Chapter 76: Extracting Vitality
Of course, it's not reasonable!
Whether it's a Nen ability forcibly applied to someone, or a Post-Mortem Nen infused with extreme resentment, removing or purifying it is always a drawn-out process—a battle of endurance, requiring time to gradually wear it down.
If someone had just purified the Post-Mortem Nen from the coffin, there would be visible signs.
For example, if the purification involved a Nen Beast, then before completing the process, the Nen Beast would persist, staying by the Exorcist's side until the purification was complete.
Alternatively, if the method involved transferring the Post-Mortem Nen onto oneself, then before it was fully purified, physical manifestations—such as tumors or other abnormalities—would appear on the Exorcist's body.
The common factor?
Most of the Exorcist's Nen energy would be focused either on the Nen Beast or the affected body part.
But when Tessa looked at Moro, she saw nothing unusual.
Tessa's Suspicion
Tessa suppressed her shock and lowered her voice as she asked:
"Sambica, was he the only one here?"
Sambica, still in a daze, subconsciously replied:
"Yes, only Moro has been here the whole time."
All the researchers in the virus lab had already been killed by Moro.
The victims of human experimentation had been given the antiviral medicine and were now relocated to the mansion.
As for Hisoka, he had left long ago, bored out of his mind, and was now missing in action.
Tessa, now certain, kept her voice low:
"Ask him."
"Alright."
Sambica turned back to look at the coffin.
The disturbing black aura that had once surrounded the corpse was truly gone.
Still amazed, Sambica turned to Moro, who was casually sitting at a table, inspecting the Scarlet Eyes.
She spoke softly:
"Moro, the Post-Mortem Nen on the corpse… it's gone."
Moro immediately put on a look of surprise, then feigned confusion:
"Really? How did it disappear?"
He had cut off Sambica's train of thought with a counter-question.
Sambica shook her head:
"I don't know. I was hoping you could tell me."
Moro shrugged, still playing dumb:
"I have no idea. If you hadn't told me just now, I wouldn't have even noticed it was gone."
Resting his chin on his hand, he continued casually:
"Maybe it disappeared because you developed the antiviral medicine?
Think about it—some spirits are said to move on once their final wish is fulfilled. Maybe this Post-Mortem Nen was lingering for a reason, and once that condition was met, it simply faded away."
"Oh… That makes sense."
Sambica's eyes lit up as if she had just realized the truth, then she turned back toward the phone screen to look at her master.
But what she saw was Tessa's utterly exasperated expression.
"Sambica, you actually believe that?"
Tessa really wanted to jump through the screen, grab Sambica by the face, and force her to see the truth.
"Uh…"
Sambica hesitated, suddenly doubting herself.
Tessa sighed heavily, rubbing her temples:
"Sambica, let me speak with him."
"Okay."
Sambica obediently walked over and held up her phone toward Moro.
Moro looked at the woman on the screen.
She seemed to be in her forties, with sharp, stern eyes, and a serious demeanor.
What caught Moro's attention the most was the red tattoo on her face—a serpentine design resembling a willow branch, weaving through diamond-shaped patterns, unmistakably striking.
Tessa's Direct Confrontation
Through the phone, Tessa spoke firmly:
"I am Tessa, Sambica's master, and an Exorcist."
Moro nodded slightly at the screen and responded simply:
"Moro."
Tessa continued,
"I've heard a lot about you from Sambica. I appreciate your help with my foolish apprentice."
Moro didn't accept the gratitude and replied plainly:
"Sambica helped me too. We helped each other."
Tessa paused briefly, then got straight to the point:
"Moro, are you an Exorcist?"
She didn't wait for any formalities—just fired the question directly.
This alone revealed her strong-willed personality.
Moro, unfazed, calmly replied:
"No."
Tessa's eyes flickered, then she asked again:
"Was it you who removed the Post-Mortem Nen from the coffin?"
"No."
Moro remained calm and unwavering.
Tessa did not press further. Instead, she thanked Moro once more for helping Sambica.
Then she found an excuse—saying Sambica needed to check on the patients—and had her leave the research facility.
Moro watched Sambica walk away.
Only after her figure disappeared into the corridor did he lower his gaze to his hand, focusing on the Time Rings (年轮).
The Effects of Absorbing Post-Mortem Nen
Whenever he absorbed Nen energy from artifacts, left behind by artisans and masters, he never felt any discomfort, but the charge rate was painfully slow.
Ever since reaching the second ring, charging the Time Rings had become even more difficult.
But now, after absorbing the Post-Mortem Nen, the energy level jumped from 8% to 19% in one go.
In return, however, his mind was violently assaulted by the residual resentment in the Post-Mortem Nen—as if something was trying to crush his consciousness into dust.
It even forced a flood of fragmented memories into his mind…
They felt like shards of glass embedded in his psyche—not exactly painful, but unpleasantly irritating.
Whenever he tried to process them, they would form into blurry visions:
A vast, barren wasteland, stretching endlessly into the distance.
Gray, cracked earth.
An air of death and decay hung thick in the atmosphere.
Yet in the middle of this desolation, a single tiny sprout—barely the size of a palm—stood defiantly.
The only sign of life in the wasteland.
Despite the absence of wind, the sprout gently swayed.
Occasionally, a serrated crack would appear along the leaf's surface, like a tiny mouth forming a sinister grin.
It fed on an unseen force, greedily draining the land of its vitality…
Until a figure appeared and plucked the sprout from the ground.
The serrated grin immediately disappeared, the leaf closing shut.
Then, in an instant—
The lifeless wasteland transformed.
Dry, cracked earth bloomed with greenery.
The land flourished, every inch bursting with vibrant life.
No more death. No more decay.
Moro took a deep breath, forcing himself not to dwell on these strange visions.
As his focus shifted, the memory fragments faded into the recesses of his mind.
"Extracting vitality…?"
Moro muttered to himself, raising his hand.
A green energy star materialized in his palm—its usual emerald glow now tinged with a striking, deeper green.
The inherited knowledge from the Post-Mortem Nen had altered his ability, adding new properties.
"More complex now… Not sure if this is good or bad."
He stared at the tiny green core within the energy star.
Meanwhile…
Back in a small mud-brick house, Tessa frowned at the screen.
"He's lying.
Damn… the kid's got a real poker face."
She sighed.
"I'd better keep my fool of an apprentice away from him."
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