"Yes, Master!" Auren responds to his Master's first order.
I better play the part of the naive, obedient child. I have a feeling this man is special. Disappointing or even disobeying him could prove fatal.
"Good. You people—scram! No. 23, follow me inside!" the Elder says with a satisfied nod.
Auren quickly follows him, not even glancing back at the Scavengers who have outlived their usefulness, at least in his eyes.
They walk into a large, traditional training hall. A group of children around his age look at him nervously. Auren can't help but notice a beautiful ornamental katana mounted on the wall. Its scabbard is white and glows in the sunlight reaching deep into the hall.
"Listen up, students. This is No. 23, your fellow student. Training will begin soon. You, No. 22, show No. 23 the room where you sleep and explain the rules to him! No. 23, you may spend your time as you wish. I don't like repeating myself, so I'll teach nothing until the last student arrives," the Elder declares before turning to leave.
A boy of similar height steps forward, cautiously eyeing the Elder.
Just as the Elder reaches the doorway, he stops and quickly turns around. "No. 23, I'll collect you tonight for a special lesson. There's one more thing we must take care of before you can settle in."
"Yes, Master," Auren replies.
Hearing this, every student in the room lowers their gaze. No. 22 begins to shake, clutching his chest with his left hand.
What's wrong with them? They all act... weird. Nothing I can do for now. I'll just have to deal with it.
"Nice to meet you. Can you show me around and tell me more about this place?" Auren asks the boy standing in front of him.
"Y-Yes… sure… follow me. I'll show you around the mansion," he says in a shaky voice.
"You can move around freely, but you're not allowed to leave. Meals are served at 6:30 AM, 12 PM, and 6 PM. We are forced to sleep at 10 PM, if you are not in your bed Master will punish you. A few elderly ladies take care of cooking and laundry. Our only task is to obey Master."
He proceeds to show Auren the sleeping quarters, dining room, bath, and a small outdoor area—spacious enough for a wide range of physical activities. Auren's attention lingers on the large wall surrounding the entire property.
"How far along are you in your training?" Auren asks, slightly worried about getting a late start.
"Master hasn't taught us anything. He just told us to stay quiet and not bother him until he's ready. We usually just talk among ourselves or play cards. A few kids managed to keep theirs," No. 22 responds.
"I like dancing… would you like to danc—"
"What's this… thing the Master plans to do to me tonight?" Auren asks, interrupting him, his concern growing, unwilling to engage in useless banter with this child.
"You... you'll feel pain. The Master will mark you," No. 22 says, pulling up his shirt to reveal the No. 22 branded above his heart, along with a strange symbol below it. Auren doesn't recognize it at first, but something about it stirs a memory from the new thoughts in his head.
Under the number, he spots a peculiar flower-like design—22 distinct petals with two petal-shaped gaps. It resembles a chrysanthemum, but it's obviously incomplete.
"The Master used... slowly appearing ink. He said the last petals would show up in a few days. Ah—we're not supposed to show this or talk about it! Sorry! Please keep it a secret, okay?!" No. 22 pleads, his face going pale.
"Of course," Auren replies with a smile, gently placing a hand on No. 22's shoulder. "I'm Auren. Let's be friends, okay?"
"I'm Nero. Nice to meet you… but don't use my name. Master scolded someone for it—he even beat him up for calling another student by their real name."
"Got it," Auren says, not wanting to stir any trouble.
As Auren slowly settles into his new home, he lies down on his bed—an older sturdy bunkbed made for two. Though his feet still ache from the long walk, his thoughts remain restless. He reflects on the memories in his head, not fully intact, but he is aware of one thing: Nen. He seems to know a lot about it—except how to awaken it.
Unable to rest, his mind returns to the symbol on No. 22's chest.
Slowly appearing ink, huh? That's clearly a lie... 22 students, yet Master wants 24. Two missing petals. I think I've fallen into a trap. I need to be careful not to show any suspicion. Maybe I should flee before I get pulled deeper into this. But if I offend an Elder here in Meteor City, I won't be safe at all. I can't risk it. I'll deal with it. I think the answer to this riddle is Nen... but I don't know what Master has planned. I'll have to take the risk and play along.
Auren notices the other students trickling in—both boys and girls.
Eventually, a female caretaker enters and turns off the lights in the room. Everyone quickly moves to their beds, preparing to sleep.
Just as Auren closes his eyes, the door snaps open, startling a few children.
Auren rises immediately and walks toward the door.
His new master nods approvingly. "Good. I appreciate obedient students. Follow me!"
They return to the now-dark training hall, where only a single, oversized candle burns—its flame blazing hot. It's at least ten times larger than a normal candle.
This thing... it must be using some kind of special oil or fuel.
"I will grant you your sign. You'll officially be my student. It'll hurt a little, but don't worry—this sign will protect you in the future. Now, remove your shirt."
"Understood, Master," Auren replies, doing as told.
"Good. Don't be afraid. I know how to handle a blade," the Elder says as he lifts the ornamental katana from the wall, removing its white scabbard, revealing an almost completely dark blade. He places the pommel—made of a strange, slightly different-looking black-glowing metal into the flame.
The shiny, black metal takes five full minutes until it glows red-hot.
Without warning, the Elder grabs Auren by the neck with his left hand. With his right, he swiftly pierces Auren's chest using the katana's tip, carefully etching a number into his skin. A sharp pain floods Auren's chest. Just as he begins to grit his teeth, the Elder finishes the carving and flips the blade around, pressing the searing-hot pommel directly onto Auren's chest—right beneath the freshly carved number.
