The people of Yorknew had begun bundling into thick, fur-lined clothing, marking the start of a new season.
Close to the periphery of the city, where buildings were sparse and forests stretched far and wide, sat a pristine white mansion built in traditional Chinese architecture.
Inside one of its larger rooms, Cade sat cross-legged on a prayer mat, his chest rising and falling in a steady, rhythmic cadence. His eyes remained closed in deep concentration. Draped in a loose white robe, his hair, now grown long and untamed, reached the middle of his back.
He was meditating on Nen.
With each inhalation, his chest expanded as he drew in vast amounts of aura, causing warmth to surge in his body. After taking in all the aura, he would shut his Nen nodes to enter a state of Zetsu. In contrast, every exhalation caused his nodes to burst open, unleashing torrents of aura in powerful waves, signifying Ren.
Shifting his focus, Cade willed the flowing energy around him to form a dome, expanding outward in a seven-meter radius. The aura enveloped him, feeding him intricate details about his surroundings.
He opened his gleaming emerald eyes, squinting slightly as he observed the En around him. A satisfied smile crept up his chiseled face.
I believe if I clashed with Mr. Kazeki again, I wouldn’t be so defenseless against his Nen appendages. No, I would probably not be hindered by him at all. He shook his head. Unfortunately, we won’t be meeting in this life again.
In a world where the fruits of one's labor were visibly tangible, the effort itself could become an addiction. Cade, ever the logical thinker, took full advantage of this fact by training relentlessly.
But there was another reason he had entered this "monk mode" of relentless focus. It traced back to his visit to the Zoldyck estate six months ago. While maintaining composure in front of Zeno Zoldyck had been an achievement in itself, the same could not be said for his encounter with the giant Western dragon.
Even now, merely thinking about it would send a cold ripple of dread down Cade’s spine. The sheer reality that this creature could have ended his life with a single swipe of its claw had forced him to reconsider his priorities.
From that moment on, he resolved to dedicate himself to becoming even stronger.
Perched on Cade’s right shoulder was a small reptilian companion, quietly drawing a minuscule stream of his aura. It remained hidden using an advanced Nen technique called In. The strange part was that, despite Cade providing it with just enough aura to sustain itself, he wasn’t actively applying In to it. That meant this little creature was practicing In on its own, a technique designed for humans. The mere fact that a Nen beast was learning Nen techniques independently would have shocked even veteran Nen users. Yet, mastering In wasn’t the only remarkable feat this small companion had accomplished.
Cade shifted his focus to the snake, his eyes tracing the length of nearly two-foot-long creature.
Its scales bore a subtle silvery tint, and its eyes were deep, light-devouring black orbs.
[Give me an update on your stats] Cade commanded mentally.
He had realized that mental transmission was the safest method of communication. As a result, the snake had evolved, discarding speech entirely in favor of telepathy. This adaptation allowed it to communicate with Cade from anywhere within his seven-meter aura radius.
[Alright.]
The snake responded.
Its tone had shifted, adopting a sophisticated tone. Cade had no say in this matter. If he wanted the creature to grow and develop independently, he had to relinquish some control regarding the direction of its growth.
A whisper echoed in his mind, followed by a stream of information flooding his thoughts. Cade focused on one particular section:
Bio serum Reserves:
- Dragon Armor: 2
- Dragon Sight: 2
- Dragon Might: 3
- Empty Slots: 6
Cade held his chin in his thumb and index finger in quiet contemplation.
Six free slots, huh?
He mused.
I suppose the next phase of my journey isn’t that dangerous, so this will do. As for the dragon traits… I already have some idea of when to use them.
Every time Cade saw the word dragon in his bio serum reserves, a shiver of excitement ran through him. He had extracted samples of the very traits that made the Western dragon such a formidable adversary.
There were other traits available, but the snake’s storage capacity was limited. Thus, Cade had instructed it to prioritize certain traits over others.
"I should name you, little buddy," Cade mused aloud.
