Holding it in, holding it tight –
Keep holding it in until it reaches its limit, then let it out freely.
This was the meaning that Moses could barely extract from Wright's terrible metaphor.
However…
He was quite curious to know who is the person that first introduced Wright to this concept.
Suppressing his urge to ask, Moses averted his gaze, no longer looking at Wright.
In order to prevent Wright from sharing more dreadful experiences, he immediately closed his eyes and started training.
Wright, who wanted to continue imparting his experiences, had no choice but to give up as Moses was already engrossed in his training.
"I really am suitable for guiding others,"
Looking at Moses who started training immediately after receiving guidance, Wright couldn't help but show a smug expression.
Good guidance means explaining principles in the simplest terms.
Just like he had just done –
He had only casually applied a metaphor, and Moses immediately understood.
"If it my ultimate goal wasn't to capture the Phantom Troupe, becoming a Nen instructor and guiding newcomers doesn't seem like a bad choice."
Wright crossed his arms, a trace of pride evident on his stoic face.
Moses didn't know what was going through Wright's mind at this moment. He focused his attention, doing his best to manipulate the Aura within his body.
'First, gather the Aura, then expand the nodes in one go… There's no need to rush. Failing once is okay, I can just try again. But before that, close the nodes, so that more power could be accumulated.'
Moses concentrated, organizing his thoughts.
Although Wright's "wisdom" gave off an unpleasant feeling, he couldn't deny –
The rough words contained solid logic.
At the very least, it provided Moses with some insight.
Within the courtyard of the temple.
Mist filled the air, and the faint morning light scattered, casting a glow on Moses.
The hazy radiance and the Aura's glow complemented each other.
After about ten seconds –
The Aura that floated around Moses faded at a pace visible to the naked eye.
Moses had closed his Aura nodes, entering Zetsu state.
This way, he could gather more power within his body.
Seeing this, a trace of surprise flashed across Wright's stoic face.
'A smart choice, but taking too big a step isn't a good thing. Nen training is all about taking one step at a time, steadily and securely.'
Wright seemed to have guessed Moses's intentions, but he neither approved nor disapproved.
Undeniably, his guidance was outstanding, but he couldn't dictate the pace of one's progress.
In any case, the best result would be for Moses to expand his nodes to the required level by noon, allowing his Ren to reach a level where sparring would be productive.
If it couldn't be achieved by noon, then Wright could use his own Aura to help Moses in expanding his Aura nodes.
However, succeeding through personal effort and succeeding with the help of others were completely different in terms of rewards.
If the situation allowed, Wright would prefer if Moses could reach the requirement through his own abilities.
"Moses, I believe in you, you, you…?"
Suddenly, Wright's eyes widened.
In his eyes, a large group of bright lights gradually reflected.
Under his gaze, a large amount of Aura surged out of Moses's body, flowing back and forth like a waterfall, clearly having expanded the nodes above the baseline.
'How long had it been?'
'Ten seconds?'
'Oh my God! What a genius!!!'
Wright was shocked internally.
He initially thought Moses would need many attempts to adequately expand his Aura nodes to a qualified level, but the boy had met – no, exceeded the expected level in one go.
'A genius, he's a genius among geniuses…!!!'
'I must find a way to recruit Moses!!!'
Wright was ecstatic!
This wasn't just ensuring a path…
This can be said to be his sure ticket to become a Double-Star Hunter.
Moses didn't pay attention to Wright's reaction. At this moment, a large amount of Aura gushed out from his body, constantly impacting the sensations within his body, creating a strange feeling in his heart.
Not omnipotent, but a feeling that he could do more.
"Is this level sufficient?"
Moses slowly opened his eyes, looking at Wright, who had a surprised expression.
Seeing Moses's gaze, Wright quickly suppressed his shock, pretending to cough a few times, and said solemnly, "Not bad. It seems my guidance played a crucial role."
"…"
After hearing this, Moses remained silent for a moment, tactfully choosing not to correct Wright's impression.
"Well, let's get started then. I can't maintain this for too long."
Without retracting his Nen, Moses took a step back, then looked at Wright, gesturing for him to start the spar.
"Don't be too anxious. We still have plenty of time."
Wright's eyes sparkled as he also released his Aura, preparing for their sparring session.
However, Wright had controlled his Aura's intensity deliberately to match Moyu's level closely.
"During our sparring session, I'll restrain my Ren to a level comparable to yours, so you don't need to feel constrained by thoughts like 'the opponent's Ren is stronger'. You can freely showcase your offensive and defensive capabilities,"
While saying this, Wright assumed a defensive stance with his left fist guarding against the right one.
"Then, I won't hold back."
Moses's eyes sharpened as he aggressively stepped forward, and with a forceful stomp, shattered the aged tile beneath his foot.
