Terror Infinity Side B

Chapter 2, HxH Greed Island

Hikari: "Wait a minute! Let's just get away from this talk about sacrificing newbies and struggles to the death for a minute."

Shin: "Hikari, I understand. I as the leader don't want to do such a thing even if it's possible, but-"

Hikari: "No Shin. I get what you and Jin were saying. It’s true, giving away the newbies for our safety is a valid option. Also, planning with a mindset that the enemy team will definitely attack is important as well, but you’re not doing something equally as important."

Shin: "What?"

Hikari: "Thinking up ways to avoid fighting in the first place."

To avoid fighting? If it was that easy I would spare no expenses in trying to do so. I'm not greedy for points since I'm confident in my ability to make among the most within Team Japan. I'm sure I can also find a Hidden Side Quest somewhere and complete it by the skin of my teeth. That's why if there's a way not to fight another team of God's Dimension at this time I'll take it.

Jin: "Then do you have a method to ensure that we can survive without trading or fighting Team Germany?"

Hikari: "In fact I do. You may be smart Jin, but both you and Shin are too bloodthirsty."

Shin: "Can you not group me up with that thing? So what's this idea of yours?"

Jin: "Now I'm a thing, huh."

Hikari: "It's simple, Shin. We don't fight."

Shin: "...Huh?"

Aqua: "I don't get it either."

Hikari: "It's simple you two. We don't fight. We run away. We don't even look the enemy in the eye and run out the clock!"

Misaki: "I still don't-"

Hikari: "That's because you’re stupid. Now let me explain."

Misaki: "You-"

Ignoring Misaki, Hikari began to divulge her grand master plan to survive the Team Mission without fighting. Her solution in a nutshell was very simple... Team Japan gives up the mission. The Basic Reward, Main Quest, and most Side Quest rewards. We give up everything and hide somewhere we can't be found, or a place easily defendable for a sustainable people of time. Hikari wanted Team Japan to forfeit the mission of Hunter X Hunter and wait till the mission time limit of ninety days runs out and take on the 2000 points and D rank reward penalty willingly.

Hikari: "Side Quest Reward 4, The Bomber. Defeating this Bomber character will reward 4000 Points and two C rank rewards, and every Player 2000 Points and D rank reward! This is the key to our salvation."

Aqua: "So you mean for us to-"

Hikari: "Yes! We just need to defeat this person and we can all make it out of this mission alive without fighting Team Germany. We'll let them complete the mission which is probably the same as ours and just focus our efforts into defeating The Bomber. Defeating him will reward us 2000 points and a D rank reward and we'll also have the team battle reward of 1000 points. We pay a 2000 point and D rank reward penalty for failing the mission and we'll still have an extra 1000 points at the end."

Kampa: "I get what the lady boss is saying. We won't make a lot of points, but it’s a way to feel good about avoiding the Main Quest and Team Germany."

Hikari: "That's exactly right, Kampa. Also, who's the lady boss!"

Shin: "Now, now don't worry about our Russian friend here Hikari and get back on point. I feel stupid for not seeing it myself, but it is a good thing that you did. This is a valid option for our team to take."

Hikari: "I know right. This way we won't have to fight to the last man against Team Germany."

Connor: "I can only call your idea a cowardly plan. Coming out at just 1000 points is embarrassing when my first mission I made over 5000 points had a B rank reward. We should just fight. Those of us who survive in the end will get to become far more powerful by wiping out the other team."

Hikari: "And what? If only you survive in the end, in the next mission your team will only have Newbies. That very mission could also be another Team Battle since they are random. There's no rule saying that it can't occur twice in a row and if it does Connor you have no hope of surviving alone."

Connor: "Even if alone I'll survive. Snipers either make it back from an assignment, or are picked off by the enemy. Worrying about my chances of surviving until the next day... I've long since stopped doing something so pointless."

Hikari: "Sh-Shin!"

Hikari looked towards me as if she wanted to cry right then and there. She didn't know whether to be angry at Connor, or be sad about the ten year-old’s way of life till now. I felt the same so I could only pat her head like a child to make her feel better, but honestly... I’d rather only think of Connor as a trustworthy comrade than a tragic child of war. God! Now I want to go to Aqua and have her say something to make me feel better.

