Lumos tore through the forest at a pace that would've killed a normal rider. Liam held on, reviewing the fight in his head.
Combat audit time. Let's see how badly I fucked up.
Disadvantage #1: Not Enhancement-type. Avoid close combat. Check. He'd kept distance. Used ranged attacks. Smart.
Disadvantage #2: Pathetic aura reserves. Even maintaining Ken—maximum defensive output—burned through his pool way too fast.
Three minutes of combat. Used over 400 aura. That's a third of my total.
The math was brutal.
Each Star Mark activation cost ~60 aura. Two successful marks in the fight = 130 aura gone in two moves.
Relatively cheap for a Hatsu. Most abilities cost way more. But for someone with 1,000 total? That's 13% per mark. Not sustainable.
Then: Spirit Gun. His finger-gun technique.
Base output with Ken: 80-90 aura. After the 60% Enhancement-type penalty: 48-54 actual offensive power.
But the spirit-gun had built-in restrictions. Base shot: 100 aura minimum. Each second of charge: +10 aura. And that was BEFORE the 20% Emission-type penalty cut his damage.
Still my best ranged option. Just expensive as hell.
He'd fired three shots total.
First two: minimal charge. Maybe 110 aura combined. One shot disabled the strong man. Second shot hit Garo. Not bad efficiency.
Third shot: full ten-second charge. 200 aura in one attack.
But it won the fight. So... worth it?
Barely. If that hadn't finished him, I'd be running away waiting for my mana bar to refill like a coward.
Total combat expenditure: ~440 aura out of 1,000. In THREE MINUTES.
90% consumption rate for a low-intensity fight. That's TERRIBLE.
The problem crystallized: he'd maintained Ken the entire fight. Maximum output defense. Burning 6-10 aura per second when he could've used Ten—basic aura coating—at 1 aura per second.
I deliberately kept distance from the enemy. Why was I running max defense the whole time?
Oh right. Because I'm an idiot who was trying to look cool.
"Pride goeth before a fall, and my pride costs 300 extra aura," Liam muttered.
The solution was obvious: better situational awareness. Master Ryu—aura redistribution—so he could shift from Ten to Ken only when needed. Detect danger. React instantly. Seamless transitions.
Energy efficiency. Combat economy. I need to fight like I'm broke.
Because I AM broke. Aura-wise.
Liam laughed out loud. The tiger's ears swiveled back. You okay back there?
"I'm great! Nen combat is BRUTAL and AMAZING and I love it!"
In One Piece, top-tiers fight for ten days straight. In HxH, every second counts. Every technique costs. Every mistake compounds.
Tactical. Strategic.
This world is PERFECT.
His fighting spirit ignited like gasoline meeting spark. He wanted to train right now. More Ken practice. More Ryu drills. More—
"Oh. We're almost there."
Through his bird's-eye views, civilization appeared. Towns sprawled along the east coast. Roads. Buildings. People.
And on the far left: the amusement park. Ferris wheel silhouette. Crowds of tourists visible even from kilometers away.
Modern society. Hot food. Clean water. Beds.
I've been living like a feral child for four days.
Liam dismounted. His aura reserves had recovered to roughly 50% thanks to the Star Mark's passive healing. His stomach growled with the fury of someone who'd been eating compressed biscuits for three days.
First priority: FOOD. Real food. Cooked food. Food that doesn't taste like cardboard.
He looked up. Five birds circled overhead.
"Formation!" Liam called.
The birds descended. Landed in a perfect row atop Lumos's head. The gray one—slightly larger, clearly the alpha—shoved its neighbor aside. Claimed the center position.
"Just you." Liam pointed at the gray bird. "You look smart. Probably an asshole. You're with me."
The gray bird chirped smugly. Hopped onto Liam's shoulder. Ruffled its feathers at the other four.
We are SO not friends.
"You two." Liam indicated two green-feathered birds. "Go to the abandoned cruise ship on the north coast. Guard it. If you see humans, peck your own skin. Activate your Star Mark. I'll feel the notification."
Both birds nodded. Took flight. Headed north toward where Liam had first washed ashore.
Remote alarm system. Works on blood magic and animal abuse. I'm definitely going to hell.
