Ringo closed his eyes and focused. The upcoming Hunter exam was fraught with danger.
He absolutely needed a true trump card—the Eight Wonders! And he needed sufficient 【Manifested Aura】, which is the aura released outside the body, the aura that can be used at a certain moment.
“It’s still far from enough, but by utilizing the luminous sphere in my mind, perhaps I can develop my ability in advance. Otherwise, in the upcoming exam, I might capsize in a ditch.”
Ringo’s consciousness sank into his mind: “How can I perfect Gokukusenzoku?”
Memories from his previous life flashed by.
Gokukusenzoku, as he understood it, originated from external alchemy, also known as the art of ingestion.
Ruan Feng, who comprehended Gokukusenzoku, originally intended to eat well, sleep well, and live longer. This ability could instantly decompose matter, transform it into aura, continuously and perfectly ingest energy, and prevent aging. Its super strong digestive ability could extract and fully absorb the innate aura present in all materials into the body, and its extraordinary aspect lay precisely in this.
A flash of inspiration struck Ringo.
“The aura latent within me is my current aura, and this body is the crucible for alchemy.”
A strong will condensed in his heart, like an invisible carving knife, attempting to sculpt in the void.
With what I think, using enhanced, materialized Nen... Ringo activated Ren, manipulating the condensed aura, pouring it into the depths of those stinging organs, including the liver, gallbladder, spleen, stomach, large intestine, small intestine, triple burner, and mouth and nose!
“Nen, in the name of the most devout ingestion, I reshape my digestive organs, including the six viscera and the mouth!”
“For the potential aura within my body, I must ingest sufficient corresponding food in exchange for this power of digestion and absorption! Let them become the crucibles for transforming all things and plundering aura!”
“Transform any substance into the purest Nen Ability to enhance my body’s potential and Nen volume!”
The stronger the creature, the more energy it needs to ingest. As Gokukusenzoku is used, the body’s strength will reach a certain level, at which point it will need to ingest higher-level energy!
“No, it’s still not enough!” Ringo decided in his heart.
Vow: In the Hunter world, I can only use these Eight Wonders and cannot develop any other abilities!
Restriction: I can no longer use Nen!
The aura seemed to have a life of its own, twisting, extending, and taking root like a living thing! Upon the original physiological structures, they forcibly materialized countless tiny organs, composed of pure Nen power, resembling villi or tiny glands.
They writhed greedily, radiating a primal hunger for food.
“Maintain it!” His will forcibly concentrated through the intense pain, as if a scorching spark had been cast into the depths of his soul. A sharp, bone-deep cramping pain suddenly surged through his body! It felt as if something was tearing and reorganizing!
“Ah!” A low groan of pain involuntarily escaped his throat.
Nen transformed into fresh flesh and blood, deeply embedded in Ringo’s internal organs!
“The first step is done!” Ringo’s face was pale, revealing a pleasant surprise.
He felt the new organs within him radiating a strange suction, their presence so strong, both a source of power and a dangerous vortex.
The next step was to verify the effect, and it was also the key to initial mastery: 【Gyo】!
Concentrate the aura of Ren on a specific part to enhance perception or attack.
He circulated Nen, guiding his will, carefully, like a precise surgery, towards the depths of the mucous membranes of his mouth, nose, and throat.
Inhale—Exhale—
When his mouth and nose came into contact with the sparse, almost imperceptible energy particles floating in his breath, a change occurred.
The tiny particles instantly decomposed and digested like ice and snow meeting heat, transforming into a trace of almost transparent, yet incredibly pure aura, directly integrating into his body.
Unbelievable efficiency!
Compared to the slow consumption by the body, then conversion into aura through meditation and training, the efficiency at this moment had increased by more than ten times!
“It’s a success, Gokukusenzoku!” Ringo excitedly clenched his fists.
“At this level, as long as I ensure sufficient daily food intake, supplemented by the training of the Four Major Principles, my potential and Nen volume will be able to increase at a rate far exceeding the conventional speed in a short period!”
Thinking of Bairen’s ability in “Under One Person,” another thought emerged: How to achieve the advanced move of spitting digestive fluid later?
Ringo concentrated his aura, but there was no reaction in his mouth. “The newly developed ability, perhaps the conditions are not yet sufficient…”
That night, on the airship, inside a huge cabin.
Bean announced that they would arrive at the third examination site at eight in the morning, and the remaining time was free.
