Leorio the Shadow Monarch - Chapter 17
Chapter 17: Consolidating & Surviving
The adrenaline from the Hisoka encounter had long since faded, leaving behind a residue of cold, hard terror and an unsettling clarity. Leorio sat hidden in his makeshift jungle base camp, the silence broken only by the chirping of insects and the trickle of the nearby stream. He took out the two badges: his own #403 and Ponzu’s #246. Six points. Objective complete. He had, technically, fulfilled the requirements for Phase Four.
But the way he’d almost failed… the sheer, effortless brutality with which Hisoka had dismantled him and his entire shadow pig army… it left no room for celebration. His survival was owed entirely to `Shadow Exchange` and the `Status Recovery` he’d luckily saved from his obsessive training grind in the Tower. Without those system-specific safety nets, he’d be just another casualty staining the Zevil Island soil.
His first, most immediate priority was re-establishing that safety net. The stored `Status Recovery` was gone, used in that desperate, life-saving moment. He couldn’t afford to be without it again, not in this death trap of an island with Hisoka potentially still prowling. Ignoring the lingering aches that felt more psychological than physical now, Leorio forced himself into the familiar, grueling rhythm of the `[Path to Strength]` daily quest. Push-ups, sit-ups, squats, relentless pacing around his small clearing. There was no satisfaction in it this time, only grim necessity. Each repetition was fueled by the memory of Hisoka’s killing intent, the feeling of bones breaking, the encroaching darkness. He needed that emergency heal back.
After an hour of determined effort that barely registered against his high stats but still felt mentally taxing, the notification chimed. `[Path to Strength Complete!] Choose Your Reward: [1. Status Recovery] [2. +3 Stat Points] [3. Random Reward Box]`. Without hesitation, he selected `[Status Recovery]`. The prompt confirmed: `[Status Recovery reward acquired. Stored for manual activation. Available Charges: 1]`. A tiny fraction of the tension eased from his shoulders. The panic button was back online.
Next, assessment. His physical stats were high (STR 70!), his system offered unique utilities, but Hisoka proved that meant little against true Nen mastery. The raw output of aura, Ren, seemed critical for both offense and defense at higher levels. Hisoka hadn’t needed complex Hatsu; simple Nen-enhanced strikes were enough to shatter Leorio’s defenses and Shadow Pigs alike. Leorio needed to boost his own output.
He checked the system requirements for `[Ren Lv2]` -> `[Ren Lv3]`. `[Requirement: Maintain Ren state for a cumulative total of 1000 minutes.]` One thousand minutes. Nearly seventeen hours of actively flaring his aura. It sounded exhausting. But then he checked his AP regeneration rate – fueled by his INT 44, it was likely well over 2000 AP per minute now. Ren Lv2’s cost was maybe 150-200 AP/min. His regeneration far outpaced the drain. He could, theoretically, maintain Ren indefinitely without running out of AP. The limitation wasn’t energy; it was focus, mental fortitude, and just the sheer discomfort of constantly projecting power.
“Alright, system,” Leorio decided grimly. “You gave me the endurance of a marathon runner and the battery of a small power plant. Let’s see if I can handle being a living Nen radiator for a while.”
Before starting his Ren marathon, he needed security. His shadow dimension was empty, his 18 pig tanks having been brutally decommissioned by Hisoka. He couldn’t stay blind. He made a short, extremely cautious foray out from his base, `Observe Lv1` constantly scanning, `Ten Lv2` active. He didn’t go far, just enough to find suitable replacements. He dispatched a pair of meter-long Giant Centipedes and two tree vipers with swift, decisive force – his STR 70 made quick work of them.
`[Shadow Extraction]` x4.
The system confirmed his new acquisitions: `[Shadow Centipede Lv6]` x2 and `[Shadow Viper Lv7]` x2. Weaker than the pigs, certainly, but faster, stealthier perhaps, and better than nothing. He returned to his base and deployed them using `[Shadow Preservation]` sensory link, placing them strategically around his 43-meter command perimeter. Four spectral guardians, his new, downsized security detail. `[Shadow Dimension: 4/20]`.
With his recovery stored and sentries posted, Leorio began the Ren trial. He sat, cross-legged again, and activated `[Ren Lv2]`. The familiar outward pressure bloomed around him, stronger now after the level up, feeling like a low hum of barely contained power. He focused on maintaining it, hour after hour. The AP bar barely dipped thanks to his regeneration, but the mental strain was real. It required constant focus, a conscious effort to keep the aura flowing outwards. He meditated, trying to control the intensity, sometimes letting it pulse slightly stronger, sometimes trying to keep it perfectly steady. He listened to the sounds of the jungle through his own ears and the filtered input from his shadow sentries – the distant cries, the rustling leaves, the unnerving silences.
The next four days passed in a haze of paranoia and intense focus. Leorio rarely left the immediate vicinity of his clearing. He kept `Ren` active for hours at a time, taking breaks only to perform the `Path to Strength` cycle (claiming the +3 Stat points now, banking them), eat sparingly (the Spider Eagle egg was surprisingly filling, supplemented by edible plants identified via `Observe`), and sleep fitfully, always keeping `Ten` active. He constantly monitored his shadow sentries’ senses. A large monitor lizard wandering too close sent his heart racing until he identified it. The distant sound of snapping branches had him activating `Zetsu` and hiding motionlessly for half an hour. He saw no other applicants, and fervently hoped none saw him. Hisoka could be anywhere.
