Today was a pretty exciting day. The first two weeks here felt slow as we made little to no progress in anything. But since getting back from Sekirei, with all the people and supplies we have, each day has had exciting and important developments. First we built the garden, then the house, and today was…

Well. Let me tell you what we got done today.

The novelty of fresh veggies had started to wear off, so Kusano had the idea of making a fruit salad using the blapples, oranuts, and some of the pokeberries. It was sweet and sour and definitely a nice change of pace. It was also very filling, due to the presence of the magically nutritious fruit. In fact, it was filling enough that I'm pretty sure all of us ended up skipping lunch, though I was too busy during that time to actually keep track of anyone else.

As we finished up breakfast, sitting around the dining room table, I gave everyone their tasks for the day.

"Levy and Tinks, you're still on metalworking duty," I told them. Both of them nodded, so I turned to the others. "Kusano and Uzume, I want you two to get started on growing and harvesting the cotton we planted. I'd like to use it to make futons, and cloth if possible. I don't suppose you know how to do that already, Uzume?"

She shook her head. "Nope. My power, for whatever reason, only works on cloth. I can't use it on threads that aren't woven together. Even really thin strips of cloth only a few threads wide are impossible for me to control with any accuracy. It's like they slip out of my power if there aren't enough of them."

The exact limitations of her power is honestly a subject that fascinated me and I had an urge to ask more, but that wasn't the time, as I had a lot I wanted to get done that day. "We'll do some research later into figuring out how to do it the normal way then. For now, just focus on harvesting as much as you can. We can make giant piles of cotton and lay a tarp over it to make a makeshift bed. Maybe even use the tent stakes to keep the tarp from moving. It's not perfect, but it would be softer than our current beds."

"Bro, if it's for a bed then we'll get enough to fill an entire room," Uzume said excitedly. "Isn't that right, Ku-chan?"

"Yes!" Kusano agreed enthusiastically.

"Let me guess, I'm still on Jinki duty," Matsu said with a sigh.

I frowned. "That's what I was going to say, yes. But if you have an issue with that…?"

"It's just so boooooring," she groused. "I'm not making any progress at all and spending all day just staring at it in frustration sucks."

I took a moment to think over that. "How about this?" I offered. "I do want you to keep working on it because I think it will be important. But you only have to work on it a little bit. If you feel yourself getting frustrated or bored, just go help someone else, anyone else. Or just take a break and relax. I'm not in a rush to get it figured out, but I don't want it to stall out either. Does that work?"

"Hmm. Matsu can agree to that, if it's for her Ashikabi-sama," she said before giving me a playful grin. "I'll want extra special rewards though."

I raised an eyebrow. "Was what I gave you last night not enough?"

"Please don't give her anything more than that bro," Uzume cut in. "These walls are nice but they don't block sound very well. Pervert-chan over there is especially loud."

"You're just jealous," Matsu said, sticking her tongue out at the other Sekirei. "Matsu gets to have rigorous lovey-dovey sex with her Ashikabi and you don't."

"Matsu," I cut in. "Enough. Though, speaking of which…"

"I'm not talking about my sex life with you," Uzume immediately said.

I looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "I was just going to mention that Chiho should be healed later today. The Stamp will finish this afternoon, and the healing effect should kick in immediately." I looked up at them and smiled. "By tonight, you'll be completely fine, and you two will be able to do whatever you want to try to drown us out."

Chiho blushed and looked away, but she looked happy. Uzume had a dopey grin on her face as well. "You bet your ass we will," she agreed.

"What- what about you?" Chiho asked, stumbling slightly out of embarrassment as she tried to change the subject. "You didn't mention what you'll be doing."

"I'll be training," I said. "I believe I mentioned the other day that there was someone who I wanted to buy that could teach me, and all of you at some point, some useful skills? Well, I'm buying her today, before we get started, and I'll be spending the day learning from her."

"Another girl for your harem, bro?" Uzume asked with a raised eyebrow.

"You're probably going to want to get used to that," Levy said, amused. "It's going to get very big."

"Besides, I'm purchasing her for her teaching ability, not because I want to sleep with her," I added. "Though, yes, I will be doing that too most likely."

"Sure, sure," Uzume agreed with a roll of her eyes. There wasn't any actual heat or discomfort in any of her words though. As Levy said, she seemed to have accepted things. I'm pretty sure she just enjoyed teasing and ribbing me about it, which I didn't mind.

"What is she going to teach you though?" Kusano asked, curious.

"Nen, which is like…" I paused, thinking about it for a moment. "You know aura? Or Ki or Chi or whatever else you want to call your non-magical life force? Nen is all about using that. Mostly for fighting, but there's a lot of potential utility there as well."

"So what, are you going to shoot giant lasers like Goku?" Uzume asked.

"I probably could, but we're talking about a much smaller scale than that," I replied. "Though even at its most basic it will make my hits hit harder and make me much tougher. Hopefully, with some training, I won't be useless like I was against Karasuba."

"Bro, we were all useless against that crazy bitch," Uzume said. "Well, except Ku-chan, but I suspect that her trick won't work so easily if there's a next time."

"Nen will help change that," I said. "You'll all learn at least the basics, the boost in power and defense alone is worth it. But that will have to wait until I can get some Talent Sharing."

"What's that?" Matsu asked, curious.

"Well, one of the types of things I can get from the Company are called Talents," I said. "In short, they're basically… XP boosters for certain types of things. I'll be getting the one that helps me train with Aura as well. Unfortunately, by default, they only apply to me. I have to make an additional purchase to share the benefits with you guys. So the majority of your training can wait until after that."

I could potentially get Talent Sharing for Soul Talent once Uzume and Chiho are captured, but I had my eyes on something else. Rewards and Lobbying, a Demiplane perk that let you grant the benefits of your Talents to others. Talent Sharing was 10 Credits per purchase, while Rewards and Lobbying was 50 Credits.

In the long term, since I planned on eventually getting and sharing every Talent due to the diverse range of skills I'll need my retinue to have to make life on the Skyblock self-sustaining, it was more efficient to get Rewards and Lobbying and bypass the need for Talent Sharing entirely. It would only apply while we're in the Skyblock, which is a Demiplane, but since Talents just increase learning speed, that was perfectly fine with me. They'd retain their learned skills even when they left.

"That makes sense, especially if it's a really strong XP boost," Matsu says. "We could train for weeks without it and make the same amount of progress in a day with it."

"And since there are still plenty of other things I'd like you guys to work on, it's more efficient to get those done in the meantime. You'll catch up quickly once I can share the Talents with you guys, and if we run out of things to do you can start anyway. That sound good to everyone?"

There were nods all around the table as they worked through and agreed with my logic, though Chiho raised her hand. "Umm. Can I watch, at least? I still haven't decided on what I want to do. I know I can't start until I'm healed, but I'm curious about it."

I shrugged. "Sure, I don't mind. It's actually a pretty good idea for you to learn it early. How your Nen develops could help you figure out what you want to do. We'll practice somewhere you can sit and listen in."

She smiled sweetly at me. "Thank you, I'm sorry for the trouble."

I shook my head. "Not at all. Now, does anyone else have any questions before I get started?"

"Matsu has lots of questions about Nen!" Matsu says.

"Save them for when you start learning it," I told her. "Or you can come observe us when you're taking a break from the Jinki. I'd prefer she explained it rather than me, I might be wrong about some details."

"Okaaaay," Matsu agreed. "You're getting that Biscuit-girl, right?"

"Biscuit Krueger, though she prefers being called Bisky," I said. "She's a skilled Nen user, but while she's not one of the best from her world, she's definitely the best at teaching it. And anyone better than her is significantly more expensive."

