Late at night, the sky collapsed into a torrential downpour.
In the Underdrain District of Yorknew City, rain cascaded like beaded curtains, gathering into rivers that pulsed through the city's concrete veins. The streetlights flickered with an uncertain rhythm, casting dancing shadows against the gloom. Amidst the darkness, a single antique shop remained defiantly bathed in light.
Above the entrance, a common electronic sign flickered, its red text scrolling sluggishly: [Buying Miscellaneous Antiques and Handicrafts — June 22, 1997]
Inside the shop, glass display cases lined the walls. Beneath a warm orange glow, rows of artifacts lay in silent repose, their true histories veiled by the dim light. Deep in the back, a solid wood desk sat against the wall, illuminated by a single desk lamp.
Under the concentrated beam of light stood a red wooden doll, about fifty centimeters tall. Suddenly, a pair of hands reached into the light, cupping the unremarkable carving. The hands belonged to a young man with sharp, clean-cut black hair and handsome features, dressed in simple casual clothes.
Crack.
The youth applied a sliver of pressure with his fingertips. Cracks instantly spiderwebbed across the wooden surface, and faint streaks of white light—distinct from the lamp's glow—leaked through the fissures.
The wooden shell shattered and fell away, revealing a jade figurine shimmering with the faint aura of Nen. Its translucent surface was etched with pale green patterns resembling fish scales, sparkling brilliantly under the light.
It was a masterpiece hidden in dross, a treasure reclaimed from trash.
From the shadows near the door, a sturdy man wearing a dog-head mask watched the scene unfold. He seemed well-acquainted with the youth's talents, showing no hint of surprise. Crossing his arms, he fixed his gaze on the boy and spoke in a voice that was steady and heavy.
"Moro, why did you refuse the gift Morena prepared for you?"
"A gift?"
The boy, addressed as Moro, looked up to meet the masked man's gaze. A helpless smile played on his lips.
"Dog-Bro, asking me to kill twenty-one complete strangers... you call that a gift?"
"Of course it is. If you kill them, you'll immediately jump to Level 21. After that, you'll likely develop a Nen ability tailored to your needs. Even if the result varies, you'll at least significantly increase your aura capacity."
The man's voice remained unflinching as he paused, then continued:
"Morena needs feedback on her ability's effects as soon as possible. Don't disappoint her. Besides... gaining power simply by killing a few nobodies is a deal with nothing but benefits for you."
"..."
Moro fell silent.
Just killing a few people...
That was the mafia way. Or perhaps, in this world known as Hunter x Hunter, disregarding life and trampling over others was simply the norm. He had felt this reality bone-deep since the day he had transmigrated here a year ago.
He stared quietly at the man in the dog mask. As a transmigrator, he knew the plot and the characters of this world all too well. The man before him, and the woman who had saved him a year ago—Morena—were key figures from the Hei-Ly Mafia family, destined to surface during the Kakin Royal Succession War.
Setting aside Morena's status as an illegitimate daughter of the Kakin King or her future role as a Mafia Boss, what struck Moro most was her Nen ability.
It was a power that allowed others to "level up" and grow stronger through the act of murder.
"Getting stronger just by killing. Sounds so easy, doesn't it?"
Moro suppressed the dark thoughts swirling in his mind. A strange smile touched his lips, though his eyes remained as calm as a stagnant pond.
"Dog-Bro, Nen isn't such a shallow thing. Not with a system built on Vows and Restrictions. I don't know how Morena developed this power, but one thing is certain."
Moro looked away, shifting his focus back to the jade figurine on the desk.
"There is risk. A massive, unknown risk."
"..."
This time, it was the masked man who went silent. In this world, silence was often a form of admission. However, he did not forget his position. He shook off the silence and asked directly:
"So, is your answer a refusal?"
"How could I? My pathetic life was given to me by Morena."
Moro lowered his gaze, laughing self-deprecatingly as an image of Morena's abyss-black eyes flashed through his mind. After a moment, he looked back up.
"Give me one day."
"Fine. I'll tell her."
The masked man nodded and turned to leave. Just as he reached the door, he stopped as if remembering something.
"By the way, Morena said she hasn't decided on a name for her ability yet. She wants you to pick one."
"..."
Moro froze. Fragments of the original story flickered in his memory.
Etude of Love.
That was the name of Morena's ability in the original world. Why an ability centered on destruction bore such a name, Moro didn't truly know. Without hesitation, he spoke the name from his memory.
"Call it 'Etude of Love.' If she doesn't hate it, that is."
"Hmm?"
The man seemed surprised. He hadn't expected such a poetic name from the boy. But he didn't linger on it; he gave a brief wave and stepped out into the rainy night.
Moro watched him go, his expression unreadable.
Creak—
The door clicked shut.
A few minutes later, Moro finally withdrew his gaze and looked at the jade figure standing amidst the wooden shards.
"I guess I have to run..."
