The Becoming of a Devil!

[Author Note: This Chapter is LONG! This is the start of the actual story, detailing the things that made the story lead up to everything. Hope you all enjoy; I try to deliver the best quality I can. Please leave reviews and comments if you enjoy!]

[Location: Unknown]

Ash had arrived at Azrael's residence, more of a torture chamber than a house it seemed.

Inside were multiple devices for torture, a pool, weighted vests and more.

"Welco.." Said Azrael and while half-way through greeting Ash, he had noticed the stump of a left arm.

"Well, welcome to my training facility. I'll be training you here, you will stay here until I see you are ready or until you give up." Said Azrael, not paying any attention to the stump after noticing it the first time.

"Okay, when do we start training?"

"Uhm, you'll be resting for a month. Don't use your Nen at all, that wound is pretty vicious, and the training will be pretty hard. You'll tear the wound open and lose a lot of blood if you train with it like that."

Azrael then walked over and with a series of quick movements, he had poked at various points on Ash's stump. The stump now miraculously closing, completely stopping the blood that would slowly gush through the bandages.

"Take a month to rest, pick a room and it's yours. These rooms have a bed and a bathroom. So, for this month make sure to mind your body's health."

"Wait, have you told your family about this? Do they know you lost an arm?" Asked Azrael who was now feeling puzzled because if Ash had told his family, then they would want him home now.

"No, it doesn't matter it's just an arm. Either way, I still have my right one." Said Ash, not being put off by the loss of his left arm.

"Well, I leave it to you, to do the explaining of course." Said Azrael, not being bothered to contact Silva for this as he knew that he'd most likely not care.

"Go rest."

- 1 Month Later -

Inside a large Olympic level pool, Ash was there struggling for air. Azrael drowning him, forcing him to utilize his signature "Nen Threads" under immense pressure.

Under the pressure of the water, Ash was struggling to even produce a mere Nen thread. He'd been rendered useless when put to the test in extreme conditions.

Over the course of the next 8 months, he was tortured intensely but all in the name of training.

All of his meals being poisoned so as to increase his resistance to being poisoned. He was trained to control his Nen in even the most extreme conditions.

Now, it had only been 9 months since he'd began training. He was still a mere drop in a bucket compared to the vast ocean that is the experienced Nen users of this world.

His "strength" was merely equated to that of a child compared to a gorilla if you put an experienced Nen user and Ash right next to each other.

Over this timespan, Azrael had discovered that Ash's talent was exactly as it seemed, monstrous. He had been able to perform at his current level because of his wits and that insane amount of talent.

He utilizes his strength better than others because of his smart thinking and innovativeness.

Even after being asked if he wanted to give up many times, Ash still prevailed. This torture in the form of "training" was merely the beginning. A fiery light had always lied dormant within Ash's eyes, after this period of intense training, it had erupted.

This gaze had of course been noticed by Azrael, who instead of pursuing the optimal training for Ash which he was currently doing. He had begun to kill him, not physically but instead breaking him down with training to the point he would wish he was dead.

But that would be if Ash was your average person. Although being 5 years old, almost 6, in the world of the hunters anything was possible. So, to see a man training a little child to the point of collapsing each day was nothing out of the norm.

Azrael had given Ash a weighted vest, weighted anklets, weighted bracelets and even shoes. Even the blanket he used to sleep was weighted, he was going through physical training and mental training while with him.

He had been learning meditation, finding peace in pain. The feeling of pain now becoming motivation in each passing second.

*DING*

[New Gene(s) Acquired: Low-Level Pain Resistance, Low-Level Poison Resistance]

Ash's ability had automatically activated, even though he hadn't slain an opponent. He had gained these two genes passively from all the training he had been currently going through.

Although only being low level genes, over time they can be passively upgraded with training. From training all this time, Ash had realized that he needed to create a new ability to help him grow. Though, not rushing into it.

Ash had continued his training patiently, not bothering to be impatient about the creation of a new ability.

