[1. Manifested Aura: C+ (90415/100000) -> B (670,000/1,000,000) (Note: Ratings use Chimera Ants as a reference. Reference Youpi: B (400,000/1,000,000))]
[Converted to the Naruto world, referencing the One-Tail—Shukaku of the Sand, the chakra volume is approximately: 50 Kakashis... The host's current Nen volume is approximately "25 Kakashis", which equals 0.5 Shukakus.]
[2. Potential Aura: B- (1874/1,000,000) -> B (540,000/1,000,000) (Note: If using Youpi as a reference, Youpi: B (400,000/1,000,000), this is still above Youpi)]
[Converted to the Naruto world, referencing the One-Tail—Shukaku of the Sand, the chakra volume is approximately: 50 Kakashis... The host's Potential Aura is approximately "100 Kakashis", which equals 2 Shukakus.]
[3. Nen Form Transformation: lv3 (7845/10000) -> lv4 (12450/100000) (Note: Due to the surge in the host's Nen volume, the Nen form transformation has slightly increased)]
[4. Nen Nature Transformation: Yang: lv4 (43515/100000) -> lv4 (47541/100000) (Note: Due to the surge in the host's Nen volume, the Nen nature has slightly increased)]
[Yin: lv3 (142/10000) -> lv3 (8974/10000) (Note: Thanks to the "negative emotions" gifted by Muzan, Kokushibo, Nakime, and others, the host is only a hair's breadth away from reaching LV4 and unlocking the Mangekyo Sharingan.)]
[lv3 (8741/10000) -> lv4 (1540/100000)]
[-]
[Water: lv3 (2487/10000) -> lv3 (3514/10000)]
[Wind: lv2 (547/1000) -> lv3 (1547/10000)]
[Earth: lv3 (240/10000) -> lv3 (387/10000)]
[Rating: B- (Higher than Kite, only a hair's breadth away from Neferpitou, Youpi, and Shaiapouf)]
[Evaluation: Above the first tier, below the peak (The host has grown from an initial unripe apple tree sapling into a tall, fruitful apple tree.)]
[(According to mental feedback... already possesses the strength to challenge Silva Zoldyck)]
*Pop!* The light faded... the blood cocoon shattered... The brand-new status panel appeared as a brand-new Roy stepped forward.
The young man's body overflowed with the light of Nen. His formerly black hair faded in the blink of an eye, taking on a "silver guise." The pristine silver locks cascaded all the way down to his waist, causing...
Maha, Zeno, Illumi, and the others who were watching intently to freeze in place, completely stunned!
He had grown taller, yes.
His muscle definition had become even more distinct and refined, yes.
His physique was absolutely perfect—adding even a fraction would be too much, and subtracting a fraction would be too little. Yes.
But his hair... no!
"Silver hair!"
No, wait.
"Your hair..." Illumi shrank back into the shadows, staring blankly at Roy. He opened and closed his mouth, but before the words could even leave his lips, Roy had already caught his 'inner voice'!
The young man's silver hair swayed in the wind as he lazily stretched. [En] flared out, instantly spreading from beneath his feet. In the blink of an eye, it covered the bedroom, the hallways, the first floor, and the second floor. It swept past Silva, past Tsubone, and past Gotoh who was heading out the door, enveloping the entire Zoldyck family castle in an instant...
The range expanded to a full five hundred meters in radius before it finally came to a halt.
He bowed slightly to Maha and Zeno. "Great-grandfather, Grandfather, I'm sorry for making you worry."
As he lowered his head, his silver hair cascaded down like spilling quicksilver. Bathed in the moonlight and the glow of the lamps, it was smooth and shimmered with a lustrous sheen, without a single strand of black... It was undoubtedly a complete metamorphosis!
Zeno, sporting his own striking white hair, stood with his hands behind his back. He subtly glanced at Maha in front of him. The old man had his hands in his pockets, staring silently at Roy. He seemed to be reminiscing, sighing with emotion, or perhaps worrying. Frowning, Maha said quietly, "Look at the curse on the back of your hand."
Roy straightened his back, standing barefoot on the floor. With a wave of his hand, he grabbed a pair of shorts and pulled them on.
Bare-chested, he held out his hand... Visible to the naked eye, the curse that resembled a ticking countdown clock suddenly stopped. In less than a breath, it began to rewind, going straight from—
8 years, 7 months, 21 days, 21 hours, and 34 minutes... rewinding back to... 8 years, 10 months, 21 days, 21 hours, and 34 minutes...
It revealed—
With this massive increase in Roy's strength, his lifespan had undoubtedly been extended by another three months.
Maha showed neither surprise nor joy. Narrowing his old eyes, he said profoundly, "As expected, He has never stopped watching you."
Should he say... this was all thanks to his grandfather Zigg?
Rather than the constant surveillance, Roy was more concerned about what exactly his grandfather Zigg had done on the Dark Continent to make [That Entity] take its anger out on him and relentlessly hound him!
