Sitting under the familiar rain cloud, Auren can't do much but simply watch over the egg as it is suddenly surrounded by an intense Aura.
It looks like Ren; the Aura is definitely very active. Thinking back... it's been a long time since I last infused it with my Aura.
The egg now glows with thick and dense Aura, the sheer amount surprising Auren.
This much Aura... it's definitely a surprise... but considering what I invested in it...
... the colossal amount of money ...
... then the Aura from everyone ...
... and finally, the many months I've carried it around.
It looks like my efforts paid off.
Auren watches as the Aura grows even further, the egg's smooth surface now beginning to show cracks, steadily growing bigger, creating snappy, loud sounds.
Should I help? No... I suppose most animals and beasts are capable of hatching on their own. I might free it too early or make it view me as a predator.
Gathering more and more Aura, the egg continues to crack more, Aura now seeping out through the growing gaps in the shell.
Despite the loss, the Aura continues to grow and grow before finally exploding in one last burst. The shell cracks loudly, and a large part of it breaks away.
Then the Aura immediately calms down before almost completely vanishing.
As the rain quietly falls onto the ground, Auren can't help but stare at the now-cracked-open egg.
From inside, he hears a soft, indescribable cry.
Leaning forward, Auren sees two large, bright green eyes that remind him of his own Faerie's Tear, which he is currently lending to Killua. The eyes stare curiously at Auren, focused directly on him, meeting his gaze head-on, looking innocent.
Around those eyes, Auren sees a small, smooth face.
Taking in the full shape of the beast, Auren immediately recognizes what it is, a hint of surprise appearing on his face.
It's a snake, a cute one, but the colors are unusual.
With its bright green eyes, the snake is distinctly multicolored. Its lower body is pale blue, somewhat resembling his own Hatsu, Azure Restoration, though less colorful and intense. The pale blue gradually turns into a light brown as it reaches the upper half of the snake's body. It has visible, distinct scales that glimmer under the moonlight, reminding Auren of fingerprints because of how indescribably complex they are, covered in countless faint lines, imprints, and patterns.
Most noticeably, a few darker brown strands resembling fine hairs grow along its body, each one ending in a green tip that is barely visible.
Still staring at the small snake, Auren is not quite sure what to do.
I... perhaps I should have prepared a little better. I rushed outside without bringing any food. I bought plenty of supplies, and I've got a lot of different animal meat and even various milk stored in the airship... just to be sure.
Wait... I don't think baby snakes even eat right after hatching. I learned about snakes while analyzing the devolved Hellbells. Leira gave us a couple of lessons. They have an internal yolk sac, so they don't require immediate sustenance. Afterwards, they eat the same things as adult snakes, only in smaller, bite-sized pieces. So I could have done without the milk, whatever. I can maybe give it away to someone as a joke.
So, I guess I don't need to feed it right away, and once it finally gets hungry, some cut-up meat should be enough. In a sense, a snake isn't the most difficult pet to take care of.
I can even catch some fresh bugs, mice, or maybe squirrels.
However, despite Auren's analysis, the little snake continues staring at him, its eyes beginning to tremble.
Suddenly, unlike any normal snake, it cries out loudly in a shrill voice, reminding Auren of a small, hungry cat. The sound does not suit a tiny snake at all, as the opposite of a hiss.
Uh... this is a little strange.
Not frightened in the least, Auren gently picks up the snake, which likewise shows no fear of him.
Remaining still for a moment, the snake looks at Auren with a desperate expression before crying out again, this time a little more softly.
"I don't know what you want, little one," Auren mutters.
Desperate, the snake opens its tiny mouth and presses it against Auren's chest, though the armor he is always wearing remains completely resistant and doesn't even budge.
Is it attacking me?
Wait... no, it's not biting me.
Dragging its head desperately across the armor, it looks as though it is trying to polish it, reminding Auren of a windshield wiper.
After wiping across the clean surface of his armor, the snake, seemingly unsatisfied, stretches its head towards the ground and lets out another desperate and pitiful cry.
"What do you want?" Auren asks, looking down at the ground, but seeing nothing except a small hole and a puddle of water that is already full, the excess steadily flowing down the side of the small hill where Auren is sitting.
Lowering his body, he gently places the snake next to the puddle, only for it to immediately slither towards the water before falling inside.
Snakes can swim, but a small animal like that may still drown. I need to pull it out... even this little puddle might be too deep for it to climb out on its own.
However, before Auren can grab it, the puddle almost instantly empties itself, seemingly vanishing right before his eyes.
The snake is now clearly visible again, the puddle having turned into nothing more than a small, muddy hole.
Huh?
Did it drink all that water?
Looking slightly displeased, the snake lets out an even louder cry before gesturing towards another nearby puddle.
What is going on?
"You... want more?" Auren asks. "A thirsty snake, that's a rather uncommon occurrence, especially for one so young. But it's not good to drink that muddy water; let's get you some cleaner water."
Carrying the snake as he descends the small hill, Auren hears it cry out in sadness, stretching its small head back towards the puddle they are leaving behind.
Should I get some water from the estate?
No, that might take too long. It seems almost a little too desperate... it's best to trust my instincts and give it what it wants.
En!
Now... let me see....
Auren scans the surroundings and immediately approaches a nearby rocky surface, a huge boulder sticking out of the ground, the rain slowly washing away the dried dirt on its surface.