As in life, the process of chasing something is the hardest part of obtaining your desires. To obtain something you strive to get, it is easier to allow it to come to you naturally.

And that is exactly how he felt about his new ability, he would allow the thought of it come to him instead of dwelling on exactly what he wanted to create.

- 4 Years Later -

Having been doing numerous jobs assigned to him by Azrael, Ash had stained his hand's with so much blood that he could be considered an undertaker. An angel of death, reaping lives as it was his profession.

Although it was his job to reap lives, this was considered to be insane if put in the eyes of a normal civilian in the world.

Ash's [Hatsu's Practicality Negation] being charged up to great levels allowing him to create a somewhat busted ability if he put his mind to it. He still hadn't thought of an ability that suited him just yet.

Still being foreign to this world, slowly growing accustomed to it. Being prideful and utilizing wits were two different things, Ash being a sociopath should never want to go to others to ask for help right?

Wrong, he still can maintain basic human relations so long as it benefits him. He was benefitting greatly from having a world-class assassin teaching him personally. Especially since this assassin was a genius when it came to the applications of Nen.

To not ask for assistance would only be possible if Ash were a prideful fool, therefore he went to Azrael, saying... "I've been pondering about creating a new ability, but I'm thinking of making one that will be suitable to pave my growth."

Hearing this, Azrael responded "Creation is..."

Azrael continued to talk but once Ash heard "Creation" his mind began to explode with thoughts of his new ability. The words of Azrael now becoming distant and distorted, his mind began to wander off from the conversation only having thoughts of his soon to be ability.

After finishing what he had to say, Azrael had noticed that Ash wasn't paying attention. Having a look of absence, Azrael had smirked and muttered to himself... "He's reached a bout of enlightenment."

Minutes later, Ash had awoken from this bout of enlightenment noticing that Azrael was nowhere to be seen. Not bothering to give a second thought to this, he had felt as though he was ready to create his new ability.

Being inspired by the word that Azrael had only merely uttered, Ash had gotten the idea behind his new ability and was itching to will it into existence.

Hatsu: [Genetic Creation and Merging] The ability to create a gene from the users thoughts, being limited by the amount of EXP(NEW) the user has stored. Also being able to merge existing genes if enough EXP is stored.

Working in the form of a ring, another counterpart to the Ring of Blood. Donning the title "Ring of Genes". This ring can convert a slain organism into EXP instead of blood, being able to convert a slain organism into particles of energy outputted as a form of data.

This (EXP) will be stored in the users Ring of Genes. Giving the user a game like prompt of Total EXP and for the creation of a gene it will output the required amount of EXP needed to create said gene.

For the merging of gene(s) EXP will also be required, the merging of genes will give the user a prompt of obtainable genes from the merging of said gene(s).

EXP only being attainable by slaying enemies/organisms, also scales proportionally with the strength of the opponent's slain.

[Condition(s):

1 - User will have a permanently engrained ring on one of fingers, The Ring of Genes. Will present a simplified screen of data regarding current EXP and upgradeable skills.

2 - The user can only gain EXP from an organism slain by him.

3 - The user cannot create genetic abilities that "alter" reality to degrees not possible without the necessary number of kills to power [Hatsu's Practicality Negation] enough to make this possible.

4 - For the user, any gene is able to be created, but scaling off the amount of EXP needed in terms of how powerful the ability is.

5 - The user will be encased in a bloody aura, only able to be concealed if the user learns how to conceal the aura of death surrounding himself. If not concealed, any person will be given the feeling of death when being near you.

This aura will stack with every kill you gain, the stronger the existence slain, the stronger the aura, once at a certain point, the aura will be able to induce negative effects on an opponent if the user wills it.

[Aura only works if the gap in strength between the user and opponent isn't too wide (user isn't too much weaker than his opponent.)]

Using a big portion of the current reserves from [Hatsu's Practicality Negation] he had created this ability in the next instant.

Moments later, a gray and green ring had materialized on his pinky finger on his right hand.

