HunterxHunter: I Became Stronger After Death

Seeking rewards amidst risks.

So far, events were unfolding just as Moro had anticipated.

Even with Hisoka's unpredictable interference, the Phantom Troupe remained focused on dealing with Silva.

This strategic decision not only created opportunities for Hisoka but also provided Moro with a window to act.

The moment to strike would be when Kortopi—mistakenly believing he had successfully escaped—let his guard down.

As for the potential aftermath of Hisoka possibly targeting him... that was the calculated risk Moro had to take for this operation.

Turning his attention from the Silva confrontation, Moro focused on the ongoing clash between Hisoka and Kortopi. He quietly began moving into position.

Outside the plaza

Kortopi was sent flying backward, crashing into a parked car with a loud metallic screech as the vehicle's frame crumpled under the impact. His body became embedded in the mangled steel.

The sudden commotion startled the nearby bystanders, who scattered and fled the area.

Not far away, Hisoka advanced toward the car. A playing card was poised between his fingers, pressed against his nose, obscuring the smirk curling at the corners of his lips.

The Phantom Troupe's coordination had heightened Hisoka's excitement. His aura radiated an intense, almost predatory pressure, amplified by his sheer enthusiasm for combat.

Meanwhile, Kortopi, trapped in the twisted wreckage, tore himself free from the bent steel. He stood unsteadily, brushing shards of glass from his long silver-gray hair.

"I don't recall you being in my memory…" Kortopi muttered, his tone dark as he glared at the menacing figure before him.

"But asking why you attacked me now seems pointless."

As soon as he finished speaking, Kortopi's eyes glowed crimson, activating his ability through his Nen.

"Soul Puppets."

A glowing red light emerged before Kortopi, materializing three humanlike figures. Among them were replicas of Feitan and Uvogin, with the third being a long-armed man resembling an ape.

These were puppets crafted by Kortopi, using his Specialist ability to recreate individuals he had observed. These constructs could wield approximately 30% of the original person's strength and replicate their Nen abilities.

If Kortopi managed to steal the originals' eyes, the puppets' power could rise to 50%, and their combat flexibility would significantly improve.

However, since Kortopi had secretly created these puppets without the knowledge of the originals, he lacked access to their actual eyes.

Despite this limitation, the raw physical power of combatants like Feitan and Uvogin made their replicas formidable tools.

The third puppet, the long-armed man, was fully equipped with artificial eyes, making it a complete soul puppet.

Each of the three puppets had a specialized role: one for close-range suppression, another for speed-based harassment, and the last for long-range attacks.

Hisoka observed the puppets with interest.

"Mind if I ask you a question?" he said, a playful lilt in his voice.

Kortopi ignored him, issuing a command to the puppets to eliminate Hisoka.

At the command, Uvogin's puppet charged forward.

"Big Bang Impact!"

The Uvogin puppet began with its signature move, channeling nearly all its Nen into its fist, which glowed with a striking red light.

However, lacking the finesse of its original, the puppet exposed its unprotected body as it launched its attack.

Hisoka, a battle-hardened combatant with a penchant for carnage, instantly capitalized on this glaring weakness.

Though he had intended to ask about the puppets' strength, the opening rendered his question unnecessary.

As the puppet's punch descended, Hisoka flicked his wrist, sending his card slicing through the air and straight at the puppet's neck.

Since most of the puppet's Nen was concentrated in its attack, Hisoka's strike severed its head with ease.

Before Hisoka could withdraw, the Feitan puppet darted in like a phantom, thrusting its sword with sharp precision.

Hisoka barely avoided a lethal hit, but the blade grazed him twice, leaving shallow wounds on his arm and side.

"Impressive aggression… but the damage is negligible," Hisoka noted, his tone a mix of amusement and assessment.

Recognizing the Feitan puppet's high offensive potential, Hisoka quickly changed tactics. He grabbed the puppet's blade barehanded.

"Bungee Gum."

Nen-infused adhesive enveloped his palm, anchoring the sword in place.

Just as Hisoka prepared to dismantle the Feitan puppet, a barrage of arrow-shaped Nen projectiles rained down from above.

Hisoka glanced up and immediately retreated, dodging the arrows' impact zone.

The Feitan puppet also withdrew.

In the next moment, the projectiles struck the ground like a sudden downpour, triggering a series of explosions that kicked up a dense cloud of smoke.

Hisoka emerged from the haze unscathed, though the extended distance caused the Bungee Gum tether to snap.

"A standard three-unit squad: melee, speed, and ranged support," Hisoka mused. He produced another set of cards, now fully assessing the puppets' capabilities.

Having confirmed their overall strength—aside from the ranged puppet's attacks—he saw little need to prolong the fight. His interest waned, and his focus shifted to ending the skirmish decisively.

But Hisoka failed to notice one critical development.

While he was evading the Nen arrows, Kortopi used the smoke as cover to leave behind a substitute puppet outfitted with his artificial eyes. Quietly, Kortopi slipped away from the battlefield.

From his rooftop vantage point, Moro witnessed the entire sequence.

"Perfect," Moro muttered.

Kortopi's "substitution escape" provided the opportunity Moro had been waiting for.

If Kortopi had merely attempted to flee outright, pursuing him would have been risky. But now, by leaving most of his Nen capacity in the decoy puppet, Kortopi had rendered himself significantly weaker.

Moro's eyes gleamed with determination.

On a secluded street

Kortopi had put considerable distance between himself and the battlefield, turning into a narrow alley flanked by towering buildings. He was now beyond Hisoka's field of view.

"What is that guy's deal…?" Kortopi muttered, his expression tense.

Just a few exchanges with Hisoka were enough to leave a deep impression. To ensure his survival, he had resorted to the most foolproof escape tactic he knew.

Kortopi glanced back briefly, still unable to discern Hisoka's motives for targeting him. Dismissing the thought, he turned his attention forward.

The alley was eerily silent, with no signs of life—unsurprising given the chaos nearby.

As Kortopi moved uphill along the sloped alley, he planned to find a vantage point to assess the situation.

Suddenly, he froze.

From a nearby balcony on the third floor, three glowing green Nen orbs hovered in the air, forming a triangular formation.

Kortopi's gaze sharpened as he noticed the orbs begin to descend. Instinctively, he prepared to react.

But the orbs' trajectory was unusual. Their angle suggested they weren't aimed directly at him.

"What's going on…?" Kortopi murmured.

However, just as he observed the orbs subtly adjust their flight path toward him, Moro struck.

From the shadows of a narrow alley, Moro darted forward, closing the distance in an instant.

Ignoring the returning trajectory of his Nen orbs, Moro thrust his Nen-infused right hand toward Kortopi's chest, aiming for his heart.

Kortopi's eyes widened in shock, but he managed to intercept Moro's wrist at the last moment.

But it was too late.

Moro's fingers, glowing with Nen energy, released a point-blank Nen bullet directly into Kortopi's chest.

BOOM!

Kortopi was sent flying, blood spraying from his mouth as the impact slammed him into the wall with bone-crushing force.

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