His diligence paid off. Midway through the third day of near-constant Ren usage, the system chimed: `[Ren skill proficiency threshold reached!] [Ren Lv3 Reached!]`. He felt a distinct shift. The aura flowing from him felt significantly more potent, denser, easier to control, and the AP cost seemed slightly lower, maybe 180 AP/min now. Encouraged, he doubled down on practicing `Ten` during his Ren breaks. By the fourth day, another notification: `[Ten Lv3 Reached!]`. The passive aura shroud felt even more compressed, and Ten shifted from Active Skill to Passive Skill.
Its AP drain practically negligible.
Even `[Observe]` ticked over: `[Observe Lv2 Reached!]`. He tested it on a passing bird: `[Zevil Island Hawk | Lv 10 | Type: Avian Fauna (Non-Nen User) | Condition: Hunting | Affinity: None]`. Being able to see ‘Affinity’ (or lack thereof) was a massive diagnostic improvement for the future.
On the morning of the seventh day, just as Leorio was contemplating another Ren session, a deep, resonant horn blast echoed across the entire island, seemingly coming from the direction of the initial landing point. The signal. Phase Four was over.
He let out a long, slow breath, the tension he hadn’t fully realized he was holding releasing in a rush. He had done it. Survived. He meticulously checked his badges – #403 and #246 were secure. He recalled his four shadow guards, preserving them fully. Time to go. He emerged cautiously from his hiding spot, using `Zetsu` initially, scanning carefully before walking towards the coast.
As he joined the trickle of other survivors heading towards the designated extraction point, the final system notifications arrived.
`[Main Scenario Quest: The Fourth Gamble – Complete!]`
`[Calculating Rewards…]`
`[+5000 EXP Acquired!]`
`[LEVEL UP!] x 5`
`[You have reached Level 48!]`
`[All Stats increased +5!]`
`[HP Increased! Current HP: 2650/2650]`
`[HP Recovery Increased! Current Rate: 137 HP/min (5.2%)]` (Recalculated based on user panel VIT 52)
`[AP Increased! Current AP: 52000/52000]`
`[AP Recovery Increased! Current Rate: 2288 AP/min (4.4%)]` (Recalculated based on user panel INT 49)
`[Fatigue has been reset to 0%!]`
`[New Passive Skill Unlocked: Tenacity!]`
He quickly absorbed the information, feeling the familiar surge of power settle into his bones. Level 48. Another solid jump. He checked the new passive: `[Tenacity (Passive)]: When the Host’s HP drops below 30%, Resilience increases dramatically. Any further damage received is reduced by 50%. Effect persists until HP recovers above 30%.`
Leorio gave a grim chuckle. “Right. First, regenerate limbs. Now, become tougher when nearly dead. System, are you preparing me for a career in getting beaten half to death?” It was another powerful survival tool, born directly from his near-fatal encounter with Hisoka. The system adapted, rewarded survival against overwhelming odds.
He pulled up his full status screen one last time on the island, verifying the numbers against the prompt he anticipated.
—
Name: Leorio Paradinight
Level: 48 (22%)
Affinity: Emission
Job: Shadow Monarch
…
HP: 2650/2650 [Recovery: 138 HP/min (5.2%)]
AP: 52000/52000 [Recovery: 2288 AP/min (4.4%)]
Fatigue: 0%
…
STR: 75
AGI: 48
VIT: 52
INT: 49
SEN: 48
…
Passive Skill: Detoxification (MAX), Will to Recover, Tenacity
Active Skill: Spirit Lv2 (3%), Observe Lv2 (4%), Ten Lv3 (17%), Zetsu Lv2 (16%), Ren Lv3 (3%)
Job Skill: Shadow Extraction Lv1 (11%), Shadow Preservation Lv1 (18%), Shadow Exchange Lv1 (0%), Monarch’s Domain Lv1 (0%)
…
[Stat Points: 0]
[Shadow Dimension: Shadow Centipede Lv6 (x2), Shadow Viper Lv7 (x2) | Total: 4/20]
[Currency: 0 Jenny]
[Quest: Path to Strength (Daily, Reset?), The Final Test (Main Scenario, New?)]
[Inventory: Badge (#403), Badge (#246), Wallet, First Aid Kit, …]
[Mall]
—
Panel updated as per user specs, HP/AP regen recalculated for accuracy based on those final VIT/INT.
The numbers confirmed his growth. Stronger, faster, tougher, mentally sharper, higher energy reserves, more resilient, better Nen basics, even a slightly improved `Observe`. Phase Four had been terrifying, humbling, but ultimately, incredibly productive. He had the necessary points, he had survived, and he had leveled up significantly in both stats and foundational Nen skills.
He joined the group of survivors gathering near the shore where the ship waited. He saw Gon, Killua, Kurapika – all looking weary but alive. He saw Hisoka and Gittarackur, thankfully keeping their distance. He even saw Tonpa, somehow having survived yet again.
Zevil Island was behind him. The Fifth and Final Phase awaited. Whatever it was, Leorio felt a grim readiness. He wasn’t the same naive fanboy who woke up in a tunnel weeks ago. He was stronger, tougher, and acutely aware of the dangers ahead. And he had a system full of tricks, plus one hell of a regeneration factor, just in case.