Kurapika was bewildered.
A moment ago, he had been hesitating outside the door, debating whether or not to knock on Moro's room.
Somehow, he had suddenly become a voyeur.
But he couldn't be blamed for peeking.
He had simply heard the sound of a door opening, so he instinctively leaned out to take a look.
Inside the room, Moro was slightly surprised to see Kurapika there.
Of course, he didn't think Kurapika was playing paparazzi.
It was just his bad luck—showing up at the wrong place at the wrong time, and unfortunately catching Biscuit's bad mood.
Moro mentally gave Kurapika a moment of silence before casually scanning his attire and the energy radiating from his presence.
Aside from the dazed expression, that previous heavy, deathly aura was now gone, dissipated into the natural flow of his aura.
He had grown. And, more importantly, he had taken the advice to heart—he was no longer wearing the attire of the Kurta Clan.
"We meet again. Looks like you actually took my suggestion to heart."
Moro's gaze swept over Kurapika's more conventional outfit.
But before Kurapika could respond, Biscuit turned her head toward Moro and asked, "You know him?"
"Yeah, but it's fine. You can wait a little longer. You should be able to catch the real one soon."
Moro's expression was calm as if he didn't care at all about Biscuit's earlier accusations.
Biscuit rolled her eyes at him, placing her hands on her hips. "Then I won't bother with it anymore. I was thinking of cutting ties altogether."
"Don't act like you had the moral high ground."
Moro deliberately shot a glance at her.
With a dramatic huff, Biscuit turned and left, though she threw out a final remark, "Think it over carefully. I'm in no hurry."
"…"
Moro watched her leave, inwardly thinking—if anyone was in a hurry, it was definitely her.
Life really was unpredictable.
Had this happened during his lost and aimless phase, if Biscuit had voluntarily thrown herself at him, he would have been ecstatic.
But now…
The longing wasn't as strong, but the opportunity was too valuable to pass up.
He could use this chance to test the abilities of Star Convergence on her.
If he activated his ability while sparring with her, she would undoubtedly notice something was amiss.
But thanks to his gem analogy earlier, he now had an excuse to act without restraint.
No rush…
He held all the cards for now.
There was just one regret.
Biscuit's "loli form" was nowhere near as physically powerful as her true form.
The difference wasn't just strength—it also involved technique and body mechanics.
If given the choice, her muscular form was definitely the ideal opponent.
Unfortunately, Biscuit was unlikely to reveal her true form just for a sparring match.
In the original story, only Killua ever saw it voluntarily.
As for Moro himself, if he wanted to force her into her true form, there was likely only one way—
Beat her loli form to a pulp.
At that point, Biscuit would undoubtedly retaliate by transforming into her muscular form to get back at him.
The problem was, she might not hold back. And if she didn't, she could easily punch him to death.
And even dealing with her "loli form" wouldn't be easy.
He'd judge the situation when the time came.
As Moro contemplated all this, he had momentarily forgotten about the blonde youth standing awkwardly beside him.
Seeing Moro lost in thought, Kurapika swallowed his words and simply stood there, waiting quietly.
A moment later—
Moro suddenly turned his gaze toward Kurapika.
"You came here specifically to find me?"
"Yes."
Kurapika answered directly, wasting no time getting to the point.
"I want to become stronger. I want to learn that power called 'Nen'… and I'm willing to pay any price for it."
There was no hesitation, no attempt to conceal his true motives.
The last surviving member of the Kurta Clan openly bared his determination.
A flash of intrigue crossed Moro's eyes.
"Looks like you've done your research on Nen."
Kurapika nodded.
He hadn't known about Nen before, but during the Yorknew City incident, seeing Moro and Kort had given him a clear direction to investigate.
Though he was limited by time and financial constraints, he had at least managed to confirm that the power was called "Nen."
But his goal had always been clear—to find Moro and ask him to guide him through the first step.
As payment, once he avenged his people and recovered all of their stolen eyes, he would give his life to Moro.
That was his resolve.
Moro saw through Kurapika's intentions at a glance.
The young man was still too inexperienced to hide his thoughts.
"Take the Hunter Exam. With your current abilities, even if you don't pass, at least you won't die. If you do pass, you'll find someone willing to teach you Nen."
Moro sidestepped Kurapika's unspoken offer of servitude.
Instead, he pointed him toward the right path.
Back in Yorknew City, Kurapika had been in a terrible mental state.
That was why Moro hadn't mentioned this option to him back then.
As for teaching Kurapika Nen himself…
He had never even considered it.
If not for his prior commitment to training Kastro and Callista, he wouldn't be wasting his time on anyone.
A promise was a promise.
That was one principle Moro adhered to.
But Kurapika was different.
He had made no such promises to him.
And right now, he had no time to spare for him either.
His final phase of training was nearing completion.
Then, he needed to tackle the issue of Death's Threshold.
If he ever did take on a student, it would only be after resolving that.
Moro's indirect refusal made Kurapika's eyes dim with disappointment.
He wanted to insist, but he quickly dismissed the idea.
Moro's expression made it clear—his mind was set.
Pushing further would only make things awkward.
"Thank you for your help last time. I'll repay you for that ticket soon."
Kurapika bowed deeply before turning away.
Moro silently watched his retreating figure.
Though Kurapika no longer looked as fragile as before, the aura of solitude still clung to him.
Then, Moro recalled the red mark on Kurapika's face—evidence of a recent injury.
Most likely from fighting in the Heavens Arena.
Perhaps that was why he was confident he could pay him back soon.
After all, the Heavens Arena was one of the fastest ways to make money.
Watching Kurapika's lonely silhouette fade into the distance, Moro hesitated.
…Forget it.
Just unlocking Nen for him wouldn't disrupt his plans.
"Come back."
Hearing the call, Kurapika spun around, the dullness in his eyes flickering with surprise.
Meeting his gaze—one filled with uncertainty yet tinged with hope—Moro hesitated briefly but quickly set his thoughts aside.
Once a decision was made, there was no need for further hesitation.
Moro looked at Kurapika and slowly said,
"I'll unlock your Nen for you."
"…"
Kurapika's eyes widened, and the bleakness that had clouded them vanished in an instant.
He was intelligent.
He immediately understood the significance of those words.
At that moment, in his eyes—
Moro stood alone, radiating light.
For the rest of his life, he would never forget this moment.
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50 Powerstones? (5 Bonus Chapters)
20 Advance Chapters: patreon.com/milezen