Chapter 108: Kurapika is "Forcibly" Recruited x Roy Trains Under the Waterfall
How does he know?
Kurapika's eyes were locked on Roy. The boy fished quietly, not looking back, but he could clearly feel the intense shock in the gaze aimed at his back.
Kurta Clan... Scarlet Eyes... Seven Most Beautiful Colors in the world... Kurapika... Tserriednich... These images involuntarily surfaced in his mind.
Roy spoke faintly, "No need to be so surprised. There is no place the sun cannot shine, so naturally, there are no secrets."
"It's night. There is no sun," Kurapika retorted, pushing up her glasses. Her voice was stern. "I don't know how you found out, but I must ask that you do not reveal this."
Just how rare were the Scarlet Eyes in this world? Why did the Kurta Clan choose to live in seclusion? No one understood the reasons and dangers better than Kurapika herself.
But there was no such thing as a perfect secret. Just as Roy said, as long as something exists, it can be found. And once found, someone will want to collect it. The future annihilation of the Kurta Clan, leaving Kurapika as the sole survivor, was clear proof.
"Who gave you the nerve to make demands of the Young Master?" Gotoh glared at Kurapika, grabbing her by the collar and lifting her off her feet.
The girl clawed at Gotoh's large hand but didn't struggle. Her eyes flashed, instantly turning a deep scarlet. The previous weakness she'd shown when begging for help was gone, replaced by a fierce, unyielding attitude. She stared at Gotoh, defiant. "You can question me, you can even strangle me!"
"It doesn't even matter if you gouge out my eyes!"
"As long as you don't leak my clan's information... I, Kurapika, will submit to any treatment!"
Kurapika? Roy thought of the blonde, red-eyed, and highly intelligent boy from the story. "Put her down," he said calmly. "I have no interest in your clan. And even less in your eyes." Even if the Scarlet Eyes granted the ability to use all Nen types at 100% capacity, they were of little use to Roy right now. It's not like he could gouge out his own eyes and replace them.
"Yes, sir." Gotoh released Kurapika.
The girl straightened the wrinkles on her collar, her eyes fixed on Roy. "How can I trust you?"
Roy: "Believe it or don't."
Kurapika narrowed her eyes. "I'm going with you."
Gotoh: "?"
The girl spoke with righteous conviction, "I know of the Zoldycks. The world's number one family of assassins. It was described in My Years as an Assassin. I can also apply to be a butler. Join the Zoldycks."
Only by becoming 'one of them' can I ensure the secret won't be leaked, Kurapika added silently in her head. One had to admit, the girl's thinking was sharp. She was taking the exam to get a Hunter License and latch onto the Hunter Association for support, giving her clan a powerful backing. Now... Kurapika looked stubbornly at Roy. She had seen the boy's performance earlier, every bit of it. This was an equally thick thigh to hold onto, and one that didn't conflict with the Hunter Association!
"Gotoh."
"Yes, Young Master."
"Find that author and beat him senseless." Roy didn't turn his head. "And it'd be best if you tore out his tongue for running his mouth."
"Yes, sir."
Kurapika: "..." She swallowed nervously, suddenly unsure of what to say.
Gotoh glared at her but ignored her. Roy, having given the order, also fell silent. A moment later... [Notification: Nen "Shape Change" +15]... He returned to his fishing, continuing to temper his Nen. Night gradually fell.
The moon was high in the sky. The slaughter on the Sea God continued, but the area around Roy remained an oasis of peace. No one dared approach the bow, nor did anyone dare to bother Kurapika again, simply assuming she was with Roy. This allowed her to indirectly benefit, using his reputation as a shield. She found an unlucky soul, stole his number plate, and accumulated her own points.
Roy and Gotoh turned a blind eye, not bothering with her. Kurapika, however, was smart enough to start her "job" early, playing the role of a butler, pushing a food cart over to serve them. Eat when you must, kill when you must; the Hunter Association was never stingy with food for its candidates.
Tonight's dinner was locally sourced, featuring plenty of seafood. Gotoh served Roy, shelling a spider crab. Kurapika sat nearby, chin in hand, watching quietly. "Aren't you afraid I'll poison you?" she asked suddenly.
