HunterxHunter: I Became Stronger After Death

The concept of an aura...

In the hands of those with a strong desire to express themselves, it can often make others uncomfortable.

The most iconic and extreme example, without a doubt, is Hisoka.

At this moment, Moro could feel the unbearable desire emanating from Hisoka's aura, as well as the difficulty he faced in suppressing it.

This guy... has an absolutely terrifying level of self-restraint when it comes to his desires.

And yet, it's all for the sake of experiencing even more intense gratification when the time comes.

It's the perfect reflection of Hisoka's "Bungee Gum" ability—stretching like rubber, the more it's compressed, the more violently it rebounds.

The deeper Moro's understanding of Hisoka grew, the more he wanted to get rid of this walking nightmare clinging to him like gum stuck to the sole of his shoe.

Fortunately, if all went as expected, Hisoka would inevitably become the target of the Nolan organization's revenge.

And when it came to revenge, the mafia had always been ruthless and brutal. Once they targeted someone, it was like maggots burrowing into the bone.

Moro had to find a way to shake Hisoka off, lest he get dragged into the mess.

After all, the Nolan organization's retaliation would be aimed at Hisoka. What did it have to do with Moro?

Ignoring Hisoka, who was clearly grappling with his own urges, Moro walked over to the corpses scattered on the ground and picked up two submachine guns.

Firearms were still highly practical for dealing with ordinary people, saving unnecessary expenditure of nen energy.

Sambika, meanwhile, glanced at the fallen body of Retona, her dark eyes trembling slightly before she stepped up behind Moro.

"What... exactly is going on here?" she asked.

"Sambika, you're a professional Hunter, aren't you?" Moro turned to her with a probing look.

Sambika hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Yes."

"You took on a commission to investigate the virus?" Moro asked again.

Shaking her head, Sambika replied, "Not to investigate, but to treat it."

"Who was the client?"

"The village chief of Muddy Village, but..." Sambika's words trailed off as she glanced at the mansion ahead.

The corpses and weapons scattered on the ground painted a vastly different picture.

Seeing Sambika fall silent, Moro casually fired a few rounds into Retona's lifeless body. "I think this guy was the real client."

"..." Sambika didn't respond, remaining silent.

Moro looked at her lowered gaze and calmly continued, "I'm sorry for killing your client and wasting your time. If my intel is correct, this mansion... is actually a laboratory that uses live humans for virus research."

"!!!"

Sambika's eyes widened in shock, her dark pupils reflecting her disbelief.

A lab that uses live humans for virus research?

For a professional virus hunter, this was an absolute red line.

Noting Sambika's stunned expression, Moro pressed on:

"I'm going to wipe this lab out completely. But if you need any virus-related information, I'll leave one or two people alive for questioning. Maybe it'll help the villagers. As for your commission fee... don't count on me to cover that."

"..."

Sambika, still reeling from what she'd heard, stared blankly at Moro. After a moment, she shook her head and said softly, "I don't care about the fee. If I can cure the villagers, that's the only reward I need."

"Is that so?" Moro gave her a deep look before asking, "Then, will you join me?"

"Mm," Sambika nodded firmly.

At that moment, Hisoka seemed to have resolved his internal struggle. His aura stabilized, returning to a more "normal" state.

He quietly adjusted his position, moving into a spot where both Moro and Sambika could see him. His body language practically screamed, What about me?

Moro spared Hisoka a glance but didn't respond, turning instead to Sambika. "You're the professional here. You take the lead."

"Alright." Sambika, unsuspecting, nodded and stepped through the open door of the mansion.

Moro followed close behind, feeling no guilt whatsoever for making Sambika go first.

The armed squad had already been dealt with, and even the seemingly imposing Retona had been taken down in an instant. Moro was confident the research facility had no more significant defenses left.

Hisoka, who had been ignored, didn't mind. Instead, he eyed Sambika with a hint of curiosity before chuckling lightly and following them into the mansion.

Once inside, they quickly found the entrance to an underground passage leading to the crypt.

This was thanks to their timing—three people in hazmat suits were climbing up from the crypt, clearly trying to flee amidst the chaos.

Without hesitation, Moro shot and killed two of them, leaving the third alive for interrogation.

"You turned a crypt into a research lab?" Moro asked, surprised after hearing the captive's confession.

He had assumed the lab was in the mansion itself, or perhaps in a makeshift basement beneath it.

But to repurpose a crypt...

As they moved through the tunnel, Hisoka idly glanced at the cables and pipes running along the walls. "Moro, he answered all your questions honestly. But he's hiding something outside of what you've asked."

The hazmat-clad captive flinched, panic flashing in his eyes. "I-I didn't hide anything... I swear!"

Moro's indifferent gaze fell on the man, and for a fleeting moment, the captive felt as though death itself had materialized in front of him. Trembling, he stammered, "W-we... the OG virus... it was extracted from a corpse in the crypt's coffin."

Moro's eyes narrowed, and he instinctively glanced at Sambika. Her expression had grown heavy with concern.

"Take us to the protective equipment storage room first," Sambika demanded, her voice tinged with barely concealed anger.

The captive nodded furiously. "R-right away!"

After donning protective suits, they proceeded deeper into the crypt toward the source of the virus.

As they passed a room, Moro stopped.

"Wait a moment."

Pushing open the door, he was greeted by rows upon rows of glass jars, each containing preserved human organs floating in liquid.

Hisoka followed, his curiosity piqued, while Moro released his En to scan the room.

The room was clear of threats, but something on the shelves caught Moro's eye.

In a long glass container, two eyes floated, their irises shimmering with a fiery red glow that seemed to hold countless crystalline sparks within.

Those were—

Scarlet Eyes.

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