Chapter 9

The unknown serial killer died at Moyou's hands, and the crisis was thus averted.

However, Monica felt no joy at having survived the ordeal. She could only huddle in fear, as if walking on thin ice, not daring to look at Moyou even once.

How did that serial killer die?

Terrified and completely unable to think, she had not witnessed Moyou's process of killing the man.

She only suddenly heard the sound of a throat bone breaking and the dull thud of a heavy object hitting the ground. When she looked over, she saw that the man had become a corpse.

Then, she saw Moyou's smile.

On the verge of breaking down, Monica instantly realized—

This overly handsome young man might be an even more monstrous existence than the serial killer.

Moyou didn't care what Monica was thinking. He slowly retracted his smile and then sat cross-legged beside the corpse.

"Let's review the final moments."

Moyou crossed his arms, tilted his head slightly, and looked at the dead man's lifeless body, then closed his eyes, recalling the battle that lasted less than a minute.

Putting aside his mastery of Nen, the opponent was a very cunning individual.

First, he pretended not to notice Moyou's hiding place, then initiated a conversation with Monica, and finally, in the middle of speaking, suddenly attacked Moyou to gain the upper hand.

Although both sides were aware of the presence of another Nen user, this killer was unwilling to miss any opportunity to feign, even to gain a momentary advantage.

"I had already prepared for the possibility of being discovered, but my initial plan didn't include the 'preliminary conversation with the bait.' Instead, I considered the possibility that the opponent might use the 'bait' to launch a surprise attack, such as throwing the bait directly at me."

"The opponent didn't do that, but instead used a sudden pause in speech as the moment to attack. It wasn't ineffective, but I was already on guard."

"Then, I used my age to feign panic, but it had almost no effect, and the weapon I had hidden was detected immediately."

"The opponent was very perceptive and cautious."

"However, I had already considered these 'worst-case scenarios' in my trap plan, so the overall process didn't change."

"My only advantage was that the opponent didn't know about the 'Shadow Killer Chain.' I used this information gap to end the battle with minimal cost."

"The unexpected part was that the opponent sacrificed a hand to gain control over me, despite having a clear advantage in 'manifested aura,' he still used such a ruthless method to speed up the battle."

"But because of this, I didn't need to put on a possibly clumsy performance, and there was no risk of the opponent discovering my intentions."

"So, the opponent's decision actually helped me use the 'Shadow Killer Chain' information gap to end the battle more quickly and with less effort."

"If we had fought head-on, due to the gap in 'manifested aura' and physical strength, I would have been at a disadvantage."

"I might have been able to regain some advantage using 'Soul Resonance,' but I couldn't rule out the possibility that the opponent also had Nen."

"Overall, the opponent was much stronger than me in terms of aura, Nen foundation techniques, physical strength, power, and explosiveness..."

"But I could win easily."

"Indeed, using information gaps and strategy to overcome hardware disadvantages and achieve victory with weaker strength is perhaps the most interesting aspect of Nen battles."

"The pleasure and satisfaction I derive from it... is not just because of the fun, but also because 'winning with weaker strength' is inherently satisfying."

Moyou opened his eyes and looked at the man's face, smiling.

"You made me feel all of this intuitively. Although our battle lasted only about '10 seconds,' I am certain that these '10 seconds' will be the most important nourishment for my future Nen development."

With that, Moyou slowly stood up and brushed the dust off his pants.

"Unknown serial killer, thank you for our encounter."

Moyou turned his gaze away from the man's corpse.

Winning the battle and reviewing it not only helped Moyou understand what he wanted but also gave him a clearer understanding of the 'variables' in Nen battles.

Being able to defeat a not-so-weak opponent right after awakening Nen...

Moyou was not arrogant or complacent.

He knew that beyond the four basic techniques of 'Wrapping,' 'Sealing,' 'Training,' and 'Emitting,' there were more advanced applications.

'Zone'—wrapping Nen around weapons or objects to increase strength and attack power.

'Veil'—hiding the presence of Nen to achieve surprise.

'Focus'—concentrating aura in one place to enhance attack and defense, and to see through 'Veil.'

'Circle'—expanding aura outward from oneself to perceive the surroundings.

'Fortify'—covering the entire body with the maximum amount of manifested aura to achieve the highest attack and defense power.

'Flow'—rapidly adjusting the flow of aura to conduct quick attacks and defenses.

'Hardening'—concentrating all released aura in one place.

These advanced techniques made Nen battles more complex and varied.

Moyou knew he was still a novice.

To better handle future battles, he would strive to continuously improve his understanding of Nen.

The temple returned to silence.

Moyou stepped over the corpse and approached Monica.

"Monica, it's over."

He examined Monica's injuries.

Her clothes were torn in many places, and there were bloodstains.

Her exposed skin had many cuts from branches and leaves.

If it were just a few cuts, it wouldn't matter, but with so many, they needed to be treated.

"Hmm?"

After observing Monica's condition, Moyou noticed that she was still curled up, visibly trembling.

"Scared stiff? I can understand that. After all, that guy poured his 'killing intent' into his aura, and it's not surprising that a normal person would be scared to death just being close to him."

Moyou muttered to himself.

He didn't realize that he himself had frightened Monica.

"Can you hear me? It's over now, Monica."

Moyou lightly patted Monica's shoulder.

The pat was very gentle and deliberately avoided her wounds.

However, Monica reacted as if she had been electrocuted. Her body stiffened, and then she rolled her eyes and fainted.

"?"

Moyou looked at Monica, who had fainted so easily, with confusion.