The mission to heal the villagers was successfully completed.
For Sambika, this was a job without payment and one that carried considerable risk.
But as she had said herself, curing the villagers was the best reward she could ask for.
However…
Things didn't go as expected.
Although she had developed an antiviral serum, the source of the virus still needed to be dealt with.
So, Sambika had no choice but to seek help from her mentor, an exorcist.
"Sambika, I'm afraid you'll be disappointed. I don't know any exorcists who specialize in purifying Post-Mortem Nen. In fact, those who can do so can be counted on one hand."
On the other end of the call, after listening to Sambika's explanation, the exorcist Tessa fell silent for a moment before delivering an answer that left her student discouraged.
"Also, stop ignoring my advice. The fact that you were willing to cure the villagers without expecting anything in return already proves your dedication to your profession. That's enough. You don't need to take on risks beyond your capabilities."
"But, Master…"
Standing by the window of a clay-brick house, Sambika looked out at the darkened sky and said,
"That Post-Mortem Nen is directly linked to the virus."
"Sigh…"
At an ancient ruin, Tessa let out a weary sigh over the phone, feeling helpless against her stubborn disciple.
Even though she genuinely appreciated Sambika's rare and precious qualities…
"Sambika, Post-Mortem Nen carries too much negative energy. I can't purify it, but I can suppress its influence by sealing it. This is the best compromise. As for complete eradication… forget about it. Even if you find an exorcist who can purify it, they would refuse."
Realizing that Sambika was determined to deal with the Post-Mortem Nen, Tessa reluctantly conceded a little.
"Why would they refuse…?"
Sambika asked in confusion.
"Silly child."
Tessa sighed.
"Because of the risk, of course."
As someone who knew Sambika's ability well, she also understood that Sambika herself probably didn't see this as an unreasonable danger.
But for an exorcist, every exorcism required careful and meticulous evaluation.
Assessing risk was an essential skill for an exorcist.
If an exorcist chose to take on a curse beyond their capabilities, the result was almost always a tragic fate.
And when it came to Post-Mortem Nen, the risk was exponentially higher.
That was why, even if an exorcist could purify it, they would typically choose to seal or weaken it instead.
Only in extreme cases would they risk their own lives to absorb it.
That was one reason.
But there was another, more crucial reason.
When an exorcist absorbed Nen into themselves, if they failed to fully dispel or purify it…
Even if they were strong enough to suppress the curse, they would still lose their ability to exorcise Nen.
After all, if an exorcist couldn't remove the Nen they absorbed, they would be unable to free themselves from it, making them incapable of performing another exorcism.
Because of this, even the most harmless forms of Nen—such as the lingering aura of a master craftsman on a legendary blade—were considered just as risky in the eyes of an exorcist.
For example, a renowned blacksmith might leave a refined aura on a famous sword, or a swordmaster might, after years of use, infuse a blade with their spiritual presence…
Such pure and powerful Nen could be just as difficult to remove as a Post-Mortem Nen curse. The only difference was that it wasn't dangerous.
That was why no exorcist in their right mind would waste their ability on something harmless yet impossible to remove, unless there was some sort of compelling benefit involved.
Tessa didn't bother explaining all of this in detail. Instead, she got straight to the point:
"In any case, I'll help you. Start a video call—I need to assess the strength of that Post-Mortem Nen."
"Understood, Master."
Sambika smiled. She trusted that as long as her master was involved, even if the Post-Mortem Nen couldn't be completely erased, at least its potential dangers could be contained.
Meanwhile…
Moro ended his call with Argo.
Before launching his assault on the underground facility, Moro had already given Argo several instructions.
Most importantly, infiltrating the research lab's systems to take control of everything connected to computers and networks.
However, to avoid detection, Argo had waited until Moro had complete control of the situation before hacking in.
As a result, the research lab's armed forces had likely already reported the attack before engaging Moro and Hisoka.
This didn't concern Moro in the slightest.
With his gas mask concealing his identity, he was well-covered.
Of course, in a world with absurdly powerful intelligence networks, avoiding all traces was something only someone like Ging Freecss could accomplish.
Moro had no illusions about hiding from the Menu Organization.
In fact, if possible, he actually wanted them to send more assassins, like the one who could manifest his body into a fireplace.
However, given that Hisoka made no effort to hide his presence, the Menu Organization would definitely target him first for retaliation.
Putting his phone away, Moro returned to the coffin.
In his hand was a vial of antiviral serum, formulated by Sambika.
"Let's test it."
Moro's gaze reflected the corpse and the swirling black aura.
Risk and reward.
Understanding this concept deeply, he ultimately decided to use Wheel of Time to absorb the Post-Mortem Nen that was continuously generating the virus.
Having made his decision, he acted immediately.
Moro reached out and grasped the black aura.
Instantly, the smoke-like Nen reacted, as if drawn by an invisible force, and flowed straight into his hand.
Under Moro's unwavering gaze, the Post-Mortem Nen vanished.
At the same time, the green energy bar in the second ring of Wheel of Time shot up—jumping from 8% to 19% in a single surge.
Simultaneously…
New information about the Post-Mortem Nen appeared in his mind.
Just like before, when he had focused his thoughts on the 'X' symbol on his hand, information surfaced naturally.
But this time, something else came with it—
A storm-like surge of destructive, negative emotions, crashing into Moro's mind like a tidal wave.
Moro instinctively furrowed his brows but remained unfazed.
All the countless deaths he had previously experienced firsthand seemed to have forged an unbreakable mental barrier—shielding him against the Nen's psychological onslaught.
A while later…
Sambika arrived at the central chamber of the underground facility.
She saw Moro sitting at a table, examining the Scarlet Eyes.
"Moro."
She greeted him.
Moro glanced up and nodded toward her.
At that moment, Sambika's video call was still on, and the camera happened to capture Moro on screen.
Seeing him, Tessa instinctively examined him closely.
During their earlier call, she had already heard Sambika mention Moro several times.
However, Post-Mortem Nen took priority, so Tessa urged Sambika to hurry.
Sambika quickly walked up to the coffin—but then froze in place.
Inside…
There was no trace of Post-Mortem Nen left.
Through the video, Tessa saw this as well.
However, unlike Sambika, she noticed faint remnants of black Nen lingering—the kind that typically dissipates after an exorcism.
This meant someone had already purified the Post-Mortem Nen.
Before Sambika entered, the only person present had been Moro.
In that instant, Tessa came to a shocking realization.
If Moro was responsible for this…
But how could that be possible?!
From the video, Moro looked completely normal—showing no signs of distress.
Realizing this, Tessa's expression slowly shifted into one of pure shock.
"Is… is this even possible?!"
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50 Powerstones? (5 Bonus Chapters)
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