After Cluck left, the sound of approaching sirens echoed from the distance, heading straight for the harbor.
Morrow turned his gaze toward the source and saw a straight road leading to the harbor, lined with alternating red and blue police lights resembling a long, winding dragon.
Clearly, there were quite a few police cars.
His eyes then shifted to the harbor itself, dimly illuminated by scattered lights.
A group of heavily armed gang members had gathered there.
It was their sudden appearance earlier that had allowed Morrow and Kalluto to temporarily escape Mizaistom's pursuit and make their way here.
Though they had already dealt with the trouble posed by Mizaistom, a large police force was now heading to the harbor…
What a mess.
After a moment of thought, Morrow decided to give up on Bazel's bounty.
After all, he had already obtained the experience points he wanted most, and he no longer had to worry about the deposit.
"Kalluto, get in the car."
Morrow withdrew his gaze and walked toward the driver's seat.
"What about Bazel's bounty?"
Kalluto hesitated, remembering that Bazel's body was still at the harbor.
Morrow opened the car door and glanced at Kalluto, shaking his head. "Forget it. Let's not get involved in that mess."
"Oh."
Kalluto responded, but before getting into the car, he turned back to look at the harbor one last time. A trace of regret flickered in his deep purple eyes.
Though the deposit issue had been resolved, he cared more about the remaining reward than Morrow did.
The quiet street suddenly roared with the sound of an engine as the car turned onto the main road, driving in the opposite direction of the sirens.
Instead of returning to the city center of Chezlon, Morrow drove straight toward another city called Los Santos.
By the time the sky began to lighten, the outlines of numerous skyscrapers gradually appeared ahead.
Buzz.
At that moment, his phone vibrated faintly.
Morrow ignored it and continued driving into Los Santos, eventually parking at a nearby hotel.
Before getting out, he took out his phone and opened it. The first thing he saw was a transfer notification displayed prominently on the screen.
The message showed that his account had received a staggering sum of 1.6 billion.
Surprised, Morrow tapped on the notification and realized the money was Bazel's bounty, after taxes.
"Well, I didn't expect that."
Morrow stared at the transfer message.
Beside him, Kalluto glanced at Morrow's profile and asked, puzzled, "What's wrong?"
"I received Bazel's bounty."
Morrow waved his phone at Kalluto, a hint of surprise in his tone. "Mizaistom must have handled it."
Kalluto's expression immediately turned incredulous.
Clearly, his impression of Mizaistom was terrible, and he never expected the man to be so helpful.
Morrow put his phone away. "His by-the-book principles aren't without their benefits."
He had already given up on Bazel's bounty, yet Mizaistom had taken the initiative to process the reward for him.
The Zodiac Twelve…
They really are a distinct bunch.
Morrow sighed faintly before stepping out of the car and leading Kalluto to the hotel reception.
A short while later.
Once inside his room, Morrow finally had time to take out his phone and dial Kanzai's number.
Earlier, in front of Mizaistom and Cluck, he hadn't been able to ask in detail about the Post-Mortem Will Kanzai had mentioned.
Now that he had a moment to spare, his curiosity about this unknown Post-Mortem Will surged, and he couldn't wait to learn more. A dozen seconds later, the call connected.
Morrow immediately asked, "Kanzai, is this a good time to talk?"
"Ah, of course."
Kanzai's voice still sounded utterly exhausted, as if crushed under some unbearable weight. It was hard to imagine what kind of troublesome situation could reduce an Enhancer to such a state.
Without beating around the bush, Morrow went straight to the point. "I can perform Exorcism."
"..."
Dead silence suddenly fell on the other end of the line.
After about three or four seconds, Kanzai seemed to snap back to reality, his voice filled with obvious astonishment. "What did you just say?!"
Morrow's tone remained completely flat. "I said I can perform Exorcism, and what I'm most skilled at is removing Post-Mortem Wills."
"This... you bastard, you've been hiding this all along?!"
Kanzai couldn't conceal his shock, his voice tinged with disbelief.
Exorcists were already rare to begin with, and those skilled at removing Post-Mortem Wills were even scarcer. To put it in perspective, the entire Hunter Association only had one Exorcist, and even they weren't adept at handling Post-Mortem Wills.
Thus, it had never crossed Kanzai's mind that Morrow was actually an Exorcist specialized in removing Post-Mortem Wills!
And here he'd been searching desperately all this time, when one had been right beside him all along?!