"You two." The remaining white-feathered birds perked up. "Follow Lumos. One of you patrol the sky. The other rest on his back. Switch when you're tired. Same alert protocol—see humans, peck yourself, notify me."
One white bird saluted with its wing. Actually saluted.
These animals are too smart. This world's biology is WEIRD.
The saluting bird took to the air. Began circling patrol patterns. The other settled into Lumos's fur like a feathered security camera.
Liam crouched. Met the tiger's luminous eyes. "Lumos. You're endangered. Protected. And HUGE. I can't exactly bring you into town."
Lumos rumbled. Nuzzled Liam's hand. Stepped back. Waiting.
"You've got a mission too." Liam scratched the tiger's chin. "Find a good training spot. Water source. Flat ground. Some rocks. Between the reserve and the town. I need to keep practicing."
1,000 aura isn't enough. Not even close. And my technique proficiency is garbage.
Bisky drills her basics EVERY DAY. Netero's Shingen-ryu philosophy: solid fundamentals beat flashy techniques.
Gotta get good. Actually good.
"I'm still weak, Lumos." Liam's voice softened. "Really weak. I need to train harder."
Lumos pushed his head against Liam's chest. Gentle. Understanding.
Then turned. Disappeared into the trees with one white bird riding his back.
Liam watched until the glowing markings vanished into foliage.
The gray bird on his shoulder chirped. Obnoxiously loud.
"Shut up." Liam flicked its beak. "You're so annoying. Chirping like a... like a sparrow."
Wait.
"Jaku." Liam nodded. "That's your name. Jaku. Short. Efficient. Appropriately insulting."
Jaku chirped again. Possibly agreement. Possibly telling Liam to go fuck himself. Hard to tell with birds.
Liam patted his pocket. Cash from Musse's wallet. Hunter License.
Forget everything else. Food first. Actual hot food. Seasoning. Flavor.
Author's Note: MOP, POP, and AOP Explained
For readers unfamiliar with deeper Hunter x Hunter power scaling, here's a quick primer on three crucial concepts that explain why Nen combat isn't just about who has more aura:
MOP (Maximum Aura Power): Your total aura capacity—the size of your gas tank. This is what Liam measures when he says he has "1,000 aura." It's the absolute maximum amount of life energy his body can store and maintain. Think of it like a video game character's MP bar. More MOP = more techniques you can use before exhaustion. Training and life-threatening situations can increase your MOP over time (as Liam experienced going from 100 to 1,000 in just a few days of brutal training).
POP (Potential Aura Power): Your theoretical maximum output—how efficiently you can use that aura. This is determined by skill, technique mastery, and Nen category affinity. A skilled Manipulator like Liam can output 100% efficiency in Manipulation techniques, but only 60% efficiency in Enhancement. Someone with 5,000 MOP but poor technique might lose to someone with 2,000 MOP and perfect efficiency. POP is the difference between a rookie flailing with raw power and a master making every drop of aura count. This is what separates Nen users by skill tier.
AOP (Actual Aura Power): The real-world power you're outputting right now—your current performance in combat. This is affected by everything: injuries, fatigue, emotional state, environmental conditions, whether you remembered to eat breakfast. You might have 10,000 MOP and 8,000 POP, but if you're exhausted, poisoned, and fighting in a sandstorm, your AOP might drop to 3,000. This is why stamina management matters in prolonged fights. It's also why Nen users can "hold back"—they're deliberately lowering their AOP to conserve energy or avoid killing someone.
In Practice:
Liam has 1,000 MOP (his total capacity)
His POP varies by technique: 100% for Manipulation, 80% for Emission, 60% for Enhancement
His AOP in the poacher fight dropped from 1,000 to 560 over three minutes as he burned through techniques
Think of it like a car:
MOP = Fuel tank size (how much gas you have)
POP = Engine quality (how efficiently you use that gas)
AOP = Current speed (what you're actually doing right now)
As Liam grows stronger, he'll need to increase his MOP (more aura reserves), refine his POP (better technique efficiency), and learn to maintain high AOP under pressure (combat endurance). The gap between a rookie and a master isn't just raw power—it's knowing how to manage all three.
This framework isn't explicitly named in the manga, but it's a useful way to understand why fights aren't just "bigger number wins." Nen is about optimization, not just accumulation.