Hunter X Hunter: I Got Stronger After I Died

"Benjamin's manifested aura is roughly at Level 40…"

As he retreated into the forest, Moro quickly turned around and quickened his pace to move further away from the lake.

The encounters with various Nen users after his rebirth, coupled with the growth in his manifested aura after leveling up, had given Moro a clearer understanding of "levels."

Using his own manifested aura as a reference, Moro estimated that Benjamin's level was around 40.

Experienced Nen users often have their own methods for gauging an opponent's strength.

Some might use mission difficulty ratings, while others might assign straightforward numbers or compare them to ranks in a game.

Each person has their own way, but all methods rely on the evaluator's wealth of experience.

Moro, however, lacked such experience. The only reason he could give a rough assessment was due to the numerical data provided by the age-ring tattoo on his hand.

Using his own level as a benchmark, Moro deduced that Benjamin was at Level 40. He couldn't be entirely certain, but it was clear Benjamin's aura was on a higher tier.

Although the strength of manifested aura doesn't completely determine a Nen user's combat ability, it's the most basic information observable before actual combat.

From the moment Benjamin appeared, he had exuded composure. However, his aura showed no signs of slack—it remained in a state of heightened intensity.

This immediately made Moro label him as someone deceptive.

Not wanting to complicate matters further, Moro naturally chose not to linger.

Still, he couldn't help but admire the knife Benjamin had used to carve the antlers.

It wasn't just the Nen swirling around the crimson crystal blade; it was the blade's inherent sharpness. Moro was sure Benjamin hadn't used Ko to enhance the blade's strength while carving, which spoke volumes about its quality.

Moro resolved to acquire a high-quality blade of his own someday if given the chance.

Crunch.

Moro stepped on a damp, rotting branch as he moved through the dense forest. Every so often, he glanced back toward the lake.

Benjamin's sudden appearance had left him little time to carefully choose his direction. He had simply retreated into the woods.

Now that he was within the forest, he decided to follow this path as far as it would take him.

After walking several kilometers, the trees grew denser, the light dimmer, and visibility dropped as the moonlight struggled to pierce the canopy.

Moro retrieved a flashlight from his backpack and continued on.

The appearance of the poachers had solved many immediate concerns, such as survival supplies and tools.

Never underestimate the dangers of wilderness areas, especially unexplored places like forests, mountains, grasslands, and deserts.

Aside from fantastical beasts and other creatures, even an unassuming venomous insect could take a life silently.

In such environments, survival knowledge is often more critical than Nen abilities.

Moro had virtually no experience in wilderness survival. Most of his time since arriving in this world had been spent running his antique shop.

Dealing with smooth-talking negotiators had led him to believe that people with thick skins were the most dangerous creatures.

But here in the dense forest, he had to worry about being literally devoured.

The flashlight beam pierced the immediate darkness but was swallowed by the distant shadows.

All he could see, hear, and sense was darkness, dampness, and an eerie silence.

The unsettling environment urged Moro to move faster.

As he advanced, he stayed vigilant and periodically activated En to better monitor his surroundings.

His En radius was only 20 meters.

Given the high physical and mental toll of the technique, he couldn't maintain it for long stretches. By using it intermittently, Moro ensured his stamina and focus remained steady.

Eventually, he noticed the moonlight breaking through gaps in the treetops. The thinning canopy signaled that the forest was becoming less dense.

Bathed in silver light, Moro quickened his pace, soon emerging from the trees to see an expanse of open terrain. A lake shimmered faintly in the distance.

Slowing his steps, Moro turned off his flashlight.

"Did I just walk in a circle?"

Seeing another lake made Moro suspect he might have gotten lost and returned to the same lake as before.

To confirm, Moro closed his aura pores and entered Zetsu, softening his steps as he cautiously approached the forest's edge.

From the shadows, he observed the lake, its surface reflecting the moonlight like rippling silk.

Scanning the shoreline, he didn't see Benjamin or the poachers' corpses. The terrain and vegetation also seemed different.

This was a different lake.

Relaxing slightly, Moro's gaze shifted to a willow tree draped in vines near the shore, about 200 meters away.

Underneath the tree stood seven motionless figures, with another person sitting against the trunk.

"That's…"

Moro's pupils contracted as he quietly crept closer along the tree line.

As the distance closed, he could clearly see faint traces of aura on the seven standing figures.

Their aura was weak…

And their stillness gave them an eerie, puppet-like quality.

Then Moro's gaze fell on the person sitting at the tree's base, and he noticed something unusual:

Under the moonlight, the seven figures cast no shadows.

Seeing this, Moro's expression hardened.

"Shadowless puppets… It's him."

There was no doubt. This was the manipulator from the airship—the one who had controlled the passengers.

The flowing Nen around the figure confirmed his identity. Remembering the attack on the airship, Moro felt a flicker of killing intent.

To think his attempts to distance himself from Benjamin had led him straight to this target… What a twist of fate.

Moro suppressed the urge to move closer, wary of exposing himself.

At over 100 meters, he could still rely on the ricochet effect of his Fraudulent Shooting Star.

"Fraudulent Shooting Star."

Adjusting his angle, Moro fired two glowing green Nen orbs into the air behind him.

Moments later, the ricocheting projectiles whizzed past Moro and streaked toward the willow tree.

Under the tree, Rokuhara's eyes snapped open as he noticed the incoming orbs. His pupils reflected the glowing light.

At the same moment, the seven shadowless puppets surged forward, forming a wall in front of Rokuhara to block the attack.

The shooting stars collided with the human barricade, exploding into a storm of limbs and blood.

When the dust settled, the once-tightly packed wall was scattered across the ground in a gruesome display of severed limbs and blood-soaked grass.

Rokuhara stared at the carnage, his pupils trembling. The puppets he'd painstakingly preserved were gone in an instant.

Enraged but quickly regaining composure, Rokuhara stood and drew his sword. His gaze locked onto the forest where Moro stood.

"Still haven't had enough?" Moro muttered, stepping out of the shadows into the moonlight.

Spotting Rokuhara's ninja-like attire—a black hood and tight suit—Moro raised an eyebrow.

"A ninja?"

Rokuhara's outfit resembled that of a traditional ninja, but the katana in his hands suggested otherwise.

Without a word, Rokuhara leveled his blade and charged.

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