HunterxHunter: I Became Stronger After Death

Level 22.

While both Moro's aura output and potential aura reserves had increased, the feedback wasn't as dramatic as it was during the airship incident.

After all, the previous jump from Lv.7 to Lv.18 represented a massive leap. Such exponential growth likely wouldn't happen again.

"Level 22."

Moro stared intently at the numbers on his Chrono Tattoo, as though waiting for something.

This ability, which had emerged from his death and rebirth, bore striking similarities to Morena's Love Serenade.

Though Morena's ability was far more difficult to level up, their fundamental mechanics were the same.

The defining feature of Love Serenade was that upon reaching Level 21, it granted the user a new Nen ability tailored to their specific needs.

This mechanism eliminated the most challenging and frustrating aspect of developing a Nen ability—the creative and technical process.

Now that Moro had reached Level 22, he naturally had high expectations.

Would it happen?

If it did, what would it look like?

The questions swirling in his mind were soon answered.

As he watched, the central symbol of the Chrono Tattoo began to glow faintly, as though activated by some hidden switch.

A small orb of light emerged from the glowing symbol, tethered by a delicate string of light, resembling a tiny floating balloon.

Moro observed the orb, its soft glow reflected in his eyes.

On closer inspection, the orb wasn't a solid sphere but a cluster of fine lines arranged in a complex, orderly pattern.

Rather than a glowing balloon, it looked more like a radiant dandelion, its delicate structure illuminated from within.

"So… this is the reward for leveling up?"

Moro extended a finger toward it.

The glowing dandelion seemed to possess a will of its own, drifting gently down to rest on the tip of his fingernail.

The moment they touched, information flooded Moro's consciousness.

Needs, design, integration, and execution.

This was the process the glowing dandelion offered for creating a Nen ability.

By inputting his desired ability—rooted in his own needs and imagination—into the glowing dandelion, Moro could automatically generate the corresponding Nen ability.

If creating a Nen ability was akin to navigating countless treacherous or easy roads, this dandelion acted as a shortcut.

Some Nen users struggled up steep, hazardous paths to achieve greatness. Others traveled smoother roads that yielded less impressive results.

Regardless of the path chosen, all Nen users relied on effort and experimentation to measure and overcome the challenges they faced.

This dandelion, however, provided a streamlined process akin to writing code.

It wasn't entirely easy, but it certainly removed much of the guesswork and effort from the process.

Receiving this information, Moro felt a wave of surprise and disbelief.

"Such a convenient ability… there's no catch?"

He couldn't help but question whether this truly stemmed from Love Serenade, or if there was some hidden cost.

But regardless of its origin, Moro wasn't about to reject the opportunity.

This luminous dandelion, imbued with creative freedom, was a resource he couldn't afford to waste.

It was a stepping stone, perhaps even the key, to defeating Feitan.

Moro stored the glowing dandelion for later use, choosing not to rush into creating a new ability just yet.

An ability tailored to his needs…

What he needed was a surefire way to kill Feitan.

That required careful planning.

The Task Ahead

Moro's gaze fell on the corpse at his feet.

The ninja—dressed in attire reminiscent of Hanzo's from the manga—was likely from the same homeland, Ryuyoku, a nation of shinobi.

As for why this ninja had targeted him, Moro didn't dwell on it.

Since deciding to head for Heaven's Arena, he had mentally prepared himself for all sorts of ambushes.

His mindset was simple:

"If you want to kill me, come. If you can't, you'll serve as my stepping stone."

Brushing off lingering thoughts, Moro turned his attention to his surroundings—a modest lake encircled by dense forest.

Not knowing which direction to go, he selected a path different from the one he had taken to get here.

A Refuge

After over an hour of walking, Moro found a cave located high on a rocky cliff.

The small cave, around ten square meters, was elevated about ten meters above the ground and offered good shelter.

As Moro stepped inside, he noticed storm clouds gathering in the sky, blotting out the moonlight.

The night seemed to draw its curtains as darkness spread across the landscape.

Soon, the wind began to howl, causing the treetops to sway violently.

Moro retrieved a camping lamp from his backpack, its soft glow illuminating the cave as he ventured deeper.

Sitting cross-legged near the wall, he summoned the glowing dandelion once more.

"Feitan's most challenging traits are his ghostly speed and the exceptional mastery of Flow he uses to enhance it. His Nen ability isn't nearly as troublesome as his sheer agility."

Moro's eyes darkened in thought.

Countering Feitan required more than just developing a method to bind his speed. Moro needed a defensive measure to withstand Feitan's lightning-fast assaults.

"Before binding the hawk, you have to survive its dive."

The analogy fit perfectly. To entrap Feitan, Moro would first need to avoid being slain in Feitan's initial onslaught.

His mind wandered to the idea of anticipation and reflexes, specifically recalling Killua's Godspeed.

The ability, which bypassed conscious thought and relied on instinctive reflexes, was a perfect counter to fast attackers.

Unfortunately, it was a Transformation-based ability—something Moro couldn't emulate directly.

Still, it inspired a potential keyword: "Premonition."

Moro recalled the uncanny sensation he'd experienced when narrowly avoiding the sniper's bullet. It was as if he had smelled death approaching.

Instinctively, his gaze drifted to the red X mark on the back of his left hand.

Ideas began to take shape in his mind.

The outline of a plan was emerging.

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