[Name: Ash Zoldyck]

[Age: 10]

[Kill(s): 128]

[Gene(s): {Increased Muscle Strength}, {Increased Muscle Growth}, {Enhanced Sense of Smell}, {Low-Level Poison Resistance}, {Echolocation}, {Low-Level Pain Resistance}

[Exp: 0]

After the creation of this ability, Ash had gone find Azrael and informed him that he would need much more jobs. A lot more, he needs to kill a lot of people and or beasts to grow further which he needed dearly.

"Have you achieved what I asked of you? Can you transform your Nen threads into their thinner form? Are they now in the form of strings?" Asked Azrael.

Instead of replying, Ash had demonstrated with his abilities instead of using his words. Materializing his Nen, he had turned it into countless thin strings barely visible to the naked eye when using Gyo.

Although unable to perform more advanced applications of Nen such as Gyo, En or anything of the sort, Ash had been practicing the fundamentals until it was burned into him.

For the next 3 years, Ash had been taking every single assassination given to him, totaling just over 300 people. Not creating a single gene nor merging, he hadn't gained any new genes.

He had been racking up exp waiting to create the perfect ability, all the while racking up enough kills to make sure it was made possible by [Hatsu's Practicality Negation].

So once again, he had been on another 3-year journey, although not taking any assassination missions. He had been exploring geographical locations with deadly beasts by the courtesy of Azrael.

He had Azrael ordering air-blimps that would take him to these dangerous areas without being a hunter.

All the while slaying numerous beasts that would slaughter humans like crushing grapes, he been researching the genetic structure of a lot of species but humans mainly.

Never having went home, Ash had left home at the tender age of 5 years old. After leaving for Heaven's Arena and meeting Azrael then becoming his disciple, Ash had been gone for 11 years so far.

Ash was now 16 years old in this world, nearing 17 he was almost an adult to this world.

Over the years he had been using the Ring of Creation and thinking of the gene he wished to create. Although he had never met the requirements as they were so damn high, requiring an abundant amount of EXP.

Then, 6 years after the creation of [Genetic Creation and Merging] he had finally gathered enough EXP to create the desired ability after all this time.

[Gene Creation: (Limitless) - Required EXP: 10,000]

[Current EXP: 10,002]

He had been slaughtering assassination targets and beats for the past 6 years to make this singular gene. Why would he take all of this time to make only one gene?

What could this gene that he'd taken such a long amount of time to gather the EXP for be?

[Gene: Limitless]

Ability: The users genetic structure will be changed, warped by reality to allow its structure to endlessly improve with no limits. The only limits of this ability are the users capabilities.

The user will be able to endlessly improve any skill/traits/genes usable, Hatsu's, Talent/Learning Speed and more. The user can gain newfound levels of strength with this gene.

To improve something, the user has to think about it and a requirement will be listed mentally and then it can be improved by utilizing EXP as a form of energy powering it's completion.

Back to the present, Ash had been prompted:

[Gene Creation: Limitless]

Create Gene? (Y/N)

'Yes'

*WHOOSH*

Within the next moment, everything went dark....

- Sometime later -

Ash had awoken on the ground, black ooze on the ground next to him. Thankful that he had already exterminated the beasts in the vicinity, if he didn't, he would've become monster food.

'Genes' Ash called out mentally.

[Gene(s): {Increased Muscle Strength}, {Increased Muscle Growth}, {Enhanced Sense of Smell}, {Low-Level Poison Resistance}, {Low-Level Pain Resistance}. {LIMITLESS}

Looking at the prompt, Ash had noticed that the gene (Limitless) was encased in bold letters, with it being encased in a crimson hue unlike the other genes which were simply gray.

Finally gaining what he'd been needing, Ash had decided it was time to head back to Azrael's training facility to thank him and then go back to the Zoldyck manor.

It was time to finally be who he wished himself to be, the world's strongest! And this is the beginning of the tale of "Devil Child."