"This is Nen." Upon hearing Daniel Davis demonstrate the power of Nen at the Hunter Association, both Bokur and Ponzu were left utterly speechless, their eyes wide in disbelief. For a moment, they didn't know what to say.
Even though the Hunter world is set in a modern society with a relatively advanced internet, information about Nen is nearly impossible for ordinary people to access. Places like the Heaven's Arena, which broadcast battles, always find convenient excuses to cover up the truth, such as claiming that Nen explosions during Hisoka and Chrollo's fight were caused by bombs.
As for the visible destructive power—like flipping the ground or shattering the floor with a single punch—it's simply attributed to martial arts. Ordinary people who want to learn such skills are just told to train, and if they can't achieve that level, it's because they haven't trained hard enough.
Even those who later come into contact with Nen may only do so after they've already become beneficiaries of its power, but without understanding how to actually train in Nen. Daniel, for instance, in his previous life on Earth, had seen martial arts where one person could take on ten. Though he wasn't sure if there were any extraordinary forces like inner strength or Nen on Earth, he knew firsthand that most people online didn't believe in the existence of real martial arts, dismissing it as mere fantasy. Some even claimed that traditional Chinese medicine was fake, with no scientific basis, and that its effectiveness was just a matter of luck rather than actual medicinal properties.
Daniel once wasn't sure if meridians really existed, but now he could confirm that they did.
"This is the final part of the Hunter exam. If you can't learn Nen, you're not a true Hunter. Without Nen, venturing into some dangerous places would be suicidal. Nen is highly dangerous, and one must be assessed before it can be taught to prevent its misuse. You've both passed the exam, so now I'll teach you how to train in Nen."
After joining the Hunter Association, Daniel realized that Wing hadn't exaggerated when he told Gon and Killua about the importance of Nen. The Association indeed assesses whether to teach Nen to candidates after they pass the exam, based on their character. For instance, someone like the newbie killer Tonpa, even if he passed the exam, would only receive a Hunter license at most.
"Solid, resilient, interconnected… these divine characters are somewhat like runes." While teaching Bokur and Ponzu about Nen, Daniel was simultaneously developing his own Hyakushiki Kannon and studying the divine characters. The Hunter Association had a considerable collection of divine characters, and Daniel had managed to acquire quite a few, especially after trading with Mizaistom Nana, the Zodiac's Cow. Mizaistom, a linguist and expert on ancient texts, had a deep understanding of divine characters. Daniel spent billions of Jenny to successfully trade for these rare characters.
Once he obtained the divine characters, Daniel began searching for information about the Dark Continent. Although the Hunter Association's official website had no intelligence on the Dark Continent, Daniel used Red Queen to compile all available online data, leading him to discover relevant information on a novel forum.
The novel in question was called *New World Chronicles*, a fantasy book that was said to have had only a hundred copies printed before it was quickly taken off the market, much like Jing's Greed Island game. However, although the book was withdrawn from sale, some people managed to buy it. Due to its outstanding world-building and claims that its contents were true, the book gained a cult following, leading to the creation of a dedicated forum, despite its limited circulation.
Intrigued by the mention of the Dark Continent, Daniel joined the forum. Although he initially had low expectations, he was pleasantly surprised by what he found. While much of the content was outlandish, when combined with what he already knew, Daniel began to suspect that the book's descriptions of the Dark Continent might be accurate.
His suspicion was confirmed after several conversations with the forum's moderator. Though many forum members doubted the book's authenticity, others believed in it, citing the peculiar fact that such a well-crafted book was never officially sold and that any information about it was quickly removed whenever it was shared online.
Convinced of the book's authenticity, Daniel spent a large sum of money to purchase a copy from the forum.
"The new world across the sea… it seems to be a travelogue. This person named Don must be extraordinary," Daniel thought after finishing the *New World Chronicles*. The detailed descriptions of the Dark Continent within the book astonished him. The Continent was incredibly dangerous, yet this person had managed to record everything.
If Don was weak, he wouldn't have been able to achieve this.
"So Netero isn't the pinnacle of humanity in this world after all. I underestimated this world," Daniel reflected. Netero was very secretive about the Dark Continent, suggesting that he wasn't as strong as this Don.
Daniel didn't know Don's full name, or he wouldn't have been so surprised. Don was Don Freecss, the ancestor of Jing and Gon.
"The Dark Continent indeed holds many treasures," Daniel mused. Although the book described the Dark Continent as incredibly dangerous—a forbidden zone for humans—it also mentioned numerous valuable items. Among these were the five great hopes: the Unmanned Stone, the Three Great Waters, the herb that can cure all diseases, the ultimate longevity item Nitro Rice, and the alchemical plant Metallion.
Although the Unmanned Stone had little use for Daniel, the other four items were highly valuable, especially Nitro Rice, which was an ultimate longevity item that any human would covet.
Despite possessing Dimensional Magic, the Philosopher's Stone, and even the yet-to-be-revealed Pure Gold from the world of *One Piece*, Daniel still couldn't resist the allure of Nitro Rice.
These were just the five items recorded in the book. Given that the book only described the outskirts of the Dark Continent, there were likely even greater treasures hidden deeper within.
How vast is the Dark Continent? No one knows. The *New World Chronicles* described the Dark Continent as endless, like stepping into a primordial world filled with various giant beasts. From the descriptions, it seemed that many of these creatures were already extinct, such as dinosaurs.
