HunterxHunter: I Became Stronger After Death

From Moro, Tessa saw something far beyond his years.

He had clearly lied, but he did so with effortless composure.

Moreover, the boy didn't seem to care whether his lie was believed or not—his attitude was as if he were saying, "Believe it or don't, it makes no difference to me."

By comparison, her own apprentice…

They were polar opposites.

Tessa let out a sigh in her heart.

She had already noticed Sambica's growing trust in Moro.

If this continued, she was genuinely worried that one day, Moro could trick Sambica into helping him, and she would just smile and go along with it, completely oblivious to the deception.

The odds were too high!

Even setting aside her concerns, Tessa was still curious about how Moro had removed the Post-Mortem Nen.

But she had no expectation of getting an answer from him.

If she were twenty years younger, she wouldn't have been foolish enough to reveal everything just because someone asked…

Well.

Tessa admitted that when she was younger, she did fall for that once. She had been given a harsh lesson, one that had taught her not to be so trusting.

People's hearts are not meant to be examined too closely.

You pour your efforts in, expecting nothing in return.

But the moment you lift the veil to see what's inside, you realize—

It's just a relentless, emotionless siphon.

"No, I need to go there immediately."

Even though she was still lecturing Sambica over the phone, Tessa felt increasingly uneasy.

She got up from the edge of her cot, didn't bother packing anything, and prepared to leave the excavation site without delay.

But just as she stood up, the tent flap was pushed open.

A scruffy-looking man with spiky hair and stubble burst in.

"Tessa! Hurry, hurry, hurry! This is a massive discovery!"

The man's hands flailed excitedly, his brown eyes gleaming with enthusiasm.

Tessa ended the call, first glancing at the still-swaying tent flap, then coldly looking at the excited man.

She spoke slowly, emphasizing each word:

"Ging Freecss, for the last time, before entering someone's tent—"

"This really is a ruin from the Shatt Era!"

The man—Ging Freecss—completely ignored her glare, continuing his excited rambling:

"If we can just get past the inner stone gate, we'll finally uncover the truth! Tessa, the Nen-sealed entrance, I'll leave it to—"

BANG!

A tin can struck Ging's forehead, cutting him off mid-sentence.

CLANG.

The metal can clattered onto the ground, rolling slightly.

A half-eaten piece of preserved meat tumbled out, picking up grains of sand as it fell.

Tessa slowly lowered her throwing hand, her voice calm:

"Now, will you finally listen—"

"Tessa, what was that for?!"

Ging rubbed his forehead, then crouched down to pick up the meat.

He brushed off the sand, then popped it into his mouth, mumbling as he chewed:

"Don't waste food."

"…"

Tessa closed her eyes in utter despair.

"I'm leaving."

Late at night, Moro stood outside the old mud-brick house, bidding farewell to Sambica.

He had tracked her down, finding her inside, busy preparing medicine for patients.

Had Hisoka not suddenly appeared, his entire dynamic with Sambica would have played out differently, likely avoiding several misunderstandings.

But it was precisely Hisoka's presence that had made Moro abandon the idea of digging for more intel—instead, he had opted for a straightforward assault on the virus research facility.

Looking at the results, things had worked out more efficiently this way.

"Leaving so soon?"

Caught off guard, Sambica blurted out her question.

"Yeah."

Moro nodded, smiling:

"My business here is done. Staying any longer would just be a waste of time."

"You don't have to leave at this hour… Ah, never mind."

At first, Sambica instinctively wanted to ask him to stay until morning.

But then she worried that her words might make things awkward, so she changed her mind halfway through.

Moro studied her.

This Virus Hunter was incredibly genuine, incapable of hiding her emotions.

Beneath that transparency was a selfless heart, always putting others before herself.

Even with half her face covered, her eyes alone gave away her every thought.

Before meeting Sambica, Moro would have never believed people like this existed.

But the world was vast, and the more paths one walked, the more they would realize—

What they once assumed to be absolute truths might not be so certain after all.

Moro quietly admired this rare, commendable trait in her.

That's why, the next time I negotiate with black-market dealers over antiques, I'm going to haggle mercilessly.

"Sambica, you shouldn't stay here for too long."

Moro suddenly gave a warning.

Meeting his gaze, Sambica nodded:

"I know. My master told me the same thing."

"Good. I'm off, then."

Having delivered his warning, Moro turned to leave.

Watching his retreating figure, Sambica whispered:

"Mm… goodbye."

"Oh, by the way."

Moro suddenly stopped, but didn't turn around.

Instead, with the night breeze brushing past, he asked:

"Do you think I'm a pervert?"

Sambica froze.

Memories of their past interactions surfaced, and a slight blush crossed her face.

"No."

"What about Hisoka?"

"Ah…"

For a moment, Sambica struggled.

She didn't want to badmouth anyone, but she also didn't want to lie.

"Yes."

In the end, she chose honesty.

"Correct."

Moro grinned and walked away.

The Six-Month Agreement

By the time Moro reached the village outskirts, the settlement was already far behind him.

Only then did he halt his steps and, without looking back, speak aloud:

"You heard that, right?"

"So stop looking at me like I'm one of your own, Hisoka."

"Hehe~"

From the shadows, Hisoka stepped forward, chuckling lightly.

He wasn't bothered at all by Sambica's judgment.

Moro turned toward him and spoke calmly:

"Six months."

"…"

Hisoka's smile faded slightly.

He waited for Moro to elaborate.

"In six months, I'll be waiting for you at Heaven's Arena."

"Until then—don't let me see you again."

"Hmm."

Hisoka lowered his gaze, casually shuffling a deck of cards in his hand, seemingly in deep thought.

Moro wasn't in a rush. He patiently waited for Hisoka's answer.

Six months…

That was how long he needed to eliminate Feitan and remove the "X" execution marker from his Nen ability.

Only then would he be fully prepared to deal with Hisoka's relentless pursuit.

At present, his Nen abilities were specifically designed for Feitan.

Against Feitan, they would likely be highly effective.

But against Hisoka? That was another matter entirely.

Still—

That was a problem for six months later.

In the dead of night, under the vast sky, neither man spoke for several minutes.

Finally, Hisoka sighed:

"Fine."

He reluctantly agreed.

He couldn't play his usual manipulative games, but at least the wait was now limited to six months.

That was a fair trade.

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