Auren, excited by his master's reward, completely ignores the matter of No. 18's dismissal and No. 13's lucky break, choosing to focus solely on his training.
The following day during physical training, after finishing his laps early, he respectfully approaches Buno and Bunu, intending to ask him about his price, promised by his Master.
"Instructor Buno, Instructor Bunu—I've finished my laps," Auren says politely.
Both men grin, and Buno is the first to speak.
"Oh? And why are you coming to us instead of continuing with your usual exercises?"
Auren looks slightly confused.
So Master didn't tell them? Or maybe he did and they're just playing around. They do look awfully smug… I hope this reward isn't some empty promise. If I complain now, I'll just look like a snitch and they'll just make my life difficult if I dare to complain. I have to play this carefully.
"Brother, stop teasing the poor boy," Bunu says, clearly amused by Auren's reaction.
"Fine," Buno continues. "No. 23—you're one of the best in physical training. Only a little behind No. 4 and No. 6. But when we account for age, you're not behind at all. You're also the frontrunner in Nen. And from what I've heard, your swordsmanship is right behind your sparring partner, who's just a step ahead. Based on these results, I'd say you've got at least a 50% chance of winning this silly little contest."
"Thank you for your compliment. I'll do my best to raise that percentage until I become Master's successor," Auren responds respectfully.
"Heh, now this might get interesting," Buno replies. "Look, No. 23—we don't like teaching people who won't spread our techniques to students of their own. But when I look at you… I feel like taking a gamble. My younger brother and I both studied a martial art often used by assassins. It has no official name—each practitioner adds their own twist. Coincidentally, we ended up developing different specialties."
"I focus on strikes, muscle control, blocks, and some throwing techniques," Buno continues, raising his thick, hairy hand. "But what I truly specialize in… is this."
His hand begins to twist unnaturally, the fingers bending and reshaping until they resemble sharp daggers. In moments, his once normal-looking hand transforms into a deadly-looking claw.
"This technique is favored by assassins. I focus on the claw, but I can also help you with modifying other joints in your arm. With it, you're never truly unarmed. Of course, it's not something taught in popular, official schools—it's a forbidden technique. Its purpose is simple: to kill, cripple, or maim your opponent."
"Incredible…" Auren murmurs, genuinely astonished.
Bunu steps forward.
"I focus more on speed and leg techniques. I also know a bit of grappling—nothing fancy to demonstrate, but I can teach you how to move silently, without making a sound or being noticed. Combine that with Zetsu, and you'll become a real shadow."
Both of them… their techniques are incredible, but more importantly—they're clearly skilled assassins.
"Now the question, No. 23—who do you choose as your teacher?" Buno asks with a grin.
"I can't choose. Please teach me both. I respect your techniques equally," Auren replies immediately.
"How about this—if you can keep up and meet our expectations, we'll both teach you," Bunu suggests. "But slack off, and we quit. Do you agree?"
"I agree," Auren says without hesitation.
They might use that as an excuse to cut my training short… but it's worth the risk.
"Hehe, good," Buno laughs with a wicked grin. "You can drop your useless basic training starting tomorrow. We'll give you a custom plan. You'll have a very enjoyable time ahead. I am so jealous."
Auren continues training for the day, excited about what's to come—though he remains slightly wary of their sudden shift in behavior. He also notices the subtle expressions of shock and jealousy from No. 4, No. 6, and even No. 24.
No. 24 may be talented, but her slightly weaker and underdeveloped body is her weakness. For a strong Aura, you need a strong body. She may be a genius in swordsmanship and Nen, but physically, she's clearly lacking. Looks like I really am slightly ahead of the others. I can't afford to slack off. I need to widen my lead to win this contest.
The next morning, Auren is surprised when Buno and Bunu invite him to the small storage shed behind the training yard after giving instructions to the other students. In the center of the shed now stands a bizarre chair—constructed entirely of steel. It looks insanely heavy and unnervingly durable.
Once inside, Buno issues a command in a cheerful tone.
"Sit in the chair. We'll tie your arms to the rests so you can't move or struggle."
Without hesitation, Auren obeys. He sits down and places his hands flat on the armrests, ready for whatever Buno has prepared.
"You're going to struggle. You'll scream. You'll hate me with everything you've got. You might even want to kill me. This is your last chance to back out. Once you give me your consent, there's no turning back. You'll enter hell."
"Go ahead, Instructor!" Auren shouts.
"Good," Buno says, handing him a round piece of bamboo. "Bite down on this. It'll help. You're nearly seven—it's a bit late, so this will hurt more than usual. But if you can endure it, you'll gain a very interesting ability. Don't worry about class or exercises today—you're excused."
Auren bites down on the bamboo.
Buno walks over to a metal case, opening it to reveal an array of knives, scalpels, hammers, and chisels, along with medicinal supplies. He gives Auren a handful of pills and injects a syringe into both of his hands, numbing them, before disinfecting his arms from top to bottom.
What follows are three hours of torturous procedures. Buno opens up Auren's hands—cutting into muscles, shifting bones, and breaking them at specific angles.
