Baise had a bright smile on her face, but deep down, she was thinking,
"Alright, let's end the joke here, shall we?"
Morin looked at Baise's twitching brow and couldn't help but smile as well.
For some reason, he felt much more at ease.
Hmm, teasing newcomers was actually quite beneficial for both the body and mind.
Especially in the Hunter Exam—these examinees were quite fun to train. The feeling of teaching them firsthand was pretty satisfying.
However, those who had taken the Hunter Exam multiple times, survived its dangers repeatedly, and still came back for more… those hunters were much more, shall we say, durable.
Far away in some city, the rookie-killer Tonpa—who had just wrapped up another round of Hunter Exams—suddenly shivered.
Who's thinking about me?!
"The Hunter Exam does have a hidden phase afterward," Morin said leisurely. "Mainly, it's to see if you newly certified Hunters have what it takes to step into that world."
He continued, "Of course, this is almost never an issue—after all, those who pass the Hunter Exam are the best of the best. But every now and then, someone gets through by sheer dumb luck. If they can't pass this hidden test, then at least it serves as a way to quietly filter them out and keep them from getting in over their heads."
Shrugging, Morin added, "Of course, if someone really does have insane luck and manages to pass even this… then just pretend I never said anything."
"That world?!"
A hint of confusion flashed in Baise's eyes.
"Since you've earned your Hunter License, you naturally have the right to know what I'm about to tell you."
Morin smiled and spoke slowly, "The world… of Nen users."
A month passed in the blink of an eye.
Deep within the jungle, a charming figure flitted through the dense trees.
Ahead of her, a Tiger Roar Dragon was fleeing for its life, clutching its head in terror.
It looked utterly miserable, as if running from certain death.
"Hehehe… A month ago, you had me running for my life, barely able to fend off your attacks."
"But now… looks like our roles have completely reversed, haven't they?"
Baise, her aura brimming with power, licked her lips in a playful yet predatory manner.
Watching the once-dominant beast now reduced to a desperate escape, she felt immensely satisfied.
Of course, she hadn't forgotten who she had to thank for her transformation.
Her gaze shifted slightly, the corner of her eye catching sight of the man strolling leisurely behind her.
Unlike her frantic chase, he moved as if he were taking a casual walk, admiring the scenery.
Her expression softened, eyes gleaming with an intensity that could set fire to anything she looked at.
"Whoosh!"
Her elegant foot lightly tapped a tree branch.
In an instant, she abandoned her pursuit of the Tiger Roar Dragon, turning sharply.
Like a swallow returning to its nest, she launched herself toward Morin.
A mischievous glint flickered in her eyes.
Just before reaching him, she abruptly halted.
She landed in a crouch, bending her body forward, subtly emphasizing her curves.
It was enough to make anyone's throat go dry.
And since she was facing Morin head-on, the way her ample chest bounced slightly in her posture was… distracting, to say the least.
The effect was almost hypnotic—like she was charging forward with a ball, ready to score, making the goalkeeper's mind waver.
"Not bad. Your progress in Nen has actually exceeded my expectations."
Ever the gentleman, Morin carefully studied her movement—analyzing the best way to dribble past defenders and score a goal—before giving a slight nod of approval.
"It's all thanks to you, teacher."
Baise let out a sultry chuckle, straightening up, clearly pleased with where Morin's gaze had been.
"I only taught you the basic principles of Nen," Morin replied. "The fact that you grasped it so quickly and have already started refining it—now that is beyond what I expected."
And he wasn't just saying that to be polite.
Baise had talent—genuine talent.
Of course, she wasn't a complete monster like Morin or Hisoka, nor was she a once-in-a-lifetime prodigy like Gon and Killua.
But surprisingly, her potential was about on par with someone like Ruzluth.
She was a little behind Ruzluth, but then again, Ruzluth was a Kakin prince, born into a lineage where Nen was practically in their blood thanks to the Egg of Succession ritual.
Baise, on the other hand, was just another face in the crowd. Given her lack of background, her talent was actually quite impressive.
At the very least, she was far more gifted than someone like Zepile, who was considered a one-in-a-hundred-thousand case.
So why had she been so lackluster in the original timeline? How did she end up getting one-shot by Shizuku's Blinky?
Two reasons.
First, after passing the Hunter Exam, she was only given a basic explanation of Nen by an official Hunter instructor. Once she learned the fundamentals, she was left to fend for herself.
