Hunter X Hunter: Grounded

Chapter 49



….
-Sub POV-


As I look at the old man in front of me… I can feel it in my bones. I know now, this old man is so ahead of me it's not even funny. Plus this is a weakened version of him that hasn't even meditated.


Damn, now I can see why people feel terrified at just the thought of Meruem. I mean the old man doesn't seem anything special at first sight, and I would be able to catch up to him in general raw power. At least that is what everyone would assume, but my instincts… they scream at me. This is the weird sixth sense that I have since I came to this world. It's more like a superstition sense, but it is right a lot of the time.


"So what will our final test be?" I ask him, hiding the actual nervousness that I am feeling inside. At least better than Machi is, I can see that she is taping her leg with her finger. She has done this a lot ever since she was young, it's a small tick of hers. 


Netero smiles. "Well, it will be a luck game also. You will be decided to fight in an environment decided by a dice roll. And your opponent will be decided the same too."



…
He then explains that someone must not lose more than two fights. Then they will pass. Since it is more of a luck game than power, someone might not get to fight at all, then that person would pass also.

Also, you can win by knocking out, killing the opponent, or just making them admit defeat.


…
The first fight is between me and Karla… I can see that she is about to immediately give up. But I beat her to it and raised my hand. "I give up."


Karla looks at me with surprise. But this is logical, Karla has a chance to lose if she fights against Machi. I don't, I am almost 100% sure I can beat Machi. Now I won't lose to anyone else.


Also, Karla now gets the chance to pass with me too.


…
The next fight is Karla against another guy who looks like an emo wearing a cloak that hides his face.


Fwish!


The man can't even react as Karla appears next to him and with a chop to his neck knocks him out. 


I can see Netero smile as he sees that. I bet that he too must have seen the potential Karla has. She has the same Talent as Gon and Killua. Just imagining having someone with the power of adult Gon. Damn… that will be extremely useful. Sadly, it will take quite a while for Karla to reach that amount of power. It will take decades at least, and that is if she just trains all day long. Which is unrealistic as not even I can do that.


But she can reach it, I have seen it… and if she is put under extreme pressure where my life might be threatened she should be able to push herself. I also know that I should be able to reach that level of power. My Hatsu might seem weak when compared to something like Killua's or Meruem's… but in my eyes. It also was built to have potential, the rock properties of being hard. It can go beyond just a simple rock, I plan to make my Aura harder than diamond at least, while the softness of earth. I can make it like cotton, going beyond just simple earth. Plus I can shape my Nen to create many things like swords made from my hard aura and a shield that blocks anything. 


Also, the versatility in my aura is crazy. I know that if I keep training like this, it will never betray me. My Nen will correspond to my emotions, as long as I am not satisfied with where I am… my Nen will continue to grow. Especially when I decide to finally go to the Dark Continent. That place is a death zone, but it has a lot of opportunities. At the same time, I also have an army with Karla's help. That way I know that I should be able to handle the Dark Continent.


Currently, I am fourteen years old. By the time the canon timeline comes around, I will be nineteen. I plan to try and see how the Dark Continent is at seventeen. I have a guy with the perfect Hatsu in my Nen User army that will allow me to travel there. That will be just me checking to see how the place is, and I will immediately escape. I need some information about it.



…
At the end of the exam, I don't get to fight anymore and win because I lost only once technically. In the end, only four people passed, I, Karla, Machi, and that guy with the cape that Karla knocked out instantly.



…
In the end, we are told that we should rest and will get our Hunter Cards the next day. But as I see Netero walking away I signal Karla and Machi to not follow me.


There is no need for them to do so. My next plan will be kind of dumb, but I need to see how big the distance between me and Netero is. 


...
After me and he walked into the corridor away from everyone else I asked him. "Chairman, can I fight you?"


"Hm?" Netero stops walking and looks at me with a surprised look. "Didn't even notice you were those. Almost had a heart attack."


...That is a lie, and I know that he knows that I know that. So he just smirks at me amusingly.


"I don't even remember the last time someone challenged me." Says Netero. "Don't expect me to be a challenge, I am just an old man now. I am not even half as strong as I used to be in my prime."



"You are strong even now sir." I respectfully tell him. I can understand him, we are similar in a way. He wanted strength, I want that too. Though now that he has achieved the strength that he wanted, next he searched for an unstoppable adversary. I doubt I will do that. 


I don't want an unstoppable adversary that I have no chance of winning against even if I give it my all. Azula could have developed into that but I killed her. 



"Okay, I see that I can't change your mind. Let's go and have a spar in the yard." Says Netero, seemingly annoyed at having to fight me. But he didn't refuse my challenge.


"Thank you, sir." I thank him and bow down to my waist. No need to be disrespectful to a man like him. He will save my asś in the future.



...
We are in the yard, there is no one spectating. He takes a small stone and throws it in the air. "Once it lands on the ground we will start the fight."


I just nod at that. I use my Hatsu <Dirt Cheap> turning my Nen around me a hard armor and under the armor turn it into a soft dirt-like substance so I don't get hurt by the aftershocks. Also making the Nen around my feet into claws that dig into the ground. 



My senses are to the max, my heart beats like a drum. 


*Pak!*


The stone hits the ground, and immediately I charge to the side to dodge. But I can barely move my body as I feel a golden light hit me.


Baaam!


I plummeted to the ground by one hit, the power behind it was tremendous. But my defenses kept up perfectly, not even a crack in them. 


So once more I get up and try to charge to Netero.


Baaam!


But I couldn't even stand upright as I was hit again and look at the man who now had a casual confident look. I swear that I can hear him say. "I have gotten a lot slower nowadays."



Baaam!



Another hit lands on me and my armor starts to crack. But this time I stay upright and use my leg muscles, they grow twice their usual size and I go dash off the crater.


Baaam!



But I can't as another attack lands on me. I still can't see the attack, all I see is a golden light. But I guess it must be the golden buddha statue hitting me. Netero doesn't even seem to be moving as the statue lands even more hits on me... he is simply moving too fast.



Baam! Baam! Baam! Baam!...



Five more hits and the final hit lands on me with a thundering blow, breaking through my rock armor even as I fixed it up. As the hit lands on my body, I can immediately feel consciousness slipping away from me. 



Damn... I couldn't even move... he isn't in his full power and he is still taking me easily. Fu*k... this old man is something else.


....