"So you're a Transmutation type, huh? Not too surprising."
An hour later, Xiang Nan confirmed Manman's aura attribute through the Water Divination test. He dipped a finger into the cup of water, tasted it, and confirmed that the flavor had changed.
He himself was a Conjuration type, which wasn't at odds with Transmutation. In terms of Nen attributes, the two were relatively compatible.
As for Manman's aura nature, Xiang Nan had a hunch. This time, his guess turned out to be correct.
"Still, your personality doesn't seem to match the typical traits of a Transmutation user at all. It's probably because of that second personality in you that you ended up leaning toward it," Xiang Nan remarked, looking over at Manman—who had returned to her usual timid self, sitting there like a child who'd done something wrong. "From now on, you'll train in basic Nen techniques with me…"
He snapped his fingers.
"Okay."
Seeing that the boss wasn't upset, Manman smiled with relief. She'd worried that Xiang Nan might reject or abandon her for being too incompetent in her "main" personality. After all, forcibly awakening Nen had only succeeded thanks to her second personality.
Over the past few days living under Xiang Nan's roof, Manman had felt quite happy. Even though she was building up a debt every day, she got ice cream whenever she wanted, new clothes, and all sorts of small wishes fulfilled. Plus, staying with Xiang Nan made her less anxious because she knew that her second personality couldn't possibly harm him. This put her mind at ease.
"Get some rest—hang on."
He was going to leave the room, but a thought occurred to him. Though he was a privileged officer in the army, with plenty of freedom, he still had to show up to handle certain duties.
Originally, Xiang Nan intended for Manman to lie low here in the base and safely practice the fundamentals of Nen at a calm, steady pace. But he changed his mind: he remembered the Heavens Arena.
Up to now, he hadn't gone there. On one hand, he hadn't wanted to rush; he believed in laying solid groundwork step by step. On the other, Heavens Arena was likely the top place new players would go to refine—or awaken—their Nen, which meant it surely gathered plenty of players, making it a very public stage. Once he competed there, his powers and possibly his identity could get exposed.
But now that Manman was here, he felt less concern. He could have Manman train there and observe from up close, use it to see how dangerous it really was, then figure out his own approach.
"I've studied Heavens Arena recordings enough. Might as well experience it firsthand," Xiang Nan thought, glancing at Manman. "You'll learn the basics of Nen for a while, pick up whatever you can, and then… I'll take you somewhere. If you want to clear your debts more quickly, that's where you'll earn money."
"Mm."
She nodded.
…
Half a month later, this unlikely duo arrived in the Heavens Arena city. It was indeed the economic heart of the Republic of Padokea—far more bustling than any place Xiang Nan had visited before.
"Let's go," he said, leading Manman out of the airport and hopping in a taxi to head downtown.
Manman was a bit nervous. She already suspected the "special place" Xiang Nan mentioned was Heavens Arena—that towering structure from the original story, where Gon and Killua had learned Nen, the same place so many travelers came to test their mettle.
Even the airport's massive screens were showing highlights of recent matches, and the roads were jammed with fighters of all sorts, some wearing training uniforms. Shops selling Heavens Arena merch were everywhere, and big crowds lined up at the storefronts.
Sitting in the taxi, Xiang Nan kept one eye on the scenery outside, noticing Manman growing more restless by the minute. Her main personality was timid and not well-suited for fighting, but as his "employee," she needed to step into the ring for both battle experience and, ironically, for a shot at paying down her debt.
During the past half-month of Nen training under Xiang Nan, her main personality had made only meager progress. Even with Xiang Nan's hands-on guidance, she just wasn't picking things up. He saw the frustration in her eyes. Even so, Xiang Nan didn't reproach her.
"She'll just have to figure it out herself," he mused. "A place like Heavens Arena should be perfect for that."
As they drove, the driver enthusiastically described the city's major sights and pointed out the highlights of Heavens Arena's competitions. Xiang Nan politely chatted back, occasionally glancing at Manman's reflection in the rearview mirror, noticing how tense she looked.
Finally, the taxi stopped at the city's iconic main square in front of the Heavens Arena tower. Because of the heavy traffic, the trip took a bit longer than expected.
Standing at the square, Xiang Nan raised his head to marvel at the skyscraping building that seemed to pierce the clouds.
"It's even more impressive in person."
Manman also stared, slightly slack-jawed at the crowds surging in and out of the giant lobby, from audience members to wannabe fighters seeking fame and fortune.
"Let's register in the main hall."
Xiang Nan, having researched the procedures in advance, led Manman through the crowd. She followed him, steeling herself for the trials ahead.
~~~
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