Hunter Association Headquarters – Chairman's Office
Netero set the phone down, a satisfied grin spreading across his face.
He had been quietly monitoring Ryker's path ever since the boy left Kukuroo Mountain and arrived at Heaven's Arena.
"That old rascal Zeno has sharp eyes. He made the smart play."
"As for those other promising kids Wing mentioned… worth keeping tabs on. If they're righteous, great. If not, they'll become problems. No matter. If they cross paths with Ryker, it should make for quite the show."
Netero's smile turned sly.
If he knew those "troublesome potentials" were actually Ryker's Nen Beasts, his expression would have been priceless.
He had no idea Ryker had already surpassed even his loftiest expectations.
Creating humanoid Nen Beasts was something Netero himself found challenging.
Heaven's Arena
The 50th and 100th floors marked major thresholds.
Reaching the 50th meant you were elite. Clearing the 100th meant you stood among the true masters.
Prize money scaled dramatically with each floor.
Floor 1 victory: 152 Jenny—barely enough for a can of juice.
Floor 50 victory: 50,000 Jenny!
Killua once bragged he'd earned 200 million Jenny reaching the 190th floor… and blew it all on candy.
200 million in candy. Legendary flex.
The fighters on these floors looked far more hardened than the rookies.
"Contestant 10086 vs. Contestant 8221! Proceed to Ring C on the 50th Floor!"
The announcer's voice rang out.
"Brother Ryker! Good luck!!"
"Go crush it, Ryker!"
"Good luck, my lord!"
Killua, Gon, and Canary cheered from the stands.
Ryker barely registered it. He was here to farm.
But when he stepped into the ring, he froze.
My luck is garbage today.
It was Zushi again. The kid was still on cooldown!
"Ah? It's… Mr. Ryker? Then… sorry in advance…"
Zushi blinked in surprise. With thousands of fighters, running into the same opponent again felt like pure coincidence.
"Come on. Show me everything you've got."
Ryker sighed. For Gon and Killua's sake—and to keep the mini-boss Wing accessible—he had to play along.
The match was brutally one-sided.
Poor Zushi was floored again and again.
Finally, desperate, Zushi tried to flare Ren.
Wing shouted from the sidelines: "Stop! No Nen yet!"
Zushi lost. Ryker advanced.
"It really is Nen… just like my brother Illumi. Brother Ryker can use it too… but I still don't understand how to open the aura nodes…"
Killua frowned.
Ryker had given them the basics on the airship ride.
Without opening their nodes, though, they were stuck relying on raw physical strength.
Their own matches were effortless wins.
Killua had reached Floor 190 at age six—this was child's play.
Gon's potential burned even brighter.
Canary could easily climb to 190–200, but she insisted on remaining their attendant.
After the match
Ryker found Zushi kneeling in the hallway, head bowed in apology to Wing.
Zushi wasn't allowed to use Nen until the 200th floor.
Harsh rule.
Climbing to 200 without Nen was borderline impossible.
But Wing insisted: pure martial arts first—to temper the spirit!
Hearing his master's scolding, Zushi burned with renewed determination.
"Mr. Wing seems to be a Nen master. Might we ask a favor?"
Ryker approached with a polite smile.
"Ah, it's you all again. Fate keeps bringing us together!"
Wing's eyes brightened. "Of course. Anything within my ability."
He already liked these kids for defending Zushi earlier.
"I'd like you to teach my brothers Gon and Killua about Nen."
Ryker cut straight to the point.
"Yes! Mr. Wing! Can you teach us that 'Ren' Zushi mentioned?!"
Gon bounced with excitement.
He knew Ryker was powerful, but Ryker was awful at teaching.
"Nen? Very well. Follow me."
Wing was the Association's hidden instructor anyway.
Unawakened Hunters were fragile. Only Nen made them truly formidable.
They followed Wing to his private room.
The super tutor began the lesson immediately.
The Four Major Principles:
Ten (Envelop): Focus the mind, calm the spirit.
Zetsu (Suppress): Erase your aura to become invisible.
Ren (Refine): Explode your aura to heighten your will.