Shin: "Let's... let's just move on with this plan of action. Now, who’s for and who’s against the idea of giving up the mission and focusing on The Bomber? By a raise of hands who for Hikari's plan?"

Shin counted and too his surprise nearly everyone was for Hikari's plan.

Aqua, Hikari, Misaki, Kampa, Shuai, and I were for the cowardly plan of avoiding Team Germany. We all believed that it was just better to take the safer option than taking unnecessary risk. We were all fine with running away with just 1000 points.

Only Connor and Jin were against the plan and wanted to fight Team Germany despite the risk. They wanted to fight Team Germany and gain the large amounts of points and rank rewards. They also didn't believe it was possible for them to just avoid the enemy team.

Shin: "Then it is decided. For the time being we'll make it our highest priority to just avoid Team Germany and kill the Bomber, but I won't let us forget about the mission either. We won't go for a speed run, but we will still try to actively collect Designated Pocket Cards. If we can defeat the bomber first then we'll seriously consider forsaking the Main Quest. On the other hand if it looks like we can collect all 100 cards before encountering Team Germany we'll take."

Aqua: "Good idea, Shin. I may have agreed for Hikari's plan, but we shouldn't discard the possibility of properly completing the mission either. Also..."

Shin: "What?"

Aqua: "I'm just a little suspicious is all. No matter how much I try to tell myself otherwise it feels like God is giving Team Japan an out with this option. Just killing The Bomber and hiding somewhere and we're free and clear.

Misaki: "Now that she says it out loud I have to agree. This is definitely an out for the Team Battle."

Jin: "Well, it couldn't be that. God has deemed Team Germany much stronger than us. We did end up coming to the mission first after all. They must be stronger than us. So much stronger in fact that God has allowed Team Japan a way out of danger."

Shin: "..."

I heard this and felt my heart clench at this realization. I find it down right frightening that God, an existence that wishes to test mankind by throwing them into danger for evolution, would give any of them an out. A somewhat easy out depending on how strong The Bomber is on an eighteen man mission.

I had to wonder now if this is because the enemy team has definite connections to the Four Pillars. Not only will there not be negotiations... maybe Team Germany has Players like Connor and Jin who don't need points for exchanges on their side.

Shin: "Haha! The future looks both bright and gloomily at the same time. Well, such is the fate of main characters like me."

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Aqua: "Whatever the case with Team Germany is... let's forget about it for now as they won't suddenly appear on us. Team Germany will only arrive once one person, group, or organization on the island collects 80 of the 100 Designated cards of the game. That, or sixty days in this world pass. Our first priority is to gain all 100 cards by our ninety day deadline when we aren't certain we can all pay a D rank reward penalty if we can't find The Bomber."

Hikari: "I guess. If we can't find him we can only complete the Main Quest as fast as humanly possible."

Jin: "Aqua is right. Team Germany is our biggest threat, but we can't forget the mission either. Remember that this is a Eighteen Man difficulty, almost the highest level possible for a team and that's what we should be worried about. Shin, it's unfortunate, but I don't remember that much about Greed Island arc of Hunter X Hunter. I never did watch the 2011 remake all the way since the beginning was a joke when compared to the original anime."

Shin: "No problem. Also, you should give it a chance. I was of the same opinion like you, but once it got the Chimera Ant and Hunter's Election arcs it was amazing! The original staff of the first anime were just too skilled, so much so that they could even add elements that perfectly fit and enhanced the story. The 2011 remake was just too bright and colorful at first to differentiate itself from the first anime. We were probably turned off by that. For anyone who is interested they should begin by watching the original and it's OVAs, and then switch to the 2011 remake at the Chimera Ant-"

Hikari: "Shin!"

Shin: "...Fine. I'll explain about the game called Greed Island in Hunter X Hunter. I've told you about how to win the game and some of the mechanics, but not everything. First I have to mention that there are other player playing the game Greed Island like we will be. What's important to note is that everyone on this island is like Aqua."

Kampa: "Like Aqua?"

Shin: "Yes. Specifically, everyone on this island has the same power... the same energy called Aura as her. Everyone on Greed Island is a Nen User!"

Saying so I begin to tell everyone about Nen and Aura.

Nen and Aura.

