Hunter X Hunter: Grounded

Chapter 50


....
Netero just looks at Sub's unconscious body on the ground. The kid did way better than he expected, even if he went easy against him, the kid is still only fourteen years old.


Plus Sub is a bad matchup against the old man. Netero's fast and strong attacks completely neutralize Sub's crazy defense power. After all, Netero has speed on his side.


But truly, Netero's Hatsu can be a counter to any other Hatsu too. While the praying motion before an attack by the Guanyin Bodhisattva is supposed to be a restriction... but in reality, it's a boon to Netero. 


The statue's attacks are crazily fast by now, it is his strongest Hatsu, something that goes beyond normal measures as it hits many times faster than sound.



Suddenly Netero senses two bloodlusts directed at him. He looks at them and on the roof he sees Karla and Machi looking at him with death glares. "Oy~ I almost had a heart attack by that blood lust. So please rain it in or you might kill me, Hohohoho~"


In reality, he isn't bothered by the blood lust at all. To him that at best feels weaker than a child throwing a temper tantrum. That is what they all were to him... just children.



"Old man... I will kill you one day." Says Karla coldly. Netero just laughs at this, in his eyes, he will die of old age before Karla gets strong enough to be any threat to him.



"Sure, sure, little girl. But if I was you I would take your friend on the ground and take him to the infirmary." Suggests Netero. "It would be a shame for him to die due to heavy injuries."


As he says that he looks at Sub's unconscious body and sees that the kid's Nen hadn't settled down at all and his Aura was growing stronger. 


'What a scary kid.' Thinks Netero with a smile on his face. Wishing that if this kid had been born a couple of decades earlier this fight could have gone differently. 'He will grow into someone strong.'



Karla's bandage extends from the roof and wraps around Sub. His body releases a green hue as he starts healing. 



"Hmmm..." Netero is impressed as he sees Karla's healing abilities. Healing is quite a rare Nen Ability, and a strong one like Karla's is almost impossible to find. 'Especially one that heals others.'



"Tell the kid that the next time he tries challenging me he should get a little faster." Says Netero as he starts walking away.



...
...
Two hours later and Netero was looking at a baseball game in one of the rooms in the villa when.

Baam!


The door is opened wide and an energized Sub comes through the door. "Old man!! Fight me!!"


"Hm?" Netero just looks at Sub with an annoyed look on his face. "Go away, kid. I am watching a baseball game. An old man like me can't fight for too long because it's bad for my back."


..
Less than a second after Netero says that...


BOOOM!


Sub is bashed through multiple walls and thrown outside of the building and in the forest where a part of the Hunter Exam was held.



Sub isn't hurt but he was thrown quite deep. So he turns the Nen around his feet into dinosaur-like claws who dig into the ground and he charges towards the building once more.



'This is the perfect chance to fight someone strong and learn by fighting. I can't let this chance go away... This is perfect for training!!' Contemplates Sub as he dashes forward at his top speed.



...
Two minutes and Netero is now watching a commercial in his room. He doesn't mind the broken wall to the side of his room. 


"Oy! Old man, fight me!!" Sub once more comes to the room.


*sigh*


Netero sighs at that in annoyance, but in the end, he says. "Sure, just let me finish watching this baseball game and I will soar with you again."

"In the backyard right?"


"Yep."



...
...
Half an hour later Sub is fully energized waiting to fight Netero again. But that is when he hears a helicopter and sees that it's flying off from this building.


"Huh?" Sub is confused for a split second before he gets what is going on now. "You bastard old fu*k, you tricked me?!!"


Natero looks down from the helicopter and looks at Sub confused. "Huh? Did you say, something kid? My hearing nowadays gets worse by the day. I couldn't quite hear you."


"Fu*k off old man!!" Yells Sub. "Come fight me!!! You said that you would!"



"What?" Asks Netero from the helicopter, still seemingly confused as if he didn't hear what Sub said. "Sorry kid, but now that I am getting older my memory has also started failing me."


Netero shrugs innocently as he says that, but by saying it he just confirmed that he all along heard what Sub was saying.


"Tch! Old bastard." Complains Sub grumpily. He had the perfect chance to train with a strong Nen User. That would have helped him tremendously. Though he isn't really annoyed, he does act like it.



...
Karla is eating some ice cream as she sees that whole thing happen. Machi is next to her drinking some exotic cold drink.


Suddenly Karla gets an idea and a malicious smile appears on her face as she looks at Machi  "Wanna spar?"


'Could you be any less obvious? You obviously plan to have an 'accident' during sparring and kill me.' Thinks Machi as she shakes her head. "No, I am not feeling quite good today."



"I am sure that sparing a little will get your blood flowing." Insists Karla as a dangerous light appears in her eyes.



"No, thank you." Machi again just shakes her head. "Also don't worry, I don't like Sub that way. He is more like a little brother to me."


"O -Oh..." That is all Karla says as she comes to the realization. "S -Sorry then..."


"No problem." Says Machi. "I bet that Sub also likes you more than me."


"You think so?!!" Exclaims Karla excitedly. 


"Yep." Says Machi, just going along with the flow. She doesn't say the way that Suh might like Karla, since from what she has seen so far... Sub likes Karla the same way Machi likes Sub. In a more sibling way. 


'Better not say that out loud or this little yandere might do something dangerous.' Concludes Machi as she takes a sip of her exotic drink. 


....
  -Sub POV-



Welp, no use crying over spilled milk. But I should find a strong person to spar with, I need someone strong in raw power.


I need someone who has a strong attack, enough to break through my defenses, so that way I can continue to make it stronger and stronger. 


Hmmm... OH! I got it, I know exactly the person and he seems like someone who would agree to a fight no matter what. Especially as that will allow him to see how strong he is.


...

So during dinner, I, Machi, and Karla were eating some great steaks. Also, Karla seems to not be as aggressive as she was to Machi. I obviously know how she feels about me, and now that she isn't annoyed at her. It makes things easier.



"Hey, Machi, don't you have that one crazy caveman-looking guy in the Phantom Troupe?" I ask her.


"Uvogin?" 


"Yeah, that guy. Do you think me and him could spar sometimes? He is an Enhancer, and I am a Transmuter. We will see who is stronger. It will help with his training too."


"Hmmm..." Machi seems to be thinking, but in the end, she nods. "I will see what I can do. Now I won't promise anything, but Uvogin will probably accept."


I nod at that with a smile, Uvogin is perfect as a sparring partner. He is a beast in raw power, his Big Bang punches are strong. So my defenses will grow marginally stronger as I fight him.



I can see that Karla just looks at me with a smile on her face. She must be thinking that I might put Uvogin under her control so we have a spy on the Phantom Troupe... but that wouldn't work as they are too smart and will figure that out quickly. I thought a lot about it, but in the end, I bet that they won't let Uvogin come alone in the sparring sessions. They will most likely bring someone, either Machi, as she knows me, or Nobunaga, who is a friend of Uvogin... maybe both. Who knows really.




"Excuse me?" My thought process is interrupted and I see the cloaked man who also passed the exam with all of us.


He seems to be here for something. "Can I help you?"



"Tch, I wasn't talking to you." Says the man in annoyance as he looks at Karla. Ah... I see. "Can I join your crew?"



Ah! He probably thought that we were a crew and that Karla is the leader due to me deciding to give up against her. 


"Karla..." Is all I need to say as she deploys her bandages and wraps them around the cloaked man. Putting him under her control. 


I just go back and drink a cup of coconut water. Not caring anymore about the person, he will go and train Nen, learning from one of my Nen Users and he will turn into another.



Now things will start getting a little more exciting again.