"It's still weird to hear you talking about people like that," Uzume commented. "But let's go ahead and get this show on the road. I want to meet the new girl before we get to work."

I paused and looked around to see if anyone else had anything to say, but when they didn't I nodded and got up. "Let's go outside then," I said.

As we walked outside to gather around the portal, which was now situated in the outside corner of the house, on the inner part of the 'L' shape, I pulled up my phone and opened the Catalog. I quickly purchase Soul Talent and then navigate to Bisky's entry, which I had saved.

Uzume carried Chiho in the little cloth she had remaining and all of us gathered around where the portal appeared. Excited at the idea of learning Nen, something I've fantasized about ever since watching Hunter x Hunter for the first time, I clicked the purchase button.

Just like when I had bought the Janitor Slime, there was a flash of light and then suddenly a person was there.

Bisky was a young looking girl with long blond hair tied up in a ponytail with a pink ribbon. She wore a red and pink dress with a skirt that poofed outwards to an almost comical degree and a red shawl over her shoulders reached down to cover her chest. On her feet were white socks with frills underneath dark red flats. Her outfit and size made her look like a life-size doll, but her pink eyes dispelled that notion. Her gaze was sharp and observant, even as her small smile made her look innocent.

"Oh my," she said in faux surprise, looking far too amused and pleased. "I was not expecting to be greeted by people who were wearing so little."

"Oh… right," I said out loud. I had gotten too used to being naked, or at least nearly so. But Bisky was right in that she was effectively surrounded by most naked people. "Sorry about that."

"No worries, I don't mind the show," she replied with a dirty grin as she eyed my body. "Though you'll have to forgive me if I don't join you in your nudity."

"That's alright, it's perfectly optional," I assured her. "Though be warned, you'll have to wash your clothes by hand."

"Right, the Skyblock thing," she said with a nod. She looked around. "Well, I've managed just fine in far worse conditions, I don't think it will be a problem here."

"Umm, bro?" Uzume said. "Isn't she a bit… young?"

"She's not." "I'm not."

Bisky and I exchanged looks as we spoke up at the same time and I motioned for her to explain. She nodded at me before turning to Uzume, arms crossed in front of her chest. "I know I look like a cute and beautiful young girl, but I'm 57 years old."

"Wha-" Uzume said in shock, the others making their own noises of surprise.

"Oh my god, she's a lolibaba," Matsu whispered to herself, sounding far too excited about that fact.

"Let me introduce everyone," I said, cutting in before things got too off track. "I'm Roland, and in order, this is Levy McGarden, a mage focusing on Word Magic. These two little guys are VV and Tinks, they're Pokemon. Then we have Kusano, our resident Druid and the one responsible for the house and garden. The giggling one in glasses is Matsu, she's a technopath and a very skilled hacker. And last but not least we have Chiho and Uzume. Uzume here can control cloth, as you can see."

"I see," she said with a pleased smile. "This is quite the group I'm joining. And I assume I'm here to teach? Or did you buy me for my charming good looks?" She put her hands under her chin and posed, looking at me with fluttering eyelids.

I chuckled. "The former, though your beauty is a welcome bonus," I joked back. Flirted back? The line was kind of blurry, as neither of us were being very serious about it. "It'll just be me at first, though Chiho here is going to watch. But before we get started, I just wanted to say… Welcome to our home, our Skyblock. I'm looking forward to working with you to make it grow."

Bisky smiled and looked around, shifting her hands to her hips. "You know? I think I am too."

Everyone split off to do their own work, leaving just Chiho, Bisky, and me behind. We didn't move far, Uzume just made sure Chiho was comfortable sitting down with her back against the wall, the cloth that had been supporting her before now acting as a pillow for her back. Bisky and I stuck close so she could be part of things and Bisky started her lesson.

"Before we begin, what do you know about Nen?" Bisky asked me.

"A lot," I answered. "At least the theory of it. I know what it is, the types of users, the techniques, some training methods, and a dozen other minor minutiae. But Chiho doesn't know anything, and it's possible that my memory isn't completely reliable, so I'd appreciate it if you started at the top."

Bisky nodded. "I can certainly do that. First of all, Nen is the art of using and manipulating your own life force, which is called Aura. Every living being has Aura and is theoretically capable of becoming a Nen user. It normally leaks slowly through pores in your skin called Aura Nodes. By default, these Aura Nodes are mostly shut, with only trace amounts of Aura escaping them. Awakening is the process of opening these nodes. Once that is done, you'll be able to perceive your own Aura, which is the necessary first step to learning how to control it."

"How do you open those nodes?" Chiho asked studiously.

"Good question. Roland? Let's test that knowledge of yours."

I wracked my brain for the answer. "There are two main ways that I know of. The first one is to do so naturally through meditation. I'm not sure exactly how, but eventually you'll be able to sense your Aura and start gaining control of your nodes." Bisky nodded, encouraging me to keep going. "The second is to have another Nen user push their aura into your nodes and force them open. This method is much faster and works instantly, but it is much more dangerous. Aura being forced into your nodes runs the risk of damaging them, intended or not."

"Correct," Bisky confirmed with a nod. "The first method is obviously preferred, even if it's slower. But I suspect you're going to ask me to do the second method."

"How long would the first method take? For someone talented? It's measured in months, right?" She nodded and I shook my head. "I don't have that kind of time. I don't need to become a master or whatever instantly, but I need it unlocked and the basics down within a matter of weeks, not months. The worlds we visit will only get more dangerous, and I can't be the weak link."

Bisky sighed, her hands on her hips. "It's not what I'd advise, but knowing the situation, I can see your point. However." She looked at me sternly. "We're doing this properly. When I unlock your nodes like that, aura will flow endlessly from them until you pass out or learn to control it. So before then I'm going to lead you in some meditation to prepare you to learn Ten."

She looked at Chiho. "Ten is the most basic Nen technique and is simply that act of controlling your aura so that it doesn't leak away from you, and instead envelops you like a shroud. Nen users must first train to keep Ten up at all times, and doing so provides a number of benefits. Even if you never progressed past that, constantly being surrounded by such a thick aura is good for your skin, helps you retain your youthfulness, and provides a basic level of defense against physical attacks and emotion-laden aura attacks."

"Is that why you look so young?" Chiho asked.

"Oh, Ten isn't that effective," Bisky replied in an amused tone. "The secret to my eternal youth is a secret~"

I was tempted to spoil it, but I knew better than to piss her off. I also know better than to write it here, where she might see it. Don't worry Bisky, your secret is safe with me.

After that she led me through some meditation. Clearing my mind of thoughts was… well, it was very difficult. I'm not used to just turning off my thoughts and sitting in silence, I need to focus on something, or else my mind will wander.

But I doubled down and turned as much of my attention inward as possible. I wasn't sure if the eerie silence of the Skyblock was helpful or harmful though, as I could hear everything happening on our small island, including even Kusano and Uzume chatting over in the garden.

I remembered a meditation technique that I read about once that involved imagining a flame and feeding everything that would be a distraction to that fire, burning it away. But I couldn't get it to work. The distractions wouldn't burn away, so I decided to try a different mental image.

I cycled through a few, but in the end I settled on what I could imagine the best- the Skyblock. The concept of existing in an infinite sky. I made a 'block' that contained all of my thoughts, all of the distractions, and then I just… zoomed out. I didn't try to erase them, they still existed. But I pulled the mental camera back on it until the box was just a speck in an empty void, distant enough that the distractions weren't distracting.

I wasn't fully aware of it then, I couldn't put it into thought, but I fell into a meditative trance then. My head was empty save for the vague acknowledgement of the existence of my thoughts and distractions, the impression of currents of wind, and the weight of the Sky surrounding me.