Despite the drugs, Auren feels every strike, every incision, and every stabbing motion Buno inflicts.
Desperately biting down on the piece of bamboo, Auren truly feels as though he has descended into hell.
At least… I'll be resistant to torture after this.
After nearly three hours, Buno finally finishes his 'procedure'. Auren's hands are bloody, swollen, and trembling. Buno wraps them tightly in thick bandages.
"Your master knows about our training. You'll have to stop sword training for a while, but if you use Zetsu, you'll recover much faster than you'd think," Buno says calmly.
He unties Auren, who is ready to collapse on the spot.
"No, you don't, young one," Bunu says with a wicked grin. "Now it's time for my training. Your hands might be a little damaged—but your feet work just fine, don't they?"
I need to endure this.
"Yes, Instructor Bunu!" Auren replies, suppressing his pain.
"Incredible…" Buno mutters under his breath, Bunu looking equally impressed.
What follows is a brutal series of leg-focused exercises. Within just thirty minutes, Auren already feels like he can't keep going—but he pushes himself anyway. From holding difficult stances, to walking along razor-thin surfaces, to balancing on a single toe—Bunu pushes his limits. Auren continues for nearly two hours before finally collapsing, the pain from his hands only making things worse.
Returning to his room, Auren forces himself to train Ren until his Aura is fully depleted. Only then does he switch to Zetsu and allow himself to rest.
At 6 PM, he enters the canteen, suddenly realizing that with his hands in this condition, eating will be difficult—along with everything else.
To his surprise, the old lunch lady seems already informed of his situation. Without a word, she offers him a stack of sandwiches, neatly prepared for easy handling. Gratefully, Auren accepts them with his forearms and returns to his room.
The following month proves difficult. Aside from the challenges to his daily life, making him feel like a cripple, someone with a disability, he skips physical training involving his hands entirely, attends class without taking any notes, and avoids sword practice altogether—much to No. 24's displeasure, as she's left to train alone.
Auren continues his training with Bunu, while Buno doesn't let up on his own regimen. In fact, he often interferes with Auren's healing, re-adjusting bones or forcing movement just as his hands and arms begin to recover.
Another month passes. Auren's hands and arms are now scarred, but mostly healed.
That's when the next stage of training begins—techniques that focus entirely on hand control and power. Auren starts using his hands for tasks normally reserved for tools. Even his fingers—and his nails—are involved.
He strikes bricks. He lifts heavy things with a single finger. He splits thin bamboo with his fingertips, causing them to break and get injured again. He practices breaking objects that most wouldn't even touch. Many times, he injures himself again. But each time, Buno simply treats his injuries—resetting bones, redressing wounds—and orders him to continue.
"If you thought the pain was over, you're wrong! This is still considered light training—your bones haven't fully developed yet. Trust me, it'll get worse. If you want to truly learn my technique, you have to endure it," Buno tells him.
Despite the lingering pain in his hands, Auren eventually returns to sword training after two months of absence—and resumes sparring with No. 24.
To his surprise, he wins their first match decisively. He doesn't win by luck either, and the match itself is not even close. His movements—now honed through grueling leg training—are sharper, faster, more precise. His footwork and balance have improved so much that he can close the distance on her with ease. He even manages to disrupt her stance while blocking, throwing her off balance completely. No. 24 looks as shocked as himself as she realizes their growing difference in fighting abilities.
Auren smiles, clearly more than satisfied.
I thought I'd fall behind… but no. I've gained an edge instead.
One month later, another student leaves the school—and with that, Auren completes his first full year under Elder Lidor's tutelage.
His daily Nen training now consists of two focused sessions of Ren, regular Hatsu practice using water divination, and constant exercises in Ten, Zetsu, and Shu.
Three months later, Elder Lidor fulfills his promise. One morning, he brings in a delivery—massive piles of rocks, carried by several scavengers from outside the school.
Auren surveys them. Some are small enough to hold in one hand. Others are nearly as large as he is.
Without saying a word, Lidor picks up a stone, channels his Aura into it, and smashes it against another rock. He repeats the motion several times, demonstrating nothing else. Then he hands one of the stones to Auren.
"The first month, you'll get to do this by yourself. After that, you'll have to share these precious stones," Lidor says with dry sarcasm, before walking off without explanation.
This is a classic Enhancement training method. Not bad. I will include this in my training! For now, I will do this daily. I can focus on Transmutation and Emission later.
Another three months pass. By now, six students have been expelled in total.
One evening, Auren stands in his room and focuses his Aura into his eyes. His vision sharpens. He sees every tiny detail around him—cracks in the floor, faint marks on the furniture, even small flies outside his window.
Finally, he turns to face the small mirror in his room.
He lifts his shirt and stares at the mark on the left side of his chest.
Holding his breath, Auren watches closely.
He can see the Aura now—clearly. The once faint mark glows with a distinct, dark energy. Six of the twenty-four marks are now colored with an eerie, black Aura.
Six….
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