As Kurapika in Hunter x Hunter

"It's just for two seconds, right?"

Kurapika gave a faint smile. "That depends on you."

With that, Leorio knelt.

A snicker broke the silence.

It was Celeste, unable to hold back her laughter, covering her mouth.

Leorio turned his face away, embarrassed, and Kurapika glanced at Celeste.

"How about you go next after him?"

Kurapika's words and smile made her flinch, and she pretended to fall back asleep, snoring loudly on purpose.

Kurapika turned back to Leorio. "Ready to start?"

"Of course. Let's get this over with."

Kurapika placed his hand on Leorio's head, and the awakening began.

Almost instantly, Leorio started convulsing violently.

"I called it," Killua said calmly. "He's gonna croak."

"No, Killua," Gon countered. "Leorio's got this."

Celeste peeked discreetly, her eyes worried despite herself.

Kurapika, meanwhile, was stunned.

'Why's he convulsing?'

He had only introduced his nen, not even pulled it out yet.

'Should I stop?'

He hesitated.

In the manga, Leorio learned nen alongside his companions. His display during the 13th chairman election confirmed he'd awakened his nen early and developed it in a year.

To the current Kurapika, it was clear, even if the manga didn't show it, that Leorio had awakened his nen through baptism. Otherwise, how could he reach such a level in under two years?

But seeing Leorio's state now worried Kurapika.

"Ha ha ha…"

Then the unexpected happened.

Leorio was laughing.

"Admit it, you all bought it, huh?" he said.

"Idiot!" Killua and Celeste said in unison.

"Leorio, you okay?" Gon asked.

"Me? I'm in top shape," Leorio replied with a grin. He looked at Kurapika. "So, we done?"

Veins popped on Kurapika's temple.

'I was worried about you…'

"Survive this first."

"What— Aaaaaaaaaaaah!"

Leorio barely got the words out before searing pain hit, aggravating his not-yet-healed wounds.

He couldn't tell how long it lasted—an eternity to him.

When Kurapika fully withdrew his nen, he removed his hand. Leorio lurched forward, nearly collapsing face-first, but braced himself with his arms on the ground. His breathing was ragged, sweat pouring off him.

"Nice job, Leorio!" Gon cheered.

Killua looked away.

Kurapika offered a hand to help him up. "Welcome to the living."

"What's with all this steam?" Leorio asked, now seeing the world like his three companions.

He grabbed Kurapika's hand and stood.

"It's nen," Kurapika said. "The steam you see is your life energy, your aura."

The three companions examined their bodies.

"What I just did," Kurapika continued, "was force your awakening. Your pores are now hyperactive, letting you see and feel nen better."

"So this is the power my brother, Hisoka, and you use to do what you do," Killua said, proud to wield it himself.

"It's just the foundation," Kurapika corrected. "Right now, you can only see and feel nen. To truly master this power, you need to learn to use it."

He picked up the can he'd set out earlier, placed it on the ground, and sat, resting his hands on its rim.

"Every person is unique, so is their nen," he explained. "But we can group this diversity into six main categories: Enhancement, Transmutation, Manipulation, Emission, Conjuration, and Specialization. Everyone has a stronger affinity for one category over the others. This can with the leaf helps identify your affinity. You just try to cover the can with your nen."

With Gon, Killua, and Leorio's awakened eyes, they clearly saw the vapor from Kurapika's body envelop the can. Then, tiny impurities appeared in the water.

"Fascinating!" Leorio exclaimed, impressed.

"If the water's volume changes," Kurapika added, "the user is Enhancement. If the taste changes, it's Transmutation. If impurities appear, it's Conjuration. If the color changes, it's Emission. If the leaf moves on the surface, it's Manipulation. If something entirely different happens, it's Specialization. It's best to build a nen ability based on your affinity type. You can develop abilities outside your affinity, but you're generally less skilled with them. Creating an ability you're not suited for can stunt your potential by overloading your nen capacity."

"My turn!" Gon said eagerly, sitting to try.

"No need," Kurapika said, standing.

"What?" Killua asked. "You just said we need to know our nen affinity."

"True," Kurapika agreed, then added, "But this test isn't reliable, and I don't buy into that logic."

"What do you mean?" Leorio asked. "Why tell us then?"

"It's important you know the concepts taught in the field. But as for me, I won't rely on them to train you."

'If I planned to teach you the same concepts as in the manga, I could've let the canon play out…'

Upon arriving in this world, Kurapika had uncovered a subtle truth about nen training. It was so obvious that he initially thought he was mistaken.

Why didn't the manga mention it? Was it an anomaly caused by his presence in this world?

But the fact remained: he'd discovered this truth, and thanks to it, he'd awakened his nen in less than a week and could already control it.

'That secret is…'

"Aura is seen as a manifestation of life energy or the soul," Kurapika began explaining. "It can reveal details about a person's health, emotions, personality, or even destiny." He spread his arms. "Look."

The three companions stared.

Kurapika's vapor thickened, enveloping his companions.

"Stop breathing."

The absurd command came from Kurapika.

To their shock, Gon, Killua, and Leorio found their bodies obeying against their will.

They began to suffocate, unable to breathe despite wanting to.

Then, as Kurapika's vapor receded, no longer covering them, they regained control of their breathing.

"What the hell was that?!" Leorio gasped.

Kurapika smiled. "In truth, all the concepts about aura and its principles boil down to one thing: willpower."

"Willpower?" Gon repeated, curious.

"Yes, willpower," Kurapika confirmed. "Nen is just the engine that lets you express willpower." He gestured around the cave. "Look around. Except for living beings, nothing else gives off vapor."

Indeed, aside from the four of them and Celeste, whose vapor was faint and volatile, nothing else emitted vapor.

Kurapika fixed his three companions with a stare. "During these days on this island, I'll train your willpower so you'll never see or interact with the world the same way again." A twisted smile curved his lips. "It's gonna be damn thrilling."

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