A shake of my shoulder jolted me out of it, exploding the box as I became aware of my surroundings again. I blinked and looked around in a panic. Levy was right in front of me, her hand on my shoulder, looking at me with a smile on her face. And to my surprise, all the others were there too, watching me.

"What's happening? What's going on?" I asked.

"It's almost time for the Stamp to finish," Levy told me.

I frowned. "We still have a few hours left until then, right?"

In response, Levy held up the Company smartphone, the Capture page visible on the screen. Chiho's name was there at the bottom with a timer ticking downward. And sure enough, that timer was only a few minutes away from zero.

I blinked before rubbing my eyes to make sure I was seeing it right. I was, which made me look at the top right corner of the phone where the time was displayed and saw that it was already 2pm.

"...I was meditating for that long?"

"Yes you were!" Bisky said with a smile. "You were so deep in your meditation you didn't even hear me call your name. That can be a little dangerous, but we'll work on your instincts and awareness later. Having such a deep and calm meditation will help you develop your Ten quickly, and I think you're ready to be Awakened."

I blinked at her, still coming to grips that I had apparently been meditating for almost four hours without being aware of that time passing.

"You sure he wasn't just sleeping? He looks pretty out of it," Uzume teased.

"No, he wasn't snoring, so he couldn't have been asleep," Chiho defended me.

"Wait, what?" I asked, turning to her. "I snore when I sleep? And you know that?"

Chiho looked surprised. "Oh… you didn't know? I could hear it through the walls last night."

I turned to others, and they all just nodded in agreement with various degrees of amusement in their expressions.

"You've been doing it since the very beginning," Levy confirmed, giving me a look of amused pity. "It's not so bad, you get used to it pretty quick."

"It's good white noise, it reminds me of my computer fans," Matsu agreed.

I just gaped at them, floored by this revelation. "I just… I never knew," I said as I pored over my memories, wondering when was the last time I had slept in the same room as someone else. Other than a school trip in highschool I couldn't think of a single time that might have happened, and who knows if I was even snoring back then.

"It's okay Roland, none of us mind," Levy said. "Why don't we focus on Chiho and Uzume instead?"

I shook my head, pushing aside concerns of me snoring and my overly long meditation for now. "Right, right. How long now?"

"Less than a minute," she said.

"You hear that Chiho?" I said, turning to the other girl, who was once more being held close to Uzume, supported by her Sekirei's cloth, their fingers intertwined as they held hands. "You'll be healed and better than ever soon."

Chiho smiled and nodded. She exchanged a look with Uzume, silently communicating.

We all watched as the Stamp finished, the ink slowly growing and finishing the outer edges. It was a pretty simple design. At the core was my emblem of course, the tilted cube. And around it were angelic wings, sprouting from behind the cube. A few stray feathers fell below the cube as well.

I wasn't expecting any fanfare when the stamp completed, so I was surprised when the timer reached zero and there was a flash of light. But it didn't come from Chiho. Instead, white glowing wings sprouted from Uzume's back, and I saw her name appear under Chiho's on the Catalog app.

"Guess that confirms that I'm considered your Ashikabi as well," I guessed out loud as the others looked at her in surprise.

"Chiho is still my Ashikabi though, right?" Uzume asked, panicked.

"Well, kiss her and find out," I suggested with a gesture to Chiho, who was looking down at her body with a look of shock.

"Chiho?" Uzume said as she noticed her reaction. "Do you feel okay?"

"I feel… amazing," she said in a soft voice. "I'd forgotten what it was like to not hurt all the time."

"Try standing up," I said. "You should be able to now."

She looked at me, a look of joy quickly rising on her face, before she looked back at Uzume. Uzume nodded and gently tilted her, lowering her feet first onto the ground. Chiho tentatively moved her legs, the action just slightly awkward, and placed them on the ground. She took a moment to steel herself and then shifted her weight so she was standing, all on her own.

The Skyblock was silent as Chiho took a step forward. And then another. Her third step was accompanied by a sob as she started crying. "I can walk!" she cheered, voice tight with emotion but so obviously overjoyed that there was no doubt in anyone's mind that her tears were borne of anything but pure happiness.

"You can walk," Uzume repeated, her eyes tearing up as well. "You're healed."

Chiho turned to face Uzume. "I am," she agreed. "And I'm also still your Ashkabi. I can feel it." She stepped closer to Uzume, who was a good bit taller than her, and looked up at her with a loving look on her face. "I'll always be your Ashikabi." She then stood up on her tiptoes and kissed Uzume on the lips.

Wings of light sprouted from Uzume's back again as the two of them confirmed their status, and their kiss quickly deepened as they embraced each other in joy. It didn't last too long before their lips separated, but they kept holding on to each other, their foreheads pressed together.

"Forever and ever," I heard Uzume whisper, which caused Chiho to giggle in delight.

Chiho then stepped away from Uzume while keeping a grip on her hand and turned to the rest of us. "We'll be back later," she declared before instantly turning around and dragging Uzume into the house.

"Huh? Wait, Chiho, hold on!" Uzume said in confusion.

"I've waited long enough!" Chiho declared boldly. "You know how tempting it's been, sleeping next to you naked? I'm healthy now and there's nothing stopping us from loving each other!"

"Oh my, how passionate," Bisky commented, a grin on her face. Matsu chuckled and muttered something about 'yuri', while the others just looked on amused.

"We'll celebrate later," Levy said as they disappeared into the house. "It's a big moment for them."

"We'll bust out the chocolate we bought in Paldea that I've been saving," I said. "But for now… we'll just let them celebrate in their own way while we get back to work."

The others nodded, still in a good mood from the scene we just witnessed, and everyone split up, though Bisky and Matsu stayed close.

"Give me just a moment to take care of something, Bisky, then we'll move on with our training."

"Sure, sure, take your time," she said distractedly, still looking in the direction of where Uzume and Chiho went.

I decided to make good on my promise to Levy and bought Stress Defense using the Credits the capture of Chiho, and therefore Uzume, gave me. That left me with twelve credits, which I left alone for now. There were too many things I wanted but not enough that I needed, at least not immediately.

I did notice that, with the addition of Uzume, I could now get enough rebates on Mind Defense to get the first stage for free. I suppose all Sekirei being psychic was enough to qualify them for that rebate. I picked that up as well, because I'm not enough of an idiot to turn down a free Defense.

Right as I was about to turn back to Bisky and tell her I was ready to continue I heard the sound of moans echoing from the house. I couldn't tell if it was Uzume or Chiho, but it was clear that the two of them were enjoying Chiho's new health.

"Ufufufufu," Matsu let out a sinister laugh. "If only I had my cameras set up in there."

"Once we have a reliable source of power," I told her distractedly.

She looked at me. "Really?! Matsu can put cameras up?!"

"You will, whether or not I allow it, I'm sure," I said with a roll of my eyes. "But no, I don't mind. Just don't go and peep in person. Let them enjoy themselves alone right now, you can peep later."

"Yes Ashikabi-san!" she replied cheerfully, pleased at getting permission to peep. "Besides, I want to watch Bisky-tan fill you up with her thick aura and leave your orifices gaping."

I just gave her a deadpan look, but she ignored it in favor of continuing to chuckle darkly as the fantasies in her head ran wild. I just shook my head and turned to Bisky, tuning out Matsu and the moans from inside of the house. "I'm ready to continue going."

"Huh? Oh, right," Bisky said as she tore her gaze away from where the sounds were coming from and paid attention to me again. "Yes, if you think you can repeat that meditation trick, you shouldn't have any problems with Ten."