Nen (Mind Force) is one of the defining features of the manga Hunter X Hunter by Yoshihiro Togashi. It is a technique that allows a living being to use and manipulate in a variety of ways their own life energy (Aura). The word "Nen" can also be used in conversation to refer to aura.

What is a Nen ability? It is a skill to utilize 'life energy,' aka 'Aura'.

Nen is an energy produced by the human body. A skill to utilize or enhance Nen is called a Nen ability. Nen, which has a profound connection with both the mind and the body, can be regarded as the total energy of a human. There are very few people who can use Nen without training. Those who are born with the ability to use Nen are often venerated as immortals, geniuses or superhuman. Nen is such a special energy. Furthermore, there is usually some Nen left on the works of great artists.

What can Nen be used for?

Basically, Nen is used for attack and defense. Nen attacks are particularly effective against ordinary people, who are incapable of using Nen, and can cause them irreparable or even mortal damage. Because Nen attacks use life energy, they are better suited for killing than damaging inanimate objects. In addition to that, there are very many ways to attack with Nen.

For example enhancing the body, strengthening the weapon, or conjuring weapons out of Nen. The possibilities are, in theory, limitless, only bound by a user's imagination. There are also people who have acquired unique Nen skills such as healing, prophesying, counterfeiting, and creating doppelgangers.

Shin: "This is the basics of the basics. There's a whole lot more, but you’re not Nen Users except for Aqua. I'll tell you more as we move along the island, but if we encounter... no, we are sure to encounter Nen Users, so I'll tell everyone here the Four Fundamentals of Nen. Ten, Zetsu, Ren, and Hatsu. Aqua, you’re our resident Nen User, so please explain what these are."

Aqua: "Okay."

Aqua began her explanation about the Four Fundamentals of Nen as the others and I listened in.

TEN.

Making aura stay around the body is called Ten (Wrap Around). This technique allows a Nen user to contain aura by enfolding their body with it. All human beings possess aura, but unbeknown to most of them, it slowly leaks away. This is the most basic technique. Thanks to it, the body will be strengthened and the aging process can also be slowed down. It is best to adopt a natural posture when practicing Ten.

ZETSU

Zetsu (Sever, Suppress) stops the flow of aura from the body completely. It is a technique whereby a user suppresses the Nen formed by using Ten surrounding them and suspends the small natural leakage of aura from their body.

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Zetsu closes all of the aura nodes so that Nen is fully contained within the body, therefore it can help the user to conceal their presence or recover from fatigue. If Zetsu is executed properly the user will be hard to detect. Thus it is very suitable for clandestine actions. However, Zetsu must be used carefully because it leaves the user's body defenseless against the enemy's Nen. In Zetsu state, it is very dangerous to even take a weak Nen attack, or to come into contact with the enemy's Nen.

REN

Ren (Practice) involves training with and improve the aura formed by using Ten. In this technique, the user expands their aura nodes and generates more aura than normal while keeping it from flowing away. If practiced properly, Ren will allow the user to produce and use unusual amounts of aura. It can be compared to a basic physical exercise, which means it is essential for anyone who wants to become strong. The moment when a Nen user shows their Ren is the best moment to evaluate their potential.

HATSU

Hatsu (Release) is the technique of freely releasing the aura cultivated by Ren and is the last one of the four fundamental Nen techniques. From simple abilities like Gon's Jajanken to crafty abilities like Hisoka's Bungee Gum, every single one of them makes use of Hatsu. It is truly both broad and deep. It is the release, or transmission of one's aura so it can be projected to carry out a certain function. In essence, Hatsu is one's personal expression of Nen that creates a special and unique paranormal ability (colloquially called a Nen Ability). A good Hatsu should reflect a person's own character; one can never truly master Nen if they only copy other people's abilities.

Aqua: "Basically it's this. Ten is the standard in a fight as it defends you all except from other Nen and special attacks. Zetsu is for sneak attacks and recovering. Ren is going all out with one's Aura for offense and it's what I use in fights. Hatsu is... like one's special techniques, but not from exchanges. They’re the ultimate expression of your power as a Nen User, so if trained right it is incredibly powerful. Its only weakness is that it takes a long time to master one’s own Hatsu, decades of training where you can never stop improving it, and that it's ineffective to try to learn the special moves of others."

