HxH: I became stronger even after I died.

At the end of June, the wind blowing through the forest carries a

slight chill.

Perhaps because of this, the area around the wound from the flying knife feels like an

unshakeable coldness.

That was too close—

If conditions allowed, Moro would never have put himself in such a precarious

position.

Ultimately, it all comes down to his weakness.

So much so that at a critical moment, he had to put everything on the line as a

bargaining chip.

Moro looks at Zazan, who is lying on the ground.

The information he previously gathered was insufficient to deduce whether "the flying

knife is a manifested object."

He can only base his conclusions on the other party's decisions and present "the

expected outcome" above "the speculative process."

Because he guessed correctly, he avoided taking damage from the flying knife.

Among the six Nen categories, conjuration probably requires the most "stability."

Whether it's manifested objects, Nen beasts, or clones…

All must maintain concentration and focus to ensure the existence of what has been

conjured.

A conjurer who lacks sufficient skill may even cause their manifested object to

dissipate instantly with just a moment of distraction.

Not to mention enduring the intense pain from an attack.

Thus, conjurers with deep knowledge of Nen typically invest considerable effort into

this aspect.

To say nothing of ensuring that pain from injuries does not affect the form of their

manifestations.

And this guy…

Cold and cautious.

When realizing that seeking stability is inappropriate, he can still decisively make

changes.

However, due to his lack of proficiency in Nen abilities, his manifested flying knife

dissipated upon being attacked.

If he could have held on for even half a second longer, Moro might not have died

instantly but would have certainly sustained severe injuries.

In that case, it's possible Zazan would have had a chance to turn the tables.

Through this battle against Zazan's conjuration characteristics, Moro gains a deeper

understanding.

He absorbs these experiences as part of his learning and approaches Zazan, gathering

Nen energy in his right hand and aiming it at Zazan, who has yet to breathe his last.

Having just opened his aura points means he can use his abilities directly due to his

unique circumstances.

But the hardware aspect of emitted aura cannot be enhanced in such a short time

frame.

Thus, even after doubling the power of "Fraudulent Star," it wasn't enough to kill Zazan

outright.

But that doesn't matter much.

"Cough cough…"

Zazan's consciousness hovers between clarity and confusion, but he can sense the

deadly blade hovering above him.

I'm going to die.

This thought naturally flashes through his mind; fear mingles with unwillingness within

him.

He wants to lift his head but finds himself unable to do so.

Even his eyelids feel too heavy to lift.

"You… monster…"

Zazan whispers weakly.

Even now he cannot comprehend what has happened to Moro.

So as death counts down toward him, he feels an odd sense of "this is how it should

be."

If it weren't for taking this trip and if there weren't a monster in the truck who defies

common sense—he wouldn't be…

Thud.

Moro shoots out a Nen sphere that pierces through Zazan's head in one swift motion.

Zazan's body jolts violently before falling completely still.

"Hmm?"

After killing Zazan, Moro immediately notices a change within himself.

In that brief moment, some fatigue dissipates from his body and his vision seems

clearer than before.

The most noticeable change is that the emitted aura surrounding him has actually

increased slightly.

Realizing this transformation prompts Moro to instinctively look at the back of his

hand.

At the center of the tree ring tattoo—

The level indicator has changed from Lv.1 to Lv.2.

"Is this 'Love Practice Song'…?"

Seeing this level increase and feeling changes within his body brings a glimmer of

excitement to Moro's eyes as joy floods over him.

Although he doesn't understand how Morena's "Love Practice Song" extended into

this or why it fused with the tree ring tattoo…

The evident enhancement at this moment is enough to thrill and excite him.

He must kill Feitan within a year.

Even with an additional six months of Nen training experience, achieving this task will

not be easy.

Setting aside Nen abilities—

Feitan's combat speed and swordsmanship developed from physical techniques

already create a gap that Moro cannot bridge within a year.

Moreover, there's an overwhelming amount of combat experience built upon

countless kills along with crucial aspects like total emitted aura and potential aura

reserves in battle.

Not to mention stamina, physical strength, reflexes, and explosive thinking…

There are simply too many factors involved.

All these elements closely relate to overall combat power and require time for gradual

accumulation.

And due to the existence of the Death Node, what Moro lacks most right now is time.

For him, one year truly feels too short.

So short that no matter how hard he tries, he may not even catch up with Feitan's tenplus years of experience in emitted aura and physical strength.

But now with the ability fused with the tree ring tattoo from "Love Practice Song," he

can significantly accelerate his strength enhancement efficiency.

This fills in what he currently lacks most urgently.

Moro can't help but smile widely.

His reaction appears strange to several other livestock nearby who are closer to the

door; they interpret it differently.

Of course, Moro doesn't care about their thoughts; calming his excitement down, he

turns his gaze toward the middle-aged man impaled by an iron bar on the ground not

far away.

Earlier thrown iron bar didn't strike any vital points; thus that man still clings onto life

for now.

But soon enough, he will undoubtedly die from excessive blood loss.

Moro approaches him and looks down at the man's face with an expression that

naturally carries a hint of coldness.

Morena's "Love Practice Song" grants her ability: kill one person to level up.

With each level gained, both emitted aura and potential aura totals increase.

Once levels exceed 20, one can easily awaken Nen abilities suited for their needs.

From what is evident regarding ability effects—the maximum level granted by "Love

Practice Song" is one hundred levels.

If Moro reaches max level, he could also grant others the ability of "killing to level up."

However, whether Moro's overall abilities align perfectly with Morena's "Love Practice

Song" remains unknown territory for him.

At present, Moro cares more about leveling up itself than awakening a second ability;

that is secondary.

The most important thing is enhancing both emitted aura and potential aura totals.

As these thoughts swirl through his mind, Moro reaches out and grips tightly around

the middle-aged man's neck before applying pressure slightly.

Crack.

The man's head tilts awkwardly as he dies instantly on the spot.

Moro then stands up and looks at the back of his hand—

Lv.2.

No level up?

Moro's expression shifts slightly; drawing upon experience quickly leads him to realize

where the issue lies.

Only by killing Nen users can one level up?

Disappointment washes over him momentarily but fades quickly into acceptance.

If simply killing ordinary people could yield levels—it would compel him to consider

potential unknown risks involved instead.

Killing Nen users is required for leveling up instead—this at least puts him somewhat

at ease.

However… observing closely may indicate that as levels increase in future

encounters—the difficulty for leveling up may also rise correspondingly.

"Oh right…"

Moro looks at the middle-aged man's corpse and suddenly thinks of an idea.

If he forcibly opens Nen for an ordinary person—couldn't they become a Nen user?

"I could just find some wanted criminal or scum to test it out… hmm?"

Suddenly sounds echo from behind on the hillside road.

Moro becomes alert and quickly enters battle mode while looking toward where those

sounds originate from.

Amidst branches and grass emerges a slender figure before him.

Moro raises an eyebrow.