---
Chapter: Forced Awakening and True Growth
In the official lore of the world, anyone has the potential to awaken Nen.
However, whether it's due to internal principles or external triggers, the conditions vary widely.
Most people who manage to awaken Nen typically share at least one or two of the following traits:
1. A firm and unshakable mindset
2. An extraordinary desire for something
3. Above-average physical condition
4. Innate talent
(There are rare exceptions where Nen is awakened due to an external Nen user's attack, but the probability is so low that it holds little analytical value.)
Most of the individuals Kai sought out fell into these categories.
Especially among the well-known warriors on Meteor Street, the probability of awakening Nen was exceedingly high.
Of course, Kai's method wasn't exactly gentle.
He directly forced open the Aura Nodes of others—
If they survived, they awakened.
If they didn't...
They paid the price of the path they chose.
That's right—Kai didn't sugarcoat anything.
> "I don't have a safe method, and I won't pretend I do,"
"I can forcefully awaken your Nen. You'll either succeed—or die."
"Don't worry, forced awakening doesn't affect your future potential. In the long run, there's no difference between natural and forced awakening."
"So, the decision is yours. Take the risk—or don't!"
In the end, 154 participants agreed—each of them voluntarily.
This didn't surprise Kai.
After all, people from Meteor Street were born gamblers.
Danger?
On Meteor Street, danger is a constant.
No one feared it.
They only cared about one thing:
> Was the reward worth the risk?
It took a full week, but with the combined efforts of Kai and Machi, all 154 candidates underwent forced awakening.
The success rate?
Less than 50%.
Out of the 154, only 70 survived.
To those survivors, Kai imposed three oaths:
1. Never initiate conflict with the organization Daxiao—Kai's own newly founded faction, officially named "Breaking Dawn."
2. When Kai requests it, they must assist him at least once in the future.
3. If Meteor Street ever faces peril, they must aid it unconditionally.
In return, Kai would provide two months of foundational training.
Afterward, they were free to leave or stay—no strings attached.
It wasn't about kindness—Kai simply knew that forced loyalty breeds rebellion.
Rather than risk betrayal later, it was better to grant freedom from the start.
As for those he truly wished to bind to the "Breaking Dawn" faction?
> Start with the children.
Brainwash them.
The earlier, the better.
---
"In the world of Hunter x Hunter, true power doesn't lie with the Hunter Association. It lies with nations. Like V5."
With Nen's unique mechanics like Oaths and Restrictions, national-level forces have immense potential for manipulation and power escalation.
Imagine a soldier under such an oath:
1. You must throw 10,000 punches at full strength daily.
2. You're only allowed one punch in your lifetime.
3. And when you throw that punch—you die.
The returns for such a harsh condition would be unbelievably high.
And if one punch isn't enough?
Then train soldiers to punch 100 times before death.
For a nation with centuries of history, training thousands of such human weapons—or even more—isn't impossible.
> "The only reason V5 hasn't set foot in the Dark Continent... is because they lack a force strong enough to deal with the core threats."
> "If a singular being existed who could neutralize most of those threats...
exploration wouldn't just be a dream anymore."
---
While gathering warriors for Breaking Dawn, Kai didn't forget about the special training he promised to receive from Zeno Zoldyck.
And it wasn't just him—thanks to the exchange of Senzu Beans, he arranged for Silva Zoldyck to train Machi and the others as well.
Silva didn't care much for money.
But Senzu Beans, capable of restoring one's body and Nen reserves in full?
That was another story.
Silva even considered stealing them.
Unfortunately for him, Kai was one step ahead—he made it clear that Senzu Beans could only be generated through his own Nen ability, and demonstrated it on the spot.
That was enough to shut down any ideas of theft.
---
The Zoldyck training style wasn't gentle or steady—it had only one rule:
> Fight.
> "Nobunaga, are you blind?! You just slashed me!"
"You dumbass, you saw me throw the blade and walked into it anyway!"
"Old man, next time I'll roll you into a meatball!"
"I'm only one year older than you, dammit!"
Their bickering echoed daily across the Zoldyck estate.
But that didn't stop Nobunaga, Uvogin, and Machi from launching coordinated attacks on Silva from all angles.
Silva, a top-tier Nen master, dodged and countered with terrifying precision, ultimately downing them with decisive blows.
Still—compared to when training began—the trio was clearly lasting much longer.
> "What an incredible group of kids…"
Even Silva, patriarch of the infamous Zoldyck family, was secretly impressed.
On one hand, he admired Nobunaga's potential—his improvement in such a short time was shocking.
On the other hand, he was astonished by their pain tolerance and drive.
How many Nen users would break their own bones to perfect a technique?
Even many seasoned masters would flinch—
But these kids? They did it without hesitation.
> "Killua…"
Silva's gaze darkened at the thought.
Kai's decision to include Killua in future training might've seemed harmless...
But without the protection of Senzu Beans, Killua might never have survived long enough to meet Gon.
---
Compared to the physical brawls of the trio, Kai's own training was much more refined.
Of course, Zeno didn't teach him any Zoldyck secret techniques.
But his understanding of Nen fundamentals was unmatched.
He guided Kai through the basic Four Major Principles—Ten, Zetsu, Ren, and Hatsu.
Then through advanced techniques—Shu, In, Gyo, En, Ken, Ryu, and Ko.
Zeno helped Kai correct critical weaknesses—like his previous inability to maintain energy flow, which had once caused him to freeze in combat.
Now, that flaw was gone.
Under Zeno's suggestion, Kai also began localizing and instant-casting his signature ability—Hundred Styles of Shura.
Rather than deploying it all at once—which burned far too much energy—he would now activate portions of it in combat, maximizing utility while conserving power.
---
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Every few days, Kai would spar with Zeno directly.
Thanks to the restorative power of the Senzu Beans, neither held back.
Five minutes.
Ten minutes.
Fifteen minutes.
With each session, Kai held out longer and longer.
Under such extreme stress, his Gourmet Cells began to awaken.
He could feel it—his body was evolving.
The most noticeable change?
> His appetite had exploded.
> "Damn… I need to take over the Dark World fast, or we'll starve just from feeding ourselves!"
Kai, Machi, Nobunaga, Uvogin—and now Silva and Zeno.
Every one of them was a bottomless pit.
Depending on [Virtual Reality] alone was no longer sustainable.
---