"Land-based Sea Kings?" Daniel thought as he recalled the size of the giant beasts described in the book. The idea of these creatures roaming the land instead of the sea was terrifying, even if humans possessed weapons like the Rose—it wouldn't be of much use.
Moreover, the dangers of the Dark Continent weren't limited to these giant beasts. The five great calamities were even more terrifying, containing eerie powers, like Alluka from the Zoldyck family, whose wish-granting abilities defied logic. The scariest part was that while wishing required a price, Killua could command Alluka without paying anything. Alluka's other personality, Nanika, originated from the Dark Continent.
"The Gatekeepers… one must go through them to reach the Dark Continent. That's truly remarkable," Daniel thought as he carefully reviewed the book. His curiosity about the Dark Continent had been piqued by a Mahjong master. However, after learning about the true nature of the place, he was initially undecided about visiting. But after discovering the five great hopes, Daniel made up his mind to go. As long as he visited once, he could easily return next time through the Gate of Secret Techniques.
However, Daniel was unsure how to reach the Dark Continent. Flying there directly wasn't impossible, but it might be dangerous. Although the *New World Chronicles* didn't provide specific details about the strength of the creatures there, the vague descriptions of danger and strangeness were enough to cause concern.
But from what he knew about Meruem, the Chimera Ant King, Daniel could roughly gauge the power levels on the Dark Continent. The Chimera Ants were classified as B-rank threats by the Hunter Association, yet there were still A-rank threats above them.
What kind of power did A-rank creatures possess? Daniel hadn't seen any, and the Hunter Association had no relevant information either. However, it was easy to imagine their strength.
"Too bad I can't get in touch with Jing; he might have more information about the Dark Continent." As one of the five great Nen users, Jing surely had more intel on the Dark Continent. Unfortunately, Jing was notoriously elusive. Even the Hunter Association's official website had no information on him; his details were completely sealed.
The only way to learn more about Jing would be to increase his own Hunter star ranking. The title of Star Hunter was more than just prestigious; it came with privileges beyond those of a Professional Hunter.
"As expected, they are Manipulation and Emission types. However, their future potential is far below that of Gon and Killua." As time passed, Bokur and Ponzu completed their training in the four major principles of Nen. Through the Water Divination test, their Nen types were revealed.
In terms of talent, Bokur and Ponzu weren't bad. Ponzu had discovered her ability to control bees at a young age, which was already a form of Nen, though she didn't realize it at the time. With Daniel's careful guidance, they made rapid progress. However, their total Nen capacity was average at best, making it difficult for them to become top-tier fighters.
Daniel focused on teaching them the technique of *Ko* (Intensification), leaving the other advanced techniques for them to practice on their own later.
"Hmm." In a mountain valley on the outskirts of the Hunter Association, Daniel clasped his hands together. A golden figure, about six meters tall with a solemn expression, appeared around his body, with fifty arms extending from either side.
Boom, boom, boom.
The golden arms, several meters long, launched a fierce attack on the surrounding area. In moments, the entire valley was left in ruins, with the ground pocked and uneven.
"Go." With a cold snort from Daniel, the golden figure around him shot into the air, flying toward a nearby hundred-meter-tall peak. The fifty arms relentlessly pounded the peak, reducing its height by nearly thirty meters in a matter of moments.
"An all-in-one attack and defense technique with long-range capabilities… I've finally gained a powerful ability." Moments later, the golden figure returned to Daniel, instantly expanding to a height of about fifteen meters, with the number of arms doubling.
"Senju Kannon is finally complete, but I shouldn't just imitate Netero. I need to forge my own path." Although Senju Kannon was successfully formed, this was just the beginning. Continuous practice was necessary to achieve the fluid control that Netero had, who had spent his entire life refining Hyakushiki Kannon into a formidable power.
In fact, Netero's experience was worth learning from, especially his daily routine of throwing ten thousand punches with his *Heart of Gratitude* technique. It wasn't just mindless punching—each punch was imbued with Netero's full concentration and spirit.
"By this time, the Chimera Ants should have appeared," Daniel recalled the looming threat of the Chimera Ants. He hadn't forgotten about the danger they posed, but he didn't know the exact time and place of the Queen's appearance. Moreover, gathering reliable intelligence was another issue, so he hadn't informed Netero about the impending threat.
"This is really the worst possible combination." Looking at the information about the NGL Autonomous State in his hand, Daniel sighed. The world of *Hunter x Hunter* is set in a modern society. Although computers, the internet, and smartphones haven't reached full intelligence, they are semi-intelligent.
In such a world, could you imagine a country that rejects all modern technology and even metal products, insisting on living a primitive lifestyle? That's NGL—Natural Green Life—a country that claims to live the most advanced green lifestyle by rejecting all technological products. Because of its philosophy, it enjoys a high reputation worldwide, especially among environmental organizations that regard it as a holy land.
Due to its isolation, anything that happens within NGL remains unknown to the outside world. The Chimera Ant Queen's appearance there was like adding fuel to the fire.
If not for Kite's relentless pursuit of the Chimera Ants, the fully grown Chimera Ants would have been a disaster for humanity. The Chimera Ants' reproductive method made them the natural enemies of all life forms, ensuring that they could never coexist with humans.
If Daniel didn't have the strength, he certainly wouldn't get involved in this mess. But since he did, taking out the Chimera Ants in advance would be a good deed.
A strong person can benefit the world. While Daniel hadn't reached that level of altruism, he didn't mind stepping in when it was within his power and didn't endanger himself.
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