Kanzai took a deep breath, not doubting Morrow's ability in the slightest, and said urgently, "If you're free, then come help me as soon as possible. We'll discuss the details when we meet."
"No problem."
Morrow agreed without hesitation.
The call ended shortly after, and Kanzai sent over an address.
Morrow glanced at it.
Unsurprisingly, it was within one of the Kukan'yu Kingdom's territories.
Placing his phone on the bedside table, Morrow had clearly sensed Kanzai's spirits lifting right before the call ended.
Post-Mortem Will, huh...
A contemplative look flashed in Morrow's eyes.
He wondered how Kanzai had gotten entangled with something like that.
He recalled that Kanzai had stubbornly continued investigating deep within the Kukan'yu Kingdom after completing his commission regarding the Third Princess Eve's mysterious resurrection.
But that had been several months ago.
Now it seemed the Post-Mortem Will giving Kanzai so much trouble was likely connected to that incident.
Anyway, I'll find out when we meet.
Whatever Post-Mortem Will it was, his Tree Rings tattoo should be able to handle it.
After all, he'd effortlessly absorbed even Orion's Post-Mortem Will, left by that severely mentally disturbed individual, without suffering a scratch.
Still, nothing was absolute. Until he understood the intensity level of the Post-Mortem Will troubling Kanzai, it was better not to be overly optimistic.
As his thoughts churned, Morrow looked down at the Tree Rings tattoo on the back of his hand.
After Chimera had drained 15 % of its energy, only about 50 % remained.
If the Post-Mortem Will he was about to face surpassed Orion's in intensity, it could yield over 26 % in returns.
Of course, that was assuming everything went smoothly. If conditions permitted, Morrow hoped to fully charge the second ring's energy before June.
Tree Rings energy is important, but leveling up is even more crucial.
Morrow's gaze fell on the level indicator at the center of the Tree Rings as he murmured to himself. And then there's advanced techniques like "Ryu" and "Ken," my proficiency with those is still lacking. Looks like time remains tight.
Among masters, one of the most decisive factors in determining the outcome of a battle lies in advanced application techniques such as "Ryu," "Shu," "Ken," and "Ko."
Morrow had a decent grasp of "Gyo," so his progress in "Shu" and "Ryu" followed a steady curve.
But without a doubt, his weakest area was "Ko."
Due to the double power amplification mechanism of Shooting Star, Morrow had never invested much time or effort into mastering "Ko."
Ultimately, it came down to limited time and energy… he couldn't cover everything.
For now, the priority is still "Ryu."
Morrow mulled it over in his mind.
Suddenly.
The phone on the bedside table vibrated softly.
Morrow glanced over and picked it up casually.
The faintly glowing screen displayed Biscuit's number.
She must have woken up, seen the missed call, and dialed back immediately.
Morrow thought to himself as he pressed the answer button.
"What is it?"
Biscuit's irritated voice came through the phone.
Thankfully, she had set her phone to Do Not Disturb mode, so Morrow hadn't disturbed her sleep.
Morrow replied, "It's nothing now. Already handled."
"Oh, I thought you were calling in the middle of the night to check up on me. But then again, you probably aren't that free."
As she spoke, Biscuit yawned twice in a row.
She usually didn't wake up this early.
But now, tasked with teaching Kurapika, who was even more relentless than Morrow, she had to adjust. Kurapika slept late, rose early, and poured nearly every waking moment into training.
As his mentor, she couldn't afford to wake up later than her disciple.
"Check up on you?"
Morrow paused for a moment before realizing what she meant. Seizing the opportunity, he asked, "Kurapika's got decent talent, right? How's his progress?"
"His improvement is incredibly fast, and he's extremely diligent."
Even someone as demanding as Biscuit couldn't help but sound slightly impressed when discussing Kurapika's training. "Originally, I planned for a six-month training regimen, but at this rate, he might finish in three or four months."
"That fast?"
Morrow was surprised, sighing inwardly.
He didn't have the same natural talent as Killua, Gon, or Kurapika.
If not for the ability-enhancing Etude of Love recorded in the Tree Rings tattoo, no matter how hard he trained, he'd likely never catch up to people like Kurapika.
In the world of Nen, talent was a dividing line from the very beginning, one that separated monstrous geniuses from ordinary people.
This was also why some could achieve in a single year what others took a decade to accomplish.
"It might even be faster."
Biscuit reined in her tone, speaking calmly. "Hatred is a driving force that often makes people rush for results. But with proper guidance, it can double the efficiency."
"You know?"
