From Moro, Tessa saw something beyond his years.
He was clearly lying, yet there was a natural ease to it.
Moreover, the boy didn't seem to care whether others believed his lie or not, carrying an attitude of indifference—believe it if you want.
Compared to her own disciple…
They were complete opposites.
Tessa sighed inwardly.
She had already noticed a certain trust Sambika had developed toward Moro.
If she continued to let them interact, she feared that one day, her disciple would be sold by Moro and still foolishly count the money for him.
The likelihood was far too high!
Despite her concerns, Tessa remained curious about how Moro had dispelled his deadly aura.
However, she didn't expect to get an answer from him.
If she were in his place twenty years ago, she wouldn't have been foolish enough to spill secrets just because someone asked… hmm.
Tessa admitted to herself that, in her younger days, she had indeed fallen for such a trick once. It had been a harsh lesson.
The human heart is the most fragile when scrutinized.
You pour your efforts into it without expecting anything in return, but the moment you decide to take a look inside, hoping to find sincerity, you discover nothing but a ruthless siphon.
"No, I have to go immediately."
Even though she kept instructing Sambika over the phone, Tessa couldn't shake her unease.
She rose from the edge of the makeshift bed inside her temporary tent, not bothering to pack anything, ready to leave the excavation site immediately.
But just as she stood up, the tent flap was lifted.
A scruffy man with short, spiky hair and a stubbled face barged in.
"Tessa! Quick, quick, quick! We made a huge discovery!"
The man gestured wildly, excitement gleaming in his brown eyes.
Tessa ended the call, glancing at the still-swaying tent flap before turning her cold gaze toward the childishly excited man.
She spoke slowly, emphasizing each word:
"Jin Freecss, for the last time, before entering someone else's tent—"
"This is really a ruin from the Xattar period!"
Jin Freecss seemed oblivious to Tessa's mood and continued, overjoyed:
"If we can open that last stone door, we'll finally see what's inside! Tessa, the aura seal on the door—"
"Bang!"
A tin can hit Jin square on the forehead, cutting him off.
Clang.
The metal can dropped to the ground with a light sound.
A half-eaten piece of processed meat fell out, rolling into the sand.
Tessa slowly lowered the hand that had thrown the can and said calmly:
"Now, can you listen—"
"Tessa, what was that for?"
Jin rubbed his forehead, crouched down, picked up the piece of meat, brushed off the sand, and popped it into his mouth.
Through his chewing, he mumbled:
"Don't waste food."
"…"
Tessa shut her eyes in despair.
"I'm leaving."
Late at night, Moro arrived at the rundown mud-brick house to bid farewell to Sambika.
He had initially tracked her here and found her inside, preparing medicine for patients.
Had Hisoka not suddenly appeared, his meeting with Sambika might have been less complicated.
But it was precisely because of Hisoka's intrusion that he gave up on digging for more information and instead decisively attacked the virus research facility.
Looking at the outcome, it had saved him a lot of trouble.
"So soon?"
Sambika blurted out, surprised by Moro's abrupt farewell.
"Yeah." Moro nodded with a smile. "My work here is done, staying any longer would just be a waste of time."
"You could at least wait until morning… oh, never mind."
Sambika initially wanted to ask him to stay until dawn, but she quickly reconsidered, not wanting to make things difficult for him.
Moro looked at Sambika.
This virus hunter had an unfiltered sincerity that she didn't seem capable of hiding.
And beneath that sincerity was a heart willing to sacrifice itself for others.
Even with most of her face covered, her eyes always gave away her true thoughts.
Before meeting Sambika, Moro never believed that people like her existed.
But the world was vast, and the more he traveled, the more he realized that things he had once believed to be absolute weren't necessarily true.
Moro marveled at Sambika's rare and valuable qualities.
Which is why… the next time he had the chance to buy antiques from shady dealers, he'd make sure to drive the price way down!
"Sambika, you shouldn't stay here too long."
Moro suddenly warned.
Sambika met his gaze and nodded. "I know, my master told me the same thing."
"Good. I'm off, then."
After his reminder, Moro simply turned to leave.
Sambika watched his back and softly said, "Mm, goodbye."
"Oh, one more thing."
Moro stopped but didn't turn around. Facing the night wind, he asked:
"Am I a pervert?"
Sambika froze for a moment, recalling an earlier interaction. A hint of embarrassment flashed in her eyes.
"No."
"What about Hisoka?"
"Ah…"
Sambika was immediately put on the spot. She didn't want to badmouth someone, but she also didn't want to lie.
"Yes."
In the end, she chose to be honest.
"Exactly."
Moro smiled and walked away.
He continued walking until he reached the village entrance, leaving it several strides behind.
Only then did he stop, speaking meaningfully:
"You heard that, didn't you? So stop looking at me like I'm one of your own, Hisoka."
"Heh."
From the shadows, Hisoka chuckled as he stepped out, completely unfazed by Sambika's clear distinction between the two of them.
Moro turned to face Hisoka. "Six months."
"…"
Hisoka's amused expression faded slightly as he waited for more.
Moro remained calm. "Six months from now, I'll be waiting for you at Heaven's Arena. Until then, don't let me see you again."
"Hmm."
Hisoka lowered his gaze, flipping a few playing cards between his fingers, seemingly contemplating.
Moro wasn't in a rush. He patiently awaited Hisoka's response.
Six months…
In that time, he needed to eliminate Feitan and remove the looming execution threat of "X" from his future.
Only then would he deal with Hisoka's obsession.
His current abilities were specifically designed to counter Feitan.
They would likely be effective against him, but against Hisoka? That was another story.
But that was a problem for six months from now.
Moro had confidence in himself.
Under the night sky, on the open plains—
The two men stood in silence for several minutes, each lost in their own thoughts.
"Fine."
Finally, Hisoka agreed, albeit reluctantly.
Although he couldn't use his usual "flirtation tactics," shortening the waiting period to six months wasn't entirely unacceptable.
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50 Powerstones? (5 Bonus Chapters)
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