Thick, sulfurous fog rolled across the damp earth, smelling of ozone and the decaying flesh of the beast Riley had just slaughtered. Opposite Riley, the strange figure in the lavender suit stood perfectly still. Lavender fabric draped his tall, lanky frame, tailored so precisely that not a single wrinkle marred his suit despite the damp air. Round, vacant eyes stared out from beneath a curly mass of lilac hair, and his face lacked a mouth entirely, presenting only a smooth, unbroken plane of pale skin beneath a perfectly groomed mustache. "You survived without Nen," a voice echoed, seemingly vibrating directly from the man's chest. "Fascinating." Riley didn't reply with words. Movement was his only answer. In a fraction of a second, the space between them vanished. A thin, humming blade of pure, condensed energy materialized in Riley's right hand, glowing with a faint, lethal light. He pressed the edge directly against the lavender-suited man's throat, close enough to sever his carotid artery at the slightest twitch. The sheer velocity of his movement kicked up a small gale, blowing the heavy mist away from them in a wide, clean circle. "Explain," Riley whispered. His voice lacked any trace of human warmth, sounding more like a machine calculating coordinates. Beside him, the damp grass rustled as Hannah took a sharp, terrified step backward. Her face pale, she stared at her brother's back, her hands trembling as she clutched the fabric of her coat. "Riley, wait!" Hannah gasped, her voice tight with anxiety. "We don't even know who he is! We just got here!" Nannah, crouching nearby on a mossy, rotting log, let out a high-pitched cackle. She swung her legs back and forth, her chaotic eyes wide with wicked amusement as she pointed at the mouthless man. "Ooh, slice him, Riley! Let's see what color his blood is! Is it purple? I bet it's purple to match his silly suit!" she cheered, clapping her hands together. Blood didn't spill, because the man in the lavender suit didn't move an inch. Even with a blade of lethal energy whispering against his skin, his posture remained impossibly straight. His eyes, small and dark, locked onto Riley’s empty gaze with a calm, analytical curiosity. Not a single muscle in his neck twitched. His heart rate, which Riley could easily hear with his enhanced senses, didn't even skip a beat. Pressing the blade slightly deeper, Riley watched for any sign of fear. None came. "My name is Satotz," the mouthless man spoke, the sound vibrating through the air around them. "I am an examiner for the Hunter Exam. I do not wish to fight you, young man." "A Hunter Exam," Riley repeated, his mind instantly cataloging the term. "And what is Nen?" Satotz remained quiet for a beat, his gaze shifting down to the blade of condensed energy resting against his throat. "Nen is the technique that allows a living being to use and manipulate their own life energy, known as aura," Satotz explained. "Most people live their entire lives with their aura leaking away slowly, unaware of the power they possess. Those who master Nen can harden their bodies, project their energy, and manifest unique abilities tailored to their souls." Silence stretched over the clearing, broken only by the distant, eerie cries of the swamp beasts. Riley absorbed the words, his analytical mind dissecting the concept of life energy. He had always relied on his raw, physical invincibility and the adaptation that came with his resurrection cheat. Whenever someone killed him, his body adapted, granting him immunity and copying the power of his killer. But this system, this Nen, was different. It was a structured, universal force. Whispering to himself, Riley envisioned the possibilities. If he could copy the Nen abilities of those who managed to temporarily kill him, he wouldn't just be copying physical traits. He would be stealing their very life force, their concepts, their absolute limits. With his absolute immortality, he could force Nen masters to strike him down, adapting and stealing every godlike ability in this world. "So, it is a manipulation of life energy," Riley murmured, his voice dropping to a dangerous quiet. "A system of rules that can be learned, mastered, and broken." Satotz watched him, his expression unreadable behind his lack of features. "Indeed," Satotz replied. "But to even learn the basics of Nen, one must first survive the Hunter Exam. Only those with immense willpower and physical capability are chosen to even see the path. You possess an extraordinary amount of physical power, yet your aura nodes are completely closed. Without Nen, you are merely a powerful beast waiting to be put down by a true master." Slowly, a change came over Riley. His jaw relaxed, and the tension in his shoulders melted away. The humming blade of energy in his hand dissolved into thin air, leaving only a faint trace of heat in the cold mist. Hannah, watching from a few feet away, took another step back, her breath hitching in her throat. She knew that look. Across Riley's usually expressionless face, a smile began to form. It wasn't a warm smile, nor was it a grin of triumph. It was a cold, empty stretch of his lips, completely devoid of human emotion. It was the smile of an apex predator staring at a buffet of helpless prey. It promised the utter subjugation of this world's rules, the dismantling of its systems, and the absolute dominance of Riley Ross. Hannah shuddered, her knuckles turning white as she gripped her elbows. She had seen Riley face gods, monsters, and his own father, but this smile was different. This was the smile of a man who realized he could rewrite the very fabric of reality to suit his whims. She felt an icy dread settle deep in her chest, realizing that this new world was not a trap for Riley—it was a playground. "He's going to do it again," Hannah whispered to herself, her voice trembling. "He's going to destroy everything." Nannah only laughed louder, her chaotic eyes wide with wicked delight. "Oh, I love that face!" Nannah squealed, hopping off her log and dancing in a small circle. "Let's break this world, Riley! Let's tear it apart piece by piece!" Riley ignored both of them, keeping his focus entirely on the Examiner. "Tell me more about this exam," Riley commanded, his voice cold and steady. "Where do I find it? And who are the strongest Nen users in this world?" Satotz doesn't flinch; instead, he taps his pocket watch, revealing a glowing Nen-infused map that points directly to the Zoldyck family's mountain, whispering that the power Riley seeks lies behind those gates.

Chapter 3: The Golden Pocket Watch