"I think I can," I replied. "I figured out the trick already, so I just have to do that again." I was, and honestly even now as I write this still am, surprised at how well I did with the meditation. Was it the result of the Talent? Some skill I secretly had all along? Something else? It was impossible to tell, as I hadn't ever seriously tried meditating before.

Whatever the reason, I was grateful for it. It would help me master the basics faster.

"You'll want to retain enough awareness of yourself to monitor and manipulate your Aura, so it might be a little different," she warned. "But I'll be here to help guide you, and even if you fail the worst that will happen is you tire yourself out and fall asleep." She looked around. "I'd like to do this indoors somewhere, with as few distractions as possible to start with."

"We could use the bath?" I suggested. "The bedroom is a little close to those two."

"Perfect!" Bisky agreed.

"Can Matsu come?" Mastu asked.

"It would be better if you didn't yet," Bisky said, looking towards me for my input.

"Why don't you help Kusano?" I suggested. "I'm not sure she'll be able to finish on her own."

Matsu pouted, but didn't protest. "Fiiiine. But I'll be expecting a reward tonight!" With that final demand she stormed off.

"This place is sounding more and more debauched with every moment," Bisky commented as she watched Matsu leave. "You walk around in the nude, you loudly make love without concern for the others around you, and your harem boldly demands nightly rewards."

"Is that a problem for you?" I asked, a little worried.

"Not at all!" she replied cheerfully, turning to face me. "In fact, I'm looking forward to living here more than ever before."

I barked out a laugh. "Perfect," I said. "Now, let's get started. I don't want to wait any longer."

"So eager," she teased as he entered the house through the other door, the one that led into the common area. Though as of now it's still more of a blank area that I want to install furniture in than anything else.

It was a short trip from there into the bathroom, which was also large and mostly empty. The only thing in it was the brick bathtub, and it was much too small for the room. But I had plans for a much larger bath, we just needed to figure out a few things first and take the time to construct it.

"Just stand still in the middle of the room," Bisky instructed me. "And take off your underwear."

I raised an eyebrow, but did as she said. "Is this gonna help, or are you just looking for more eye candy?"

"If I'm going to forcibly awaken you, we're going to do this as carefully and safely as possible," she said, watching me with her hands on her hips. I was already starting to recognize that pose as her lecturing one. "Which means I want as easy access to as many as your aura nodes as possible. Clothes are fairly permeable to aura, so the difference is admittedly pretty small. But there's no reason not to take this extra precaution."

"That would be a lot more convincing if you weren't staring at my dick," I said dryly, though I had long since lost my shyness about my body.

"Just because I have valid reasons for making you strip doesn't mean I can't also enjoy the view," she said without shame. I tried to remember if Bisky was always this much of a pervert, or if it was an effect of the Binding. I vaguely recalled her looking pretty pleased when she saw a naked Hisoka, so my best guess is that she just feels like she can be more open about things with us, which probably stems from both the Binding and the fact that we're 'debauched' as she put it.

So I just shook my head, even though I was pleased with this development. I then posed myself so I was relaxed, arms slightly spread so they weren't pressing up against me and potentially blocking some aura nodes. "Ready," I said, a little nervous. I trusted in her, but I knew that this was inherently risky.

Bisky nodded and approached me. Her skirt brushed against my legs as she placed a hand on my chest. It got a good sense of how small she was then, her head level with my stomach such that the top of it barely reached my chest. But I pushed those thoughts aside, and focused on trying to feel or sense in some way what was happening.

I didn't feel anything at first, even as Bisky's brow furrowed in concentration. Seconds ticked by without any sign of something happening.

But then I felt it. A tingle.

The tingle grew in size, starting where she was touching me and slowly propagating all over my body. Though to say it moved over my body was wrong, as it felt like it was just underneath the skin. And it was warm, almost hot, filling me with a strange heat that itched. But despite that, it was gentle, almost comforting.

After a few moments every part of my body tingled, from head to toe. I could even feel it in my eyeballs, which was a very weird sensation.

"I'm going to start now," Bisky said, tone serious. "I'll be as gentle as I can, but it will still be very sudden. I'm having to force them open after all. Brace yourself."

I nodded and tensed, ready. She took in a deep breath and then focused before pushing.

My senses exploded. That's the only way I can describe that moment. It was like someone flipped a switch. I was living in the dark without ever knowing it until Bisky turned on the lights.

It hurt for a moment, not unlike ripping a bandaid off, except the bandaid was somehow attached to every inch of exposed skin. But it faded away quickly as I felt the aura flowing from me, as I saw it before my very eyes pouring from my skin and leaking into the roof above me. It was like I was producing steam from my skin, but it was much thicker, and I could suddenly feel how it was being pulled from me.

"Amazing, isn't it?" Bisky asked, a gentle smile on her face. I looked up from my hands and focused on her. I could see her aura as well as a thin and solid layer hovering just off of her skin. It was completely calm compared to the reversed waterfall that was my own aura.

"Yeah," was all I said, at a loss for words. Then I blinked and shook my head. "Right, Ten, so I don't pass out."

"Close your eyes and focus on the feeling of it," Bisky ordered. "Now, meditate while standing up. Focus only on the feeling of your Aura, you should be able to sense it now."

I did as she said, closing my eyes and focusing inwards. This time I built my mental image slightly differently. I didn't put everything in the mental box. I kept the sound of Bisky's voice outside of it, and I wrapped the feeling of my aura around the box.

"Good, just like that," Bisky said, her voice sounding a little distant. "Remember, that is your aura. It's part of your body, and you can control where it goes. You want it to stay yours, and keep it close to you, as close to your skin as possible."

I focused more on my mental image of aura flowing around the box, linking it to the sensation I felt of my actual aura. I'd like to say that the mental image was perfect, and it let me control my aura immediately.

Unfortunately, that was not the case. I wasn't sure how long I meditated like that, focusing on refining my aura, but I know it wasn't quick.

Bisky talked me through it, offering tips and giving me feedback that confirmed what I felt with my own senses. Slowly, bit by bit, I reigned in my aura, slowing down the flow that escaped into the ceiling and the air above until it stopped entirely.

I had a few false starts where I'd relax and aura would start escaping again, but once I managed to get it stopped once it was a relatively easy task to figure out the exact level of focus I needed to stop it entirely.

Once I had managed to keep my aura contained for several moments, Bisky spoke again. "Good. Now, open your eyes."

I did as she said and immediately lost control of my aura, because Bisky was standing in front of me completely naked.

I gaped at her as she shook her head, a playful smile on her face. "No, no, that won't do. Focus on your aura again. This time with your eyes open."

I understood her intent now, realizing she had deliberately shocked me to make me lose control. Also probably just to have fun. I tried not to get distracted looking at her and focused on my aura again. I got it under control much faster that time, though it was still a conscious effort.

Bisky grinned at me teasingly. "Good job. You're getting better at an impressive rate."

I didn't have the mental bandwidth to do more than acknowledge that at that time, but as I write this I realize that I didn't really have a good idea of how long it takes to learn things. The anime mostly focused on Gon and Killua, who were prodigies on a level even Talents didn't push me to, considering it took me what I would guess to be upwards of twenty minutes to get a basic Ten and it only took them seconds.

So I just have to take Bisky at her word that Soul Talent was doing what it should be and helping me learn much faster than the average person.

I only thought about that later though. At that time I was a little distracted maintaining Ten while looking at Bisky's naked form.

I admittedly had a couple concerns when I bought her. I knew that in the most important ways, mentally and emotionally, Bisky was a mature woman. But her body was that of a young girl's, and I was concerned I'd have to turn her into a Familiar and build a separate bedroom for her because her body would prevent me from feeling any attraction to her.