This seems to be a half-buried boulder... it's quite large despite having only a small part of it exposed.
Still gently holding the snake with only his left hand, he gathers Aura around his right hand, balling it into a fist.
The snake immediately perks up and looks towards Auren's hand with interest. Auren quickly notices that it instinctively gathers its own Aura around its eyes, performing Gyo, without any noticeable flaw, acting only on instinct.
Nen from birth... and even Gyo!
It's performing it with pure instinct.
This is what the Gatekeeper was after... a superior being. A higher existence. Above humans!
Though my memories are fragmented, I remember that the elite of Chimera Ants could also use Nen from birth... but I believe that was limited to the King and his Royal Guards. Also, those ants did not grow up but were born with adult bodies.
I could be wrong, since these details are more than fragmented, but I remember that those four were Nen geniuses from the very beginning, unlike the other ants, who needed to be awakened. This snake... is most likely on par with them.
Maybe even...!
Anyway... this isn't the time.
Gathering Aura around his bare fist, with his boots being his only remaining Regalia and therefore of no help here, Auren strikes the rock while holding himself back as much as possible.
Even so, with the amount of Aura he invested into the punch, part of the rock explodes, leaving behind a large, crater-like hole somewhat similar to the impact zones created by Vanessa's Meteor Fist.
The mostly clean boulder slowly begins filling with rainwater, and Auren gently places the snake down in the center while water runs into the crater from every side, slowly filling it up.
As soon as it touches the ground, the snake opens its mouth and begins to drink, but the rather light rain is not intense enough to satisfy it. It cries out once more while desperately searching for more water, licking up the water as soon as it flows into the crater.
Fine... let me speed things up for you. I'd best hurry... this much Aura should suffice!
Stretching his right hand into the air, Auren sends more Aura towards the sky. The cloud created by Heavy Rain immediately grows larger and significantly denser, the rain suddenly pouring down much faster, with raindrops nearly five times their previous size falling from the sky.
Immediately, the crater in the shattered boulder fills with water, causing the snake to cry out in joy. Now partially submerged, it eagerly drinks directly from the pool.
Auren watches with curiosity as the snake continues drinking and minute after minute passes.
This is kinda interesting.
It gulps down many liters of water, leaving Auren increasingly confused, as more and more rain pours down on him, now reaching levels far beyond any natural rain.
This is strange! It's such a tiny snake. It weighs maybe a couple hundred grams to a kilo; I didn't pay close attention... but not much more. So how can it drink this much? It has already gulped down more than ten... no, twenty times the weight of its own body!
It also didn't grow in size or get bloated.
Does it have a black hole in its stomach?
Does it have... some kind of special connection with water?
That strange craving I had in the past... I was carrying that egg around the entire time.
I was always craving rain and clouds... I even focused on developing Heavy Rain almost entirely on a whim.
Did it influence me unconsciously?!
I always liked rain... maybe this is just a coincidence.
Or... perhaps my fondness for rain influenced it instead?
In the end, this could be nothing, but it's best to pay close attention going forward. I may have underestimated this egg and the snake inside.
The snake, drinking faster than the rain can refill the hole, looks up at Auren with pleading, puppy-like eyes.
"You want more, huh? Fine!" Auren replies, using Heavy Rain at full capacity, something he has rarely done before.
After a brief delay, the formation above him can no longer be called a mere cloud. It looks more like an unnatural phenomenon of an incredibly dark color, as though a dark hole leading into another dimension has opened across the sky. Water no longer simply rains down. It pours from above in overwhelming amounts, resembling an enormous waterfall.
Not paying much attention, Auren's thoughts are still racing, going over his behavior in the last months, trying to remember things out of the ordinary.
Cheering loudly as the rain transforms into streams of water, the snake slithers around excitedly, now able to drink as much as it desires.
Still deep in thought, Auren watches the snake continue gulping down the rain while he pours more and more Aura into the cloud, continuing to ponder the situation. Water rapidly spreads throughout the surroundings, making the area resemble the flooded banks of a raging river, with some of the smaller bushes and trees becoming almost entirely submerged.
Finally, after a good fifteen minutes, the hole in the rock no longer mysteriously empties itself, and the snake floats calmly on top of the water, appearing completely satisfied.
Looking back at Auren, it slowly slithers towards him, moving over his foot, up his leg, around his waist, across his stomach and chest, and finally wrapping itself around his neck.
Feeling its smooth, soft, and wet body surrounding him, Auren suppresses a laugh as it tickles him, sending goosebumps across his skin, though not in an unpleasant manner.
Seemingly tired, the snake lowers its head and closes its emerald-green eyes.
No longer entirely focused on the snake, Auren looks around himself. He is still standing on the rock, which remains somewhat elevated, allowing him to clearly see the damage he has caused to the forest in the backyard of the Zoldyck family estate.
The earth has become completely loose and soaked through, while several trees are being dragged down the mountain by the flood. Various animals, including squirrels, mice, foxes, and wolves, desperately fight against the current, clinging to trees and exposed roots to avoid being swept away.
In a matter of minutes, the formerly dry forest has transformed into a dirty, flooded river, ravaging down the mountain slope.
Damn... I'm not sure the Zoldycks will appreciate that.
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