Republic of Padokea, Dentora Region, Kukuroo Mountain – Zoldyck Family.
In a quiet courtyard, two figures sat across from each other—one old, one young.
Between them lay a chessboard, its black and white pieces neatly arranged.
The old man played black, the young man, white.
Nearby, a middle-aged man stood by the entrance, dressed in formal attire like a butler. A maid approached quietly, placing a tray of freshly brewed coffee on a side table.
A breeze stirred the air, rustling the leaves of the trees. The aroma of coffee mingled with the fresh mountain air.
The boy studied the chessboard intensely, his brows furrowed in concentration.
After what felt like an eternity, his eyes brightened.
"Clack!"
A white piece landed on the board.
The old man narrowed his eyes and leaned in, his expression tightening ever so slightly.
And then, as if by magic, the chessboard shimmered. Two spectral forms—one black, one white—materialized, each transforming into a beastly figure.
The phantoms clashed atop the board.
At first, the battle was even, with each creature giving as good as it got. But soon, the black beast gained the upper hand, driving its opponent back. Just when it seemed victory was assured, the white beast found an opening. With a swift strike, it staggered the black figure and pressed the attack relentlessly.
"Boom!"
The black beast crumbled into nothingness. The white creature flickered briefly before vanishing as well, leaving the board once again calm and still.
The chess pieces reset themselves, sliding smoothly back into their starting positions.
The boy looked up at the old man, a triumphant smile spreading across his face.
"Grandfather, I won."
He had been waiting for this moment for a long, long time.
This boy was not an ordinary child. He was a reincarnated soul, someone whose previous life held no meaning in this world.
Here, he was Kaizen Zoldyck.
This was the world of Hunter x Hunter, and the Zoldyck family was its most notorious family of assassins. Small in number but terrifying in strength, the Zoldycks had no need to hide their existence.
No amount of curiosity, ambition, or bravado could breach their defenses. Over the years, the gates to the Zoldyck estate had even become a bizarre tourist attraction—though none who entered without permission ever left.
The Zoldyck family currently consisted of ten members:
Maha Zoldyck, the oldest and strongest.
Zeno, Silva, Illumi, Milluki, Killua, Kalluto, Alluka, Kikyo...
And Kaizen.
Kaizen's situation, however, was different from his cousins'.
Like Illumi and the others, Kaizen called Maha his great-grandfather. But Kaizen's grandfather was not Zeno—it had been Zeno's younger brother, who had passed away many years ago. Kaizen's parents had also disappeared when he was a child, leaving him to be raised by Maha.
As a result, few within the manor even knew of Kaizen's existence. He grew up in isolation, learning the ways of the Zoldyck family under Maha's watchful eye.
Kaizen, however, was aware of far more than the average child—thanks to memories from his previous life. He knew this was no ordinary world. Here, extraordinary powers called Nen existed, granting their users abilities beyond imagination.
But Maha had not yet taught Kaizen about Nen. Instead, the old man had set a condition:
"Defeat me in Go, and I'll teach you."
For three years, they had played countless games. Today, Kaizen had finally won.
He had waited so long for this day.
"Grandfather, will you teach me now?"
Maha Zoldyck nodded slowly, rising from his seat.
"Follow me."
"Yes, Great-Grandfather."
They left the courtyard and walked deeper into the manor until they reached a hidden chamber.
Thud!
The heavy door closed behind them, the room illuminated by a flickering yellow light.
"You've been waiting for this moment for quite some time," Maha said, his deep voice resonating through the dim space.
Kaizen nodded.
"The power you seek is called Nen," Maha began. "It is a force born from a blend of physical and spiritual energy. Once you unlock it, you will step into a world far beyond the ordinary."
He paused, his gaze piercing. "But make no mistake—Nen is dangerous. Without proper preparation, it can consume you. That's why you had to lay a solid foundation first."
Kaizen listened intently, fully aware of what his great-grandfather meant.
Just like in the original plot, Killua and Gon had not been introduced to Nen until they were ready. In the Heavens Arena, it had seemed like pure chance that they encountered Wing, but Kaizen knew better—it was all part of a deliberate arrangement by the Hunter Association.
In fact, Netero himself had orchestrated it.
"Even Ging Freecss is just another piece on Netero's chessboard," Kaizen thought.
The Zoldycks and Netero had long been allies, and every encounter had been carefully planned.
Maha continued, "The first step in unlocking your Nen is to open your Aura Nodes."
The old man's gaze sharpened, and in the next instant, a powerful surge of energy radiated from his body.
Kaizen staggered as the invisible force weighed down on him, making it hard to breathe.
Boom!
It was as if a switch had been flipped inside him.
Kaizen felt something within him snap open, and a warm, flowing energy surged through his body, spreading from his core to his fingertips.
His skin tingled with heat, as though he had been submerged in a hot spring.
He looked down at his hands, flexing his fingers. The energy coiled and danced beneath his skin, a sensation both foreign and exhilarating.
"So... this is what it feels like to open the Aura Nodes?"
Maha gave a faint smile, the corners of his lips barely curling.
"Yes. This is only the beginning."
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Hi there! I've decided to translate a new Hunter x Hunter fanfic. It was already available on Webnovel, but it hadn't been edited at all—it was just raw Chinese run through Google Translate. I reached out to the Webnovel support team, and they told me I could go ahead with the translation. I just hope they don't remove this fanfic so I can finish it!