Hunter: I became stronger even after I died.

Chapter 452 Absorbing Death Thoughts and Demanding (6k)

In the ancient Ganyu Kingdom, "Dust People" was a general term for the descendants of criminals.

They are born into a society marked as inferior, subjected to discrimination, and deprived of any rights.

In essence, the Dust People of Gu Ganyu are no different from the Unsustainable People of Kajin Kingdom; both are despised like dust and occupy the lowest level of society.

The only thing they can be seen about is their cheap and lowly labor.

After leaving the NGL Autonomous Region, Melena kept a low profile, concealing her identity and appearance, and eventually settled in a city near the capital of Guganyu.

She didn't glance at the bustling street scene under the sunlight, but walked straight into the slum that was like a stinking ditch in the darkness of the city.

She didn't care that the sewage had submerged her shoes, nor did she care about the dampness and decay in the air.

Like a true mortal, she naturally blended into this corner that was despised and hated.

then,

A seed powerful enough to destroy the world

Gently sprinkle it on every grain of dust.

"I like my body now."

In a dark and damp corner, Melina raised her slender hand and gently stroked the tiny scales on her cheek with her fingertips.

Her chimeric ant constitution grants her greater strength, but also makes her "love practice" increasingly dangerous.

Now, she has been able to expand the number of "infected" people to 101.

Moreover, during her time lurking in the sewers like a rat, she amassed a group of loyal followers with almost no effort.

Those commoners were more valuable than she had anticipated.

They'd give anything to get what they wanted.

of course.

What moved Melina the most was...

She can meet countless like-minded people here.

"Everyone is working very hard, but it's still far from enough..."

Melina watched a ragged duster walk away before turning back to her filthy, damp dwelling.

Her strategy of winning over the Dust People was actually based on a path that Camilla, the second prince of the Kingdom of Kakin, had already proven, so it was not difficult to implement.

However, in order to maximize the value of "Love Practice", Melena does not intend to endlessly gather the commoners like Camilla.

In her view, no matter how much dust accumulates, it is still just dust.

What she wanted was to refine these lowly beings into more destructive weapons; that would be their true value enhancement.

As for the specific tempering methods...

it's actually really easy.

Just like what she did after she took over as the head of the Ai Yiyi family...

All we need to do is let them kill each other.

The common people have no human rights whatsoever.

Even if they disappear silently one day, they'll just be rats that die in the dark sewers.

Even the stench of rotting corpses would be masked by the smell of filthy ditch water, and would never be noticed by those in the sunlight.

Therefore, it is actually very easy to forge one hundred max-level characters among the common people.

Those ordinary people who sacrificed their lives for this would surely be willing to become the foundation upon which the world is destroyed.

Melina has already sown the seeds; all that's left is to wait.

She knew that this road was long and difficult, and that most of the time she would have to wait patiently.

Back in her filthy lodgings, Melena sat on a mold-covered chair, letting her figure disappear into the darkness.

This is the deepest part of the slums, where most of the time there is only endless darkness and deathly silence.

But Melina didn't dislike it here.

At least, when she's alone, she's better able to think things through.

Ta, tap...

After an unknown amount of time, the sound of footsteps splashing through puddles came from outside.

Melina slowly opened her eyes in the darkness, her gaze falling on the half-closed door.

The footsteps grew louder as they approached, eventually stopping outside the door.

A hoarse male voice then rang out: "Lady Morina, may I come in?"

"Enter."

"Melena said calmly."

"Crench."

The wooden door was slowly pushed open.

A man, thin as a monkey and dressed in tattered clothes, slowly slipped in from the side.

He tried his best to move quietly, but the old, dilapidated wooden door still made a screeching sound as if it were about to collapse.

A hint of annoyance flashed across the man's eyes.

He was ultimately not careful enough, and the noise disturbed Lady Melina.

Melina gently waved to the man.

The man immediately understood and quickly stepped forward.

Before Morina could ask any questions, he took out an old bamboo scroll from his robes and held it respectfully in his hands.

"Lady Melena, I heard that you are very interested in the 'past history' of Guganyu. I found this bamboo scroll at Berg's house. Do you remember Berg? He's the unlucky guy who was beaten to death by a group of drunks in the back alley of Fello Street a few days ago."

As he spoke, he hurriedly wiped the surface of the bamboo carving with his sleeve, but instead wiped away even more stains.

Melina didn't care and simply extended her right hand calmly.

The man carefully placed the bamboo carving on her outstretched palm.

Melina untied the rope binding the bamboo strips and laid them out one by one.

The ancient characters engraved on it gradually became visible, and among the recorded content were words related to demons and disasters.

Morina didn't look closely; she simply looked up at the man who had brought the bamboo carving.

