A Power That Drives One Mad

The voice came abruptly, and what it said was even more baffling.

"Perception? Exorcism count?"

Moyu snapped back to reality, his expression blank.

As a transmigrator, his first thought was of a system.

But was this so-called Perception really something akin to a system?

Moyu felt neither excitement nor joy; instead, he involuntarily recalled last night's nightmare.

The terrifying resentment with its overwhelming aura in the dream had left a deep impression on him.

And the timing of this "voice" appearing was just...

Too coincidental.

So coincidental that it made him, standing here in this moment, suspicious.

Because the place he was in now was the world of Hunter x Hunter.

After all, the Nen ability system that ran through this world was a power that could manifest "imagination" into reality and evolve into all sorts of bizarre abilities.

In other words...

If last night's dream had really happened, then—

Without confirming the nature of the "ability," he couldn't rule out the possibility that the resentment had tampered with him.

Maybe he was still in the dream, not yet awake, or perhaps a Manipulator-type "suggestion" had been planted in him.

The worst-case scenario would be "memory theft."

The more Moyu thought, the more his mind spiraled into chaos.

Precisely because he had a clear understanding of this world's ability system, this change that was so suspiciously timed made him think more, and more complexly.

After all, even a Nen ability that "levels up by killing" had appeared in the original work—what wasn't possible?

Nen itself was full of infinite possibilities.

Based on that understanding, Moyu's thoughts kept branching out...

But he calmed down before long.

Instead of letting his mind run wild here, it was better to investigate the source of the "voice" through action.

If it was something like a system, that would be ideal.

Even if it wasn't, he needed to figure it out quickly.

"System?"

"Perception?"

"Exorcism?"

Moyu began trying to call out to the voice that had appeared in the depths of his consciousness.

But he got no response.

"Is it the wrong method..."

Moyu muttered to himself, then stopped trying to call out and instead focused on recalling the content the "voice" had spoken earlier.

But after several attempts, there was still no reaction.

"What exactly is this voice?"

Moyu frowned slightly.

Whether it was some system or some unknown thing.

There was no such thing as a free lunch in this world, and even if there was, his first reaction wouldn't be excitement, but caution.

If he couldn't figure out the full picture of this "voice," even peace of mind would be a problem.

But before he could investigate thoroughly, as long as this so-called "Perception" wouldn't harm him, it was acceptable.

Additionally, he had to confirm the truth of the so-called "exorcism count" as soon as possible.

That wasn't hard—he just needed to find a bit of "Post-Mortem Nen" to verify it.

With that thought, Moyu composed himself a little, then washed up, changed clothes, and left the room.

Stepping into the corridor, the morning breeze brushed his face, carrying a slight chill.

Moyu subconsciously looked toward the Release Pond in the courtyard.

It was very calm, not a trace of anything unusual.

He hesitated for a moment, then walked over to observe the Release Pond up close.

There was nothing abnormal—he couldn't see any Nen, nor could he sense any presence.

As if the fierce resentment from last night had never existed.

And last night he was clearly injured by the resentment—there's no way he'd wake up completely fine.

If that dream hadn't been so vivid, he wouldn't even need to doubt it now.

"Hopefully it's just a dream..."

Moyu thought silently to himself, then headed straight for the main hall.

He soon reached the hall's entrance, lifted his foot over the threshold, and stepped inside.

The floor inside was paved with red bricks, with a vermilion pillar standing on each side just past the doorway.

At the far end, directly opposite the threshold, sat three offering tables, and behind them loomed a golden Vajra statue four meters tall, with three heads and six arms.

Aside from that, the hall held no other furnishings, making it feel particularly simple and bright.

Moyu looked up at the Vajra.

Every time he saw this statue, he couldn't help but think of Hunter Association Chairman Netero's Nen ability, 100-Type Guanyin.

He wondered if he'd ever cross paths with a legend like Netero in the future.

After staring at the Vajra for a few seconds, Moyu turned his gaze to the offering table on the left, which held many objects.

There were photos, cotton gloves, DVD discs, pendants—common items like that.

All of these were relics left here by the deceased.

Moyu approached the table, looked down at the various keepsakes, and immediately spotted several faint wisps of black aura among them.

Their intensity was nearly zero, posing no threat at all.

Moyu directly picked up one of the photos that had black aura clinging to it.

The photo showed a glamorously dressed, seductive woman who looked vaguely familiar—seemed to be a female celebrity.

He flipped the photo over; on the back was a line of writing—

"Eredin Naco, I was so infatuated with you, but why did you never even glance at me? Never, never!!!"

"Uh..."

Moyu's mouth twitched slightly.

The deceased who wrote this must have been the kind of rabid fan with no reason or thinking ability left.

No wonder an ordinary person could nurture Post-Mortem Nen...

"Well then, I'll use you to test it."

Nen light shimmered around Moyu as he slowly cupped the photo wrapped in "resentment" between his palms.

The moment he completed this prayer-like motion—

Without any warning, information about Nen Exorcism flooded into Moyu's mind, as natural as an innate instinct, seamlessly integrating into his awareness—

"Exorcism Count: 1/1"

Only one use available, with no need to bear any Price or consequence.

And after completing the exorcism, it would refine a versatile "Emotion Fragment" from it.

The essence of these lingering remnants seemed to be crystallized souls...

But compared to Emotion Fragments, a single cost-free exorcism was an ability that would drive most Nen users in the world insane with desire.

It was equivalent to attaching a "purification" skill to a Nen user's combat, capable of instantly dispelling any Nen effects an enemy had placed on an ally.

Used wisely, it was a trump card that could turn the tide from certain defeat.

If one had no ambition, they could even trade this exorcism count for a huge sum of money.

It's no wonder Nen Exorcists are hailed as the most precious profession.

At this moment.

As long as Moyu was willing, he could remove the "resentment" from the photo at any time.

But naturally, he wouldn't waste such a precious exorcism count on a photo.

"The activation condition is contact, huh..."

Moyu understood, and placed the photo back on the offering table.

No sooner had he set it down than hurried footsteps sounded from outside the hall.

Moyu turned toward the door, and saw a bald man in a gray linen robe with a thick beard stride quickly over the threshold into the hall.

The newcomer was his predecessor's father—Hawk.

"What are you doing here at this hour, kid?"

Hawk looked at Moyu, clearly surprised.

"I..."

Moyu was about to make up some excuse to brush him off, but Hawk cut him off as soon as he opened his mouth.

"I've made breakfast, remember to go eat it later. After you eat, sweep the yard. Oh, right—I'm heading out on a trip soon, might be ten days or half a month before I'm back. While I'm gone, if you don't want to deal with tourists, just lock the gate. Don't call me for anything, big or small."

Hawk hastily said a few words, then without waiting for Moyu's reaction, simply turned and left.

"..."

Moyu was left speechless.

From start to finish, he hadn't had a chance to say a single word in response.

"Speaking of which... Hawk doesn't know 'Nen'."

Moyu's gaze drifted to the top of Hawk's head, where a wisp of smoke-like life energy was naturally dissipating.