Three days had passed since Rin and the villagers returned. The weather had grown increasingly cold, and villagers wrapped themselves in thick clothing, though their faces were lit with joy. Following Rin’s instructions, Kouichiro did not hoard the abundant supplies for personal gain but distributed most of them among the villagers of Snow Village.
Although the supplies given to each household were not vast, they were more than enough to get through the harsh winter. The villagers knew whom to thank for this generosity, and their gratitude towards Rin was palpable, elevating Eiji’s status within the village significantly.
In the snowy woods at the eastern edge of the village, Rin was engaged in a training battle with Chrollo. Judging by the surroundings, the fight had been ongoing for a while. The two exchanged attacks in the forest, with Chrollo not exerting his full strength. Nonetheless, Rin’s performance had improved dramatically from not long ago. His movements were sharp, his long black hair flowed freely, and he wore a white kimono, resembling a younger version of Sasuke from the anime.
“Shhh—” Rin’s small figure suddenly closed in on Chrollo, his fist aimed at Chrollo’s waist. Chrollo’s face remained expressionless as he deftly caught Rin’s arm and performed a light toss, sending Rin flying through the air.
“Ah—” Rin’s body crashed into the snow-covered branches, eliciting a sharp cry. Chrollo, still in his throwing posture, paused and looked up at the tree where Rin had landed.
“Rin?”
“Crack—” With the sound of a breaking branch, Rin fell from the high tree, landing awkwardly in the snow. He limped towards Chrollo, his face flushed, holding a sharp branch in his hand.
“No more, no more. I’m hurt…” Rin complained. Chrollo glanced at the branch sticking from Rin’s rear and coughed lightly, stating calmly, “Rin, with your abilities, this kind of injury should heal quickly.”
Rin rolled his eyes, grumbling, “Even if the physical injury heals, the psychological trauma is harder to recover from.”
Despite his complaints, Rin couldn’t help but marvel at his bad luck, being impaled by a branch in such a manner. He extended his hand, and a deep purple book materialized in his grasp.
“Devouring Spirit Book!”
A crimson Nen thread connected the book to Rin’s body. As the book opened, two blood-red figures were visible on the pages, with one figure notably dim in color.
As Rin activated his ability, a red aura flowed through the crimson thread, transferring into his body. In a short time, his injuries healed completely, and his energy was fully restored. Rin glanced at the book’s pages, noticing only one red figure remained.
“Phew—” Rin exhaled softly, “Finally used up the power of the third person. That was exhausting.”
Chrollo, observing, remarked calmly, “Considering you absorbed their Nen, Rin, you shouldn’t feel tired.”
Rin gave him an exasperated look, waving his hand dismissively. “It’s a mental exhaustion. We’ve been sparring for hours. My body isn’t tired, but I’m not a machine.”
Chrollo nodded lightly, “By now, you should have full control of your body, Rin.”
Rin’s eyes lit up as he clenched his fists and moved his limbs. “You’re right, Chrollo. I feel like I have complete control over my body now.”
Chrollo, rubbing his chin thoughtfully, suggested, “It seems best to maintain your Devouring Spirit Book at a capacity of two people for now. Absorbing too much power could exceed your control and hinder your movements.”
Rin hesitated, not because he didn’t want the power, but because the method of gaining it was too brutal. His Nen ability, the Devouring Spirit Book, required physical contact with his Nen. The contacted parts of the body would appear on the book’s pages, marked in red. This life force would become Rin’s power source, causing severe reactions in the target.
If Rin’s Nen touched the entire body, the target would be completely drained, their life force fully absorbed by the book, transforming into Rin’s power. The four bandits experienced this, turning into shriveled corpses.
The Devouring Spirit Book absorbed the life force of four adult men, giving Rin an uncontrollable amount of power. Over the past few days, he and Chrollo stayed in the forest, using sparring to deplete the absorbed life force.
This life force wasn’t permanently Rin’s. It acted as a consumable, providing passive power boosts or active healing. The book could heal both Rin and others, making it a versatile battle tool. However, Rin disliked this brutal method of gaining power.
He didn’t understand why his Nen ability manifested in such a cruel form, more direct and sinister than Chrollo’s Bandit’s Secret. If not for the book’s tangible existence, he wouldn’t believe his ability was so malevolent.
“Am I really that dark inside?” Rin wondered, sinking into deep self-doubt.
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