Noticing the gaze that Melina was looking at, the man immediately excused himself and closed the wooden door with even gentler movements.

After the man left, Morina lowered her head to carefully examine the contents of the bamboo carving.

In much earlier times, as navigation technology matured, a group of people persistently questioned "What lies at the end of the sea?"

Driven by their desire for exploration, people set sail one after another, heading towards the ends of the sea.

However, most of the ships never returned, and only a very few people were lucky enough to return.

But what they brought back was not only what they had seen and heard at the end of the sea.

And then came the disaster.

These disasters not only claimed countless lives, but also triggered a chain of wars.

The once peaceful era collapsed in an instant, plunging into a long period of chaos.

Some religions even rose to prominence amidst the turmoil, taking root and growing, which had a profound impact on the ancient Ganyu Kingdom, which had practiced monarchy throughout history.

Later, people found records about the "outside world" among the belongings of those who returned.

"Ha, haha... What is it?"

Morina chuckled softly, a hint of surprise and understanding flashing in her eerie snake eyes.

"So there's a 'shortcut' to take."

The descriptions of forbidden continents and disasters in the bamboo carvings pointed her to a distinct possibility.

Compared to the arduous journey of taking one step at a time over a long period of time.

To have such a shortcut right in front of us is truly... wonderful beyond words.

"really."

Melina murmured to herself, "How could 'human power' possibly wipe out all of humanity... Only 'disaster' could do that."

........................

The capital palace of the ancient Ganyu Kingdom.

Moro arrived alone at the foot of the majestic palace gate.

The entire palace gate is predominantly deep red, exuding an imposing aura.

On either side of the palace gate stood a fully armored guard, burly and silent like an iron statue.

Upon seeing Moro's arrival, the guards, who had already received orders, said nothing, but respectfully pushed open the heavy palace gates slowly, then bowed their heads and silently made way for him.

Without pausing, Moro strode into the deep red expanse.

He passed through the palace gate, and suddenly a bright and open view opened up before him.

What comes into view is still a magnificent complex of buildings with red as the main color.

The vermilion eaves and gilded beams that could be seen everywhere naturally evoked some memories for Moro.

He didn't linger and walked towards the deep red building at the end of the avenue.

Along the way, he could see palace maids standing quietly with their heads bowed, like road signs guiding him in the right direction.

"I never expected... that crazy woman would actually succeed to the throne of Gu Ganyu."

Moro lowered his eyelids.

The monarchical system of Guganyu was, in many ways, more traditional and feudal than that of Kajin.

Moro still remembers the tourist brochure he saw when he first came to Guganyu.

Although it's called a handbook, it's actually just a reminder of things travelers need to pay attention to.

What left a deep impression was that when royalty went out, commoners could not look directly into the eyes of royalty, otherwise they would be judged as disrespectful.

There are many laws like these, which are designed to consolidate royal power.

At least in upholding class authority, Kakin is far inferior to Guganyu.

Moro rarely pays attention to the political changes in these countries. This time, he came to Guganyu purely because of the Klein bottle that Jin had told him about.

He had originally thought that Eve, as the third princess of Guganyu, might be able to help him learn more about the Klein bottle, or even obtain at least one sample through a transaction.

But to his surprise, when he heard news of her again, she had already ascended the throne.

This really surprised Moro.

Based on his understanding of Eve's character, he never expected that she would emerge victorious in the brutal power struggle.

So, did she rely on her Nen ability, or did she make high-intensity use of the Dark Sonata Harp Solo?
However, it must be said that the other princes involved in the power struggle will also use Nen abilities as their trump card.

Those who attacked Eve on the airship were power users sent by the other princes.

Furthermore, this red palace, which exudes a solemn atmosphere, probably harbors quite a few people with special abilities.

Not to mention anything else, just those two burly guards who were stationed at the palace gate just now had a flow of spiritual energy around them.

Moro even suspected that the military, which was responsible for the defense of the entire palace, might select and arrange guards based on enhancement standards.

After all, the Enhancement type accounts for the largest proportion of the six Nen types, and its characteristics are also very suitable for the role of a guard.

"A major power like V5, with its Nian system deeply rooted within it, must surely have top-tier experts hidden within, right?"

Moro pondered silently in his heart.

However, large democratic countries like the United States of Saherta and the United Nations of Begrosse always give the impression that they are unlikely to produce top-notch talents.

But what about countries like Guganyu or Kajin, which essentially still maintain a monarchy...?

In particular, both countries have built such magnificent palaces in their capitals. Perhaps influenced by certain experiences from his previous life, Moro always felt that there might be a master comparable to Yang De hidden within these deep palaces.

