Post-Mortem Will is a vessel for emotions and determination.
Since it originates from Nen abilities, it usually possesses special powers.
However, the probability of Post-Mortem Will forming is extremely low.
Thus, the number of "Nen tools" left behind in this world through death is exceedingly rare.
Let alone something as complex as Chrollo's ability, which belongs to the Specialization category while encompassing multiple Nen systems.
If "Skill Hunter" could truly persist in the world as Post-Mortem Will, it would undoubtedly be a one-of-a-kind rare Nen tool.
After all, a Specialization ability like this, one that combines stealing and utilizing others' abilities, is fundamentally a mechanism that transcends "Nen capacity."
Morrow was well aware of Skill Hunter's value, especially after its enhancement through death.
But, to have him inherit everything about the Troupe and protect Meteor City...
Even considering it for a second would be disrespectful to himself.
Without hesitation, Morrow sealed Chrollo's will into the darkest corner where it would never see the light of day, then absorbed the Post-Mortem Will serving as its vessel into Tree Rings.
As Chrollo's Post-Mortem Will continuously flowed into Tree Rings, the powerful aura from earlier also began to dissipate.
To Morrow, it only felt like a brief pause in his consciousness before he completely absorbed the Post-Mortem Will.
But to the onlookers, Kurapika, Kalluto, and Kanzai, Morrow merely raised his hand once, seized the Post-Mortem Will brimming with immense power, and absorbed it.
The entire process, from start to finish, was as effortless as drinking water.
Kurapika, Kalluto, and Kanzai all knew how strong Morrow's Nen exorcism ability was, so they weren't particularly surprised.
If anything, their subsequent reaction was astonishment at the timing of this Post-Mortem Will's emergence and the source of such formidable power.
Tsubone and Amane were seeing Morrow's Nen exorcism ability for the first time.
When they witnessed such an overwhelmingly powerful Post-Mortem Will being effortlessly dispelled by Morrow, their expressions visibly stiffened.
This wasn't ordinary Nen, it was Post-Mortem Will, strengthened by death.
An exorcism power with no cost?
Tsubone's eyes were filled with shock.
After all, she was an old woman who had lived many years. Just from Morrow's slight reaction while dispelling the Post-Mortem Will, she could instantly deduce that he didn't bear any cost for the exorcism.
An exorcism ability this strong...
Had he perhaps established some extremely harsh Limitation?
Regardless, Morrow's standing in Tsubone's mind had skyrocketed like a rocket.
"Let's go back."
Tsubone cast one last deep glance at Morrow in the field before turning to leave.
Tonight's observation had given her a deeper understanding of Morrow's capabilities.
If Illumi-sama's injuries had been inflicted by Morrow...
Then Tsubone felt it necessary to overstep slightly and proactively report everything she had witnessed tonight to Silva, lest further complications arise.
Amane snapped out of her daze and quickly followed Tsubone, but not before glancing back at Morrow in the distance.
Perhaps only at this moment did this young butler, who might spend her entire life on Kukuroo Mountain, truly grasp the vastness of the world that Tsubone had once spoken of.
In the field.
Morrow absorbed Chrollo's Post-Mortem Will, causing the energy in his third ring to increase from 28% to 42%.
Previously, he had absorbed the Post-Mortem Will left behind in the Purgatory sword, which directly filled his second ring and raised the energy of his third ring to 12%.
However, once the Tree Rings reached the third ring, the required energy became significantly greater.
Thus, even after absorbing Franklin's Post-Mortem Will and the Nen from the Abyssal Sheath before the rewind, his third ring only increased from 12% to 20%, then from 20% to 28%.
This time, however, Chrollo's Post-Mortem Will caused the Tree Rings energy to surge from 28% to 42%, a staggering 14% increase.
This clearly demonstrated just how intense Chrollo's lingering obsession was after death.
Absorbing Post-Mortem Nen is indeed the most efficient method, but I shouldn't overlook Nen-infused objects either. Every little bit counts, it's better than nothing.
After assessing the gains in his third ring's energy, Morrow silently contemplated.
He had now confirmed the rewind ability of the Tree Rings.
Based on the second death rewind, he speculated that the third ring's ability would likely allow him to rewind one week before death.
If this deduction held true, then by extension, the fourth ring would rewind one day before death...
Regardless, Morrow understood the importance of Tree Rings energy.
This near-resurrection ability was far too valuable!