Thankfully, that was not the case. Her dress obscured it, and she was certainly very small, but Biscuit did have a figure more akin to a woman's than a girl's. It was subtle, the way her body curved from her hips to her bust was actually curvy, and not the straight line of an actual child. It was barely there, but it was there.

And the same could be said for her breasts. They were small, but even a glance at her bare chest made it clear she actually had boobs that had started growing.

All in all she was younger looking than I'd prefer, but mature enough for me to consider her attractive anyway when paired with the knowledge that she was an adult. Her smug and playful grin as she caught me staring certainly helped reinforce that feeling, and so did the way her eyes lit up as my dick slowly stiffened in arousal after staring at her naked body.

"Oh my Roland, how inappropriate," she teased. "We're in the middle of training, it's hardly a good time for such thoughts."

I rolled my eyes. "I don't know what overcame me," I said. "It's almost as if there's someone trying to distract me."

She wagged her finger at me as she shook her head. "That won't do at all. You need to learn how to maintain your Ten at all times, no matter the distraction." She smiled at me. "Why don't we practice? I'll do my best to distract you, and you maintain your Ten. If you drop it, I'll stop and wait for you to take control again."

Her playful demeanor, the way she was getting closer to me, and the fact that we were both naked and alone together was enough for me to figure out what she meant by 'distracting' me, even with the little focus I could spare.

Of course, thinking about all the things she could do to me to distract me instantly caused my focus to slip, and my aura alongside it. I shook my head clear of those thoughts, putting them into the box, and got control over my aura again.

"Looks like you really need this training," Bisky said, her grin even wider now. She stepped even closer, putting my dick dangerously close to her naked body, specifically her upper chest. "Don't worry though. I'm here to make sure you can maintain your Ten no matter what. Are you ready?"

I swallowed, both in nervousness and anticipation, before readying myself. It was harder with my eyes open and taking in the sight in front of me, but I focused as much as I could on keeping control of my aura. I could feel it stabilizing a little more as I did. Confident I could handle what was coming next, I nodded to show my readiness.

Bisky didn't take action immediately, she just smirked at me and then took a step back before walking in a slow circle around me. I tried not to pay attention to her or imagine what she might do to distract me, but it wasn't easy. I could feel my aura ripple and shake as my control over it would almost slip, and I could feel her aura through some newly developed sixth sense.

So even when she was out of sight I was acutely aware of her position and how close she was to me. Even worse, I was very aware of my entire body, much more so than before, due to the sensation of aura escaping from the nodes all over it. This included my dick, which was now fully hardened and eager to be satisfied.

Once she had done a slow full circle around me she stopped in front of me again. Then, without warning, she leaned forward slightly and blew air gently over my dick.

I shuddered at the gentle pleasure as my aura bulged and threatened to escape from me again, but I managed to keep it under control, barely. She nodded, satisfied, and did it again, this time from closer. I was more ready this time and my aura barely reacted.

I watched as she opened her mouth and I tensed, my aura shaking as I anticipated her wrapping her lips around my cock. She leaned forward even more, and I felt my control of my Ten slipping.

And then she backed up with a teasing grin and a giggle, standing up straight again. "Remember what I said. If you lose your Ten, or look like you're about to lose it, I'll stop."

I noted that she added an extra qualifier there, but I didn't protest. "I know. I'll get it."

"Yes, you will," she agreed. "Already you're getting faster at slipping back into it. Now it's just a matter of practicing until you can do it without any thought."

As my aura stabilized she reached out and ran her finger alongside the underside of my shaft. My aura shook slightly but remained firm. She kept a smug look on her face as she gently stroked me, the tips of her fingers dragging up and down my length. It felt good, very good, and I couldn't ignore the feelings. But I endured, none of my aura escaping, and I even managed to keep it relatively steady.

That almost changed as she escalated things, placing the palm of her hand on the tip of my dick and rubbing it in circles, spreading the pre-cum that I had started leaking. The lubrication heightened the feeling of her skin against mine, causing me to release more precum that she used to lubricate even more of my dick, her grip firm on my shaft.

Soon my entire dick was lubricated and Bisky's small hand was stroking the entire length. I started regulating my breathing, focusing on maintaining a rhythm in order to not slip up and to distract me from her ministrations.

My breathing hitched as she, without my noticing or being able to prepare, suddenly took the tip of my dick into her mouth. My aura fluctuated, threatening to escape my control, but I got it back under control. I looked down at Bisky to see her watching my reaction carefully, an entirely too pleased look in her eyes even with the tip of my dick in her mouth. I couldn't tell if she was teaching me, or just teasing me. Though I guess there's no reason it couldn't have been both.

She stopped there, unmoving and mouth warm around the head of my cock, until my aura calmed down. Once it was back to a nice flat Ten, she started moving again, bobbing her head up and down as her tongue ran wild over the most sensitive part of my dick. One of her hands continued stroking the lower part of my shaft that her mouth didn't reach and her other one gently cupped my balls and started fondling them.

Her three-pronged attack was difficult to endure, in more ways than one. I could feel that familiar pressure inside of me building up, begging for release as she pleasured me, and my awareness of my own aura slipped away as I got closer.

And then, right before I finally reached that peak, she stopped. She was suddenly no longer touching me at all and my dick was twitching in the open air, missing her warmth and begging for the release it got oh so close to.

I gasped, and looked down at her annoyed, but she was just looking up at me with a raised eyebrow. It took a second for me to understand. My imminent orgasm has caused me to lose focus entirely, and my aura was freely seeping from me once more, not under my control at all.

My annoyance shifted from her to myself as I grimaced and pulled it back towards me. My Ten snapped back into place immediately.

"Hmm, well, you've certainly improved your ability to enter Ten," she said as she watched my face. "But you seem to have trouble keeping it up."

I'm sure her euphemism there was intentional, and it certainly did the job of aggravating me further. "It won't happen again," I declared, frustrated. "No matter what."

A grin grew on her face, her expression going from stern and businesslike to amused. "Oh? Is that so? Then how about this; if you can keep Ten up while you cum I'll give you a special reward. But if your Ten drops again… well, I'll just take it as a sign that this method of training isn't working, and we'll change methods. Understood?"

I nodded, frustration being wiped away as she raised the stakes and being replaced with focus. I slightly regretted my statement, but it was too late to back down, so I had to deal with the consequences.

I really didn't want her to stop training me like that.

"Good," she said in a pleased tone. I resumed my steady breathing and waited for her to start again, but she didn't move immediately. Instead, she does another loop around me, examining my Ten. She points out a few places where my aura isn't smooth and I fix them, working on improving the quality.

By the time she stopped my erection had started dropping from lack of stimulation. She smirked at it before grabbing it once again. She looked up at me as she stroked it, getting it back to full strength. The pressure inside of me had ebbed away as well, coming down from the brink of orgasm. But with her touch it started rising once again, stronger and fiercer this time.

I ignored it though, shutting those feelings into the box I created in my mind as she resumed her previous triple attack. I couldn't block it out entirely, waves of pressure leaked from the box to press against the layer of aura I was imagining around it, but I was holding firm.

As I once more got close to my orgasm, the feeling more powerful than before, she increased her pace, taking more of my length into her mouth as her tongue swirled around it. And the entire time she looked up at me with mischievous eyes, just waiting for me to mess up.

But I didn't. I refused. I felt my climax arrive and my balls churn in Bisky's grasp and then I came, shooting my load directly into her mouth. And while my aura rippled, it remained firm and under my control, even as Bisky sucked out every last drop of cum from my orgasm.

I watched as her throat bulged as she swallowed the remainder of my semen and slowly removed my cock from her mouth. She licked her lips as she looked up at me. "Good job!" she praised me cheerfully. "See, all you needed was proper motivation."