Like an arrow released from its bow, Moses's body shot toward Wright.
'Choosing a direct, aggressive approach after confirming both parties have comparable Ren is indeed the fastest way to extract the value from a sparring session. But… He's still so young, so where does this urgent desire to become stronger come from?'
Seeing Moses's aggressive approach, Wright stood his ground, ready to engage in defensive and evasive maneuvers.
However, in the next instant, he witnessed Moses suddenly halted.
"Hmm?"
Wright was puzzled as he watched Moses suddenly stop his attack.
Moses, on the other hand, turned to look at the shattered tile beneath him. Before initiating the fight, he hadn't considered the terrain.
With the power of Ren, he hadn't anticipated that a simple charge would effortlessly destroy the tile.
'Wouldn't a ten-day sparring session wreck the entire courtyard then?'
'What would Hawk say when he returned?'
Moses could almost visualize Hawk's constant complaints.
"Should we… move somewhere else?"
Redirecting his gaze from the broken tile, Moses suggested to Wright.
"…"
Wright was somewhat speechless when he heard this.
He had thought that Moses had stopped due to some other reason, but it turned out Moses was worried about damaging the temple's courtyard.
"Let's stay here. There's no other suitable location outside,"
Wright refuted Moses's suggestion. But to reassure him, Wright added, "Don't worry about it. After our sparring ends, I'll bring in professionals to restore this place."
"Then I can rest easy."
A glint appeared in Moses's eyes, thinking that the path of a Pro Hunter indeed offered various connections.
With no more reservations, Moses took another step forward.
Bang!
Another tile cracked.
Rushing towards Wright, Moses crouched slightly to minimize his target area, while delivering a probing straight punch aimed at Wright's abdomen.
Enhanced by Ren, this punch carried considerable force.
However, in Wright's eyes, Moses's attack patterns were not only immature, but also filled with openings.
'Almost no experience in combat…'
A look of astonishment appeared deep in Wright's eyes. Just as Moses's punch was about to connect, Wright quickly drove his knee towards Moses's chest.
With a muffled bang, Moses was struck squarely in the chest, sending him flying backwards. He crashed to the ground, rolling several meters before coming to a stop.
However, since both their Ren were at similar levels, and Wright had intentionally restrained his strength, this solid blow did not injure Moses.
This is one of the unique advantages Nen users possessed. They could engage in all-out battles during training without the fear of getting hurt, allowing for rapid experience gain.
In a real combat scenario, however…
Just now, all Wright needed to do was transfer over 50% of his Aura to his knee, and a single strike could have been fatal to Moses.
'My frontal combat capabilities are indeed lacking…'
Moses got up from the ground, not surprised by the outcome.
Despite possessing ample knowledge of Nen, his experience in physical combat was almost non-existent.
This was Moses's current strength level.
Thus, excluding the Nen ability factor, any Hunter who has just learned Nen after passing the Hunter Exam could easily overpower Moses.
After all, combat experience and physical fitness were indispensable components of one's strength.
The reason he could 'one-shot' Ian last night was entirely due to a strategic advantage and misinformation of Nen abilities.
Assuming a situation where he was forced to confront Ian head-on, Moses had no chance of being Ian's equal.
In simple terms...
Combat experience and physical fitness set the lower limit, while Nen ability and skill raised the upper limit.
"I still have a long way to go."
Moses muttered to himself, then looked at Wright, determination reflected on his face.
Being weak didn't matter.
Because after countless setbacks, one inevitably becomes stronger.
All he had to do was move forward, resolutely taking each step.
'How… did he defeat Ian?'
Suppressing his astonishment, Wright observed Moses as he rose from the ground.
Knowing that Moses had almost zero combat experience, the doubts Wright had from the previous night which remained unanswered, resurfaced even more intensely.
Comparing Moses's current strength to what he knew of Ian's capabilities…
No matter how Wright speculated, he couldn't imagine a possibility where Moses could defeat Ian.
Because Ian was evidently superior to Moses in Nen skills, combat experience, and even physical fitness.
As Wright pondered this, Moses launched another attack, once again opting for a straightforward charge.
However…
This time, before striking, Moses changed his stance slightly, hoping to increase his hit rate through feints.
But it was still too naive.
Wright effortlessly sent him flying.
After crashing heavily to the ground, Moses didn't get up. Having expended nearly 90% of his Aura, it was clear he couldn't continue.
After all, it had only been two days since he awakened his Nen…
The total amount of his Aura was not something he could raise in such a short time.
Lying flat on the ground, Moses began to review the recent exchange in his mind, trying to gain experience from it.
Ten days…
He needed to cherish every moment, and strived to grow as much as possible!