Hearing the word "hatred," Morrow couldn't help but ask.
Biscuit rolled her eyes, though Morrow couldn't see it.
"Is it strange that I know? I'm not that oblivious. Not only do I know, but I've also fully exploited it."
She paused briefly before continuing slowly. "Hatred and the bloodline power of the Kurta Clan are the sharp weapons that enable Kurapika to grow stronger rapidly... Morrow, though I've exploited this, there are some things I must clarify. Using hatred to drive Kurapika's training efficiency was indeed my personal choice, but it was never just to expedite the completion of my teaching duties."
"Biscuit, you don't need to explain this to me."
Morrow could roughly guess Biscuit's intentions behind these words and replied, "Whatever methods you've employed, I trust your ability unconditionally. Moreover, Kurapika is meticulous by nature. If he has no objections, it means he's accepted this arrangement."
"Tch."
This time, Biscuit didn't deliberately act playful.
"If there's nothing else, I'm hanging up."
With that, Biscuit decisively ended the call, her lips twitching slightly.
It's not that I don't want to continue the conversation, but...
—--
Biscuit glanced at the tightly shut wooden door and silently counted down. Right on cue, rhythmic knocking sounded at her door.
This was part of her daily routine with Kurapika.
At this exact time every day, Kurapika would knock on Biscuit's door with clockwork precision, like a human alarm.
Biscuit shook her head.
If not for the Corundum Heart and Dome Treasure Box, and her daily efforts to have Miss Cookie massage Kurapika to relieve his exhaustion…
Given Kurapika's nearly insane training regimen, his body and mind would have long since collapsed.
After all, to correct Kurapika's tendency toward emotional agitation, she deliberately set aside time each day to provoke his Scarlet Eyes by mentioning "spiders" or the "Phantom Troupe."
The frequent activation of the Kurta Clan's bloodline power took a heavy toll on Kurapika's body and spirit.
In these moments, Miss Cookie's ability seemed tailor-made for Kurapika.
"Stop knocking! Is breakfast ready yet?"
Biscuit shouted irritably at the door.
"It's ready, Master."
Kurapika's voice came from outside.
"Didn't I tell you not to call me 'Master'? I hate formalities like that. Call me 'Your Highness' or 'Beautiful Big Sister' instead."
Biscuit pursed her lips.
"..."
Outside the room, an eerie silence fell.
Kurapika's reaction didn't surprise Biscuit.
She thought to herself that if it were Morrow, any hesitation in calling her "Your Highness" for even a second would be a dead giveaway that he was an imposter.
"Kurapika, don't wait for me. Start your training, begin with 'Ren.'"
"Understood, Master."
Kurapika's immediate response came from outside, followed by the sound of receding footsteps.
After a quick wash and finishing the breakfast Kurapika had prepared inside the cabin, Biscuit stepped outside.
The forest was shrouded in visible morning mist at this hour.
On a flat patch of ground, Kurapika sat with his aura nodes open, his aura surging around him like raging waves.
Biscuit walked over and plopped down on a nearby tree stump.
"I spoke with Morrow this morning."
The moment she said this, Kurapika's aura flickered violently like an electric pulse.
Knowing this reaction wouldn't escape Biscuit's notice, Kurapika simply opened his eyes and turned his head toward her. After nearly a month of interaction, Kurapika had come to understand that Biscuit was an incredibly powerful Nen user.
To receive guidance from such a formidable master...
Kurapika hesitated before speaking. "I've been meaning to ask... Did Morrow ask you to..."
"That's right."
Biscuit knew exactly what Kurapika wanted to ask and cut him off directly.
"Morrow gave me two extremely valuable treasures on the condition that I teach you Nen."
"..."
Kurapika's eyelids slowly lifted, then gradually lowered again.
But the aura around him became highly unstable, mirroring his current emotions.
Observing Kurapika's reaction, Biscuit said calmly, "If you feel gratitude, then respond with every ounce of your sweat and blood."
"Mm."
Kurapika clenched his fists tightly, his gaze suddenly becoming resolute.
Biscuit watched from the side, the corner of her mouth curling slightly.
In truth, she knew very well that Morrow had never intended to seek any repayment from Kurapika…
But she couldn't possibly say that.
Instead, she chose to use this method to further strengthen Kurapika's motivation.
Gratitude, like hatred, could be a powerful source of drive.
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3 bonus chapters for the 3 new reviews. I'll release the bonus chapter for the 40 power stones tomorrow. Thx for your support.