Connor: "So how strong in general are Nen Users? At Aqua's level?"

Shin: "It depends. In this world many people actually know Nen, yet very few know how to fight with Nen like Aqua does. Even on this island there were only a small percentage of dangerous Nen Users. In the Manga most of the Nen users were just normal people. They were trash who knew Nen, found a copy of the game, and took their chances and entered Greed Island thinking they could win. Eventually, those like them became players who just play the game to feed themselves since you can convert cards into the games cash, or Jenny, and at best may steal cards from others. The actual amount of player who play the game seriously amount to a small percentage of the population overall."

Misaki: "What about the ones that can actually fight?"

Shin: "As for Nen Users who are skilled in combat... it's safe to say we'll be fighting against a different sort of threat than in H.O.T.D, BTOOOM, or Apocalypse Alice. In those worlds we dealt with foes that used raw power and numbers to beat us, yet Nen Users are different. It's best to assume that all combat Nen User are skilled martial artists. They’re not mindless like monsters, or regular human being under their armor. No one here can directly compete with them except for Aqua, Misaki, Connor, and myself. Also..."

Hikari: "Also?"

Shin: "Nen is scary. Especially Hatsu. Remember how Aqua can't learn regular exchange skills like how Ki or Mana can? That's because Nen is extremely specialized. Individual Nen Users lack the kind of versatility that I possess, yet in a single area they could completely surpass me. Also, in exchange for narrowing the scope of their ability Hatsu, the special technique of a Nen User is powerful."

I then went over the different types of Aura from which Hatsu is born from.

Enhancer - Enhancement is the ability to use aura to increase the natural abilities of an object or one's own body. Therefore, Enhancers are able to greatly increase their physical attack and defense and are best suited for close-ranged melee combat. Enhancement is the most balanced category, allowing users to spread themselves evenly between offense and defense and become very strong using only simple abilities. One of the examples of more complex Enhancement abilities include enhancing one's healing factor.

The Hatsu for an Enhancer would be like the main character of HxH Gon's Jajaken.

Transmuter - An affinity for Transmutation means a person can change the properties of their aura to mimic something else. Similar to Emission, things created via Transmutation are pure aura. Transmutation is often mistaken with Conjuration due to their similarities. A simple way of thinking about it would be that Transmutation allows your aura to mimic properties of a substance, whereas Conjuration allows you to change your aura into actual substances. Transmuters can copy the properties of real things.

The Hatsu for a Transmuter would be like Killua's ability to turn Aura into electricity.

Conjurer - Conjuration is the ability to create a physical, independent, material object out of one's aura. Once a person has mastered the conjuration of a certain object, they can conjure it and dispel it in an instant, whenever they want. Conjuration is the only way in which Nen can create things that ordinary people (unaware of Nen) can see and touch. Furthermore, objects or entities created by this technique have a subtle "independence" to them. This means that they can continue existing even if they were at a considerable distance from the Conjurer, or even if the Conjurer themselves are not aware that they have yet to be de-materialized. However the use of "IN"can hide an object materialized from aura from experienced users of Nen. Conjured objects can have special abilities imbued into them.

The Hatsu for a Transmuter would be like Kurapika's ability to create chains out of Aura.

Emitter - An affinity for Emission means that a user is capable of controlling the deployment of their Aura while separating it from their body. Aura usually decreases in intensity very quickly when it is separated from the source body, but strong Emitters can separate their aura from their body for long-periods of time and still be able to maintain it.

The Hatsu for an Emitter would be like Greed Island's Razor's ability to create energy balls of Aura to attack.

Manipulator - Abilities belonging to Manipulators allow the user to control living or non-living things in a certain way (and manipulate the Aura itself), the main advantage being able to 'manipulate' enemies. The degree of control is principally determined by a condition that usually puts the manipulator at risk (attaching objects onto the enemy, touching the enemy in a certain way) and of course the larger the risk, the better the degree of control.

The Hatsu for a Manipulator would be any means to control another person, or their own body.

