HunterxHunter: I Became Stronger After Death

From the moment Kortopi instinctively relied on his enhancement-type puppet, his fate was sealed.

A 200% power-enhanced flying star...

That's no joke!

Especially with part of Kortopi's aura still lingering on the long street; under such circumstances, it was absolutely impossible for him to fend off this finishing blow.

As Moro turned and walked away, a distant explosion marked the impact of the flying star. He casually raised his wrist to check the tattoo.

Lv.22 → Lv.31

"Leveled up by 9…"

Gazing at the numbers etched in the center of the tattoo, Moro's eyes glimmered with satisfaction.

In just half a month, he had gone from Lv.7 to Lv.31.

If it were pure training, such progress in half a month would barely have increased his level by two or three at best.

And as levels climb higher, the time required for subsequent advancements will only grow exponentially.

By hunting high-level Nen users, Moro could skip the long grind, grasping results meant for the future firmly in the present.

The only trade-off?

Hunting Nen users means confronting the risk of death.

"Kortopi's level should've been between Lv.45 and Lv.60, right…" Moro estimated Kortopi's aura level.

Initially, the distance had been too great to observe clearly. Once closer, Kortopi's scattered aura—split to maintain puppets elsewhere—made precise evaluation difficult. Moro could only deduce a rough range.

"Enough guessing. Time to move."

Thanks to the tattoo's clear feedback, Moro didn't need to worry about fake-death tricks. He turned and bolted down the opposite direction of the alley.

Taking action against Kortopi had been a gamble for fortune amidst danger.

Now that fortune was in hand, Moro's priority was to escape the storm before it caught up to him.

Had he waited until Hisoka fully "acknowledged" Kortopi's fake-death tactic and struck then, the risks would've been lower.

But conversely...

By that point, Kortopi would've been at full strength, making it near impossible to defeat him with a mere ambush.

"Choices are everything…"

Moro sprinted forward, reflecting quietly.

Sparrow in the Trees

Emerging from the passageway lined with tall buildings, Moro arrived at a pedestrian walkway shaded by plane trees.

"Chirp chirp, tweet tweet…"

Sparrows chirped from the branches above.

Moro halted abruptly and looked up, catching sight of several sparrows perched on the tree trunks.

Wee-woo, wee-woo…

Urgent police sirens echoed from all directions of the main road.

Startled by the blaring alarms, the sparrows flapped their wings and darted into the sky.

With a leap, Moro reached out and grabbed one mid-flight.

"Chirp! Chirp—!"

The struggling sparrow screeched, pecking at Moro's fingers in desperation.

Moro glanced down at the bird.

"Starfield Convergence."

Nen shattered into starlight, swirling around Moro like a galaxy.

With his left index finger, Moro slowly approached the sparrow.

Terrified, the bird pecked frantically at his advancing finger. Yet Moro dodged every strike effortlessly.

A few seconds later, Moro deactivated his ability and released the sparrow. As it fluttered away, he turned his attention toward the blaring sirens.

Far ahead on the roadway, police cars raced by, private vehicles swerving aside to make way.

Pedestrians on the street, unaccustomed to such a scene, gawked curiously.

Moro quickly averted his gaze and glanced toward the retreating sparrow before sprinting in the opposite direction.

His incredible speed drew startled exclamations from the bystanders, but Moro paid no heed. All he cared about was distancing himself from the storm's epicenter as quickly as possible.

The Red Spider in Pursuit

After running for what felt like ages, Moro suddenly noticed a surge of shocked exclamations from behind.

"Huh?"

Alert, Moro glanced over his shoulder, only to have his pupils shrink in disbelief.

Swinging through the air like Spider-Man, a red figure soared into view.

No, not Spider-Man—Hisoka!

Above the street, a pink elastic line was attached to the top of a traffic light.

The other end of the line clung to Hisoka, who radiated a chilling bloodlust as his face twisted into a demonic expression.

With a sudden contraction of the elastic line, Hisoka propelled himself with incredible speed, vaulting over the traffic light and hurtling straight toward Moro.

The pedestrians on the road and sidewalk alike froze in their tracks, captivated by Hisoka's nightmarish presence.

Though they couldn't make out Hisoka's distorted features, the sheer malevolence emanating from him struck them like an iron grip on their throats, suffocating them with terror.

If not for Hisoka's complete disregard for their existence, his murderous intent alone might have shattered their minds from a distance.

Even the police cars that had been speeding down the road slammed to a stop as they spotted Hisoka in the distance, immediately reversing their course.

But Hisoka ignored them all.

In his eyes, there was only Moro.

"The bloodlust still lingers. I know it well… That satisfaction's aftertaste, it's still in your aura."

Using the tension of the elastic line, Hisoka flung himself through the air like an arrow, closing the gap to Moro in seconds.

BOOM.

Hisoka landed on the ground, the impact shattering bricks and raising a cloud of dust.

Scattered debris clattered to the ground, and faint smoke began to rise.

Emerging through the haze, Hisoka's golden pupils trembled within his narrow, squinted eyes, scanning his surroundings like a predator.

The Stand-Off

About 50 meters ahead, Moro halted mid-run at the sound of Hisoka's landing.

He knew running was futile.

In a bustling city, there was no escaping Spider-Man Hisoka.

Moro sighed inwardly and turned to face the man cloaked in bloodlust.

The aura surrounding Hisoka was overwhelming, a chaotic blend of madness, desire, and murderous intent.

Paired with Hisoka's devilish grin, he was the filthiest, most menacing presence Moro had encountered since entering this world.

"Damn, he's fast. Is this guy part bloodhound? And that aura… definitely over Lv.60."

Observing the turbulent Nen practically bursting from Hisoka's body, Moro quickly assessed the situation. Without perfect conditions, there was no way he could match an opponent in such a hyper-aggressive state.

"Do you need something?" Moro asked.

He activated his aura nodes, unleashing his maximum Nen flow as he prepared for a fight. A sharp projection of energy formed over his right hand, radiating a clear killing intent.

Hisoka's twisted smile widened.

He glanced at Moro's right hand, noting the unrestrained aura.

"Ah… you're an emitter," Hisoka murmured, his voice laced with excitement.

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