There were things he was unwilling to do, and with no room for negotiation, he decided to leave Morena's circle. It wasn't that he was entirely allergic to the idea of killing—it was that among the twenty-one people Morena had sent, there were infants and children.
That was a line he wouldn't cross.
Furthermore, he knew better than anyone the true purpose hidden in Morena's heart. To destroy the Kakin Empire, to destroy humanity, to destroy the world... to destroy everything. That was her goal.
Moro had always known he would leave eventually; he just hadn't expected the day to come so soon.
Over the past six months, this antique shop had brought Morena significant profits. Had things gone differently, he would have stayed to repay his debt of gratitude through gold and service.
This should be enough, he thought.
He raised his right hand. On the back of it was a tattoo resembling tree rings, composed of six hollow concentric circles of different colors: white, green, blue, purple, red, and gold. At the very center was a tiny, black infinity symbol.
Moro didn't know the origin of this tattoo. It had appeared a few days after he transmigrated, fading in from a faint outline until it became permanent.
So far, he knew two things: others couldn't see it, and the area covered by the tattoo seemed to possess an "indestructible" property, as if protected by a Vow. Additionally, he could fill the hollow rings by absorbing Nen from antiques. This was the true reason he ran an antique shop in Yorknew.
After six months of absorbing the lingering aura from old relics, the innermost white ring was almost full.
Putting the thoughts of his escape aside, Moro focused on the jade figurine. If he absorbed the aura from this piece, it should finally complete the first ring.
He placed his hand over the jade. There was no outward sign of energy, but the faint glow surrounding the jade flowed visibly into the back of his hand. The tiny gap in the white ring closed, becoming a solid, perfect circle.
Moro stared at the tattoo, his heart racing with a shred of anticipation. In his mind, this was his "Golden Finger," his cheat code for this dangerous world. If it provided him with a boost now, he would have much more confidence in breaking away from the Mafia.
He waited. One minute passed. Then two.
The white ring remained full, but nothing happened. No notifications, no surges of power, no hidden techniques.
"The worst-case scenario," Moro muttered, shaking his head.
There were three possibilities: he needed to fill all the rings to unlock the power, there was a specific condition he hadn't met, or the tattoo simply wasn't the "cheat" he hoped it was.
He felt a pang of disappointment, but he didn't let it consume him. Even if he didn't get a supernatural boost, he wasn't helpless. His true foundation was the Emission-type Nen he had spent the last year refining with grueling effort.
The rain showed no signs of slowing down.
The man in the dog mask walked through the downpour until he reached a black sedan parked at the curb. The rear window rolled down, revealing an elegant, refined woman.
She had brows like willow leaves and eyes like a phoenix. However, her beautiful face was marred by two jagged, parallel scars. They ran from her hairline, across her left eyelid, and down to her cheek, nearly bisecting half her face. It was a haunting sight.
"Morena."
The man bowed slightly.
"Inu," Morena looked up. "What did he say?"
"Moro asked for one day."
Morena lowered her eyes. She seemed to sense something. The man, Inu, stood still, letting the rain soak through his clothes as he waited for her response.
After a long silence, Morena habitually traced the scars on her cheek.
"Forget it," she whispered.
Inu blinked, startled.
Morena dropped her hand and looked past him, toward the distant glow of the antique shop.
"Inu, did you know? Little Moro has something in him that I find quite... distasteful."
"What is it?"
Morena's eyes grew deep and cold.
"A bottom line."
"..."
Inu found no words to reply.
"My people," Morena said coldly, "cannot afford to have such things."
Inu understood her meaning instantly. For a moment, he thought of pleading Moro's case, but he bit his tongue. Instead, he asked:
"Morena, the Phantom Troupe is hunting someone. Many mafia groups are being slaughtered in the crossfire. We should at least warn Moro—"
"No need." Morena looked away. "That is his choice."
"Understood."
Inu sighed inwardly. Then, he relayed the name Moro had chosen for her ability.
Etude of Love.
When she heard the name, a ripple of emotion finally crossed Morena's eyes. As expected, it wasn't quite complete... Even if she could feel Moro's loyalty in a deep kiss, if their "purposes" were different, it was all meaningless.
"Let's go."
Morena lowered her head. She hadn't received the feedback she wanted, but she had discovered a flaw in her ability.
Inu glanced at her one last time, catching a hint of melancholy in her voice before the car pulled away into the dark, rain-slicked streets.
Author Notes:
- Inu (Dog): The original text referred to the masked man as "Dog-Bro" or "Dog-Man". Per your request to replace Chinese names/titles with anime-inspired ones, I have used Inu (from Inuyasha or simply the Japanese word for dog frequently used in anime contexts) as his primary designation.
- Morena: Kept as is, as it is a non-Chinese name (Spanish/Italian origin) already used in the HunterxHunter source material.
- Moro: Kept as is, as it is the character's established name in this setting.