Specialist - It is possible that the effect that occurs can give some insight into how they should direct their ability when they first try to determine their Aura type. Specialization is anything that doesn't belong into the other five categories. This is the vaguest Hatsu category. For example, a Specialist ability that allows one to use all Hatsu types at 100% efficiency. Specialist ability allows one to steal any other Nen ability (provided that the right conditions have been fulfilled). It is possible to become a Specialist later in life, although it is more likely for Manipulators or Conjurers which is why it is placed at the bottom of the chart that displays a Nen User's affinity for types of Hatsu.

Shin: "These are the types of Aura Nen Users use to create their Hatsu techniques. Also, on the final Aura type Specialist, our own Aqua here is one such Nen User although she was originally a Enhancer Nen User. Aqua's Werewolf Bloodline, Wolverine Genetic Mutation, and Enhancer Nen combine together to form her full wolf monster form. In this form Aqua is a Specialist Nen User and her Hatsu is when her wolf form takes of the properties of her Adamantium skeleton and her natural Enhancer Nen reaches brand new heights as it strengthens the body by more than ten as I could see. Also, from the last time I saw it she was in the Second Stage of Unlocked Mode as well. It was born from a mutation of Aqua's three main enhancements and she has little control of it, she can barely go into a hybrid werewolf form for a few seconds, but... in that form no one can hope to beat her. Even if I went into the Second Stage as well, I wouldn't last three seconds. Of course, Aqua Specialist Nen is heavily combat based which is why it is so terrifying. There are other non-combat, but still dangerous Specialist abilities, but we shouldn't worry too much about meeting such an individual on the island. Specialist are extremely rare after all."

Those who had never seen Aqua transformed took my words to heart, but those like me who have seen Aqua transformed couldn't completely relax. We all knew that if a Nen User with even a quarter of Aqua's full power existed on the Greed Island... there would be no surviving the mission.

Aqua: "Don't freak out people. I have Nen, and I watched a bit of Hunter X Hunter, so I know that there shouldn't be any insane forces of the island that could wipe us out. What's important to remember is just as Shin said, Nen is very specialized. I'm for the most part an Enhancer Nen User, so I wouldn't be able to deal with ranged attacks like you, or the others can without relying on exchanged weapons like Sci-fi and Magic Guns."

I saw where Aqua was coming from and had to agree. It was then that Jin stepped in with his analysis of the situation.

Jin: "Hmm... I see. What Shin said about Nen Users is correct, but there could be more to it than what he said. This is a mission after all. An eighteen man mission from God after all. Nen users who play the game seriously and are willing the kill for cards... may have increased to the whole population of Greed Island. If I had to guess I would say that the people on the island all have Low-Mid Class Hunter's Nen, with maybe at most a handful of Upper Class Nen like Aqua."

Shuai: "What makes you so certain? Besides from the mission difficulty?"

Jin: "The mission contents. Greed Island is a game that Gin Freecss and his friends made with fun in mind. A game that, as long as you play the game properly, you don't need to kill others and become stronger in Nen. That's the game they envisioned, yet the mission is basically - no is telling us that we can and should steal cards from other players. I'm assuming that there might have been a rule change to Greed Island."

This was frightening to all of us. Our side had a variety of skills and weapons on our side, yet our opponents on the island were master martial artists with high end abilities, and may be in large numbers unlike the original Manga.

Shin: "Our worries just keep on piling on, yet we have no more time to think any more. Look. The Newbies are finally waking up."

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Authors Note:

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Proofread by Hoebagger

I briefly went over the differences between life energies in the H.O.T.D arc, but let's clarify it using Ki Energy, Nen/Aura, and Chakra.

Ki Energy - Has the fastest energy recovery among the three and is general purpose.

Nen - Has the highest performance and is high specialized in every action, but is limited in general special skills.

Chakra - Has the lowest consumption rate, giving it the highest endurance of the three.

Imagine three twin brothers with the exact same skill sets and experience. Each using Ki, Nen, and Chakra and they decided to spar. In a normal fight using martial arts the brothers using Nen would win as every move that they make is highly specialized down way Aura is distributed. In a fight comparing skills the brother using Ki Energy would win followed by the brother using Chakra. In a battle of endurance the brother using Chakra would win and the brother with Ki Energy would come second.

The last chapter of the day will come out in 8-12 hours. No signs of an extra chapter coming out tomorrow.