When night fell, Vega watched with satisfaction as Kastro mastered Ten, cloaking his aura tightly around his body. It was as if he were wearing a weightless, invisible armor.
"So this is Nen?" Kastro muttered, eyes wide in wonder. He clenched his fists, feeling the newfound strength course through him.
Vega shook his head lightly. "That's just Ten—one of the Four Major Principles. You're just getting started."
"Alright, let's find out your Nen type," Vega continued.
He briefly explained the six Nen categories and emphasized the importance of specializing in your natural category.
"If you try to master abilities outside your category, not only will it be inefficient, but your powers will also be weaker. Even abilities from closely related types can only be used at 80% of their potential."
Kastro's brows furrowed. "So if I train the wrong type, I'll never become strong?"
"Exactly," Vega nodded. "That's why we use the Water Divination test to determine your type."
He poured water into a glass and floated a leaf on its surface. "Wrap your hands around the cup and use Ten. Focus your aura."
Kastro did as instructed. Slowly, the water level began to rise, eventually spilling over the rim.
"You're a Reinforcement type," Vega confirmed. "It's the most straightforward class—perfect for close combat. No gimmicks. Just raw attack and defense. You'll also heal faster and can strengthen objects through Nen."
Kastro nodded thoughtfully. "It suits my fighting style. Especially paired with Tiger Bite Fist."
Still, Vega could sense some hesitation. Reinforcers are typically simple and focused, but Kastro's mind was always spinning. That troubled Vega a little.
"You've heard of Isaac Netero, right? President of the Hunter Association?"
Kastro's eyes widened. "Of course."
"He's the strongest Nen user alive—and he's a Reinforcer. Every day, he threw 10,000 punches, infusing each one with his will. Eventually, he could punch faster than sound. Even in old age, with only half his strength, few could take a hit from him."
Vega patted Kastro's shoulder. "Reinforcers become truly powerful when they train with unwavering dedication and simplicity."
Kastro nodded again, more convinced.
"Alright," Vega said. "Let's move on to Nen conditioning exercises."
He introduced several unconventional methods—some drawn from martial arts myths, others improvised:
Punching through a thousand identical stones wrapped in cloth.
Training underwater, using Nen to resist pressure.
Standing beneath a waterfall, focusing all aura into his arms to shatter falling logs.
These weren't Hunter Association-certified techniques, but Vega believed in the fusion of will and life energy. If the Chimera Ants proved anything, it was that raw physicality and intent could give birth to terrifying Nen.
He skipped teaching advanced applications like Gyo, En, and Shu—not out of choice, but because he didn't fully understand them himself. His knowledge was mostly second-hand, drawn from memories of his past life.
Still, he believed his methods would work. And even if they didn't, Nen abilities had enough variety to offer backup options.
In truth, Kastro was Vega's first real experiment in Nen training—a living test subject for his theories.
But for now, things were going smoothly.
Kastro had taken the first step, and Vega had gained a powerful new ally.