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Chapter 73 (1.9k)
🕑 Added 2024-11-30 19:43:34 +0000 UTC“This is...”
Bosangy’s pupils contracted sharply, his mind ringing with warnings.
His skin tightened, his heart raced uncontrollably, and his face betrayed an ever-growing terror. It was as if he was facing the most terrifying creature in the world, rendering him unable to move a single step.
“This feeling… it’s exactly the same as back then!”
Bosangy’s inner voice screamed frantically.
The fear gripping his heart and the uncontrollable trembling of his body brought him back to that fateful night decades ago in Yorknew City.
He could never forget how, after making a small name for himself in martial arts, he’d bested every challenger in his district of Yorknew City and smugly believed he was invincible.
Just as he prepared to step out and build his legacy, reality struck him hard.
A figure, revered by the local underworld and addressed with trembling respect as one of the “Shadow Beasts,” arrived.
This individual, under orders from the Mafia’s Ten Dons, was in Yorknew City to oversee the annual auction.
Bosangy’s district happened to be near the auction venue. To maintain peace in the area, the Shadow Beast cleaned house, disposing of so-called martial artists and unruly thugs alike.
Bosangy was one of the lucky few to survive, but he could never forget the moment that Shadow Beast glanced at him.
The Shadow Beast had clearly noticed him but didn’t even bother to strike.
In that gaze, Bosangy could read the meaning clearly:
Contempt. Indifference.
It was the look you’d give to an ant, something so beneath your notice that crushing it wasn’t worth the effort.
It was laziness, not mercy, that spared Bosangy’s life.
The aura emanating from that Shadow Beast shattered Bosangy’s confidence and courage.
That night, he fled Yorknew City in terror, moving to this small town nearby. He hadn’t dared to return in decades.
And now...
The aura radiating from Morin’s body brought Bosangy back to that horrifying night.
The dread, the helplessness, the despair—all of it returned tenfold.
Thud!
His body gave out. To everyone’s shock, Bosangy dropped to his knees, powerless, his head bowed low.
Sweat poured from him, pooling on the ground beneath him.
“You’ve just saved your own life.”
Morin watched the scene calmly.
If Bosangy had attempted to fight, Morin wouldn’t have held back.
The result would have been dire—death or serious injury, and either way, his reputation would be ruined.
Submitting without resistance, however, was the smarter choice.
As for how the onlookers or Bosangy’s disciples would react, Morin didn’t care.
“So, do you still want to become this man’s disciple?”
Morin turned to the still-stunned Kastro, who had been standing frozen in place.
“Um…”
Kastro snapped out of it at Morin’s words.
After glancing at the kneeling, trembling Bosangy, he quickly looked away and locked his gaze on Morin.
“May I ask who you are?”
He bowed respectfully, clasping his hands in front of him.
“Shingen-ryu School, Morin,” Morin replied with a slight smile.
After six months of training under Biscuit, Morin had fully grasped the essence of the Shingen-ryu School.
His mastery of Nen techniques and methodologies had reached a level that made him a legitimate practitioner of the school.
Far superior to the self-taught, amateur techniques Bosangy was using.
“A martial artist of the Shingen-ryu School!”
Kastro’s eyes lit up with excitement.
Compared to Bosangy, whose fame was local at best, the Shingen-ryu School—renowned as the world’s top martial arts school—was far more awe-inspiring.
“Please take me as your disciple!”
Kastro didn’t hesitate. He immediately knelt before Morin, bowing his head deeply without the slightest hesitation.
“Take you as a disciple?”
Morin crossed his arms and looked at the young man, who wasn’t much younger than himself.
“Are you sure you want to become my student?”
“Yes!”
Kastro bowed his head even lower.
“You have decent talent and a strong passion for martial arts. Accepting you as a disciple isn’t out of the question.”
Morin feigned reluctance before adding, “But let me be clear: if you follow me, you’ll have to obey my every instruction.”
“If I tell you to head east, you can’t go west. If I order you not to eat for three days, you can’t drink even a drop of water.”
“If you disobey, or if I find you breaking my rules, I’ll immediately end your training and kick you out.”
“Think carefully.”
“I will follow all of my master’s instructions!” Kastro declared firmly.
Right there, in front of Bosangy’s dojo and a crowd of onlookers, the two confirmed their master-disciple relationship.
The spectators exchanged glances, stunned by what they had just witnessed.
This was something none of them had ever seen before.
But none dared comment aloud.
Didn’t the young man say he was from the Shingen-ryu School?
The Shingen-ryu School was the world’s number-one martial arts lineage, far above the likes of Bosangy.
Not to mention, this young man had effortlessly crushed Bosangy’s top disciple and subdued Bosangy himself with mere presence.
Given such overwhelming strength, even the slightest hint of disrespect could be a death sentence.
Even Bosangy, the strongest in the city, had surrendered so completely. How could they, ordinary townsfolk, dare to speak out?
Eventually, someone started clapping.
Applause spread among the crowd as Morin helped Kastro to his feet.
Thus, the rogue prodigy who would one day fight Hisoka and lose his life became Morin’s disciple.
In Morin’s eyes, Kastro’s talent was truly exceptional—even by Hunter World standards.
His abilities surpassed even those of Gon and Killua.
The most direct comparison was Kastro’s encounter with Hisoka when he first reached the 200th floor of Heaven’s Arena.
Though he lost to Hisoka, he managed to score three points.
