The test had barely ended.
The Reclamation Exam still boiled with factions, whispers, and conspiracies.
But Kaen walked through it like a dreamer lucid in his own world.
His power? Imagination. Understanding. Adaptation.
Now he would give those elements form.
"A palace needs more than walls…" Kaen muttered, walking the spiral staircase of the Thought Gauntlet.
"It needs people to protect it. Teach it. Question it."
"A palace needs a kingdom."
And so, the Mind Palace began to summon more than Nen abilities.
It began to attract people—by fate, by desire, by resonance.
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👑 The King – Kaen
Of course, Kaen is the ruler.
He doesn't rule by decree—but by inspiration.
His ability allows him to copy any Nen ability he understands and evolve it through creative construction, turning ideas into new, original techniques.
He understands now: true kingship is not dominance, but vision.
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👸 The Queen – Selva, the Dream-Horned Guardian
He met her during the second Gauntlet.
Selva is a Conjurer-Specialist hybrid, capable of materializing beasts based on subconscious desire.
But her abilities were unstable—until Kaen helped her form her first stable summon:
"Heart-Horned Wyrm: Draumurinn"
A guardian beast that lives off shared dreams. Its power?
"It gets stronger when near a person it emotionally trusts."
Selva saw in Kaen a dream stronger than her fears.
She joined him—calm, deadly, devoted.
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🧠 The Advisor – Renzu, the Whisper-Maker
Former examiner. Nen type: Manipulator with Emission tendencies.
Renzu's ability, "Whisperflow," lets him encode thoughts into particles in the air.
He can communicate ideas silently, over distance, or even implant subtle intentions.
Perfect for strategy, interrogation, or court diplomacy.
Renzu doesn't follow Kaen for loyalty—but out of fascination. He wants to see how far imagination can go.
"You'll burn down the concept of hierarchy itself, won't you?"
"Very well. Let me advise the revolution."
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📚 The Teacher – Mora, the Font of Forgotten Schools
A failed Hunter applicant who studied over 20 different Nen masters, but never passed the exam herself.
Why?
She had no offensive ability.
Until Kaen offered her a place—not as a fighter, but as a foundation.
Mora now teaches foundational theory to anyone seeking to join Kaen's palace.
Her lectures are recorded within the Palace as "Scroll Echoes," living thought-lectures Kaen can summon mid-battle.
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🧒🧒 The Twin Princes – Yulo & Tern
Two orphans from Meteor City.
They share a dual Nen ability—"Reflection Split"—where one can take damage for the other, and vice versa.
Kaen found them while defending Ren from an ambush in the Thought Arena.
They called Kaen "Your Highness" as a joke.
He took it seriously.
"Then I'll train you as heirs of this thought empire."
They now serve as his eyes and ears—quick scouts, fast learners.
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👧 The Princess – Luma, Heir of the Radiant Eye
Daughter of a fallen Light Hunter clan.
She possesses an Enlightened Gaze—a form of Gyo that lets her read minute aura fluctuation and "see" half a second into the future during combat.
She challenges Kaen constantly—sometimes for power, sometimes to teach him humility.
He respects her more than anyone.
"You'll overthrow me one day," Kaen said once.
"Good," she replied. "Kings should never stop moving."
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🧹 The Servant – Hex, the Unseen Hand
He doesn't speak.
His Nen? An Invisible Guardian aura that can hold, strike, defend—even while his body remains motionless.
He handles tasks, protection, stealth retrieval.
Hex's loyalty is mysterious… but absolute.
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🕊️ The Mind Palace, Now Sentient
With these roles filled, something changed in Kaen's ability.
His palace began to evolve—not just as a space in his mind, but as a psychic realm others could enter through permission.
The rooms, now alive with roles and meaning, took shape:
• The Hall of Echoes (where Mora's lectures live).
• The Throne of Acknowledgment (where Kaen fights inner truths).
• The Flicker Garden (Selva's dream-beasts roam).
• The Strategic Fountain (Renzu's tactic board projected in water).
It became more than a Nen ability.
It became a sanctum.
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⚔️ Coming Conflict – The Court vs. The Association
The Zodiacs have seen enough.
Cheadle proposes containment.
Pariston proposes covert elimination.
Ging?
"Let him build. Let's see who tries to burn it down."
The next exam stage will pit Hunter Candidates in a Faction Battle Royale.
Each faction will claim a zone.
The Mind Palace is now a contender.
And when Kaen walks into the battlefield, the world will know:
The King of Thought marches with a Kingdom.
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TO BE CONTINUED in Chapter 29 – Crown & Claws: The Faction Battle Royale Begins
Then let the banners unfurl—
Let the auras ignite like suns—
Let the Mind Palace Court rise with fury and fire!
THIS IS WAR.
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Chapter 29 – Crown & Claws: The Faction Battle Royale Begins