Relocation

Boom—

A boulder over a meter tall exploded, breaking into fragments that scattered across the ground with a series of echoes.

Moro stared at the shattered rock, a flicker of surprise crossing his face.

With just a jump from Lv. 2 to Lv. 5, the power of Shooting Star had increased by roughly 10%.

This unexpected enhancement was a pleasant surprise.

Lowering his aura, Moro's thoughts turned to the nen ability of last night's enemy—the fireplace.

An ability that converts received damage into fuel to enhance one's strength is far more intricate than simply transferring damage. It must rely on at least two restrictions.

For example, the maximum amount of damage that can be absorbed is likely less than the user's defensive strength.

With this in mind—

At Lv. 5, Moro believed he could now overwhelm last night's nen user without worrying about his attacks being absorbed.

Such is the absolute advantage brought by a greater aura.

As his thoughts shifted, Moro found his gaze drawn to the Timewheel Tattoo on the back of his hand, his emotions momentarily complicated.

Following his death and rebirth, Moro was granted a nen ability that allowed him to seize control of his fate. Standing now at a new crossroads, the path forward was clear.

Despite his gratitude for Morena's initial rescue and her unreserved help afterward, her ultimate goal of annihilating all humans and destroying the world was something Moro could never accept.

Thus, he resolved to cut ties with Morena.

Yet, in the wake of his rapid ascension in power, he couldn't help but think of her.

Moro didn't know the origin of the Timewheel Tattoo, but this leveling ability undoubtedly stemmed from Morena's nen ability prior to his rebirth.

It remained with him, like a soul-bound brand, in this new timeline.

As he contemplated advancing to Lv. 10, Lv. 20, Lv. 30, and beyond, he realized he would inevitably associate his growth with Morena.

With a faint sigh, Moro muttered to himself:

What if...

But there were no "what-ifs."

Their fundamentally opposing values meant their paths could never align. They were destined to become strangers.

Shaking his head, Moro banished thoughts of Morena and turned his focus back to the leveling mechanics of the Timewheel Tattoo.

The original Lover's Requiem had simple conditions: killing one ordinary person granted a level-up, while killing a nen user granted ten levels.

The Timewheel Tattoo, however, was different. It couldn't be leveled by killing ordinary people, and defeating nen users yielded level-ups proportional to their strength.

For instance, defeating a standard nen user would typically grant a single level.

The disparity in difficulty between the two systems was evident.

But in return, the Timewheel Tattoo offered far greater benefits upon leveling—far beyond what Lover's Requiem could provide.

The difference likely stemmed from their design philosophies:

The original Lover's Requiem focused on spreading influence, making it easier to reach Level 100 and gain the ability to recruit subordinates.

In contrast, the Timewheel Tattoo focused on individual enhancement, with much higher difficulty scaling. Reaching Level 100 was an extraordinary challenge.

However, the Timewheel Tattoo also raised the upper limits of power.

Based on this elevated ceiling, Moro speculated that future level-ups would require progressively stronger targets.

At some point, only opponents as powerful as Netero might yield further progress.

Even if he reached Level 100, Moro doubted it would grant him the ability to recruit followers like Morena's nen ability did.

Having grasped the basics of the Timewheel Tattoo's mechanics, Moro couldn't help but feel anticipation about reaching Level 21.

Perhaps, like the original Lover's Requiem, surpassing Level 20 might unlock a new nen ability tailored to his needs.

If not, he wouldn't force the issue.

"I have to reach Level 21 as soon as possible..."

Moro ran his fingers over the tattoo thoughtfully.

Killing Feitan remained a self-imposed goal—one where he controlled the timing but bore the constant pressure of his limited lifespan.

In contrast, last night's ambush was an immediate and tangible threat, one that came knocking on his door.

Though he now understood the attackers' motives and the forces behind them, his current strength left little room for acting recklessly.

Even if Moro possessed the power to kill Nolan now, he wouldn't rush into action.

The potential fallout from the Ten Dons' retaliation had to be accounted for.

His strategy was simple: ensure that when the time came, he would have the means to eliminate both Nolan and the Ten Dons in one fell swoop.

Yes, the Ten Dons were now part of Moro's target list.

As his resolve hardened, the vibration of his phone interrupted his thoughts.

This time, it wasn't a call but a message notification.

Moro answered and heard Argo's voice on the other end:

"Big client, there's been another development in the Phantom Troupe bounty."

"Oh?"

Moro waited for her to elaborate.

The previous night, Argo had sent a report detailing two key findings:

Clyde, the individual connected to the Senro Blade, had ties to the murdered collector. While Moro had acquired and sold the blade, he remained uninvolved in the original crime.The Phantom Troupe bounty targeted their No. 8 member and had attracted several takers, including a notable one.

"Turns out, the client placed the bounty with the Zoldyck family, and they accepted," Argo revealed.

Just as Moro suspected, the Zoldyck patriarch, Silva, had taken the assassination contract.

"Got it," Moro replied coolly.

Argo sounded perplexed. "Why do you sound like this doesn't surprise you?"

"Should it?"

"Uh…" Argo found herself at a loss for words.

As Moro approached the off-road vehicle parked along the desolate highway, he added, "Keep your ears open. Try to track the Phantom Troupe's movements. If nothing changes, they'll be conducting a group operation soon."

"Wait, how do you know this?"

Argo's voice betrayed her astonishment.

She began to wonder if Moro had been paying someone else for intel behind her back.

It wasn't about the money—she didn't care about that. What bothered her was the possibility of her work being undervalued.

Unaware of Argo's inner thoughts, Moro climbed into the driver's seat and said casually, "That's not important. Just contact me the moment you have something."

"Understood, boss!" Argo responded in an exaggerated, mocking tone. She had more questions but was cut off by the abrupt end of the call.

This guy... he hangs up like he's late for a date.

Argo frowned at her phone, feeling a mix of amusement and frustration.

On the endless highway, Moro drove steadily toward his next destination.

After last night's ambush, his priorities shifted entirely to growing stronger. Continuing to hunt for antiques in Yorknew City no longer made sense.

He set his sights on the Heaven's Arena.

There, he could sharpen his abilities without interference from the Gambino family.

More importantly, it was a place designed for combat and growth.

Moro had no intention of hiding. Once he reached Heaven's Arena, he would appear openly and send a clear message to Nolan:

You want me dead?

Come try.

Moro wanted to see which would prevail: Nolan's assassins or his own growing strength.

For 20 advanced chapters: https://www.patreon.com/c/Ely225