15 Chapter 15 : Heir X Oath (2)

After a moment of contemplation, Ash sighed and said "Alright." 

The vibrations fighting techniques had great potential, and he must learn them to add another trump card to his arsenal. Moreover, he intended to master them on his own, using absolute order only to enhance his learning speed or for other auxiliary purposes. Even though he could let his absolute order achieve similar effects to the vibrations techniques, the amount of energy needed would be high and not cost-effective. So instead, he planned to make it his own skill.

Ash started formulating plans in his mind: 'I better start searching for new harem members quickly, or else, relying on the current progress speed, it will take decades to reach the same level as Netero, just in terms of his current aura size.'

"But how am I supposed to make a Nen oath?" 

Although Ash knew the existence of Nen oaths that Nen users used to increase the effects of their abilities, just like Kurapika's chain jail that he swore to use only against the spiders, giving it a strong effect of forcing any spider member chained with it to enter Zetsu state and relying only on brute force to break it is the solution, but even Uvogin, the strongest member of the spiders in terms of physical strength, couldn't break it. still Ash didn't know how to make an oath with Nen, except forcibly using Absolute order. 

Thinking of the fact that he would need a Nen oath when he will make his Nen ability, Ash looked at Master Shen with anticipation, waiting for his answer.

Master Shen, his demeanor serious and contemplative, gestured for Ash to sit as he prepared to impart the knowledge of forming a Nen oath.

"Creating a Nen oath is no simple matter," Master Shen continued. "It's a binding commitment, a pact with your own Nen. To forge such a connection, you must be unwavering in your intent."

"close your eyes." He motioned for Ash to close his eyes, encouraging him to focus inward. "First, clear your mind of all distractions. Your thoughts should be crystal clear, like a calm pool of water."

Ash followed the instruction, his mind gradually settling into a state of focused tranquility, he consumed a small portion of his energy using Absolute Order to quickly enter this state.

"Now, think of the oath you wish to make," Master Shen continued, "and try creating a visual representation of it in your mind."

Hearing this, Ash imagined a simple radiant thread in his mind. the thread connect him to Master Shen, it represent his promise, and his oath, if he broke his oath then this thread will be cut.

Master Shen emphasized, "Now, with a sincere and willing heart, repeat your oath until it aligns with your intent, will, and emotions. Convince yourself that you will never break it and set consequences that, if you break the vow, you must bear them."

Ash started self-brainwashing, repeating in his mind that after learning the vibrations techniques and knowledge from Master Shen, he must go fight Netero. Then, Ash started questioning himself why he wanted to form this oath. Why he wanted to fight Netero...

'I want to learn the knowledge and vibrations techniques from Master Shen. I want to help him fulfill his wish and show Netero the power of vibrations. I want to get stronger quickly before Netero dies. I want to fight him, not only for Master Shen's sake but also to prove to myself that I, Ash Bernard, deserve to be the harem king!' Ash kept on self-hypnotizing until he convinced himself and aligned his intent with the oath.

"Let each word carry the weight of your commitment. The Nen will respond to the sincerity in your voice and form the binding pact."

"I swear to use all the knowledge and techniques learned from Master Shen to fight Isaac Netero in the future. If I break this oath, I will never use the vibration techniques in my life"

Ash, with his eyes closed, concentrated on the image of the radiant thread he visualized in his mind. Then, he started tying it and formed a knot. This knot was his subconscious way of representing the binding pact he had just made.

With Gyo, Master Shen noticed the sudden shift in Ash's aura as the oath was established. Before, it was calm and steady, but for a moment, it trembled and started flowing chaotically before stabilizing. The creation of the Nen oath consumed some part of Ash's Nen, leading to this situation, and from it, he concluded that the oath was successfully established.

'So, this is how Nen oaths are established—a strong will to achieve something or intense emotions towards something, and then the resolve to pay a certain price if you break this oath..' 