For reference, Gon, after formal Nen training from Wing, only managed to score two points against Hisoka in their duel.
This made Kastro’s raw talent even more impressive.
Hisoka recognized this talent, sparing his life and opening his Aura Nodes during their fight.
After his defeat, Kastro spent two years training alone, aiming to one day defeat Hisoka.
Remarkably, he achieved significant mastery of Nen without any guidance, wielding it with lethal precision.
His strength was so formidable that even Killua, a prodigy of the Zoldyck family, was impressed. Kastro easily noticed Killua’s surveillance and countered with his own.
However, his lack of systematic training led him to develop a Nen ability, Double Substitute, that didn’t align with his natural affinity.
This prevented him from fully utilizing his potential.
Hisoka exploited this weakness and shattered his confidence, ultimately leading to Kastro’s death.
After the battle, Hisoka lamented the “waste of such potential,” likely expressing frustration at Kastro’s squandered talent.
Even with wasted capacity, Kastro’s physical enhancement was superior to Hisoka’s—a testament to his unparalleled aptitude.
Due to Hisoka’s intimidation and disruption of his confidence, in the end, Kastro was defeated and killed in battle.
After the fight, Hisoka described him as “a waste of potential,” likely out of frustration at Kastro’s inability to meet his expectations.
Kastro had exceptional combat talent. Even while wasting a significant portion of his potential to develop his cloning ability, his physical enhancement surpassed Hisoka’s.
It was probably this extraordinary talent that initially led Hisoka to spare his life.
Hisoka’s desire was to see Kastro fully commit to mastering Enhancement abilities, training to a point where Hisoka couldn’t handle his strength head-on. Only then could Hisoka feel the thrill of challenging his limits.
Instead, Kastro developed a clone ability that Hisoka quickly deciphered, robbing the battle of any enjoyment. Hisoka lost interest.
It was like tending to an excellent fruit, expecting it to mature into something plump and juicy, only for it to go sour after taking a wrong path.
The "farmer" in Hisoka didn’t hesitate to destroy this wasted potential, though it was clear he regretted seeing Kastro’s talent go to waste.
Kastro was originally an Enhancement-type Nen user, but his abilities leaned toward Conjuration and Manipulation, which were incompatible with his natural Nen type.
Although these abilities might have suited his fighting style, they squandered his innate talent and wasted his Nen potential.
Still, the Double Substitution ability he developed—despite being misaligned with his Nen type—was significantly stronger than the clone abilities of others in terms of both power and fewer restrictions.
For example, Hanzo’s Spirit Clone allowed his soul to leave his body, granting abilities like passing through walls. However, the ability came with severe restrictions: his real body couldn’t be touched, disturbed, or even spoken to; otherwise, the ability would immediately fail.
Another example is the bodyguard of Kakin Empire’s 12th Prince Momoze, whose Ghost Separation could only operate within a 20-meter radius, with additional limitations like requiring the user to remain lying down and keep their eyes closed.
In contrast, Kastro’s clone ability allowed his real body to move freely without restrictions, while also sharing all sensory input between the clone and the real body.
His clone could even fight alongside him, speak simultaneously, and act in unison.
When facing Chisai, Kastro used his clone to toy with his opponent. The distance between the room and the staircase at the time was far greater than 20 meters.
Despite training in a misaligned Nen type, Kastro’s clone ability was powerful, minimally restricted, highly compatible with his physical combat style, and devastatingly effective.
This alone spoke volumes about his unique abilities.
In Morin’s view, Kastro was essentially a “misaligned” yet stronger version of Gon.
Morin didn’t claim to be an expert, but after studying under Biscuit for so long, he had developed a solid understanding of how to train.
This was particularly true for Enhancement-type Nen users.
Previously, Morin had obtained a comprehensive training guide for all Nen types from Biscuit.
Naturally, this included training methods suited to physically gifted fighters like Kastro.
Enhancement-types like him were the most common, and the guide provided an abundance of training strategies tailored to their strengths.
With such detailed resources, Morin was confident he could select the best training regimen for Kastro, far better than anything the latter could have devised on his own.
Thus, when Morin set off for Yorknew City once again, he was accompanied by a determined new apprentice who aspired to become a world-renowned martial artist.
Although this apprentice wasn’t much younger than Morin himself…
Four months had passed since the Hunter Exam.
These months flew by without any significant changes in the world.
Everything progressed steadily. While darkness continued to fester in corners of the world, hidden from view, most people still lived under the light.
Meanwhile, Heaven’s Arena was growing livelier by the day.
Two fighters, “The Destroyer” Uvogin and “The Wandering Swordsman” Nobunaga, had become popular contenders in the arena.
In addition, some defeated fighters discovered a peculiar doctor in the arena, one who specialized in stitching up injuries.
This doctor was young, strikingly beautiful, and highly skilled.
Although her fees were exorbitantly high, her ability to reattach severed limbs and restore mobility made her prices seem trivial.
While much of the world’s attention was focused on public spectacles like Heaven’s Arena, the darker, shadowy corners of society went unnoticed.
For instance, the brazen, lawless activities of gangsters in Yorknew City.
Or the newly opened Anything Agency in one of Yorknew’s urban corners.
This peculiar agency operated from a small shop with a modest signboard reading “Anything Agency.”
What stood out most were the two banners flanking the entrance:
On the left: “Won’t do anything.”
On the right: “And if we do, it’ll be a mess.”
Despite its odd nature, the Anything Agency managed to survive and even thrive.
