14 Chapter 14 : Heir X Oath

'What's going on with this old man? Why is he looking at me as if he saw...' Ash took a few steps back cautiously, thinking of a certain terrifying possibility.

'In this Hunter world, there are all kinds of perverted characters. Could it be... he is also a pervert?'

Ash's body hair stood up, and goosebumps appeared on his skin when he thought of this.

Master Shen suddenly disappeared, as if he teleported. With an almost unimaginable speed, he arrived in front of Ash like a ghost.

'So fast!' Ash's pupils shrank, he couldn't react at all. He couldn't even think of issuing a command with Absolute Order. The speed of this old man had exceeded the reflex and thinking speed of Ash.

Before Ash could make a move, the old man suddenly said:

"Boy, do you have superhuman hearing?" Master Shen's gaze observed every detail and gesture of Ash's face and eyes, ready to catch any sign if he lied.

'Huh? Superhuman hearing?' Ash was caught off guard by this unexpected question. But at the same time, he breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, this Master Shen isn't a pervert as he thought. It seems he misunderstood this old man.

'The old man looked at me with a gaze as if he saw something he searched for a long time, as if he was looking at some kind of treasures. And from his question, it can be said that he is interested in knowing whether I have superhuman hearing, so he is searching for someone with this kind of talent. The question is, why is he looking for people with superhuman hearing? Could it be that he wants to take them as disciples? Or maybe he wants to steal this talent? Or, in the worst case, seize my body?!'

Ash hesitated and didn't choose to answer immediately. With his cautious personality, he tends to always think of the worst outcomes first, see if he could handle them safely, then act. Even in his previous life, when he performed dangerous thrilling adventures, he always acted after ensuring that he would be safe one hundred percent. He doesn't seek death, he seeks the thrill between life and death in peace when he is sure he won't really die.

'He is hesitating, but he didn't answer right after I asked. He is considering whether to tell the truth or lie.' Master Shen saw the hesitation in Ash's eyes, but he didn't urge Ash to answer quickly. He wants to hear his answer, according to Ash's words and his body language, he will determine whether he is lying or not. At the same time, Master Shen was using Gyo, observing the aura of Ash. In Master Shen's eyes, the aura is the external manifestation of someone's heart and mind, and from its shape, color, the way it flows, and its vibrations and frequencies, he could get some subtle information about his target's personality and even glimpse at their psychological activities. This technique works well on those who don't know how to hide their emotions.

'Rationally, the first possibility had a high chance of being true. But in case it was the second one, with my remaining aura, can I perform a teleportation order? And how far can I teleport? Let's see...'

Ash's proficiency in using Absolute Order had increased quite a bit. Now, before the order he issued could be performed, he could cancel it at the last moment and know how much energy it was about to consume to execute his command.

'If I used one hundred percent of my actual aura, then I can perform a one hundred meters teleportation! Good, that's more than enough.'

So with a confident grin, Ash nodded his head and replied, "Right, my ears are at least ten times stronger than ordinary people." Ash didn't lie, after he used Absolute Order, he estimated that his hearing sense had increased at least tenfold compared to before.

Master Shen looked at the confident and unwavering eyes of Ash and felt that he wasn't lying.

"Is that your natural talent or your Nen ability?" Master Shen asked to confirm his guess.

"It's not my Nen ability." Ash shook his head. After all, his superhuman hearing is the result of Absolute Order, so it's not his Nen ability. But this is something Master Shen won't know.

"Really? Good! Ha ha ha..." Finding no signs of lying from Ash's clear eyes and his body language, Master Shen's smile grew bigger. After letting out a laugh, he said:

"Boy...do you want to be my heir?" Master Shen stopped laughing abruptly and said in a serious tone.

"Heir?" Ash was caught off guard again by Master Shen's sudden question. He just wanted to learn the vibrations martial art techniques, improve his power and fighting experience, then leave. But he didn't refuse directly, he asked:

"What's the difference between an heir and a disciple? And what conditions and responsibilities will I need to fulfill after becoming your heir? And most importantly, why choose me? Is it because of my superhuman hearing?" Ash sent a barrage of questions, drowning Master Shen.

"Ahem...brat, why are you asking so many questions in one breath!" Master Shen complained. But then he started answering them one by one.

"The distinction between a disciple and an heir is simple. A disciple will only grasp my vibrations fighting techniques and acquire some basic knowledge about vibrations. Their upper limit in the art of vibrations is restricted. On the other hand, an heir will receive comprehensive instruction in every aspect of my knowledge about vibrations. They will be guided through the core exercises and techniques, establishing a solid foundation that offers a broader spectrum of possibilities for growth in the field of vibrations, reaching higher or almost limitless potentials!"

Ash nodded in agreement. To simplify it with a metaphor, think of it like learning a special recipe. A disciple might learn how to make a tasty cake from the chef, but they won't know all the chef's cooking secrets. On the other hand, an heir not only learns the cake recipe but also all the chef's cooking techniques and secrets. So, the heir can make amazing cakes and even create new recipes because they have enough knowledge about cooking to start inventing. The first one has limited potential, while the latter has endless potential!

"As for your second question, you don't need to pay anything. Your only responsibility is to continue exploring the road of vibrations and continue my heritage after my death. The reason why I chose you is just like what you thought – your superhuman hearing is an important condition in perceiving vibrations and walking on this road. So, boy, do you still have any doubts?"

