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Chapter 2: Aura Nodes X The Gate of Cognition
🕑 Added 2025-10-19 10:14:29 +0000 UTCChapter 2: Aura Nodes X The Gate of Cognition
There are only two ways to awaken one's Nen.
Narrator's Note: Nen awakening can be achieved through two primary methods. The first is the slow, deliberate path of meditation, where one gradually learns to sense and control their own aura. The second is the forceful, often dangerous method of initiation, where an experienced Nen user strikes the student with their own aura, forcibly opening their Aura Nodes.
With a master-class Nen user like Silva in the family, Roy was spared the tedious effort of meditation.
He immediately felt the change. A milky-white energy began to pour from his body, quickly enveloping him in a warm, protective shroud. The sight was both new and strangely familiar, just like when Wing forcibly initiated Gon and Killua back at Heavens Arena. Roy quickly closed his eyes, focusing on an image he could easily grasp, and began the delicate process of gathering the escaping aura and drawing it back inside his body.
Long before Silva had decided to initiate him, Gotoh had done his part, sharing every bit of theoretical knowledge he had on Nen and patiently explaining the precautions one must take before and after the opening of their Aura Nodes.
But "knowing" is not the same as "doing." For Roy to be able to immediately begin controlling the flow of his aura mere moments after initiation... this feat of talent earned him a fleeting, almost imperceptible glance from Silva.
But only a glance.
"Haaa... fuuu..."
With a few deep, controlled breaths, the aura leaking from Roy's body was completely drawn back within him.
The boy opened his eyes again. For a split second, his pupils seemed to ignite with an inner flame—the spark of Nen—marking his true transition from a mere mortal into a Nen user.
The feeling was extraordinary. It was as if his entire being had undergone a quantum leap, ascending to a higher state of existence. Looking back at the person he was just three seconds ago, he now felt a profound sense of confidence and composure, the self-assurance of a higher-order being.
So this is Nen, Roy thought, feeling the changes within him. A fusion of physical energy, willpower, emotion, and the soul itself.
As his mind raced, a familiar notification appeared in his vision.
[Host's Aura Nodes have been detected as OPEN...]
[Nen Ability: "The Gate of Cognition," has been awakened...]
[Description: By entering a state of deep sleep, the Host can dive into their own cerebral cortex and open their "Gate of Cognition." Within this world of perception, you can absorb knowledge and power, then Conjure it back into reality.]
So...
"I'm not an Enhancer. I'm a Conjurer?"
Roy was genuinely surprised.
He had been certain that his overwhelming desire to strengthen his physical body—his most powerful "vow" in a sense—would naturally lead him to awaken as an Enhancer, the Nen category most suited for it. He never expected this result.
But thinking back, he realized he'd overlooked a crucial detail: he was a transmigrator, reborn into this world.
That "transmigration" was his deepest secret and, by extension, his greatest asset. His entire existence was predicated on a concept, a memory, a piece of knowledge from beyond.
This was interesting. Was this some cosmic hint, telling him that instead of seeking power externally, he should be looking inward?
Roy mulled over the four words, "The Gate of Cognition." An immediate, powerful urge washed over him—to fall asleep right then and there and begin exploring.
Unfortunately, two things stopped him. First, he was still buzzing with the excitement of his Nen awakening; whether he could even fall asleep was debatable. Second, Silva was watching. He couldn't afford to be seen as lazy in the training hall, a place consecrated by sweat and blood. The cracked wall behind him was a gentle preview of the "corrective training" that would follow such a transgression.
Silva Zoldyck was an expert at more than just killing. Roy had personally experienced his talent for torture.
He suppressed his excitement and respectfully gave Silva a nod. "Father, I'll be returning to my room now."
Silva just grunted noncommittally. He didn't say a word, didn't ask Roy to perform a Water Divination test to determine his type, didn't inquire about what kind of Hatsu he planned to develop. He simply turned back to his stretches as if he had just performed the most trivial of tasks.
Perhaps, to a father like Silva, he already knew the nature of his child. He had seen through Roy long ago. The reason he initiated him early was precisely because he had already determined the boy's ceiling was disappointingly low.
Forget about partnering on missions in the future; it was questionable if Roy could even protect himself from being killed.
So, what difference did knowing his Nen type make?
Night fell. The midsummer wind made the wall sconces flicker, casting dancing shadows down the long corridor.
As the training hall door opened and closed once more, the father and son were separated into two different worlds. Inside, Silva remained, a cold silhouette of coiled muscle in his black training gi. Outside, Roy's steps were light, an irrepressible grin finally spreading across his face as he hurried back to his bedroom.
On his way, he passed a dimly lit room and gave a simple, respectful bow towards the door.
Inside that room, an old man lay on a rocking chair, snoring softly to the sound of a cartoon playing on a small screen. He mumbled something unintelligible, shifted his position, and fell into an even deeper sleep.
Yes, a perfect night for sleeping. Even if it wasn't Roy's usual bedtime, tonight, he had to sleep.
Back in his room, Roy locked the door.
He threw himself onto the bed, pulled out his smartphone, and put on a "white noise for sleep" app. Forcing his eyes shut, he focused on the sound.
The chirping of cicadas outside the window... the rustling of leaves in the night wind...
After about ten minutes, he finally felt the pull of drowsiness. He let go, and fell into his own dream.
His consciousness felt weightless, as if floating down a kaleidoscopic tunnel. From the end of the tunnel, he could faintly hear the sound of waves crashing against rocks, beckoning him forward.
One step, two steps. A mix of curiosity and calm guided him. Soon, Roy emerged from the tunnel and found himself before a vast, endless ocean under a twilight sky.
It was a stunning sight. But what was truly astonishing were the countless wooden doors standing on the surface of the water. Some were old and splintered, others brand new. Some were dark and foreboding, others polished to a gleam. They looked as if they had existed since the dawn of time, and every single one was sealed with a heavy lock.
Except for one.
To his right, the closest door was slightly ajar, a faint light spilling from the crack. Hanging above it was a wooden carving of a fierce oni mask.
Roy understood instantly. It was waiting for him.
Without another moment's hesitation, he reached out, pushed the door open, and strode inside.
"Hss—"
"So cold—"
In stark contrast to the sweltering heat of the Padokea Republic, the world within his Gate of Cognition was a landscape of falling snow.
Roy opened his eyes again to find himself lying in a deep forest, covered in a thick blanket of snow.
To his left was a hand-axe. To his right, a woven basket filled with charcoal.
So... in my own world of cognition, I'm a charcoal burner?
He curiously examined his new body. He was wrapped in a thick, patterned haori over simple clothes. His feet were covered in thick tabi socks and slotted into wooden geta sandals. A mop of burgundy hair fell over his eyes. He looked remarkably similar to a character he knew from his past life, yet slightly different.
Before his confusion could linger, the system panel appeared, providing the answer.
[Generating Character Role...]
[Kamado Eiichiro... Older brother of Kamado Tanjiro.]
It clicked.
So this is the world of Demon Slayer.
