Hunter X Hunter: I Got Stronger After I Died

Six months.

That was how long Moro had been mastering his Nen abilities.

In terms of skill, Nen aura control, and potential energy...

Moro was far inferior to the experienced veterans in front of him.

Even worse, he lacked real battle experience.

He—

Never really had much ambition.

If he had to name a goal, it was simply to live well, eat well, and sleep well.

That's why he never sought out trouble. He quietly earned money to repay Morena and focused on honing his Nen abilities in peace.

When it came to combat, he had only sparred a few times with Saixin while pretending to be a Reinforcement-type.

But those were nothing more than playful scuffles.

Now, in a life-or-death situation, did he regret not using more time to sharpen his strength?

Moro didn't regret anything—or rather, he didn't have the luxury to think about such things.

All he knew was... he had to rely on his own Nen ability to find a slim chance of survival in this seemingly hopeless situation.

But before using his Nen, he had to create an opening—

In the brief silence, Moro's mind spun rapidly.

Chrollo, driven by curiosity, had stopped Bonolenov from attacking. But Moro knew Chrollo wouldn't wait forever.

After all, with Pakunoda's memory-searching ability, they could extract all of his secrets once they captured him alive.

Even if he tried to explain Chrollo's Nen ability, its name, and its restrictions and vows, it likely wouldn't disrupt Chrollo's focus.

So, how could he use this limited chance to speak to his advantage?

What could he say to shake these people to their core?

Faced with a life-threatening crisis, Moro's brain worked at full speed.

And then, a name came to him naturally—

Sarasa.

The owner of that name was the reason the Phantom Troupe was formed and a painful memory for Chrollo and the others.

"Sarasa."

Without any hesitation, Moro said the name aloud—a name buried deep in the hearts of Chrollo, Pakunoda, and Shalnark.

The street. The wind and rain.

A name that shouldn't have appeared at this moment rippled through the air like a tidal wave, shaking the hearts of Chrollo, Pakunoda, and Shalnark.

Why... why does this boy know Sarasa's name?

As doubt began to bloom in their minds, Moro made his move.

"Deception Star."

Moro stretched both arms forward, conjuring two small, glowing green orbs of Nen the size of eggs in his palms.

The glowing green Nen bullets shot forward, heading straight for the dazed Pakunoda and Shalnark.

Strike the weak point!

The green bullets closed the distance in an instant.

However, Bonolenov, who wasn't fazed by the name Sarasa, acted at the last second. He shoved Shalnark aside, allowing him to dodge the oncoming Nen bullet.

At the same time, Chrollo, with his exceptional composure, steadied his mind and pulled Pakunoda out of harm's way just in time.

Both Nen bullets missed their targets.

Meanwhile...

Moro sprinted toward the sidewalk.

The person guarding the back door...

From the overwhelming, violent aura earlier, Moro could tell that it was one of the Phantom Troupe's combat specialists.

There was no way Moro would willingly run in that direction before the enemy revealed themselves.

His only possible escape routes were along the sides of the street!

He quickly glanced back at Chrollo's group.

The Deception Star missed...

Ultimately, it was because he wasn't skilled enough at "Emission," and he couldn't release his ability faster.

But Moro couldn't deny that even in this brief exchange, he had gained a deep understanding of Chrollo's exceptional abilities.

These named characters from the original story... were never easy to deal with.

Moro looked away and kept running.

Even though his Nen attack had missed, he felt no disappointment.

His Deception Star had a second phase...

"Sorry."

On the empty street, Shalnark had regained his composure, frowning slightly.

Bonolenov shot Shalnark a puzzled glance before refocusing on Moro, who was dashing through the rain. Bonolenov lifted his leg to give chase.

But Chrollo's eyes turned cold. In a flash, he passed Bonolenov, his figure cutting through the sheets of rain as he pursued Moro.

Shalnark and Pakunoda steadied themselves and followed close behind.

Up ahead.

Moro looked back at the figures chasing him.

"It's almost time..."

Calculating the seconds in his mind, Moro raised his right hand, ready to receive the returning stars.

His Deception Star was an Emission-Operation hybrid Nen ability with a maximum range of 100 meters.

When the orbs reached their maximum range, they would freeze in the air for 1 to 5 seconds, depending on the settings Moro chose before firing.

Once the set delay ended, the orbs' power, speed, and size would double as they homed in on Moro like guided missiles.

This doubling effect in the second phase was the result of a vow that enhanced the ability's power.

But the restriction was—

The returning orbs could also injure Moro.

In other words, if nothing else intercepted the stars, Moro would have to either dodge them or block them head-on.

The reason Moro had placed this restriction on himself was tied to the "Year-Ring" tattoo on the back of his hand.

Thanks to the protection granted by the tattoo, his hand was as hard as a tortoise shell...

Which meant he could use the back of his hand to deflect the returning stars.

The timing was perfect. Moro adjusted his position without warning.

Amidst the constant sound of rain, there was a faint whoosh.

Suddenly, two beams of bright green light cut through the night, hurtling toward Pakunoda and Shalnark.

The attack was so sudden—and with Chrollo and Bonolenov leading the chase—the two of them couldn't rely on anyone for help this time.

When the enhanced stars came hurtling in, Shalnark barely managed to react, twisting his body at the last second.

One of the stars struck his side, tearing away a large chunk of flesh as if a massive maw had bitten into him.

Pakunoda, however, was a second too slow.

With a splash of blood, the Nen star pierced through her torso, blowing a gaping hole through her upper body. She collapsed forward, her body limp.

The sudden turn of events disrupted Chrollo and Bonolenov's pursuit.

Seeing his plan succeed, Moro quickly focused the majority of his Nen into his legs and sprinted forward with everything he had.

Do everything you can and leave the rest to fate.

He had done everything possible—

If he still couldn't escape, then so be it.

Just as this thought crossed his mind, he caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of his eye—a shadowy figure with a chilling, venomous expression.

Feitan?!

Before Moro could fully process it, he felt a sudden chill on his nose.

Then, like a snapped string, his consciousness unraveled, and everything faded to darkness.

In his final moments, a single thought echoed in his mind.

Am I... dead?

Cold. Trembling.

Moro's eyes flew open. He was staring at a set of rusty iron bars.

It looked like a cage.

"Where... am I?"

Taking in his surroundings, Moro was stunned.

The icy sensation of death still lingered faintly in his body, but it was quickly replaced by familiar memories.

He had returned to the moment one year ago—the day he first arrived in this world!