life energy, where the effect was most obvious.
Second, the need for living sacrifices: The jutsu required living humans as sacrifices. This not only violated ethics but also posed practical operational limits, most directly reflected in the quantity.
Third, the harm to the souls of the deceased: Casting [Edo Tensei] required forcibly summoning the souls of the dead back to the living world and controlling them. This forced the souls to passively endure the pain of enslavement, which was a desecration of the dead.
On the combat and control level... First, strength could not be completely restored: Even using Hashirama Senju's cells as a sacrifice, the reanimated body could not fully replicate the deceased's full strength from when they were alive; there was a clear gap.
Second, unstable will: The reanimated bodies of Edo Tensei automatically retained the will of the deceased. After being summoned back to the living world, they were very likely to fight passively or even rebel due to emotional fluctuations (such as attachment to comrades). (Note: If their will was forcibly suppressed, they would lose their combat intelligence and experience, reducing them to mechanical puppets.)
Third, easily countered: Some powerhouses, such as Itachi Uchiha, Hashirama Senju, and Tobirama, could break free from control through sheer willpower or special abilities.
As for other things, such as chakra not being infinite... The chakra capacity of the reanimated body was based on their level when alive. Although it could be replenished quickly, if they needed to release high-consumption ninjutsu (like Susanoo), they might still be unable to use it due to insufficient "chakra limits"... etc.
It could be said that the restrictions were unusually numerous.
But... this was the [Price] that had to be paid for [Resurrection].
In a few words, Roy laid out all the information he knew without holding anything back... Everyone, including Maha, Netero, Betty, and Brook Searle, listened silently.
Just the first point... the price of the caster's "lifespan" being reduced, was immediately rejected by Maha without a second thought...
"You don't need to cover for the mistakes this old man made!" Once the stubbornness typical of the Zoldyck family flared up, it was like a stubborn mule that couldn't be pulled back.
Not giving Roy a chance to speak at all, Maha turned around and shattered the [Mental Space]. Sweeping up the royal court, he floated away with Betty, Brook Searle, Cyblus, and the other men and women who had died with him...
With a soft *pop*,
The [Mental World] formed by the intertwined fusion of [Heart Drop · Fist Listen] × [Heart Drop · Sword Listen] shattered.
Following that, the outside wind and sun were revealed, and the two out-of-body minds looked at each other in dismay before returning to their respective shells.
*Buzz...* The illusory small swords densely scattered in every corner of the Zoldyck family estate suddenly dissipated...
When Roy returned to his bedroom, his mind re-entering his body, he slowly opened his eyes. A face was right in front of him, less than five centimeters away, so close he could clearly smell the other person's breath.
Roy grabbed Illumi's head with one hand and pushed him back... "When did you get here?"
"A while ago."
"What are you doing here?"
Illumi didn't answer. He just stared at Roy with his hollow, lifeless eyes and asked, "What's so great about that Kurapika? Why do you have to see him the moment he arrives?"
"Are you unhappy?"
"Am I?"
"If you aren't, why ask?" With a thought, Roy recalled the [Heart Bugs].
Listening to the panel prompts...
The depths of his eyes suddenly flashed red, but he quickly suppressed it...
"Your eyes!"
"What?"
"Just now... they flashed red..."
"Oh, did they..." Roy lowered his eyelids and took a deep breath. After completely suppressing the urge to immediately activate the Mangekyo Sharingan, he looked up again and smiled gently at Illumi. "Maybe I didn't sleep well yesterday. They're a bit bloodshot."
Illumi leaned in suspiciously, only to be pushed back by Roy's palm again.
"Alright, don't overthink it."
The boy helplessly glared at his foolish little brother and said, "Kurapika does have his exceptional qualities, but it's not what you think. You'll understand in the future."
"Oh." Illumi stood up, his face blank like a cat's, looking back every step of the way, aiming his gaze at Roy's eyes again. Seeing that Roy's gaze was clear and devoid of any "red traces," the boy stepped into the shadows and disappeared.
At this moment,
The bedroom door knocked.
*Knock, knock, knock...*
Kurajing's sweet voice rang out,
"Young Master, are you there?"
Roy let out a soft sigh at the right moment. With another glance, his vision pierced through the wooden door, looking outside...