The Reclamation Exam's first stage opened with a deafening roar.
Heaven Arena—reborn as a sprawling festival ground—now hosted the world's most ambitious Nen users. Licenced Hunters, rogue geniuses, shadow families—all descending on a single stage.
600–odd competitors, each with a nebulous dream, but only one biggest wildcard: Kaen of the Mind Palace.
🌟 Stage One: The Thought Gauntlet
Competitors were ushered into domed "thought arenas"—rooms where terrain shifted based on mental stimulus. It was a tournament not of brute force, but of raw imagination.
• A Gourmet Hunter wept real tears as they smelled a phantom banquet.
• A Beast Hunter faced an elephant made entirely of memory.
• A Crime Hunter disarmed illusions of his own guilt.
Fans on r/HunterXHunter discuss the diversity of Hunter pursuits:
"Yes, more literally than you'd think… a Hunter chef would make some of the most insane, sublime food that can be imagined… Hunters hunt for TRUE FLAVOR"
This was their world—limitless, thrilling… brutal.
Into that chaos stepped Kaen.
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🔍 Kaen's Arena: The Mirror of Purpose
His arena was silent at first. Then the walls—made of living thought—projected every failure he'd locked away:
• Past doubts.
• Imagined futures where he failed.
• His own Phantom Memory ghost.
The world twisted around him:
• Gravity became metaphor.
• Nen became pure emotion.
And amid it—
a boy appeared. Calm. Intense.
He wore no Nen aura—but could see it swirling in white light.
The exam announcer blinked.
"Entry #347. Ren. Ability: Nen Vision—he sees aura even without Nen."
Kaen's breath caught. A mirror.
They stood. No words.
Then—
"Dreams vs Truth," Ren whispered.
🌀 Clash of Observation
Ren didn't fight with Nen.
He fought with awareness.
Every shift in Kaen's aura—Ren felt it. When Kaen tried to build constructs, Ren's vision tainted them.
They swapped illusions:
• Kaen created Mirage Step corridors.
• Ren's gaze revealed every twist.
They tested each other's inner world.
And then—
Kaen whispered:
"Mind Palace: Reinforce Presence—Existence Feedback."
He wove Ren's Nen sight into his own constructs:
• Aura-Filled Terrain Awareness
• Flicker Requiem—a shard of self that manifests his intention "to be seen and believed."
Ren paused.
The room stabilized.
Walls reflected both their presence—careful, respectful, intense.
They lowered eyes.
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🤝 Outcome: Mutual Recognition
Ren stepped back.
"Your mind is a world."
"Mine sees worlds."
He raised a hand.
"Allied."
An alliance.
Kaen nodded.
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🌐 Aftermath: The Hunt Reshapes
News spread instantly—a new class of Hunter had emerged:
• The Mind-Born Architect (Kaen)
• The Eye of Nen (Ren): a boy who could see Nen without using it.
Their synergy fascinated everyone.
On Reddit, someone described Hunters perfectly:
"Hunters seem to have this insane amount of immunity and power… A lot of people became hunters to help others… and a lot did it for the benefits… honestly, Hunters aren't a good idea or benefit to mankind"
That chaotic, moral storm was now theirs to navigate.
As the crowds roared and screens flickered—many cheered, some feared.
Ging's message came through to Kaen:
"Remember: a Hunter's power isn't what they can destroy, but what they protect."
Kaen clenched his fist.
"Then let's make them strong."
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💥 TO BE CONTINUED in Chapter 28 – Rise of the Reformation