Chapter 9: Leveling Up

The end of June, yet the wind blowing from the mountain forest carried a touch of chill. Perhaps it was for this reason that the skin pierced by the flying blade felt a lingering coldness.

It was too close.

If circumstances allowed, Moro would never have chosen to stand on a high-altitude steel cable. Ultimately, it was a lack of strength. It was this weakness that forced him to put his own life on the line as a bargaining chip at the critical moment.

Moro looked at Zazan, who was sprawled on the ground. The information he had previously gathered was insufficient to determine whether the flying blade was a Conjured object. He had been forced to rely on his opponent's decision-making, prioritizing the "observed result" over the "deductive process." Because he had guessed correctly, he avoided the damage from the blade.

Conjuration is arguably the most demanding of the six Nen categories when it comes to "stability." Whether it is a conjured object, a Nen beast, or even a clone, one must maintain focus and concentration to ensure the conjured object remains manifest. A Conjurer whose training is lacking might see their creation dissipate in an instant if they are even slightly distracted. This is even more true when dealing with the intense pain caused by an injury. Therefore, Conjurers with a deep understanding of Nen usually work hard on this aspect. At the very least, they must ensure that the pain of an injury does not affect the form of their conjured object.

But this guy... he was cold and cautious. He could make bold changes when he realized that playing it safe was no longer viable. However, his lack of mastery in Nen caused his conjured blade to dissipate immediately upon being struck. Had he been able to hold on for even half a second longer, Moro would have been severely wounded, if not killed, and the tide might have turned in his favor.

From this battle, Moro gained a deeper understanding of the characteristics of the Conjuration category. Incorporating this into his experience, he approached Zazan. His right hand slowly gathered a mass of Nen, aimed at Zazan, who had not yet breathed his last.

Although opening his aura nodes allowed him to utilize Nen due to his own unique nature, his raw aura capacity could not be increased in such a short time. That was why "Deceptive Shooting Star," even with its power doubled, failed to kill Zazan instantly. But it didn't matter much.

"Cough, cough..."

Zazan's consciousness wavered between blurriness and clarity, yet he could sense the sharp blade hovering above his head.

*I'm going to die.*

The thought surfaced naturally in his mind. Zazan felt fear, but also resentment. He tried to lift his head, but he lacked the strength. Even his upturned eyelids were too heavy to close.

"You... monster..." Zazan murmured. Even now, he could not comprehend the phenomenon occurring within Moro. As the countdown to his death ticked away, he felt a sense of inevitability. Had he not taken this job, had there not been a monster on this train that defied common logic, he would not have...

*Splatter.*

Moro fired a blast of Nen, which pierced straight through Zazan's head. Zazan’s body jerked once, then went still.

"Hm?"

Immediately after killing Zazan, Moro noticed a change in his body. In just that brief moment, the exhaustion he had been feeling dissipated slightly, and his vision seemed to clear. Most noticeably, the aura surrounding his body had increased by a small margin.

Noticing this change, Moro instinctively looked at the back of his hand. The "Lv.1" at the center of the ring-tree tattoo had changed to "Lv.2."

"Contagion, perhaps..."

Seeing the level increase and feeling the changes in his body, a glimmer of light appeared in Moro’s eyes, followed by a surge of joy. Although he did not know how Morena’s "Contagion" had extended to him, or why it had merged with the ring-tree tattoo, the obvious improvement was enough to make him feel excited.

He had to kill Feitan within a year. Even with an extra half-year of experience in Nen cultivation, achieving such a feat was no small task. Putting Nen abilities aside, Feitan’s mobility and swordsmanship, developed through rigorous physical training, created a gap that Moro would struggle to bridge in a year. Then there was the combat experience gained from countless killings, as well as the total and potential aura capacity that were so vital in Nen battles. Further out, there was stamina, physical durability, reaction speed, mental explosiveness... there were just too many factors.

All these elements, which were inextricably linked to overall combat power, required time to build up. Because of the "death node," time was the one thing Moro lacked the most. To him, a year was far too short—so short that even with his best efforts, he might not reach the level of a veteran like Feitan.

But now, with the ability of Contagion having merged with the ring-tree tattoo, he could greatly accelerate the efficiency of his growth. This addressed his most pressing deficiency.

Moro couldn't help but smile. To the captives near the door of the carriage, his reaction took on a different, more ominous meaning. Moro, of course, did not care. He calmed his excitement and turned his gaze to the middle-aged man lying nearby, whose abdomen was impaled by an iron rod.

The iron rod he had thrown earlier had not struck a vital organ, so the man still had a breath of life left. But it wouldn't be long before he died of blood loss. Moro walked over and looked down at the man's face, his expression naturally turning cold.

Morena’s Contagion had the ability to level up upon killing someone. Each level increased the user's total and potential aura capacity. Once the level exceeded 20, one could easily awaken a Nen ability tailored to their own needs. Judging by the effects, the ability granted a level cap of 100. If Moro reached the maximum level, he might be able to grant others the ability to "level up by killing." Whether his version of the ability functioned exactly the same as Morena’s remained to be seen.

Right now, Moro was more concerned with leveling up. Awakening a second ability was secondary. The most important thing was the increase in his aura capacity.

With this in mind, Moro reached out, grabbed the man by the throat, and applied pressure.

*Snap.*

The man’s head tilted to the side, and he died instantly. Moro stood up and checked the back of his hand.

*Lv.2.*

*Didn't level up?*

Moro’s expression shifted slightly. Based on his experience, he quickly realized the issue. *Do I only level up when I kill a Nen user?*

Moro felt a wave of disappointment, but he soon let it go. If he could level up just by killing ordinary people, he would have to worry about potential hidden risks or constraints. Killing Nen users to level up—that, at least, brought him some peace of mind. However, knowing that, it was possible that as his level grew, the difficulty of leveling up would also increase.

"Right..." Moro looked at the corpse and suddenly thought of a method. If he were to forcibly open the aura nodes of an ordinary person, couldn't he turn them into a Nen user?

"I'll have to find a wanted criminal or some scum to test that later... hm?"

Suddenly, a sound came from the hillside on the road behind him. Startled, Moro immediately entered a combat state and looked toward the noise.

Between the branches and grass, a slender figure came into view.

Moro raised an eyebrow.