Chapter 24: Haze's Ability :Hatsu
The next day, inside his room—
Haze sat on the bed, radiating telekinetic energy.
His eyes were closed, as if in deep meditation.
Then, suddenly, a round button with a face appeared mid-air above him — the "Game Start" button.
"Loading game…"
"Loading module… Please wait."
"Update progress 100%. Update complete!"
The button's mechanical voice echoed briefly before dissolving into a faint white mist.
Haze opened his eyes and wiped the sweat from his forehead.
Developing a Nen ability… was never easy.
In the Hunter world, most Nen users can define their abilities within a few months at best — or a year at worst — with the rare exceptions of prodigies like Hisoka or Netero.
Haze, however, after six months of secluded mountain training, spent a full year refining his concept, slowly shaping his Nen ability.
Though classified as a Conjuration-type, his method of development was unlike most.
By incorporating traits from other Nen categories, his system-assisted training had revealed that his aura carried secondary affinities—both Manipulation and Transmutation.
Of course, that didn't mean he could wield those types directly. He could only integrate them in limited ways—
like a mathematician dabbling in linguistics: you might grasp a few words, but never outmatch a native speaker.
Thus, Haze poured effort into refining these attributes and building a cohesive Nen structure.
He observed nature and the flow of life energy, using them as the foundation for his power.
Otherwise, his Nen concept would have been a hollow fantasy—
a lifeless imitation of what true Conjuration could achieve.
If his "Treasure of the Infinite Dreamer's Game" relied solely on conjuration, it would just become a neutralized trinket.
His plan was clear:
first, use Conjuration to create a physical object—the "Face Button," the power switch.
Then, assign it a function — the key concept of his ability:
connecting dimensions.
This principle already existed among certain Hunters—
like Shizuku's Blinky, which stores matter into a hidden dimension,
or Owl, the Shadow Beast, whose cloth could hold an entire warehouse.
Later, even Knov, from the Chimera Ant arc, would demonstrate it with his 4-D apartment.
All were Conjurers—
each with strong similarities.
The difference with Haze was that his alternate dimension wasn't just passive storage;
it was malleable, programmable — a world he could shape and expand himself.
The true strength of the Treasure of the Infinite Dreamer's Game lay in two pillars:
The manifest layer — all tangible resources: equipment, maps, units, abilities.The hidden layer — the "game rules," subtle laws undetectable by ordinary Nen users.
However, due to his current limitations, the "Game World" and its rules were incomplete.
During his previous fight against Aishimiru, his summons and powers appeared random—
he couldn't yet choose at will.
At that time, his resource library only included foot soldiers, crayfish, three wolves, predatory birds, and swamp frogs.
Stronger monsters—like elemental dragons—were far beyond his current reach.
The same was true for the world's "rules."
He still had a Haze road ahead.
His ultimate goal:
to restore all five main categories — maps, gear, skills, monsters, and systems.
That's why his Nen had become so complex and expansive.
Nen can be simple or profound:
simple abilities have simple uses,
deep abilities have profound structure.
And Haze had chosen the latter—
a path of uniqueness and evolution.
His ability to actively modify the "Game World," continuously enriching it, was something no ordinary Conjurer could achieve—
a feat possible only thanks to his hybrid affinity with Manipulation and Transmutation.
Nen abilities, in essence, are projections of will into aura—
a process involving design, intent, calibration, and execution.
Kurapika's "Judgment Chain" exemplified this, born through extreme purpose.
Nen is balance.
There are no useless abilities—only users who fail to master them.
The stronger the power, the higher the cost.
Kurapika's vow is proof of this: his strength against the Spiders came at immense sacrifice.
The same applies to Haze.
To manifest his infinite world, he must pour out massive Nen reserves and time.
Unlike Kurapika, though, he was in no rush.
He had time—
and patience.
Thus, aside from Nen consumption, his true cost was negligible.
His mental capacity came from understanding the mechanics of his "Game World."
Having lived an entire previous life immersed in games, he already knew every parameter and shortcut.
The system could now reference his memory, completing much of the configuration automatically.
In summary, Haze's philosophy of Nen was simple:
"Nen is just one form of combat.
Physical aptitude and intellect are the real engines that empower the mind."
His ambition was to one day manifest the entire Game World—
perhaps even multiple worlds—
creating a reality akin to a realm.
He knew it was a lofty dream.
Even as a reincarnator with a system, he understood—
in every world, there are always those far above.
Even the likes of Netero or Ging Freecss might never reach that level.
Confidence was one thing; arrogance, another.
For now, he could only wait—
for the future to unfold.
"Zalon, a mercenary.
Since reaching the 200th floor, he's won nine matches straight—no losses, no points dropped."
"Hmm… I thought no one would challenge me for a while."
Haze leaned back in his chair, nibbling the pastries the staff had brought, skimming through a file.
He chuckled softly.
"Another tough one, huh…"
Elsewhere, in another room—
Wing was meditating under Biscuit Krueger's supervision.
Holding her phone, Biscuit asked the person on the other end:
"So? Did you watch the match video I sent you?"
"Hohoho… Yes, I did."
A warm, familiar laugh came from the receiver.
"And? Nothing to say?"
"Mmm…"
A Haze pause.
Biscuit's expression darkened. Just as she was about to explode, the voice spoke again:
"All I can say is… the youth these days are terrifying.
The next generation truly is monstrous."
"Seems it's about time old men like me… step aside."
"President! I didn't call for you to lament!" she snapped. "Someone that young shouldn't have Nen mastery like that! Judging by his combat rhythm, he's clearly new—but his style feels so unnatural it's frightening. How could someone like that even exist?"
"It's the first time I've seen anyone like him since becoming a Nen user!"
"Be honest, even you couldn't train a talent like that, could you?"
The person on the other end was none other than Isaac Netero, Chairman of the Hunter Association.
"The world changes constantly," Netero replied calmly.
"Just because you can't do something doesn't mean others can't.
People differ—and that's what makes life interesting."
"Aren't you curious?"
Biscuit frowned. "Don't you want to come see him yourself? If someone like that doesn't follow the right path, the consequences could be disastrous! And losing such talent would be a tragedy!"
"If he doesn't want to join, you can't force him…" Netero replied, sipping tea audibly.
A vein pulsed on Biscuit's forehead.
"Are you even listening!?"
Netero chuckled. "The boy's record is clean."
Before Biscuit could explode again, he smoothly changed the subject:
"By the way, how's your little apprentice doing?"
"She's fine, thank you!"
Biscuit slammed the phone down, nostrils flaring in irritation.
Wing swallowed nervously beside her.
"Tch! Acting all casual when you're clearly interested… Fine, if you won't come, I'll just ignore you from now on!"
After venting, she recomposed herself and told Wing to resume practice.
Then, smiling slyly—
"Heard the auction house has been showing off some rare gems lately. How exciting! I can't miss that. Maybe I'll even buy one or two!"
It was impressive how quickly Biscuit could switch her mood.
(End of Chapter)