"If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn't believe it even if you beat me to death!"
Kite said helplessly, a deep shock evident on his face.
In the luxurious room of a five-star hotel, Rocky sat cross-legged on the sofa, his Aura surging continuously. The majestic energy filled the entire room, yet Rocky managed to control it effortlessly.
Time flew by.
Over the past month, Kite had stayed with Rocky, witnessing the boy's Aura increase at a staggering rate every day. Finally, the rapid growth came to a halt, but the results left Kite speechless.
At only nine years old—*not even ten*—Rocky possessed a terrifying amount of Aura, an energy field that Kite couldn't even begin to comprehend.
"How strong will he be in the future?" Kite thought. "Could he surpass even Netero, the legendary president of the Hunter Association?"
For the first time, Kite doubted his own talent. He had always considered himself gifted, but compared to Rocky, he felt as if he lacked talent altogether.
Meanwhile, Rocky sat quietly, feeling the immense energy coursing through him after the surge.
His energy had reached 165,000—a level that placed him at the very top of the Nen world, even surpassing the members of the Phantom Troupe. But Rocky knew that raw energy alone didn't equate to true strength.
Suddenly, a prompt appeared before him:
[Modification completed]
[The interval for the next modification of energy is 90 days, 23 hours, 59 minutes, and 59 seconds.]
"Huh?"
Rocky frowned at the unexpected message.
"Does this mean I have to wait 90 days before I can modify my energy again?" he muttered.
Sighing, Rocky began to explore the system further. Curious, he decided to test modifying other aspects of himself. When the modification interface appeared, Rocky almost jumped in excitement.
"So that's how it works!"
The cooldown period applied *only* to the specific category that had been modified. This meant that while he couldn't adjust his energy again for 90 days, he could still modify other aspects of himself.
"This is perfect!" Rocky thought, excitement brimming in his eyes.
Now he could make more detailed and strategic modifications to suit his needs, ensuring steady progress.
"Great! If I can't adjust my energy, I'll focus on other areas to make myself stronger," he said to himself, already planning his next steps.
But for now, Rocky shifted his attention back to more immediate concerns: the Phantom Troupe.
Opening his eyes, he turned to Kite.
"Okay, my energy has stabilized now. There won't be any issues going forward," he said confidently.
Kite nodded, though his expression remained skeptical.
Rocky noticed the hesitation and smiled. "Don't worry, I wouldn't joke about something this important. If I say there's no problem, then there's no problem!"
"Alright," Kite replied, shrugging helplessly.
---
"By the way, Water Glass—one of the Seven Beauties in the World—should have been delivered by now," Rocky said, changing the subject.
Hearing this, Kite motioned toward the large screen in the hotel room.
"This is the detailed map I've been working on these past few days," he explained.
Rocky leaned closer to examine the map. The yellow dotted line indicated the transport team's route, while blue squares marked the positions of the escorting troops.
"There are even professional Hunters among them," Kite added.
"Professional Hunters?" Rocky raised an eyebrow, intrigued.
"Does the country have to hire professional Hunters to transport things?"
Kite smiled proudly. "Of course. Hunters are indispensable.
Such valuable items cannot be entrusted to the army alone without risking mistakes!"
That made sense. Hunters in this world were very special, and the V5 acted as the true controllers of the Hunter Association.
"Then do you know what kind of Hunters are involved in the escort?"
"I don't know," Kite admitted.
"Huh? Even Phantom Troupe can be investigated, but not the escort Hunters?"
Kite sighed. "I am a Hunter, but I investigate news through the Hunter-exclusive network. If I investigate other professional Hunters, their information is restricted!"
"Unless I were a member of the Twelve Earthly Branches or the president of the association!"
Rocky nodded. That was fair enough.
"What about the underground network?"
Kite shook his head. "The confidentiality level of professional Hunters is extremely high. Unless you spend an unimaginable amount of money, it's almost impossible to get any information, especially for an escort of this level. The Hunters involved are most likely not ordinary professionals!"
So, in summary, Rocky learned nothing about the escort Hunters...
However, Rocky's goal wasn't to target this cargo or its escorts. His focus was elsewhere.
Kite, still unsure of Rocky's intent, asked, "Tell me! What do you want to do about the Phantom Troupe, Rocky?"
Kite's tone turned serious. "Let me make this clear first. If you plan to use the power of these people or think the two of us can defeat the Phantom Troupe alone, it's absolutely impossible!"
Was that supposed to be discouraging? Rocky chuckled.
"I know. My goal was never to annihilate all of them, nor do I plan to rely on anyone else's strength!"
Kite looked at him curiously. "Then what do you want to do? You're not planning to..."
"Do I look like I care about money?" Rocky interrupted, his gaze fixed on the map.
"I want to take some 'interest' from the Phantom Troupe first!"
"And I have another goal!"
"If possible, I want to see the faces of everyone in the troupe with my own eyes!"
As long as he could see them, Rocky could use the power of the Flying King Bow to track them. The ability wasn't perfect—he could only track individuals he had seen in person, and even then, the success rate was just under 60%.
But that didn't deter Rocky. If it didn't work once, he could try again. Even if it took ten attempts, it would eventually work.
Seeing this determination, Kite raised an eyebrow. "See their faces with your own eyes?"
Repeating Rocky's words, Kite began piecing together the logic. The boy must have some kind of ability that required direct observation to activate. If that was the case, his goal wasn't entirely unreasonable.
"The transport team will arrive in a day," Kite said, pointing at a canyon marked on the map. "This is the best location. If we're going to make a move against the troupe, we'd better head there in advance!"
The canyon was a critical chokepoint and the ideal location to intercept anyone.
---