With his second ring already depleted, his top priority was to quickly recharge the third ring's energy.
Doing so would grant him a "resurrection token," allowing him to confidently plan Illumi's assassination.
For Morrow now, killing Illumi wasn't difficult; the real challenge was doing so without any lingering consequences.
This single matter required considering far too many factors.
Morrow wasn't particularly worried about retaliation from Silva or Zeno.
Even if Silva and Zeno sought revenge for Illumi, he could simply flee to the Unexplored Land for refuge.
His real concerns were the wishing machine within the Zoldyck Family and, most troublesome of all, Kikyo.
Combined, these two factors created what was essentially an unsolvable problem.
As for Illumi's current condition...
He didn't believe that Illumi, now without hands, would quietly retire on Kukuroo Mountain.
With the wishing machine's existence, even if the Zoldyck Family couldn't find a Nen ability to restore limbs, they would eventually consider using the wishing machine to heal Illumi.
In other words, Illumi would eventually recover.
The only difference lay in how the Zoldyck Family chose to proceed.
If they decided to use the wishing machine immediately, Illumi could recover in a short time.
If they opted to search for a limb-restoring Nen ability instead, Illumi might remain incapacitated for a while.
Morrow suspected that, regardless of the decision, Kikyo would likely be the driving force behind it.
It's still too early to consider these things. The priority now is to fully charge the third ring's energy.
Shifting his thoughts, Morrow recalled another matter.
Today was August 26th. In a few days, the annual Yorknew Auction would begin.
Countless high-value artifacts, both genuine and fake, would circulate throughout Yorknew City in various forms.
To quickly accumulate the third ring energy, Morrow naturally wouldn't miss the Yorknew Auction.
If he could encounter treasures like the Executioner's Blade at the auction like last year, the trip would be more than worth it.
And it wasn't just him who was interested in the upcoming Yorknew Auction, both Kurapika and Menchi would undoubtedly attend this year's event.
Menchi's reason was self-explanatory; she was after the Seven Chef's Knives.
As for Kurapika, his absence from the Yorknew Auction was even more impossible.
There was only one reason: the Scarlet Eyes might appear at the auction.
Even the slightest possibility meant Kurapika would never miss it.
Before heading to Yorknew, I need to send Kalluto home first. Oh right, the 25 billion...
Morrow lowered his head slightly, letting out an imperceptible sigh.
He had only been thinking about the Yorknew Auction just now and had completely forgotten about the unpaid commission fee.
Forget about using the money to acquire Nen-imbued objects at Yorknew, right now, he couldn't even scrape together the 25 billion.
"Morrow."
Kurapika's voice reached his ears, carrying a trace of concern.
Morrow snapped out of his thoughts and turned to look at Kurapika.
Seeing Kurapika's calm expression, devoid of excessive emotion despite the Phantom Troupe's annihilation, Morrow knew that the current Kurapika had undergone a complete transformation.
"I'm fine."
Morrow smiled at Kurapika.
Hearing this, Kurapika relaxed slightly.
He knew Morrow's Nen exorcism ability was strong, but the lingering Post-Mortem Nen left behind by Chrollo was exceptionally potent. Combined with Morrow's earlier distracted state, it was hard not to worry.
At that moment, Kalluto and Kanzai arrived on the scene.
"I've already notified the bounty agency to come 'inspect the goods.' Given the Phantom Troupe's status as a high-level criminal organization, their people should arrive soon."
Kanzai waved the phone in his hand.
According to the prior arrangement, once Morrow and Kurapika eliminated the last two Troupe members, Kanzai would take charge of contacting the bounty agency.
As for all the credit for hunting down the Phantom Troupe, following Morrow's wishes, it would all go to Kanzai and Kurapika.
After all, only Kanzai and Kurapika had Hunter Licenses. Taking down the Phantom Troupe would not only earn them the bounty but also achievements tied to their Hunter Licenses.
Moreover, given Kanzai's status, he could even secure some tax benefits when claiming the bounty.
Still, despite Morrow's arrangement, Kanzai would only use his own identity to maximize the team's gains. As for the credit, he insisted that Kurapika take the lion's share.
If this condition wasn't accepted...
Kanzai made it clear he would simply walk away.
While waiting for the bounty agency's staff to arrive, Morrow gathered the previously placed corpses of the Troupe members in the warehouse ruins for easier inspection later.
Just as they waited patiently, Kalluto received a call from Tsubone.
