The next day, Ronnie slept until nearly noon before finally waking up. After eating, he leisurely prepared himself for practice.
Ronnie knew his own path well. Life on Blue Star had been difficult enough for him in the past. As long as he could fully protect himself, he had no interest in dedicating extra energy to penance or excessive training.
Spending just a little effort to practice was more than enough for him. After all, imitating other Hunters was out of the question.
Putting aside the fact that he lacked their talent, Ronnie had only ever read about people like Biscuit and their long-term, intense training in novels. If he were to try it himself, he knew not many would have the perseverance to keep going.
Ronnie had to admit that Nen was indeed closely tied to the human body, and a "Pokémon Master" like him—who only needed to travel and catch Pokémon to enhance himself—was the perfect fit for this kind of ability!
Before beginning today's practice, Ronnie needed to confirm something first.
Not long after, a waiter brought him today's brand-new newspaper.
At first glance, Ronnie immediately noted the date in the top right corner—it showed 1998.
He recalled that the 287th Hunter Exam, which Gon and the others participated in, had taken place in 1999. The Hunter Exam always began on January 7th each year.
He also remembered that this particular year, Hisoka had been disqualified from continuing the exam because he had injured one of the examiners, and he could only retake the exam the following year.
This meant the timeline he had entered was just before the plot began. There was still plenty of time for him to develop and get ahead.
The primary reason Ronnie was looking at the newspaper was to confirm the current timeline. Other information in the paper was secondary. Understanding the time period was critical for his future plans.
Yesterday had been his first day in this world, and with Gardevoir's confidence, Ronnie had immediately taken care of the money issue.
As for why he had won so easily, it was simply because Gardevoir had been helping him.
Thanks to Gardevoir's powerful telepathy, she could easily discern the points through the dice, giving him a significant advantage.
With that first task behind him, Ronnie was now ready to focus on his first training session.
He donned a relatively loose training robe, stood in a relaxed but natural posture, and gradually began to sense the movement of Nen in his body.
This was the method Motoya had taught Gon and Killua when they first started practicing. It was the best way to practice "Entanglement."
Nen energy flowed through the body like blood, from the head to the right shoulder, then down through the arms and legs, before reaching the left side. Ronnie pictured the energy circulating in his mind as it swayed in a continuous loop around his body.
This method, which Ronnie had learned from watching the anime, was now being applied in real life. This was why he didn't feel the need to become a disciple. As a Hunter, there were still many things he didn't understand, but as long as he practiced the basic skills, there would be no issue.
After a while, Ronnie's eyes, which had been closed in deep concentration, suddenly snapped open, shining with determination.
The membrane surrounding his body began to expand, like a balloon constantly being inflated. It slowly enveloped his entire body, wrapping him in a layer of energy.
When the accumulation of Nen reached a critical mass, it suddenly rushed out of his body like a flood, sweeping outward in all directions.
The release of such intense energy created a strong gust of wind, making the loose training robe flap and whistle in the air.
The surge of Nen had a powerful effect, and Ronnie's hair was blown backward, giving him the look of a Saiyan from Dragon Ball. This was the power of "Refining"!
"Refining" involves releasing all the accumulated Nen energy at once in a single, explosive breath. It's a way of testing how much Nen energy someone can release at one time.
In many cases, the time taken to perform "Refining" is used to estimate how much Nen a person is capable of holding.
During his "Refining," Ronnie also tried to control the flow of his Nen, directing it upward toward his eyes. His goal was to use the technique of "Condensation," which involved focusing Nen energy on his eyes.
The technique of "Condensation" wasn't particularly difficult—it just required practice and patience. However, it wasn't always easy, either. Applying Nen energy to the eyes required precise control, or he risked injuring himself.
Moreover, controlling Nen consumption was crucial. In the beginning, it was easy to use too much force, depleting his energy reserves quickly.
Battles weren't short, and Ronnie knew that if he exhausted all his Nen trying to perform "Condensation," he could be in serious trouble.
Half a minute later, Ronnie's mind energy began to waver and calm down, but it was weaker than it had been at the start.
At a glance, Ronnie was already drenched in sweat, and the training robe he wore was soaked through, revealing his slightly thin figure underneath.
Using "Refining" to its full extent for half a minute was his first serious training session. Although the duration seemed short, it was actually a decent start compared to the original characters.
After resting for a while, Ronnie replayed everything that had just happened in his mind.
For the next few days, until he received his identification certificate, he would be training in this room.
At this point, he had nothing else to do besides eating, sleeping, and practicing.
…
Days flew by, and in the blink of an eye, seven days had passed. It was now the evening of the seventh day.
According to the previous promise, the identity certificate should have been handed to him by today at the latest.
Yet, there was still no sign of it...
Ronnie sat cross-legged on the bed, his face slightly fatigued but his eyes still bright and focused. A faint layer of white energy clung to the surface of his eyes, a sign of his progress with "Condensation."
"Haha, you're just a frog in a well, aren't you? The situation isn't big enough yet~" Ronnie chuckled, a hint of mockery in his voice.
In fact, he had known for a few days that Pies had no intention of helping him.
It wasn't even about whether or not an ID photo was necessary. It was basic common sense that the certificate should at least have a name on it.
What else could it be called, if not an identity certificate?
Ronnie had never told Pies his name during their first meeting.
The reason he had waited until the last possible moment to address the issue was simple: he had been too focused on practicing to bother with it earlier.
Now, after seven days, he had mastered "Condensation," and his patience was running thin.
He couldn't wait to travel the world, see new places, and catch his own Pokémon.
Today, if he could get his identity certificate, he would take it. But if Pies couldn't provide it...
Well, he'd have to get it for himself!
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