And it's possible that the Hunter assigned to teach her got… distracted by her other assets, leading to an unfortunate misunderstanding that left both sides unsatisfied. As a result, she never gained a complete grasp of Nen.
Second, her background wasn't ideal. Between her upbringing and personality, she prioritized charm and socializing over developing real combat abilities.
In the end, that led to her downfall.
When it came to Nen, Baise's foundation wasn't all that solid.
Simply put, whether it was the first or second reason, she was just like the original Kastro—without a proper mentor to guide her.
That was why, later on, not only did she develop that particular Nen ability, but she also ended up in such an unfortunate situation.
But now, things were different. She had met Morin.
Even a tragic character like Kastro, in the original story, had been trained by Morin and eventually became a member of the Zodiacs.
So training… no, mentoring someone like Baise should be a piece of cake, right?
Thus, over the past month, Morin had truly fulfilled his role as a mentor, carefully and patiently guiding Baise in the ways of Nen.
Fortunately, under his meticulous instruction, Baise was also dedicated to her learning, which allowed her to improve at an astonishing rate.
However, there were times when she was too eager for results, leading to incorrect execution of techniques. In those cases, Morin had no choice but to provide hands-on, step-by-step guidance.
"I'll give you a huge surprise! For you, I can do anything!!"
Yet, when it came to this particular type of learning, Baise's talent seemed to inexplicably vanish.
No matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't seem to grasp it.
Morin, understanding her struggles, patiently demonstrated and explained things to her again and again, never once losing his temper.
And during these moments, time seemed to pass in the blink of an eye.
By the time the day was nearly over, Baise would finally manage to "barely" grasp the technique, leaving both of them with a lingering sense of regret.
As for the matter of a master giving their disciple hands-on, close-proximity guidance…
Morin didn't think there was anything strange about it.
After all, there were countless examples of this.
"You've done well mastering the fundamentals of Nen."
Morin nodded approvingly.
"Now, it's time to develop your own Nen ability."
"Understood, Master!!"
Baise's eyes sparkled with excitement, her gaze brimming with affection.
After spending a month together, her attitude toward Morin had gone through an evolution—
From initial irritation, to shock upon learning about Nen, to awe after witnessing his abilities.
Then, when he took her as his disciple and personally taught her, she felt sincere gratitude and admiration.
Finally, after catching just a glimpse of Morin's true depth, she was utterly captivated.
Even if she had only scratched the surface, she could already sense how powerful and extraordinary he was.
And that admiration… slowly turned into infatuation.
It's often said that powerful men are naturally attractive to women, and in Morin's case, this was an undeniable truth.
Especially since, in every aspect, Morin was flawless.
Power, presence, elegance, and—perhaps most importantly—looks.
He was, in every way, the ideal man.
And on top of that, he had been wholeheartedly mentoring her, showing genuine care and effort.
Then, when he even provided specialized tools to assist in her training…
Even someone as guarded as Baise couldn't help but completely let her guard down around him.
A man this strong, this enigmatic, and this understanding—how could anyone not fall for him?!
Baise had always been bold and direct.
Once she set her mind on something, she never held back.
And so, with her eyes filled with deep, fiery affection…
"Once you've mastered Nen, it will be time for me to leave."
Morin's words were gentle but firm.
Buzz!
Baise's mind went blank for a moment.
"What?! Why?!"
She spoke urgently, her voice laced with anxiety.
"Am I not good enough? I can train harder! I can speed up my progress!!"
"No matter what methods I have to use, I'll do anything to learn faster!!"
The moment he said he was leaving, her heart felt like it was being crushed.
Seeing her distress, Morin simply gave her a reassuring smile.
Slowly, her anxiety started to ease.
"There's an old saying from my hometown: 'All good things must come to an end.'"
…Wait.
Hadn't he said this exact same line to many people already?
Briefly shaking off that thought, Morin continued gently:
"I have my own matters to take care of. I can't stay in one place forever."
After all, in recent times, both Pakunoda and Machi had sent him messages.
Morin figured it was about time to check in on them.
After all, he had to make sure everyone got equal attention.
Baise fell silent.
She knew that a man like Morin could never stay in one place.
Men like him had things they pursued—power, adventure, something greater.
She understood this rationally.
But emotionally…
Her heart refused to accept it.
Baise bit her lip lightly, her eyes clouded with reluctance.
"If only I could be useful to him…"
More stones and the bonus will be yours (I should do some poetry)