Ash nodded his head, it seems he was thinking too much. He couldn't blame himself for his overthinking. In a world where human life is so cheap, Ash always had to ensure his safety. With his current energy reserve, ordering his body to acquire a high-end regeneration ability is still far away, and he couldn't perform a resurrection from death without consuming his lifespan. Each step he takes must be with the utmost caution possible.

"Fine, I'll become your heir!" Ash gave his answer.

Master Shen smiled and patted Ash's shoulders heavily in excitement. "Good, good, ha ha ha, that Netero bastard always mocked me that I won't find a suitable heir in my life. He will be shocked when he knows that the heir himself came to my doors, ha ha ha!" Master Shen's laughter echoed through the room.

'Huh? Netero? Does he mean the president of the Hunter Association? And looking at the way he talked about him, they seem to be friends... this Master Shen is getting more and more challenging to see through.' Ash previously thought that Master Shen was just a simple previous Battle Olympia champion, but after meeting him, all of his conjectures were flipped over one by one.

"Old man, do you know the president of the Hunter Association?"

Ash couldn't hold his curiosity. In the absence of the Ant King Meruem and the legendary Don Freecs, and according to the known information, Isaac Netero, without a doubt, is the current strongest Nen user, at least on the surface. There may be more stronger unknown people out there, but they didn't appear or weren't even mentioned in the manga or the anime. So, the title of the strongest human currently belongs to Netero. Ash naturally admires that old man Netero, especially after seeing the scene of Netero practicing ten thousand punches daily. Such dedication toward martial art had moved him and also showed him why the strong are strong – not because of some flashy abilities, but because of their willpower that's harder than iron, and a fearless heart toward the unknown.

Ash is curious about the relationship between Netero and Master Shen.

"Of course, I know him. Any person who wants to pursue the path of martial art and climb to its peak must face that monster." Hearing Ash's question, Master Shen just replied casually. He doesn't want to ruin his good mood by remembering that black history.

Hearing this, Ash was surprised. He understood the underlying meaning behind Master Shen's words. Master Shen had fought Netero in the past, and looking at his gloomy face, he must have suffered a terrible loss.

"Old man, did you fight him? Don't tell me you didn't withstand even one move from him?" Ash finally found something to use against his master and won't let it slip away. So, without mercy, he said in a mocking tone.

'Humph, do you think I'll forget how you used your Ren to intimidate me?! This is just the appetizer!'

As if an arrow pierced through his heart, Master Shen couldn't help but recall when he was at his peak, ignorant and fearless. He remembered the giant golden palm that almost killed him, even now, he couldn't help but shudder.

But after that 'one-sided fight,' Netero invited him to become a member of the Zodiac, but he rejected it. Instead, Master Shen's resolve to dig deeper into the power of vibrations increased. This is his only possible way to have a chance against a monster like Netero.

He recalled his discussion with Netero.

"Although your vibrations fighting techniques are wonderful, the gap in our strength can't be bridged by it, at least with your current attainment." Netero stroked his beard and said to the young Master Shen who seemed to be in his forties.

"One day, I'll surely defeat you. Even if I can't, I'll entrust my goal to my heir, who will defeat you with my vibrations fighting techniques!" Master Shen said with burning eyes.

"An heir? In my whole life, I have never encountered someone like you with this superhuman vibrations perception. I think it's almost impossible to find someone qualified to become your heir," Netero said.

"Just wait and see!"

Returning to his senses, Master Shen looked at Ash with fiery eyes and said, "Oh, I almost forgot that I promised that bastard I'll find and train an heir to defeat him. So, before we begin your training, I need you to make a Nen oath that you will use all the knowledge and techniques learned from me to fight Netero in the future! It doesn't matter if you lose or win, as long as you can show him the real power of vibrations!"

Ash's mocking smile froze, he really wanted to shout, "Time, go back, please!" and prevent himself from triggering the memories of this old man.

"Can I refuse?" Although Ash believed that he would become stronger than Netero, the question is, will he become stronger before Netero dies? This is forcing him to reach Netero's level within one Year!!!

"No!"

----Author thoughts-----

I need your help in deciding: would you prefer Machi to be the first harem member, or Elsa?

Also, please suggest some potential harem members. Hunter x Hunter has a relatively small number of female characters compared to other anime like One Piece, Naruto, High School DxD, etc.

Here are the ones I intend to include in the harem:

1. Elsa

2. Machi

3. Shizuku

4. Menchi

5. Mito Freecss

6. Neon Nostrade

These are all the girls that have piqued my interest.

also suggest me some creative ways of using Absolute Order. and suggest some Nen ability that had the following functions : extract energy or aura from other sources, store energy for the longest time possible, then passing this energy to Ash so he could use it to for his absolute order.

please share your ideas with me so i can use them as a reference to come up with cool plots.

If you liked this novel, the least thing you can do is leave a comment, write a review, or give some power stones, these simple things really motivate me to write for you guys.

And although I know you guys are broke as fuck, and most of you are still teenagers, I'll keep on asking for some donations. I don't ask for something big, just 0.5 dollars per reader. I'll be fucking rich if this happens; I'll fucking quit my work and focus on writing this shit for you. You hear me?

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