Ash opened his eyes with a bewildered expression on his face. Now that he realized how to make Nen oaths, one of the puzzle pieces to create his Nen ability had been solved. Thinking that he was one step further to creating the Nen ability that would cover up his energy lacking weakness, Ash felt excited.

'More energy means the stronger the orders I can issue using Absolute Order, which implies I can use Absolute Order to bestow upon my body high-end regeneration power, increasing my survivability!' 

Ash doesn't want any flashy abilities for now, he wants a power that will make him more difficult to kill. The only one possible in his mind is regeneration, like Wolverine or the Nomu in My Hero Academia. It's not that he didn't think of bestowing himself with other abilities, but he thought that enhancing something like body healing, which naturally exists in every living creature, will consume less energy than adding something out of thin air. If it were possible, Ash would like to gain abilities like resurrection, rebirth, damage transfer, etc., but unless he gains them from the system, he doesn't see any hope of acquiring them soon, even with the Nen Ability he will create.

Master Shen nodded with satisfaction. He admired Ash's courage, he didn't hesitate to make a Nen oath that involved fighting mankind's strongest Nen user. Just this courage alone was enough for him to regard Ash highly. He smiled and said, "Do you know that when a Nen user makes a Nen oath, according to the nature of the oath, they will receive some forms of benefits if they stick to it?"

"I know that Nen oaths either increase the amount of aura or strengthen the effect of the Nen user's ability," Ash nodded his head as he replied.

"Well, the same applies to you too," Master Shen said with a mysterious smile on his face.

"Huh? But the Nen oath I made wasn't directed at me. It's a form of contract with you, right? So how could I receive improvements?" Ash couldn't comprehend what Master Shen's words meant, so he asked directly.

"Your Nen oath is true, it's like some sort of agreement, but it wasn't placed on you by an exterior force. It stemmed from your own will, heart, and intent. Moreover, you have sworn to fight the strongest Nen user in the world using only the techniques and knowledge learned from me. So naturally, you will receive certain benefits in exchange for your determination. If you swore to defeat or even kill Netero, then the effect would be stronger, but I'm afraid no sane person would dare to do that unless they had strong potential and were willing to sacrifice it in order to gain temporary power at the cost of their life too. But the number of people who have this potential and are willing to do such a stupid thing is almost nonexistent." Master Shen talked for a long time and slowly explained the reason behind his words.

"Really? Then what kind of benefits will I get from making this vow? Why don't I feel any change?" Ash felt nothing changed or added to him after making that vow, so he asked his doubts to the knowledgeable Master Shen.

"Since your oath involves fighting Netero using my vibration techniques, then I guess when learning my techniques, your comprehension will receive a certain bonus. This means you will be able to learn them faster than your previous self. That's the only thing I can think of currently, but we still have to wait and see." Master Shen's right hand caressed his long white beard as he stated his guess.

(to be continued)

----Author Thoughts-----

Hey, my lovely readers! I know I've kept you hanging for what feels like an eternity—three whole days without updates. I swear I haven't been binge-watching Jujutsu Kaisen, Undead Unluck, Ahem... (well, maybe a few), but I've been deep in thought, crafting the intricate plotlines and creating an outline. I mean, I don't want this fanfic to resemble a headless fly buzzing around with no sense of direction.

Right now, I'm knee-deep in planning the heavens arena arc, and let me tell you, the pace is going to be slower than a sloth on a coffee break. So, bear with me. The MC's training arc will be slow too. Oh, and get ready for some new characters and events that didn't happen in canon.

I don't want to dish out a brainless HxH fanfic, that's the last thing on my agenda. Sure, I could stick to the plot and let my MC act all cool in front of the other characters, and yeah, some of you might dig that. But come on, that's been done a gazillion times. This novel had different plans when I started, but you know, plans change.

So, enjoy this half chapter, and remember, I won't be giving you a strict schedule. I'm the kind of person who won't lift a finger until the last minute. If I set a schedule, I'll probably procrastinate until the eleventh hour, squeeze the shit out of my brain, and then, poof, I'll disappear for months to recover from the burnout.

----------Bon Appetite🎉------