Summers in the Republic of Padokea are somewhat hotter than usual.
Before five in the morning, a glimmer of light could already be seen crawling up from the horizon where the heavens and earth meet.
Taking advantage of this time when the heat hasn't fully risen, Roy got up early, put on a tank top and shorts, and began his morning run around the entire Kukuroo Mountain.
From the family's ancient castle deep in the mountains, to the butler's villa halfway up, then to the security room at the foot of the mountain, and finally back along the same route, covering nearly ten kilometers... When he returned, hands on his hips, panting, he felt an indescribable sense of satisfaction.
Science proves that running stimulates the body to secrete endorphins, bringing a certain sense of thrill and pleasure... But after taking a few quick breaths, Roy didn't feel the anticipated happiness; instead, he furrowed his brow, feeling somewhat annoyed.
The reason was simple — being the eldest son of the Zoldyck Family, a name already enough to inspire dread as the world's top assassin family, and also a transmigrator originally from Earth, he recently found that the speed of his constitution's enhancement was slowing down.
While it's true that there's something called a plateau period in training, where initially, whether building muscle or losing fat, the results are best, only to decline and stabilize at a fixed rate afterwards.
But this only applies to adults, not to children like Roy, who is only eight years old and still rapidly growing.
Moreover, he bears the Zoldyck name, naturally having a physical prowess superior to others.
It's just that his black hair didn't perfectly inherit the Zoldyck family's bloodline talents...
Nevertheless, adhering to the principle of "slow is fast, fast is slow," Roy adjusted his mindset well, neither impatient nor discouraged. He returned to his bedroom and took a simple shower.
When he came out, he had already changed into a clean training outfit and was sitting at the dining table.
Now, the time was six in the morning, and as the ancient wooden clock in the corner chimed... Butler Wutong promptly pushed a dining cart, laying out a sumptuous breakfast before him.
Cream of mushroom soup... bacon sandwich... fresh salad made of wild vegetables dug out from Kukuroo Mountain mixed with eggs and drizzled with rice vinegar... and finally a cup of milk for a perfectly balanced meal, except for the lack of flavor...
Roy casually picked up the sandwich, dipped it in the mushroom soup, and took a bite, while listening to Wutong report today's training plan and quietly opened his own panel to scrutinize it.
[Name: Roy Zoldyck]
[Bone Age: Seven years and eleven months]
[Constitution: 10→10.001 (Note: Normal human is 1)]
[Nenryoku: Acupoints unopened, urgently needs development]
[Fighting Experience: Level 2 (15/100)]
[Applied Techniques — Dark Step: Mastery (78/100); Limb Curvature: Mastery (64/100); Snake Life: Entry Level (83/100) (Note: Applied Techniques are divided into: Entry Level, Mastery, Great Success, Perfect)]
[Title: A novice not yet at Entry Level, a "tender grass" prone to early demise]
"Tender grass?"
Such an evaluation really doesn't leave any face... Roy fiercely bit into the sandwich, venting his frustration.
At the right moment, Wutong cleared his throat and quietly reminded him, "Young Master, the Madam has been in a bad mood lately; it would be best to be mindful."
Madam refers to Killua, Roy's biological mother... Three consecutive births, all with black hair, and not a single one with silver hair. To an ordinary family wishing for a son, it's like having three daughters in a row, none with the "right attribute," a weighty "sin."
Therefore, her anxiety and even irritability are perfectly understandable.
Fortunately, the next child, Killua, will not disappoint her.
"Milluki is a good child, except a bit fat, ugly, with small eyes, and talks too much... but otherwise fine. Even though Mother dislikes him, I don't see it as an issue,"
finished his sandwich, Roy took a sip of milk and said nonchalantly.
Wutong: "...."
Falling into a brief silence, unsure if the young master was complimenting Milluki or deliberately mocking him. Given the master's general dislike for Illumi, always feeling his cold stare and eyes as vacant as a ghost's... Wutong feigned to not have heard it...
Turning to another matter, "Young Master, the Lord has decided to open your Nen."
The young butler, who had yet to grow a full beard, adjusted the gold-rimmed glasses on his nose and solemnly said, "The time is set for eight this evening... He will be waiting for you in the training room then."
Roy's expression froze briefly before returning to normal. Drawing a napkin, he casually wiped his mouth, his demeanor calm yet unable to completely conceal his emotional fluctuations....
The bad news is... through observations over the years, the Zoldycks, from Silva to Zeno, have already realized... he is just an ordinary genius; though opening Nen early may hopefully groom him into a qualified assassin, inheriting the Zoldyck family is merely his own wishful thinking...
The good news is, if he opens Nen and successfully awakens the "Enhancement" Nen ability... it might serve as an opportunity to compensate for his "weak" constitution.
In any case, the decision was made.
Tonight at eight, regardless of whether Roy was willing, he would have to prematurely step into the world of "Nenryoku!"
This step had been the most anticipated since his rebirth into the Zoldyck Family nearly eight years ago.
In the depths of the young boy's pupils, a faint gleam flashed momentarily, and he quickly finished breakfast.
Then, under Silva's instructions, he uncharacteristically did not train but meditated throughout the day, adjusting his state to the best, waiting for nightfall when a bright moon rose into the sky.
He stood up, under the flickering wall lamp, and left his bedroom. Following the deep and tranquil corridor, he arrived at the training room.
"Knock Knock Knock..."
The door was knocked...
"Enter."
A very powerful voice resounded...
The door opened slightly, revealing a corner...
A tall man was standing with his back to the door, legs spread in a split over two heavy stone benches. His silver hair cascaded like a waterfall, and the aura he incidentally emitted was so powerful it almost suffocated anyone nearby.
Silva Zoldyck, a world-class assassin, once single-handedly killed the 8th member of the A-class criminal group — Phantom Troupe and retreated unscathed; in the Chimera Ants arc, he descended from the heavens and one-shotted a squadron leader-level leopard... Every meeting, Roy could directly feel the overwhelming pressure and suffocating danger emanating from his father.
This had nothing to do with father and son, more like the natural dimensional suppression of higher-dimensional beings over lower-dimensional ones.
He calmed his emotions, took a deep breath, and said, "Father."
"Boom~" The door slammed shut.
Silva turned around, his gaze sharp as a knife: "Come here."
Roy silently stepped forward.
Then he was met head-on with a palm as large as a fan, striking his chest lightly yet quickly as lightning!
"Crack!"
The intense force generated by the [Ren] directly penetrated Roy's body and continued unabated, slamming heavily into the wall behind him...,
Visibly, the solid wall cracked open in a web-like pattern...
Simultaneously, a certain shackle within Roy's body shattered in an instant!