For example, someone whose identity is similar to that of a chief steward or eunuch...

The sense of déjà vu is just too strong.

Moro couldn't help but shake his head slightly.

Guided by the palace maids, Moreau soon arrived at Eve's bedroom.

Beside the vermilion gate and the thick red pillar stood an old man with a chiseled face and bulging muscles, who looked to be around sixty years old.

The condensed spiritual energy coiled around him as if it were a physical entity, flowing slowly, like a bottomless, viscous swamp.

Moro glanced at the Nen aura emanating from the old man and unconsciously thought of the old man in the Tree Hole organization.

The two people's Nen auras actually showed a certain similarity. The old man was also examining Moro's Nen aura.

The flow of air...

It's so quiet.

How could someone his age have cultivated to such a level?

The old man remained outwardly calm, but inwardly he was startled, secretly amazed by Moro's profound mastery of Nen forms.

"Please come with me, His Majesty has been waiting for a long time."

Suppressing the turmoil in his heart, the old man gestured for them to enter, then turned and led the way, entering the palace first.

Moro remained silent, following closely behind the old man.

"As expected, there is a master among them, who also seems to be a guard... Is this the foundation of a great nation?"

Moro's gaze swept over the old man's viscous Nen aura once more, and he couldn't help but think to himself.

Even a nation like Kakin possesses numerous trump cards centered around Nen abilities, so a behemoth like V5 is naturally not to be underestimated.

The two entered the palace one after the other.

As soon as Moro stepped into the hall, he saw Eve, dressed in a white outfit, standing with her back to the door. Her posture was straight and sharp, and she was playing with a short knife that gleamed coldly in her hand.

Hearing Moro and the old man's footsteps, she turned around abruptly.

The moment their eyes met, a barely perceptible glint flashed in those ruby-like eyes.

"Igu, step back."

Eve's gaze shifted to the old man who had led Morrow in.

Igu bowed slightly: "Your Majesty..."

Are you confident you can beat him?

Eve seemed to read his mind and interrupted him directly.

Igu couldn't help but turn his head to look at Moro beside him.

What are the chances of defeating this young man?

Of course there is none.

Even from the slightest traces of that condensed spiritual energy, it was enough to tell that the other party was no ordinary person.

But he also discerned another meaning in His Majesty's words.

If one lacks even the confidence to defeat the person before them, then the so-called guards left behind are meaningless in terms of His Majesty's safety.

The conclusion is that there is no difference between staying and leaving directly.

"No."

Igu answered truthfully.

He never uttered a single falsehood before His Majesty.

"Then step down."

Eve's tone was calm, yet undeniably authoritative.

"Yes."

This time, Igu did not hesitate and turned to leave.

After a while.

Only Morrow and Eve remained in the vast hall.

Moro looked in the direction of the palace gate and said calmly, "It seems he knows nothing about your abilities."

Thanks to the "Soul's Tuning" ability of the harp solo version in "Dark Sonata," Eve can be resurrected immediately after death.

However, those resurrected using the power of soul-fixing will be completely carbonized after seven days, eventually turning to ashes.

However, Eve's special ability, "Life as Dust," allows her to transfer the cost of her ability to those people to herself, as long as there are people in the world who are willing to dedicate their lives to her.

Therefore, in theory, as long as there are still citizens in the ancient Ganyu territory who are willing to give their lives for Eve, she can forever avoid the cost of death through the combination of these two abilities.

The only thing to be wary of is that the cost of "seven-day carbonization" could very well spread like a plague throughout the country.

One wrong move could become the fuse that ignites the downfall of a nation.

The old man named Igu, who had just spoken, was clearly unaware that Eve possessed such an ability.

If I had known, I probably wouldn't have been so worried about her safety.

"Capability is the trump card, and keeping things confidential is the most basic principle."

A faint smile played on Eve's lips as she looked at Moro's profile with a hint of inquiry: "I never expected you to come looking for me, and I certainly never imagined... that it would be for a funerary object that has been sealed deep within the royal tomb for a thousand years."

She paused slightly, her interest growing stronger: "However, what I'm more curious about is, where did you learn about the 'Klein bottle'?"

"Professional hunters have their own ways of trading intelligence."

Moro remained expressionless and calmly replied, "As long as you can afford it, you can always buy the information you want."

He naturally wouldn't reveal Jin's existence, and simply made up an excuse to brush it off.

"Yeah……"

Eve didn't delve into the matter further, but instead cut straight to the point: "I can give you a Klein bottle as a gift, but there are two conditions."

"Tell me."

Morrow looked into Eve's eyes.

Eve smiled slightly: "The first condition."

Before she finished speaking, she actually took off her upper garment in front of Moro, leaving only a thin, close-fitting garment.