Ringo’s face was ashen, the blood loss coupled with a day of continuous exhaustion made him feel as if he was carrying a thousand-pound burden. A strong dizziness struck him, and his body went limp, falling straight forward.
“Hey!” Leorio, quick-eyed and quick-handed, caught him. Kurapika also immediately stepped forward to support his other arm. Fortunately, Ringo, at fourteen, was slender and not heavy.
“Why did he collapse first? I wanted to find a place to sleep for three days and three nights,” Leorio complained, but he voluntarily reached out to open Ringo’s eyelids and felt his forehead: “He’s just too tired.”
“Forget it,” Kurapika sighed, a hint of helplessness in his blue eyes: “Since we encountered him, we can’t just leave him. Let’s take him to the rest area.”
“I’ll help too!” Gon, seeing that both of them were exhausted, stepped forward and took Ringo.
Killua, standing nearby, pouted: “Tsk, let’s go, quickly get this guy settled.”
As night deepened, Killua, on the empty deck, uncharacteristically confided to Gon his reluctance to inherit the Zoldyck Family, and then played a ball-snatching game with the Chairman; Kurapika and Leorio also ignored Tonpa’s harassment and fell into a deep sleep in the rest cabin.
The night passed without incident.
The next afternoon, the airship finally arrived at the location of the third examination—the top of Trick Tower.
The top platform was smooth and flat, without any railings, just a single surface. The strong wind howled around the tower, stirring up dust, bringing a heart-pounding sense of weightlessness and bone-chilling cold. Below was a bottomless abyss of clouds.
The cold examination rules sounded: Reach the ground at the base of the tower within seventy-two hours.
The tense atmosphere instantly tightened. Some people anxiously looked around the edge of the platform for a path. Discussions and gasps were fragmented by the wind.
Ringo’s gaze was downcast, but no longer bewildered.
Everything from his past life had been cast away in the fall, and the thrill of rebirth after jumping off a cliff still flowed in his blood, but it also made him realize more clearly than anyone: at the end of this path, the hunter license was the best pass, and he had to get it!
Beneath his feet were uneven floor tiles. The secret passage… should be among them. He suppressed his chaotic thoughts and subtly moved his feet, then squatted down.
His fingertips seemingly casually brushed over the floor tiles, feeling the extremely subtle airflow from below.
“Huh?” He squatted down, quietly pressing his palm on a crack at the edge of a floor tile. A faint but continuous coolness brushed against his palm.
He found it.
Ringo looked back, hesitating for a moment. If he entered the tower alone, he might pass with his Nen Ability, but the risks were unknown. More importantly, doing so would mean giving up the huge advantage of traveling with the protagonist team—information asymmetry.
At this moment, Gon and the others began to notice that the number of people had decreased.
Ringo made a quick decision and walked forward: “There seems to be a secret passage here to enter. I found that after someone went in, the secret door locked.”
“It seems each door can only be passed by one person,” Kurapika squatted down, observing the size and seams of the floor tiles, quickly drawing a conclusion.
“Leorio, Kurapika, Ringo, we found secret doors…” Gon approached. He and Killua had found five.
“Perhaps there are traps among them,” the group analyzed.
“But those are the rules,” Kurapika stood up, dusting off his hands: “Luck is also a kind of strength. If you encounter it, you can’t blame others.”
Everyone had made up their minds and no longer hesitated, each choosing an entrance under their feet. Ringo also picked one of the five secret doors Gon had found.
“We’ll have to split up temporarily,” Kurapika prepared, his tone carrying a hint of solemnity.
“Take care!” Gon waved energetically.
Leorio forced a smile, while Killua nodded lazily.
Ringo looked at the floor tile beneath his feet, thinking: “According to the plot, the five of us should enter the same ‘majority rule’ room, but this is a real world after all, so there’s no guarantee. I can only leave it to fate…”
He took a deep breath of the dust-laden, biting air, and pushed off with his feet!
One!
Two!
Three!
“Clack!”
A slight mechanical click sounded, and the floor tile beneath his feet suddenly flipped downwards! A sense of weightlessness instantly struck.
However, the expected long fall did not come. After falling less than two meters, Ringo’s feet touched the ground, landing in a dimly lit room. He looked up, and the corner of his mouth twitched uncontrollably—
Standing before him were Gon, Kurapika, Leorio, and Killua, who had also just steadied themselves, their expressions equally surprised.
The four looked at Ringo, then at each other, and all simultaneously broke into awkward and helpless smiles.