"Grandfather, do you mean that Roy's transformation this time couldn't escape the other party's perception either?" Zeno frowned.
On the back of Roy's hand, the curse that had rewound by three months began to tick away once more, just like a clock... *Tick, tock...*
Maha said quietly, "Hard to say."
With those words, the three people in the room, including Illumi, fell into silence...
However, they would cross that bridge when they came to it. After a moment, Roy clenched his fist with a sharp *crack*, directly crushing the air in his palm. Narrowing his eyes, he said:
"The more He watches, the more anxious He is. It proves He has no way to physically cross Lake Mobius and descend upon Padokea."
"But His believers can." Zeno kept his hands behind his back, a flash of killing intent suddenly appearing deep in his eyes. "Those people from the [Church of Truth] are all lunatics, and you..."
Zeno cast a sidelong glance at Roy and said, "You are already on their 'heretic' list!"
What was a "heretic"? Apostates, non-believers, those singled out and despised by God... all were heretics!
Roy thought of Guzman, the man who could never be killed and always managed to escape using a [Scapegoat Doll].
He thought of the man and woman who had watched him back in Meteor City.
He thought of a certain fruit farmer Zeno had mentioned earlier, who had successfully infiltrated the inner ranks of the [Church of Truth] under the guise of a bishop.
All of these things... forced one to be vigilant!
"Then we'll just kill them all!" Illumi seemed to have finally snapped out of his daze.
Clutching the [Divine Spear Wooden Nail] in his pocket, the young man looked at Roy's dazzling cascade of silver hair and spoke calmly...
Roy immediately let out a light chuckle, fully agreeing. "Then we'll kill them all!"
If they dared to reach out, he would chop off their hands; if they dared to kick, he would sever their legs... Roy tilted his head back, looking through the window frame at the dark night. The bright moon was sinking in the west, and the red sun was hidden just below the horizon, eager to rise. He declared in a drawn-out voice, "One day, I will stand before Him and ask Him personally. I will raise my sword... and ask Him!"
*Whoosh!* The [En] retracted, and the surging Nen gathered entirely back into Roy's body.
With this latest upgrade, his physique could no longer be suppressed. He had grown another five centimeters taller. Standing in the bedroom now, he was taller than anyone else present.
Maha just listened quietly, watching and feeling the young man's spirited vigor and bold declarations. As his thoughts fluctuated, he remembered his beloved wife Betty saying, "Maha, the child looks just like Zigg."
Lifting his foot, his figure suddenly flashed, exiting the room and leaving on his own...
"You've grown up and have your own ideas now. This old man will just watch... watch for the day you stand before Him..."
The curtains fluttered gently.
Maha vanished from sight.
Roy softly replied, "Yes."
Then, he felt a warmth on his shoulder. Looking down, he saw Zeno with a gratified expression.
The old man didn't say a word, yet it felt as if he had said everything. He gently patted Roy's shoulder, then melted into the shadows, leaving just as Maha had...
*Dong!* It was exactly four in the morning. After all the commotion, the grandfather clock in the corner once again chimed to mark the hour.
Roy watched Zeno leave, tracking his footsteps with a single glance. He then looked at Illumi. Remembering how the boy had gone mad and recklessly radiated killing intent earlier, he said gently, "Go back to sleep."
Illumi looked at him in silence. He didn't move his feet right away, but instead opened his mouth and asked, "How strong are you now?"
Roy felt the endless flow of Nen circulating within his body... With a shift of his bones, he could casually pull out his sword bone... His blood energy was abundant, containing boundless vitality... His organs were functioning perfectly, powerful and performing their respective duties, even capable of backing each other up. He shook his head and said, "I'm not sure myself. Perhaps..."
The young man looked up at Kukuroo Mountain, which lay dormant on the earth like a massive dragon. He took a deep breath and said, "I'll have to test it out to know."
With a shift of his feet, Roy instantly transformed into light. In the next blink of an eye, he appeared in the hallway outside the door and began his morning run.
'Not sure... Could there ever be a day when I'm not sure?' Illumi only felt his vision blur. When he turned his head, Roy had already run far ahead. Lowering his eyes, he leaned against the wall, remaining silent for a moment before turning around and chasing after him...
*Step...* Two figures, one tall and one short, one with silver hair and one with black, one broad and one slightly slender, swept through the hallway. They dashed past a dimly lit small room where Zeno was massaging Maha's shoulders and back, and filed out through the main doors of the ancient castle...
In the second-floor bedroom, in front of that massive circular floor-to-ceiling window...
A man with silver hair that rivaled Roy's held Killua in his arms, the infant also sporting a few tufts of silver fuzz on his forehead. He looked down from above, watching Roy and Illumi exit the castle and sprint straight toward the foot of the mountain... In those sharp, eagle-like eyes, a strong sense of anticipation was born amidst the seriousness.
Grandfather had said he would watch... Silva's gaze crossed over the mountain; he wanted to watch too...