Since Kalluto refused to return home now, Tsubone had no choice but to complete her mission, transporting the still severely injured and unconscious Illumi back to Kukuroo Mountain.
Before leaving, Tsubone's call not only informed Kalluto of their departure but also subtly reminded him not to overlook Kikyo's attitude and reaction.
Kalluto listened to Tsubone's veiled warning and silently ended the call.
Almost immediately after...
A sudden, tangible fluctuation of aura emanated from the hospital direction.
Morrow, Kalluto, Kanzai, and Kurapika, who were amidst the warehouse ruins, all turned toward the source of the aura. In the night sky, they saw a bright, vivid flame soaring upward.
It was the jet-like Nen flame released by Tsubone after transforming into a flying vehicle.
In the blink of an eye, the bright flame became a tiny speck of light.
"Tch, that's fast."
Kanzai watched the rapidly receding jet trail, his face openly displaying envy.
As a professional bodyguard Hunter who frequently had to escort clients all over, having a flying vehicle like Tsubone would significantly reduce the difficulty of assignments.
Morrow glanced at Kalluto, who was gazing at the night sky, and suddenly said, "Kalluto, I'll send you home in a couple of days."
"I don't want to go back yet."
Hearing Morrow's words, Kalluto abruptly withdrew his gaze and turned to look at him, a flash of stubbornness in his deep purple eyes.
Morrow hesitated but insisted, "It's time for you to go home."
"..."
Kalluto sensed the unyielding tone in Morrow's voice. After a brief silence, he replied with a hint of grievance, "Is it because of Illumi that you're in such a hurry to send me back?"
"No."
Morrow shook his head; he was lying.
Sending Kalluto back to Kukuroo Mountain was indeed related to Illumi.
His intention to completely eliminate Illumi wasn't just a passing thought.
Until that was done, he wouldn't let Kalluto stay by his side.
That was his resolve.
But this was something he could never explain to Kalluto.
"Strictly speaking, the mission ended long ago, and you've been away long enough. If I don't send you back soon..."
Morrow couldn't reveal his true thoughts, so he used the mission as an excuse.
But halfway through his words, he inadvertently reminded Kalluto.
"Hmph, you don't even have 25 billion now. How are you going to send me back?"
A gleam lit up Kalluto's eyes, dispelling his earlier distress.
Morrow paused, then turned to Kanzai, who was eavesdropping intently. "Kanzai, can you check how much the post-tax bounty is?"
"Sure."
Kanzai took out his phone and contacted the agency personnel heading their way.
Since the exact headcount and identities had been provided, they quickly received a precise answer.
"Morrow, it's roughly 11.6 billion after taxes."
"Got it."
Morrow nodded. "Kanzai, can you front me the bounty and lend me another 10 billion?"
"Hey, I already told you, don't be so formal. Borrowing money is nothing. Just say the word and... uh."
Kanzai agreed readily, but as he spoke, he felt a sharp glare from Kalluto.
He turned his head, meeting Kalluto's increasingly piercing gaze, and scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
Seeing Kanzai's reaction, Kalluto suddenly had an idea. He dropped the intimidating stare and instead adopted a pitiful, vulnerable expression.
A faint mist even welled up in his deep purple eyes.
This wasn't entirely an act, it was a genuine reflection of his emotions at being sent away by Morrow.
Kanzai never expected to see such an expression from Kalluto and stared in disbelief.
Kurapika beside them was also somewhat surprised, as if seeing Kalluto in a new light.
Or rather, it was as if he had glimpsed another side of Kalluto.
"Don't look at me like that, Kalluto..."
Kanzai lowered his hand, looking quite troubled; he had always been bad at handling women and children.
Good, it was working!
Kalluto continued his pitiful, aggrieved assault.
But the next moment...
Morrow directly covered Kalluto's eyes with his hand.
"Kanzai, Kalluto isn't looking at you anymore."
"OK, I'll transfer the money to you now."
Seeing Morrow outright block Kalluto's vision, Kanzai smirked.
Hearing this, Kalluto immediately grew frantic, clawing at Morrow like a kitten.
But weak, pitiful, and helpless as he was, it was utterly futile.
Faced with this outcome, Kalluto could only wail in frustration.
Kurapika, witnessing the scene, couldn't help but let out a light chuckle behind his hand, a glimmer of amusement in his eyes.
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Bonus chapter @650power stones