But the majority of the skin exposed to the air was charcoal black, with faint plant fiber-like patterns spreading across it.

Looking at her half-carbonized body, a hint of surprise flashed in Moro's eyes, but his expression remained calm as he asked, "What's wrong? Is it because you overused your abilities, causing your ability to transfer costs to malfunction?"

"That's part of the reason."

Eve had no intention of explaining further. She raised her right arm, which was carbonized from shoulder to elbow, and said bluntly, "Remove this price for me. That's the first condition."

"What about the second condition?"

Moro, however, remained standing still and instead asked a question.

Eve's eyes flickered slightly as the memory that had captivated her suddenly surfaced in her mind. Her pale, silvery hair and cheeks flushed slightly with excitement and longing.

"I've gotten another 'Eye of Truth' card."

She did not state her conditions explicitly.

But Moro already understood.

This woman...

The contact and conversation just now were normal.

It was so normal that it felt somewhat unfamiliar to him.

But looking at her reaction now, Moro was certain that she hadn't changed at all.

"..."

Moro paused for a moment, then suddenly took a few steps forward, his right hand reaching straight for Eve's body.

This action of eliminating thoughts is tantamount to agreeing to the conditions proposed by Eve.

Eve smiled slightly, letting Moreau's hand touch between her collarbones.

Then she saw the carbonization caused by the harp solo transform into a jet-black stream of thought, which was completely devoured by Moro's right hand.

It only took four or five seconds.

The carbonization cost that had troubled her for some time was easily removed by Morrow.

As the costly force disappeared, Eve's body returned to normal, revealing her snow-white and graceful curves.

But she didn't care at all about the exposure, and just stared intently at Morro.

The combination of harp solo and the ability "Life is Dust" has been determined not to be used without restraint.

That's why she also bore some of the consequences.

However, the existence of Moro...

It is like a key that can unlock this constraint for her.

Eve was certain at that moment.

The man before her was one of a kind.

Moro ignored Eve's reaction and glanced discreetly at the growth rings on the back of her hand. The energy ring of the fifth growth ring had once again broken through 50%, settling at around 58%.

Before absorbing the carbonization power from Eve, his fifth annual ring energy was around 35%, which is equivalent to converting 23% of the energy at once.

And this is only part of the price that remains on Eve's body, which shows...

The number of people who have suffered for this cost is probably quite large.

"Since you've so perfectly absolved me of the consequences, I might as well say something upfront, so you won't be disappointed later."

Eve stretched slowly, showing none of the dignity one should have as the ruler of a country.

"The Klein bottle you want lost its power a long time ago, otherwise it wouldn't have been sent to the royal mausoleum as a funerary object, but should have been completely destroyed long ago."

"It's ok."

Moro nodded calmly.

He's already eaten and taken everything, so why would he be disappointed?

Even if the Klein bottle loses its effectiveness, it still has value for research.

Perhaps through his research he can even decipher the structure and principles behind it, thereby mastering a higher level of spatial application skills.

"Let's begin with the 'second condition'."

Moro looked at Eve, his tone as usual.

Eve's face lit up with a bright smile, and as she raised her hand, the card of the Eye of Truth appeared between her fingers.

The space of consciousness that once intertwined the two people's minds unfolds once more.

After a long while, the space dissipated.

The two people's consciousness returned to reality.

Moro's condition remained unchanged, his breathing as steady as ever.

Eve, however, collapsed to the ground, her snow-white skin flushed red, and her breathing became rapid and disordered.

That seemingly endless battle that just took place in the mind space...

The result was the same.

Even though her strength and skills are far superior to what they used to be, she still can't even touch the hem of Moro's clothes.

Not once.

Moreover, this time, Moro gave her a feeling that was more profound and unpredictable than ever before, like a bottomless abyss, which made her even more intoxicated by it.

She could clearly feel it...

In those battles where he was crushed and reborn time and time again, his mental skills and composure improved significantly.

"Moro, you... are you interested in the Klein Bottle? Is it because... you want to touch that forbidden continent...?"

Eve, panting, propped herself up, her silver hair falling messily across her forehead, and looked at Morrow while trying to catch her breath.

"Correct."

Moro did not deny it.

"But I want you to live forever."

Eve said something completely unexpected.

………………

Somewhere in the ancient capital of Ganyu.

Jin caught the Klein bottle that Morrow threw to him, a look of surprise on his face.

"What kind of magic did you use? How did you get it so easily?!"

He investigated and found out...

The existing Klein bottle was sent to the depths of the royal tombs of the ancient Ganyu Kingdom as a funerary object long ago.

To obtain it, the task difficulty is undoubtedly A-level.

(End of this chapter)