Soon,
Roy led Illumi down the mountain path, taking the steps in stride. They listened to the clear wind calling in their ears and smelled the fresh, fragrant scent of the soil. One after the other, like two bolts of lightning, they darted downward... Not far away, they could see Kurajing in the distance, holding a walking stick in one hand, waiting at the end of the mountain path just as she always did!
*Swoosh!* Their speed was soaring... Roy didn't stop his footsteps, directly brushing past the girl's shoulder in a flash... The breeze he kicked up sent the girl's golden ponytail fluttering upward. Immediately following him... was Illumi, who also flashed past her, utilizing [Dark Step]...
"Young... Young Master?" Kurajing was suddenly stunned.
Roy's dazzling silver hair shone brilliantly under the moonlight... Kurajing's eyes widened as she barely managed to catch a hint of familiarity from his back. The walking stick in her hand clattered to the ground and rolled to the side, getting stained with a bit of dew-dampened green mud.
"Silver hair... How did the Young Master's hair turn silver too?" It wasn't just Kurajing who was dumbfounded. Mike, who bumped into Roy on the road, was also dumbfounded, and Zebro, who was guarding the gate at the foot of the mountain, was equally bewildered...
The balding middle-aged man saw Roy and Illumi sprinting toward him. He was just about to take off his hat and bow, ready to call out, "Master," but as a result,
The word "Master" hadn't even left his lips before he forcefully swallowed it back down!
Good heavens... What was he looking at... A young... Silva!
No... that wasn't right. Was it the Eldest Young Master with dyed hair?
No... still not right. How did the Eldest Young Master... suddenly get so tall?
They had just greeted each other yesterday morning. How could it be that, before even a single night had fully passed, he turned around and became a completely different person?
His thoughts were a tangled mess. Zebro stood frozen at the gate. Even though it was the dog days of summer, he felt as if he were still stuck in the dead of winter, frozen stiff by the "cold"!
*Creak—* Past the mountain path was the mountain gate.
Roy arrived at the Testing Gate first. He looked up at the seven massive doors, which were thick with the aura of time and spoke of a mottled history. Hearing Illumi arrive right on his heels and stand not far behind him, Roy reached out a single hand and pressed it against the door...
At that moment, Illumi's surprised voice came from behind him: "You're not using both hands?"
"Did Father use both?"
"No."
"Then why should I?"
A disciple need not be inferior to the master, and a master need not be wiser than the disciple... Roy turned his head and smiled at Illumi. "You have to dare to dream, Illumi. Only by daring to dream do you have a chance to become stronger."
And this was exactly the essence of "Nen"—the power of "believing makes it so," relying entirely on imagination!
With those words, Roy ignored the stunned Illumi. He roused his strength, surging it violently toward his palm, and gave a light shout: "Open!"
*Rumble!* One door, two doors, three doors... five doors... six doors, until...
All seven doors of the Testing Gate, weighing a massive two hundred and fifty-six tons, swung wide open!
Off to the side, the frozen Zebro silently opened his mouth wide. His legs gave out, and he plopped down hard on his rear!
"It opened... Young Master Roy pushed open the Testing Gate... Young Master Roy pushed open the Testing Gate..." A drawn-out, excited shout drifted along with the mountain wind...
In the second-floor bedroom, the owner of the gaze that had been closely following the young man let out a rare, wide grin...
"Heh heh heh... Hahaha..." Silva's eyes gleamed sharply as he burst into loud laughter, his voice shaking the roof tiles!
On the first floor, Zeno, who was still massaging Maha's back, cast his gaze through the thick walls and sighed with emotion. "Grandfather, you heard it too. I reckon... even Silva himself didn't expect this day to come so quickly."
"Did you expect it?"
"I didn't either," Zeno admitted frankly. "Not only did I not expect it to be this fast, but I also never imagined that the boy Roy would unlock his bloodline restrictions on his own and successfully undergo atavism. It's truly surprising..."
*Creak...* Maha listened to the cartoon playing, rocking in his chair in silence...
Surprising? He had killed a god, seized his divinity, and inherited his faith. It was only natural for him to have such... fortune...
Maha recalled how the boy had jokingly said to him right after waking up in the middle of the night: "I just killed a god."
Come to think of it, this wasn't some delusion, nor was it a false god. It was a true god, genuinely worshipped, revered by believers, and treated as a totem! It could not be taken lightly, much less despised, slighted, or even... doubted!
"You couldn't expect it, which is why you are weak." Maha lifted his back, allowing Zeno to reach his lower back more easily, and let out a comfortable hum. "Atavism isn't enough. Didn't you hear what the boy said? He wants to raise his sword and question the gods. He wants to be... above the gods!"
"Silver hair will not be his endpoint..."
Zeno: "..."
A moment of silence fell.
He raised his eyes to look into the deep night. His gaze flew over Kukuroo Mountain and arrived at its foot, watching the Testing Gate stand completely open. The young man stood right in the center, draped in a sheer cloak woven from moonlight. For the first time in his life, Zeno felt a trace of... envy...