So the same as 22... Damn, this hurts!!
"Ughhhh..." Auren can't stop himself from moaning in pain.
"Good. We're done. The last petal will appear in a few days—that part is special. I'll only say this once, but NEVER speak to anyone about this. Do you understand?"
"Yes..." Auren groans, the pain still intense.
"Good. You may leave," the Elder says, clearly satisfied.
Auren quickly exits the hall and makes his way to the bathroom. Fortunately, the mansion—now apparently a training school—has working electricity. He turns on the light and walks to a small mirror.
In the mirror, he sees the nearly identical chrysanthemum-shaped symbol. His wound is fresh, blood running down his chest. The only difference? His flower has 23 petals, missing just one. Above it, the No. 23 is clearly marked. Just like with 22, the symbol and number are carved and burned into the left side of his chest, directly above his heart.
Without hesitation, Auren hurries back to the sleeping quarters and shakes 22, who is sleeping under him, awake, forcefully dragging him toward the bathroom.
"23!!! What are you doing?! You're scaring me!" he exclaims, terrified.
In the bathroom, Auren lifts No. 22's shirt and examines the mark on his chest. Though earlier it had shown only 22 petals, now it clearly matches his own—23 petals in total.
I see... Nen has to be involved. It wasn't there earlier! I need more time to remember all those details! I know all about Nen, but I need time to analyze that knowledge!
"Sorry about that! I was just worried mine turned out weird. Please don't tell anyone. Yours looks cleaner, by the way," Auren says with a disarming smile.
"You're weird... Auren, right? Anyway, I'm going back to sleep," No. 22 mutters, letting out a big yawn as he turns away.
Auren follows shortly after, trying his best to fall asleep. The pain in his chest keeps him awake for nearly an hour before he finally dozes off.
When he awakens the next day, the pain has dulled. Auren quickly gets dressed in the school's provided uniform—a simple but clean long-sleeved shirt, cotton pants, and a brand-new pair of shoes.
I actually like these clothes. The Elder clearly doesn't lack money or resources.
He joins No. 22 and the other children in the living room for breakfast. Auren quickly clears his plate and even asks for seconds, which the elderly women serving the food silently oblige without question.
After breakfast, the students split up. Some chat idly, while others sit down for a game of cards.
I can't afford to laze around. If I'm right, things will get serious soon! I don't have much time!
From that moment on, Auren devotes himself entirely to physical training—running laps in the yard using the outer wall as guidance, stretching, working through makeshift drills and training exercises he vaguely remembers, despite never having done them with this body.
Even kids can train early on. I remember names... Killua, Gon... they were already strong at my age! I have to give it my all, I am already slightly behind others!
True to his resolve, Auren spends the next twelve days doing nothing but eating—easily twice as much as the others—and training as if his life depends on it. A few children attempt to befriend him, but his aloof responses and lack of enthusiasm drive most of them away.
No time to play. Not with everything I'm slowly remembering. I need strength. I need to be ready.
During his training sessions, Auren occasionally spots the Elder pacing around, visibly irritated and worried.
Can't find the last student, huh? Fine by me! I need all the time I can get. It's not even been two weeks, and I already feel stronger. I've put on a few kilos. I can run for 20 minutes without breaking down. This is working. The only problem? All my Nen tests failed. I know it's real—but I can't awaken it through meditation or anything else. I guess I'll need proper instruction after all.
Five more days pass.
Auren continues his routine in the yard, now lifting an old broom with plastic bottles filled with water tied to both ends—his improvised barbell. As he trains, 22 suddenly dashes toward him, eyes wide with excitement.
"We've got a new student! Master brought someone in last night! I also heard… a girl screaming. Anyway, he said we're all to meet in the training hall in 30 minutes. Our training starts now!"
Auren immediately halts his exercise and wipes the sweat from his brow.
I need to be in good shape.
"Thanks for the heads-up," he says, then lies down in a shaded area of the yard. Noticing that he is alone, he lifts his shirt and notices his mark displaying 24 petals, now obviously complete. He closes his eyes and focuses on calming his breath, slowly inhaling and exhaling.
How? How did this mark change? I am still struggling with sorting that new information, but if it's a Nen ability, I should not be able to see it yet… maybe it's a Conjuration ability? That would explain the need for physical interaction and the visible mark. This is good! Conjuration is pretty far away from Manipulation, so even if I'm being manipulated, there should be strict conditions attached to this ability. I think for now, I am in the clear. I've got time to figure this out!
Twenty minutes later, he's rested enough and makes his way to the training hall. There, he spots a small black-haired girl clutching her chest and sobbing softly in pain.
Moments later, the Elder enters, his eyes scanning the room.
"Finally, 24 students," he announces. "Now, I suppose it's time to introduce myself. I am Elder Lidor, your new Master! I am searching for my successor. One of you will inherit not only my school, my property, and in time, my position—but you will also receive this!"
He slowly reaches for the katana mounted on the wall and presents it before them. He slowly removes the white scabbard, revealing its blade.
Auren's eyes lock onto the blade, his expression turning greedy as he appreciates the weapon's beauty and presence. It appears to have been crafted using traditional methods, yet its design is more aggressive—sharper, rougher—than any katana he's ever seen. It has sharp edges and looks very frightening and durable. Its blade is dark, almost completely black.
I want this sword!