It wasn’t that the thought had never crossed his mind before, but the snake had been too mechanical. Now that it had developed some degree of free will and a personality, Cade felt it deserved a name.
The snake slithered from his shoulder, coiling comfortably around his neck before conveying its thoughts.
[I already have. ]
Cade raised an eyebrow at that. He considered it for a moment before he prompted the snake to continue.
The snake uttered only one word.
[Apophis.]
"Hmm.. Apophis huh. An Egyptian diety, who represents chaos and darkness. "
Cade shook his head, inwardly amused at the contrast between the snake's small size and its grand ambitions. However, he tactfully chose not to comment on the absurdity of it. Instead, he extended his hand, allowing the snake to slither from his neck onto his palm.
"It's a cool name. From now on, I’ll call you Apophis."
With that settled, Cade rose from the prayer mat and approached the nearby window, which was covered by thick, milky-white curtains. Pulling them aside, he was greeted by a vast expanse of greenery, towering pine trees blanketed in a thick layer of soft, white snow.
It’s the end of December now. Soon, Gon will catch the Master of the Lake, leave Whale Island, and set off toward the Hunter Exam site. It seems I should also make my way there… but before that, I need to make some preparations.
Reaching for his phone on the windowsill, Cade turned it on. The screen lit up, revealing a cluster of unanswered messages and missed calls. He scrolled through them briefly before tapping on one of the topmost notifications and pressing the call.
..........
The Zoldyck estate had vast living areas designated for each family member. Each individual could customize their space to suit their needs, and Milluki was no exception.
His quarters included a bedroom, a figurine exhibition room, and a state-of-the-art private laboratory.
Presently, he was hunched over a high metal stool, sweat dripping from his forehead. In one chubby hand, he gripped a soldering iron, while the other held a sleek, phone-sized device, a delicate amalgamation of various intricate components.
The sharp tang of heated metal lingered in the air.
Several thin wires extended from the device, disappearing into a circuit board adorned with differently colored lights, all of which were currently deactivated.
Milluki took a deep breath, holding it in as he carefully guided the soldering iron toward the device.
"Alright, here goes my seventh attempt. Please don’t blow up again," he prayed inwardly.
With bated breath, he connected the final two wires. Then, he waited his face a canvas of barely contained hope.
A single red light on the circuit board flickered to life.
"Oh no."
Without hesitation, he yanked the device away from the board, snapping the wires in a panic.
Stumbling to his feet, he bolted toward a large metal containment chamber nearby. He pried open its heavy lid and shoved the device inside.
Just as the lid clicked shut—
BOOM!
A muffled explosion reverberated within the chamber.
Milluki slumped forward, hands on his knees, breathing heavily as the adrenaline slowly drained from his system. His nerves gradually settled.
"That was a close call. Good thing this titanium-steel alloy chamber is strong enough to contain explosions."
Bzzzzzz.
He felt his phone buzz in his pocket. Wiping his sweat-covered hands on his shirt, he pulled it out.
Upon seeing the caller ID, he immediately pressed RECEIVE.
"Hey, Cade 'huff' about time you called me," Milluki greeted, still slightly out of breath. As he spoke, he adjusted his posture slightly and settled onto a nearby stool.
"It seems I called at an inconvenient time," came Cade’s calm voice from the other end.
"Nah, it’s fine. Just doing some light exercise. Don’t worry about it," Milluki lied smoothly. "If you’re calling about your items, I should tell you they’re ready."
His gaze flickered toward a sleek, silvery metallic briefcase sitting on a nearby shelf.
"Oh, good to hear. As for where to drop them, I’ve texted you an address, send the items to the location mentioned, and we’ll be even."
"Alright, alright. But don’t forget the promise you made me, okay?"
"Relax. A deal has already been made."
With that, the call ended.
Milluki stared at his phone for a moment before gripping it tightly, a smirk creeping onto his lips.
"Just you wait, Killua. Now, I will have the means to surpass you."
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