Killua had already found it a bit strange earlier. First, he had not been matched with those Rookie Killers but instead with Kastro.
Second, during the fight, Killua had noticed several times that Kastro had held back. It had felt odd.
Now, Killua finally understood why his opponent had been Kastro and why Kastro had acted the way he did. Just like during the Hunter Exam, Ron had arranged for Hanzo to be his opponent to increase the difficulty for him. Now, Ron had arranged for Kastro to be his opponent once again to raise the challenge. But Killua knew Ron meant well. Without Kastro, he would never have been able to achieve this breakthrough and improvement.
Wing glanced at Kastro, then at Ron in the spectator stands, and a suspicion formed in his mind.
Hisoka had gone from being very interested at the start to feeling bored later on. When Kastro revealed his ability, Hisoka's interest was rekindled. But not long after showing a curious expression, it again turned to indifference.
"Enhancement-type Nen users really are boring. Only their growth can bring me some enjoyment."
Ron looked at Hisoka. He already knew that at this point Hisoka had lost interest in Kastro. Now that Hisoka knew Kastro's abilities, he could no longer surprise him. Just like how Hisoka had no interest in Uvogin once he understood his abilities.
Hisoka felt similarly about Gon as well. It was just that Gon had not yet matured. What Hisoka was waiting for was the thrill of Gon's growth.
"One more win and I'll qualify to challenge the Floor Master," Hisoka said, looking at Ron.
"Anytime is fine." Ron did not care about the timing. Delaying a few days wouldn't bring him much improvement, and moving it up a few days wouldn't make much difference either.
"Then I'll proceed as soon as possible." The two left the venue. Hisoka headed toward his luxury suite while Ron went to the exit of the contestant corridor.
Killua and Kastro walked out side by side.
Ron pointed to a nearby café. "Let's talk inside." The three of them entered a private room in the café. Not long after, the coffee arrived and the door was closed.
"Cousin Ron, did you deliberately arrange for Kastro to be my opponent?" As soon as he sat down, Killua couldn't wait to ask.
"That's right." Ron said, "If I hadn't arranged it, your opponent would most likely have been some Rookie Killers, which wouldn't have been useful to you. So I asked Kastro to help. Did you gain anything?"
Killua nodded. "Yes, but, Cousin Ron, next time can you let me know in advance?"
"If I tell you in advance, it won't have the same effect," Ron replied, looking at Killua. "Also, Killua, as a Hunter and a Nen user, you must be prepared to deal with the unknown and situations beyond your plans. Even if I don't arrange it, you could still encounter such situations."
Killua did not dwell on this and instead asked, "Cousin Ron, can you explain Nen to me in more detail? I feel like Wing-sensei hasn't told Gon and me a lot. There's so much we don't know."
Ron shook his head. "I won't tell you much about Nen for now. You should rely mainly on your own understanding. As for the reason, you'll understand in the future. Once you've finished learning all the basics of Nen, if you still have questions, you can come back and ask me. Not just me—Illumi, Milluki, Silva, Zeno, Kikyo... you can ask all of them."
"Alright enough about that, I have no other intentions, just wanted to introduce you and Kastro. Both of you have good talent. If there's a chance, you can cooperate. In the world of Nen users, personal connections are also very important."
After finishing his coffee, Ron returned to his own floor. Killua first went to the medical department to check on Gon, then returned to Wing's apartment.
"Killua, you performed well."
"Facing an opponent like Kastro and performing as you did was already very good," Wing said. "Kastro started learning Nen earlier than you and knows more techniques. His strength is currently greater than yours. But there will be opportunities for you to surpass him in the future."
"Wing-sensei, do you know what Kastro's transformation was?" Killua had asked Ron but got no answer. Now, seeing Wing, he couldn't help asking again.
Wing was silent for a moment. "Do you remember the Four Minor Principles I told you about?"
"Yes," Killua nodded.
"The Minor Principles: Ten, Ren, Zetsu, Hatsu. Among them, Hatsu corresponds to specific abilities. I could explain it now, but you wouldn't fully understand. Once you get to that part of your training, you'll naturally understand."
Ron sat by the window. Beside him, White Bear wagged his tail and lay at Ron's feet. A glass of red wine was placed on the coffee table.
Ron had just uploaded the latest chapters of Baki and Bungou Stray Dogs and was checking the data and comments. After confirming there were no problems, he returned to the homepage.
Meanwhile, a figure approached.
"Big brother." Ron looked up. At that moment, Nina seemed to have just finished training, taken a shower, and changed into a new outfit. She exuded the fresh, bright aura of a young girl. The little girl from back then had already grown up. When Ron first arrived at the Heavens Arena, he had also been very young, looking entirely like a child. Now, Ron was already over sixteen years old. His face still appeared a bit youthful, but in height and build, he had reached adult proportions. Nina was a bit younger than Ron, but not by much.
"Big brother, what are you looking at?"
"Manga." Ron said, "In my free time, reading manga is a good way to pass time. And who knows, I might even get some inspiration from it. You could read some too, Nina."
"Get inspiration from manga?" Nina showed a trace of confusion in her eyes.
"That's right. Most of these authors are ordinary people without Nen abilities. Their imagination about supernatural powers might be biased, but some ideas are worth referencing. For example, this manga I'm reading recently."