I nodded in agreement. "It is getting a lot easier, but it still takes some focus."

"Well we're not done yet," Bisky assured me. "In fact, you probably won't have it completely automated by the time you fall asleep tonight. You have made some good progress though, and this next step should help push you further."

"What about my reward?" I asked, trying to not sound like I was begging for it.

"We'll be multitasking a bit," Bisky said as she stepped closer to me. "Your reward is a chance at another challenge, one that will further your training. Now stay still."

I dutifully did as she said as she reached up and grabbed hold of my shoulders. I was very aware of the fact that she was also naked and basically pressing herself against me, but I didn't let it distract me too much. Not even when she then used her grip to pull herself up onto me, my dick sliding down her body as she rose only to slip between her legs, trailing against a surprisingly wet pussy before coming to a stop.

Her head was level with mine now and her feet were firmly planted on my hips, like I was a tree she was climbing. She didn't weigh much though, and between Body Tune Up and the increase in my strength I felt just from using Ten, it was easy to support her. Not that I was paying much attention to that fact when I could feel her pussy on my dick and she was looking into my eyes with an expression that showed just a hint of her desire.

"We're going to have sex," she declared in the same tone she had been using for all her previous instructions. "That's your reward. The challenge and training is that if you make me cum, and cum yourself, without losing control of your aura even once, I'll teach you a very special trick tomorrow." Her voice had dropped into a husky tone at her final words, promising that the trick she taught would be something I'd enjoy quite a bit.

And I was feeling more motivated than ever. "You're on," I said with a grin before putting my hands on her slim waist, shifting slightly, and then slamming her down to the hilt on my dick.

She let out a grunt as I suddenly filled her and followed it with a low groan of pleasure. Her legs slipped off of my hips from the sudden movement, but she smoothly shifted them so they were wrapped around me instead.

"If you were hoping to squeeze an easy orgasm from me by acting so quickly, then I'm sorry to say it'll take more than that," she said, panting slightly. "But it's a very good start."

I had been hoping for exactly that. Sexual Calibration meant I didn't have to worry about silly things like if I could actually fit inside of her or what the visible bulge I was causing in her stomach meant for her internal organs. We were operating in full hentai physics mode, and I had hoped to blitz her challenge.

On the bright side, failing to do so just meant more time having sex with her, so it was a win-win for me.

Instead of answering I just grunted and started bouncing her up and down on my dick, thrusting my hips as I used my grip on her to control her movements even further.

The downside of my sudden assault on her was that I also felt that sudden spike of pleasure as I entered her completely, and coming fresh off of an orgasm that left me pretty sensitive it had pushed me pretty close to another one almost immediately.

I didn't hold back my orgasm though. When it came I let it, holding the door open for it as I creampied the lolibaba bouncing on my dick. My attention was entirely on making sure I didn't lose Ten, which I managed with only the slightest of ripples running through it.

Bisky let out a pleased hum, and that was enough to tell me I wasn't close. Which was a shame, because I had been hoping that cumming inside of her would push her closer- it did for some of my other girls, that was a fact.

But I was still doing okay. She never mentioned an orgasm limit from me, so cumming now was no loss to me, especially since I was getting the hang of doing so without dropping Ten.

"Don't be afraid to be a little rougher," Bisky commented. "In fact, I'd advise you to do so. You've got a long way to go before you can even start worrying about hurting me."

In hindsight, it shouldn't have been surprising that she liked it rough. It was in the moment, even if I rolled with the realization. "Alright then, here goes nothing," I replied before starting to move.

I repeated my movements from earlier, but this time I put more oomph into them. Each thrust into her was sudden and deep enough that her clit pressed against the skin just above my dick as it disappeared entirely inside of her. Then I'd lift her up, pull back my hips, and slam her back down again, her stomach bulging each time.

Her grips on me tightened and she let out a moan. I tried not to let the sound of it, or the feeling of fucking her, distract me too much. But I also didn't ignore it. I wasn't learning to shut everything else so I could spend my entire life focusing on keeping my aura under control. I was learning to automate it, to be able to keep it up even while sleeping.

I would face plenty of distractions, many of them sexual just like this, and I had no intention of sacrificing my pleasure for the sake of Nen. I'd learn how to fully immerse myself into it while maintaining Ten.

So as I pounded away at Bisky like the doll she dressed as, I let those feelings out of the box, but still kept them within the bounds of my aura, which I wrapped tightly around them. My mental image of my aura was slowly shifting to be a constant, a part of me. It was my second skin, and the boundary marking this new level of awareness of the world around me.

Pleasure filled me, enhanced by the way I contained it within myself and my aura, like energy being concentrated into a smaller space. My thrusting got even faster as my aura steadied and I reached a breakthrough, even if I didn't realize it at the moment. All I had on my mind then was making Bisky cum.

She certainly looked like she was enjoying my attempts, her expression twisted into one of pleasure, but there was still a hint of smugness that bugged me in that state, like she believed I couldn't do it. So, for the first time in what felt like an hour or more, I moved. I stepped forward, not breaking my rhythm as I moved closer to the wall. I wasn't satisfied with our current position.

I stopped as I reached the wall. Bisky was breathing hard and her entire body was flushed with pleasure, but she wasn't quite where I wanted her, not yet. "What's the matter, big guy?" she asked. "Tired already?"

"Not a chance," I assured her, my tone gruff. "Grab the wall."

She looked momentarily confused at my instruction even as I lifted her up entirely off of my cock, forcing her legs and arms to unwrap from around me as I turned her around. But she grabbed the wall, the branches and roots being uneven enough to create convenient handholds, as I shifted our position.

Her upper body was horizontal with the floor, face down as was suspended between her grip on the wall and my grip on her hips. Her legs dangled towards the ground, too short to reach in this position. She looked at me over her shoulder, curiosity clear on her expression, but still with that hint of smugness.

I ignored her and instead lined my cock up with her again. But I wasn't aiming for her pussy this time. I was treated to the brief sight of her eyes opening in surprise before I pushed my hips forward and sheathed my cock inside of her asshole.

She let out a strangled noise halfway between an aborted scream and a moan, her body spasming. It wasn't a climax yet, but it was certainly much closer than I'd managed to get her so far, and I was fully prepared to press the advantage.

I didn't worry about my aura, or supporting her, or anything at all outside of my singular goal of making Bisky cum. Even as I felt my third orgasm arrived I didn't slow down. I shuddered and groaned as I climaxed, filling her final hole even as I continued to roughly pound into her.

Bisky was moaning properly then, clearly feeling the pleasure. Her head was hanging downward so I couldn't see her expression, but I could see the shudders of pleasure rippling through the smooth skin of her small back. Her grip on the wall was tight enough that I could see the bark breaking and bending under it.

Finally, after several minutes of pounding away at her ass, it happened. She lifted her head and threw it back as she let out a particularly loud moan and came, asshole clamping tight around my cock like a vice. Her legs kicked as the pleasure wracked through her, and then fell limp once again as her orgasm came to an end.

I stopped then, a feeling of pride welling up inside my chest at my accomplishment. I backed up slightly, pulling her off of my dick before gently lowering her hips until her feet hit the ground. Then I let go of her entirely, letting her stand under her own power.

She turned around, legs a little shaky. Semen slowly dripped down her inner thighs, and her skin was flushed and glistened with a layer of sweat.

"Congratulations," she said with a smile. "You did that much faster than I thought you would, and all without losing control of your aura."

My pride disappeared instantly, replaced by panic as I realized I hadn't so much as thought about my aura during that entire last bit. But, to my surprise, I was still in a state of Ten, the image of my aura in the back of my mind sitting perfectly intact. I looked down at my hands in wonder, seeing the thin and calm layer of aura resting there.