Hatsu (Act): Release aura according to your individual nature.
Wait!
Ryker's brow furrowed.
In the original story, Wing had first taught them a fake version—"Burn," "Refine," etc.—as a test.
This time… he was giving the real principles right away.
Strange.
Ryker glanced at Wing oddly. His own presence had clearly altered the timeline.
Perhaps Wing felt intimidated by Ryker's aura.
Or perhaps gratitude for protecting Zushi outweighed caution.
Either way, Wing was a true Gold Medal Teacher.
[Mentorship] (Gold) in full effect.
Under his guidance, Gon and Killua's progress was astonishing.
Nen normally required years of grinding.
Ryker skipped the grind entirely. He simply stole traits.
Someone spends a lifetime forging a Gold trait? Ryker claims it in seconds.
The ultimate predator.
"Mr. Ryker, you must be a Nen master yourself. Surely you've already taught them some basics?"
Wing turned to him.
Ryker realized Wing had skipped the usual "test" phase—likely assuming Ryker had already vetted the boys.
Lying to them now would feel unethical after they'd helped Zushi.
"I know a little. Mr. Ryker… how about we spar? A live demonstration for Gon and the others!"
Wing adjusted his glasses, expression serious.
Hmm?!
Bro!
I was literally plotting how to challenge you without seeming rude—and you volunteer?
What a legend!
Ryker nearly laughed aloud.
Wing was such a good person. He walked straight into the trap.
Still, he had to keep up appearances in front of the kids.
"Cough… alright. For the sake of their training, Teacher Wing and I will spar. A short demonstration. But Teacher Wing—be careful. I'm… a little strong in this area."
Ryker said it with shameless modesty.
Wing's curiosity deepened.
Netero had called this boy a "Future Star." A monster.
He'd never heard Netero praise anyone so highly—not even his own master, Bisky.
He wanted to see why.
If Wing knew Ryker had once nearly crippled Netero with a cheap shot, he might not have been so eager.
But this was just a friendly demo.
Ryker wondered if the system would register it as "Combat Mode."
Doesn't matter. Once the fight begins, Wing won't control the pace.
"Yay! Master! Killua, Gon—watch closely! My master is super strong! Brother Ryker, don't be scared. He'll hold back! Try to last a little while!"
Zushi cheered.
Killua and Gon exchanged pitying looks. Canary's expression turned strange.
"What?" Zushi blinked.
"Nothing. I just think… your master should be careful. Brother Ryker is very, very, very strong!"
Gon said earnestly.
"Yeah. Way stronger than your master. Zushi… worry about him instead."
Killua sighed.
Ryker had beaten Silva.
Silva would dismantle Wing.
But since it was a demo, they watched attentively.
Living Room
Cramped, but sufficient for close-quarters combat.
"You seem strong, Mr. Ryker. Let's begin."
Wing assumed a perfect Shingen-Ryu stance.
Ren!
Wing's aura erupted.
Gon and Killua paled.
That pressure!
Killua shivered. It felt exactly like Illumi's Ren—pure, overwhelming intent.
Ryker activated Ren in response.
Nen Grandmaster (Red).
He matched Wing's output perfectly.
They clashed.
Fast enough to blur, yet slow enough for the students to follow.
As they exchanged blows, Wing's expression shifted.
No matter how much he ramped up his aura or speed, Ryker mirrored it effortlessly.
Strong.
Incredibly strong.
Ryker far exceeded his expectations.
Ryker patiently demonstrated most techniques for the kids' benefit.
"That's enough, Mr. Ryker. Now… our time. Let's fight seriously for a moment."
Wing closed in and whispered.
He wanted to test the rumored "monster."
[DING! You and Wing have entered Combat Mode.]
BINGO!
Perfect!
Intent to fight triggers the system.
"Okay. Then… just one hit?"
Ryker's tone turned serious.
The next instant—
It really was just one hit.
BOOM—
A dull, bone-rattling thud.
Wing was blasted backward instantly!
[DING! You defeated Wing in Combat Mode!]
[Rolling (10%)… Lucky Star triggered… Please select your designated trait.]
Heavenly sound.
So good!
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