Gotoh sneered. Roy just ate faster, and with more gusto. The idea of a Zoldyck being killed by poison was such a massive joke, it probably wasn't even recorded in My Years as an Assassin.
Soon, under Kurapika's smiling gaze, Roy left behind a pile of crab shells, turned, and walked back to the bow, sitting down cross-legged.
He hadn't practiced his swordsmanship in a few days. The boy had discovered that as long as he didn't push open the Demon Slayer gate, nothing would happen that night. He would sleep and wake normally, completely at his own discretion. This undoubtedly gave him much more freedom in accessing the "Gate of Cognition."
Besides, after the battle with Pariston, no one dared to cross him. According to Captain Mark Seam, they still had five or six days until they reached Dolle Island. Roy instructed Gotoh to wake him if anything important happened, then closed his eyes, meditated, and began to fall asleep, preparing to fulfill his promise to Master Sakonji Urokodaki.
It was time to learn a Breathing Style.
Gradually, drowsiness crept in. The sounds of fighting grew distant. The boy's head nodded, and he drifted into dreamland. He passed through the multicolored dream tunnel via "deep sleep" and arrived at the familiar Sea of Cognition. He didn't linger this time, directly pushing open the Demon Slayer gate and stepping through.
The familiar sensation of falling...
When he blearily opened his eyes again, his nose twitched at the aroma of porridge. Roy smiled, sat up, and stretched his arms wide, planting his feet firmly on the ground. The sea wasn't the same as land; it wasn't as stable. Having solid ground beneath his feet felt much better.
"Eiichiro! Master made you something delicious again!" Makomo, forever lamenting that she couldn't taste Sakonji's cooking, always made Roy share his "post-meal report" to satisfy her own cravings.
"What is it?"
"Fresh fish porridge," the girl said enviously. "Master went to the river at four in the morning to catch fish for you. He probably figured you'd be learning a Breathing Style today and wanted you to feel the 'rhythm of the water' first."
"Don't listen to her nonsense." Sabito couldn't help but roll his eyes. "Eating fish has nothing to do with learning the Water Breathing. Eiichiro, prepare yourself for the pressure."
Sabito's words were heavy with meaning. Roy listened quietly, his mind automatically picturing Tanjiro in the waterfall, training with his sword. As expected, he was in for the same treatment.
Sure enough, Sakonji Urokodaki, who hadn't spared Tanjiro in the future, certainly didn't spare him now. In fact, he was even stricter, unable to wait a single day. He had Roy strip to the waist, stand under the waterfall, and begin mimicking his movements, practicing the Water Breathing.
"Water Breathing, First Form: Water Surface Slash!"
"Second Form: Water Wheel... Third Form: Flowing Dance... Fourth Form: Striking Tide..."
"Wrong! Blade higher! Breathe from your abdomen, not your mouth! Remember the power point! Drive with your core, don't just use brute force! And your breathing rhythm? I said it must be steady, gentle, fluid like water!"
"Who are you performing for, being so stiff? You'll get eaten by a demon in no time!"
Sakonji Urokodaki's teachings, mixed with the pounding of the waterfall, struck at the unpolished gem that was Roy, over and over.
Sabito and Makomo watched from the side, having never heard him speak so much. They exchanged a look, utterly speechless. 'Master... he's not treating Eiichiro like a human at all!'
And yet... Eiichiro took it all without a single complaint, learning with intense focus. Slowly, his form began to take shape. His rate of progress was astonishing!
"Water Breathing, Seventh Form: Piercing Rain Drop!"
Half a day later, Roy lunged forward in a thrust. The point of his blade arrived first, creating ripples that spread, seeming to twist the waterfall itself as it shot forward! A sharp pillar of water tore through the air, shot past Sabito and Makomo's ears, and struck a cypress tree on the bank. The trunk, so thick two people couldn't encircle it, was instantly pierced by the blow, leaving a large, gaping hole in its center.
[Notification: "Water Breathing" has been activated... Experience +10...]
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