"I thought so," Bisky said. "I thought I felt a change in your aura. You stopped having to think about it, didn't you?"

I nodded. "Yeah. Even now that I'm aware of it again it just feels… I'm not sure how to describe it. Like it's snapped into place."

Bisky nodded. "That's as good a way as any to describe it. Nen is very personal, so what works for one person may not work for another. I had hoped this method would work with someone like you though, and I'm very glad to see it has." She flashed me a grin. "It's certainly been the most fun I've had teaching a student before. It's always worth trying new things."

"It was certainly unorthodox, but I'm not going to complain," I joked. "So that's it? I should be able to keep it up all the time now?"

"You'll probably still drop it in your sleep, but outside of that? Yes. Ten is the most basic of basics, and even if everyone learns differently, it's a near universal rule that once you manage it you won't lose control of it again except in specific situations such as grievous injuries, certain kinds of Nen attacks, and other exceptional circumstances. We'll start training you to keep it up when you sleep at night, I'll wake you up each time you drop it. It will double as your awareness training so you aren't caught off guard while you sleep."

"I'm a pretty heavy sleeper," I warned her. "I have to be, with so many people sharing my bed."

"Oh don't worry, if I want to wake you up, you'll wake up," she promised in a sinister manner. "And I hope you have room for one more in your bed, because I'll need to be close to help you train, of course."

"Of course," I agreed with a roll of my eyes. "There's probably some room you can squeeze into. Gonna have to figure out a rotation or something soon though." I gave her a look. "So? What's next? And what's the trick you're going to teach me?"

"We'll handle both of those tomorrow," Bisky said as she approached the entrance to the bath. There was a stack of towels that we kept there and I saw the pile of her clothes next to it. She started wiping herself down and cleaning up as she continued talking. "You need more time to mentally adjust to being awakened. Tomorrow I'll teach you Zetsu, and I'll also show you the trick, but learning it will be a process that takes days, if not weeks, even with your Talent."

She finished wiping herself off, primarily focusing on the cum that was leaking out of her lower holes, and then starting getting dressed again. I did the same, pulling my underwear back on. Once we were both dressed she turned to me. "For today? Just focus on the feeling of aura. Try to sense and see it. Not just your own, but mine and the others as well. Even this house, living as it is, is producing a small amount of aura."

I frowned. "I can feel and see yours, but I can't sense anything else."

She nodded. "That's how it is when you first Awaken. Focus on searching for that feeling from other people. You should be able to see it fairly easily, but it will take time for your sensitivity and range of your new sixth sense to increase. Focused effort can help that along though, so that's what you'll be doing for the rest of today."

"Yes, sensei," I replied back dutifully.

We exited the bath just in time to see Levy enter the house. She looked at me and a smile broke out on her face. "Oh! Good timing. The others finished their work and have also grabbed some stuff for dinner, so we're about to eat."

I took a moment to look at her, seeing her aura. It flowed faintly from her skin, like steam or smoke, trailing up her body until it reached her head, where it created a column of escaping aura floating upwards and dissipating into the air. I still couldn't feel it though.

"Alright, I'll help out," I said, starting to head for the garden.

"Actually, why don't you just go ahead and sit at the table?" Levy suggested, stopping me. "I've got a bit of a surprise for you."

I raised an eyebrow at that. "Alright, sure. What about the others?"

"I asked Matsu to get Uzume and Chiho-"

"Which she did by barging in, the voyeur," Uzume grumbled as her, Chiho, and Matsu all entered the room. Aura flowed from them as well, same as Levy. Uzume looked slightly annoyed, but also flushed and sweaty. Matsu looked pleased, like a fox that had gotten into the hen house.

On the other hand, Chiho, who had finally left her pajamas behind and was only wearing a pair of panties, flung herself at me, wrapping her arms around me and surprising me with a kiss directly on my lips. I reflexively returned the kiss, but the rest of me froze, unsure what was happening.

It wasn't a long kiss, just a peck really, and Chiho pulled back. "Thank you," she whispered. "Thank you so much."

I relaxed, and returned the hug she was giving me. "Of course," I replied gently. "I'm happy to help."

"Oh, not gonna get jealous, Uzume-tan?" Matsu asked teasingly, bringing my attention back to the group.

Uzume shook her head as Chiho and I broke our hug. "Nah, bro deserves it for helping Chiho like that. And I'm feeling pretty generous right now."

"Does that mean you two are going to join us tonight-"

"Don't push it," Uzume cut her off, putting her arm protectively around Chiho's shoulder.

I snorted, laughing at their banter, and Levy shook her head. "I'll go help Kusano prepare things," Levy said before heading back outside.

I went to the table as Levy had suggested earlier, taking my already traditional spot at the head of the table as the other sat around it. Bisky sat directly to my left and Matsu to my right, claiming the spots closest to me. Uzume and Chiho sat next to Bisky, together.

VV and Tinks climbed up on the table and I noticed that even those two had an aura, though it looked a little different. It didn't coalesce as strongly, floating from them in nearly transparent wisps. I asked Bisky later and she wasn't sure why it was different for them, but she assured me it felt the same to her other senses.

I could still feel Bisky's aura, and now that she was closer and I was feeling for it I thought I could feel Matsu's, but I wasn't sure. With her being unawakened, her aura was much weaker than someone like Bisky, and it was harder for me to sense.

"So how did it go?" Chiho asked. "With opening your nodes and Ten?"

"It went well," I reported. "My nodes are open and I can keep my aura close to me without thinking about it."

"Nodes?" Uzume asked, confused. Matsu scooched closer, scrutinizing me with narrowed eyes.

"I'll explain later," Chiho assured her before turning back to me. "But that means you can control your aura now?"

"It's too early to say that he can control it," Bisky added. "But it's not leaking away from him either. He picked up on the trick of it fairly quickly."

Matsu, now very close to me, sniffed at me. Her eyes widened. "You two had sex!" she burst out.

"I uhh… yeah?" I replied awkwardly. It wasn't like we tried to hide it, so I wasn't sure how to respond. "Bisky came up with some means to motivate me and train me at the same time. It worked out pretty well."

Matsu pouted. "So you guys shooed Matsu away so you could have kinky training sex together? That's not fair! I wanna do that too!"

I nearly facepalmed, remembering this was Matsu we were talking about. "When it's your turn to learn Nen we can try it out," I promised her.

"Hmph. Fine. Matsu wants you to do it though, not her." She looked at Bisky and then paused. "Although… getting dommed by a lolibaba isn't bad either…"

I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. Even with sex becoming such a central and casual part of my life, it was hard to keep up with the way Matsu's thought process worked. "How about we both do it?"

"Perfect!" Matsu agreed instantly. "Ashikabi-tan is a genius!"

I rolled my eyes, but I was saved from having to come up with a response by Uzume speaking up. "Did you really get stronger? I don't see anything different about you." She sounded more curious than skeptical.

"Aura isn't something you can see or sense unless you've unlocked your own," I said before pausing to consider that. "Well, there might be some people out there in other worlds who have other senses that let them notice it, but normal people need aura to sense aura."

"You could try hitting him," Bisky offered. "Even just at this level his aura will act as a shield that reduces physical damage, and you'll be able to tell if you attack him."

"I'm just going to take your word for it," Uzume replied sheepishly. "There's no way I could attack the person who healed Chiho."

"You're a combatant, right?" Bisky asked. "We'll have to start Roland sparring with some others sooner or later. I certainly hope you'll be able to attack him then."

"Well, if we're sparring, I guess…" Uzume admitted. "Oh, speaking of which, how did the cotton harvesting go?"

