The night split the world in two.
One half was the lively Pulite Town, the other was the silent Shanni Village.
Hisoka stepped into a world of laughter and merriment, while Moro leaned against the backdrop of life and death.
Then, Moro suddenly shivered.
A strange sensation crept up his spine, like an unseen specter had locked its gaze onto him. It was inexplicable, yet undeniable.
Moro furrowed his brows slightly, thinking about the Nen user inside the mud-brick house, who lacked even the slightest sense of vigilance.
After a moment of hesitation, he abandoned the idea of barging in directly.
"Focus is a good thing, but too much of it… People like you don't live long."
Muttering to himself, Moro silently departed, not even disturbing a single village dog.
Once he left Shanni Village, he found a vantage point suitable for observation.
The location featured two large boulders with a narrow, person-wide gap between them. A long, flat stone lay across the top, forming what looked like an oddly shaped stone gate from afar.
Moro leaned against the stone, tilting his head slightly to peer through the gap, watching the faint glow of lamplight in the distant village.
He was waiting for that female Nen user to come out so he could make contact with her alone.
Early Morning
Dew clung to the blades of grass, and a soft morning mist shrouded the air, almost tangible to the touch.
After a while, the mist gradually dispersed.
Moro stood as still as a statue beside the boulders, his "Ten" as steady and silent as a vast, unmoving river.
But as soon as he opened his eyes, a faint ripple stirred within his otherwise tranquil aura.
Practicing "Ten" required nothing more than a quiet mind and focused intent, naturally stabilizing one's aura.
Stillness brings stability.
This, in itself, was not difficult to achieve.
The true challenge was maintaining that same level of stability while in motion.
Reaching such a level required an unimaginable amount of time and effort.
It was like walking an endless road with no mile markers, no visible end.
And for Nen users, the key was to ignore the concept of a final destination—focus only on the road beneath their feet and move forward, step by step.
The passing years granted Moro endurance, allowing him to walk this path tirelessly.
But they did not dictate the terrain ahead.
Thus, every Nen user, including Moro, had to figure out how to navigate this rugged road—how to walk efficiently and effectively.
Moro never allowed himself the comfort of believing that things would "work themselves out" over time.
He refused to waste even a single idle moment, always treating each step with careful consideration.
Because Nen, at its core, was a power system that followed the principle of "rowing against the current—if you don't move forward, you fall behind."
As the mist fully dissipated and sunlight poured down, a figure emerged from the village, heading toward the distant forest.
By the boulders, Moro adjusted his hat slightly and followed.
The Same Place as Yesterday
A woman, fully covered except for her eyes, arrived before a large tree draped in vines and moss.
She scraped off some material from the tree and placed it into a test tube.
Moro watched from a distance.
He deliberately waited until she turned her back before stepping out from behind a tree and asking:
"Are you a doctor?"
"!"
Hearing an unexpected voice behind her, Sambika flinched in shock.
She instinctively secured the test tube, then darted forward like a butterfly skimming the ground. Before even landing, she had already pivoted midair to face Moro, her eyes filled with alert suspicion.
At the same time, she unleashed her aura without hesitation, swelling outward like a pufferfish bristling with spines.
So, when it came to defensive reactions, she wasn't as weak as he initially thought.
Judging by her aura's intensity… Somewhere between Lv. 45 and Lv. 50.
From her response, Moro gained some basic insights.
That was precisely why he had intentionally spoken when she had her back turned—to gauge her reaction.
Additionally, this action subtly conveyed a message: "I have no hostile intent—at least, not on the surface."
To reinforce this, he had removed his disguise gear.
"I was here yesterday too. I noticed you collecting something and got curious, so I followed you. Then, I saw you preparing medicine for a child."
As he spoke, Moro gestured toward the nearby tree and continued:
"You didn't seem to notice me. I meant no offense. After leaving the village, I figured you might return today, so I waited here for you."
He omitted the part about watching over her for an extended period, but the result was essentially the same.
Sambika listened, then recalled something her master had once warned her about—something to always be cautious of.
She immediately asked, "Are you a voyeur?"
"…"
Moro was momentarily stunned before instinctively waving his hands in denial.
"No, no! Huh?! That's what you focused on?!"
By the time he finished speaking, his voice had lost some of its confidence.
Because… in hindsight, she wasn't entirely wrong.
Technically, he had been "peeping" on her.
But adding "voyeur" on top of that? That made it sound like she was calling him Hisoka!
Seeing Moro's reaction, Sambika narrowed her eyes in thought.
Then, she remembered another type of person her master had warned her about.
She took a step back and asked warily:
"Then… are you a stalker?"
"?"
A question mark popped up in Moro's mind.
There's definitely something off about this girl…
But…
He couldn't refute her.
After a moment of silence, Moro changed the subject.
"Are you treating that child's illness?"
"Yes."
Sambika nodded, her vigilance unchanged.
Moro casually asked, "I've never seen a disease like that before. It looks as if the cells are being drained of their vitality… Pretty terrifying. So, is it caused by a virus?"
"Yes."
Sambika was a little puzzled but answered honestly.
"It's an entirely undocumented, unknown virus. You don't have to worry—its transmissibility is 'currently' very weak."
After explaining, she immediately turned the conversation back around:
"You stalked and spied on me—was it really just out of curiosity? Because, to me, your behavior fits exactly the kind of pervert my master always warns me about."
"I…"
Moro opened his mouth, but no words came out.
After a brief pause, he sighed in resignation.
"You're not wrong… Ah, I was rude. I didn't introduce myself. You can call me Hisoka. Hisoka is definitely a pervert."
"Mm."
Sambika nodded, thinking, "Master was right after all."
Moro felt a little better.
Just as he was about to ask more about the village, a sudden sinister aura caught his attention.
Sambika sensed it too.
Both immediately went on guard, turning toward the tree where the aura was leaking from.
"Stealing someone else's name… That's naughty."
From behind the tree, Hisoka emerged, half his body visible.
A playing card twirled between his fingers, resting against his chin as he narrowed his eyes at Moro.
Seeing Hisoka appear with his signature pinkish aura, Moro tensed instinctively.
"See? Now he's a real stalker pervert!"
Moro immediately activated his full Ten, allowing his aura to surge while pointing at Hisoka—already prepared to launch Flying Stars.
Sambika, too, watched Hisoka, her eyes trembling slightly.
She shook her head.
"No… You two… You're both the same."
"…"
Moro's face turned ashen.
Hisoka smiled in satisfaction.
"Heh~"
"?"
Moro's lips twitched.
"What the hell are you laughing at—"
His good manners barely stopped him in time.
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50 Powerstones? (5 Bonus Chapters)
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