That wasn't at all related to what we were talking about before, but nobody commented on the obvious subject change. "We won't be sleeping on cotton beds tonight, unfortunately," Matsu said. "We need a lot more cotton, and then we need to clean it up a bit. It will probably take another day or two."

"I'll help tomorrow," Chiho volunteered.

"I was thinking we could open your nodes tomorrow, Chiho," I mentioned.

"Oh," she replied with a pause. "Could we wait a little while on that? I kind of want to get used to just being able to move normally again before I add anything else on top of that."

I considered it for a moment before nodding. "Sure, that makes sense. There's no rush on that, though if the next world is dangerous I might ask you to stay here and not go through the portal."

"That makes sense," Chiho agreed with a nod.

"I don't want you going anywhere dangerous even if you have this aura stuff," Uzume interjected.

"But wouldn't that mean we'd be apart every time the portal opens?" Chiho pointed out.

Uzume's expression grew conflicted. "That's… true. Fine, but only after you get aura, and we'll stick together at all times!"

They started staring into each other's eyes again, expressions filled with love, and I was glad to see that I hadn't been made a liar, and even with the Stamp the two of them still loved each other just as much.

Now it was just a matter of time before they loved me as well, and there were already small signs of that happening. After my talk with Levy the other day, I don't feel very guilty about that anymore. Just excited.

Kusano and Levy walked into the house a moment later. They were each carrying one of the clay slats we used as flat surfaces to work on and each of those had four bowl-like containers balanced on them. But two things stood out instantly.

First, the smell. There was the hot smell of cooked food wafting ahead of them, and it smelt good. I couldn't quite place it at first, but it was definitely familiar.

And second, one of those bowls was new, and it was a golden color.

"Dinner's here!" Levy announced. "And we've got a surprise for you. Kusano decided to try making some fried rice!"

"Levy helped!" insisted Kusano as the two of them started putting bowls in front of people.

I just stared, not entirely sure how to react, as Levy flashed me a grin and put the golden bowl in front of me. Sure enough it was filled with the familiar sight of fried rice with chopped vegetables. We didn't have any egg, nor did I see any meat in there, but it was certainly better than most of what we ate. And it wasn't even burnt!

But I was a little distracted by the bowl itself. "Is this…?" I started to ask before trailing off.

"That's our first prototype bowl," Levy said as she set the clay slat aside and sat down with her own bowl. Kusano sat down next to her. "After a lot of thought, I decided that gold was our best bet for dishes and the like."

I blinked at her. "Gold."

She nodded. "Gold."

I looked down at the bowl, which hadn't changed, and then back up at her. "Like… gold gold?"

Levy's shoulders shook as she suppressed a laugh. "Yes, Roland, like real life actual gold, the super valuable kind."

"Okay, sure, but why gold?" I asked, hesitantly tapping the side of the bowl.

"Because it's completely safe to eat small amounts of it so we don't have to worry about toxins or anything and I knew how to make it already," Levy said. "Sure, it's not the most practical. Silver is pretty much the same and has a lower melting point, so it would be easier to work with. In fact, we'll probably switch to that once I learn how to make it with my magic. But I wanted to give you the best of the best! How many people can say they eat off of pure gold dinnerware?"

"Not many," I agreed. "But you already knew how to make gold?"

"Well…" she started a little sheepishly. "When I first started learning Solid Script it was one of the first things I looked into. I had big ideas of paying for my rent by making gold. I was bragging about how I had managed it when I was told that the Council would come down on me pretty hard if I did that. But there's no Council here! So I decided why not?"

I examined the bowl more closely, aware of everyone else doing the same. It wasn't perfectly spherical, but it was nicer looking than I expected for their first bowl. "You did a really good job with this."

Levy's smile widened. "Thank you. Tinks and I worked hard on it. Fueling the fire to melt down the gold so we could pour it into the mold took a lot of magic."

"You didn't make an actual fire and use the bike pump to supply air?" I asked.

She shook her head. "We tried that at first, but it just wasn't offering enough airflow. We'll have to make a bellows, or something like it, if we want good enough airflow, but we don't have the materials for it right now."

I sighed. "I didn't even think about the volume of air when I bought it. I should have realized that was an issue. I just thought 'oh, we need to pump air, here's an air pump' and bought it."

"It's alright, we're still experimenting with types of metal, so using my magic a little inefficiently is fine," she reassured me. "But enough about metalworking, I can tell you all about that later. We should eat before Kusano's hard work goes cold!"

"Right, no yeah, I just got distracted by the gold," I said, focusing back on that. "Kusano, you decided to try to cook?"

She nodded. "Levy helped me find the recipe on your phone. She also made the fire I used to cook the rice and then fry everything. But it said it was really easy to make and it was! It might not be much, but I hope you enjoy it."

"Itadakimasu!" Matsu said before digging in, not waiting any longer. The rest of us followed suit, shoveling the hot food into our mouths.

It wasn't the best fried rice I'd ever had, but knowing that one of us made it, this impossible group of six adults, or close enough, who had no idea how to cook a single meal?

"This is amazing," I said, causing Kusano to blush.

"I figured that, since I was the one growing the food, I kinda wanted to try preparing it too," she said, embarrassed. "I have a long way to go before I deserve that kind of praise."

"No, no, for your first time this is really good," Matsu agreed. "Hell, even if you cooked often I would say this is pretty decent. Sure, it's simple, but it's tasty. Rice could use a little work though."

"I overcooked it a little…" Kusano admitted.

"I honestly didn't even notice," I commented. "But no one was expecting you to get it perfect on the first try. I'm really proud of you for not only taking this initiative, but doing such a good job."

Kusano blushed, but she looked pleased. "Really?"

"Really," I assured her.

There wasn't much more talk as we scarfed down our food, all of us wanting seconds but there not being anything left. But Levy saved the day by bringing out some chocolate bars, one for each person, for dessert and to celebrate Chiho being healed. It was simple fare, but it was the first hot food we'd had since… well, since Izumo Inn, which felt so long ago at this point. It's been a hectic few days.

Now, after dinner, we're all relaxing. Most of us, the ones who aren't currently bathing at least, are still hanging out around the dining table, talking. We don't have much in the way of entertainment, and it doesn't help that things get pretty dark in the house as the sun goes down. We'll need to figure out how to solve both of those soon. Candles would solve the lighting issue at least. Something to think about next time the portal opens.

It's still crazy to me that I've started learning honest to god Nen now. I can see my aura, I can feel it, and I'm starting to be able to feel the others, so long as they're close to me. It's surreal, and this is just the first step. It's a long road of training ahead of me, but it's a road that could lead anywhere. And I can't wait to explore it.

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AN: I tried to keep the Nen lecture to what is only relevant now and explain it concisely, that way I wasn't writing several thousand words of basically reworded information from the wiki. I'll explain things in bits and pieces as they're relevant, that way those who don't know Hunter x Hunter(go watch it right now) can follow.

Initially I wasn't sure how I was going to handle Bisky lewds. Mostly because in my first plans for the chapter I didn't see a good time to include them, but I also knew for a fact that she'd be involved in the normal nightly stuff, and I wanted her to have her focus before that happened, so you could see Roland experiencing her for the first time. I had some thoughts and comments I wanted Roland to address when it comes to her specifically that are better suited for a first time and would feel weird being talked about if they've been banging nightly for several days.

But then I came up with the lewd training idea, which sounded like a lot of fun and it was productive/effective so it was a win-win. Honestly, after a certain point, the scene was just writing itself, going a bit off track for the plans I had for it. But that's more than okay by me.

I'm not always going to have a smut scene in a chapter. In fact, the next one may or may not, depending on how I handle Chiho and Uzume. But with so many new additions to the cast, I wanted to take the time to highlight all of them.