Hunter X Hunter: I Got Stronger After I Died

The enemy's strength exceeded expectations.

In such moments, the most rational choice is to flee immediately.

So, despite the pressure from his superior's orders, after some internal struggle, Vaughn decided to retreat for now.

Tonight's sniping mission would just serve as a reconnaissance operation...

The cold-eyed youth named Vaughn convinced himself with this reasoning.

His fighting spirit ebbed away like the tide as he turned to flee.

When facing an opponent he believed was insurmountable, choosing to retreat wasn't something shameful.

After all, as long as one stays alive, the clock continues ticking forward.

And only by staying alive can one seize the "next chance."

When Moro saw Vaughn flee, a strange glint flashed in his eyes.

But things had already reached this point. With his fighting spirit now fully ignited, there was no way he would let Vaughn escape. He heightened his vigilance and chased after him at full speed.

About 300 meters—

During the pursuit, Moro estimated the distance between them with his keen eyes.

It was far—but not an issue.

"Flying Star: Return Arc."

While running, Moro shot out two flying stars from both hands, launching them backward. He didn't even look behind him and kept his eyes firmly locked on Vaughn.

His consistent training regime shone at this moment.

Without even glancing back, Moro instinctively timed his movements and smoothly dodged the two returning flying stars from behind.

Swish, swish—

Accompanied by sharp whistling sounds, the two flying stars shot past Moro and flew straight toward Vaughn.

Vaughn had already witnessed the range and power of Moro's flying stars, so he was prepared.

When the two stars approached, he barely managed to dodge them. He then watched the two stars carve twin trajectories through the air before smashing into a boulder on the field.

Boom!

In an instant, the energy within the flying stars erupted, and the seemingly solid rock shattered into fragments.

But in dodging those two flying stars, Vaughn had inevitably slowed his pace.

At the same time, he understood Moro's relentless determination to stop him.

Thus, Vaughn realized that trying to escape from such a battle would only lead to the worst outcome.

Vaughn cursed under his breath but quickly adjusted his mindset, preparing for combat.

Still, even though he'd resolved to fight, he didn't immediately stop running.

As the gap between the two continued to close, Vaughn continued to flee, deliberately exposing his back to Moro.

His goal was to force Moro to waste more flying stars in pursuit.

This strategy did, in theory, force Moro to use up some of his aura reserves.

However, if Vaughn knew the precise mechanics of Moro's flying stars, he would never have dared to gamble like this.

Because the "Return Arc" enhancement allowed Moro to launch flying stars with double the power at the cost of only half the energy.

This meant that Moro's aura consumption wasn't nearly as high as Vaughn had assumed.

As a result, Vaughn's evasive tactics ultimately disrupted his own movements.

A flaw appeared.

Of course, even with this misstep, Vaughn could still regain his rhythm—provided that Moro couldn't launch flying stars consecutively.

Unfortunately for Vaughn, the situation played out differently.

While Vaughn took a calculated risk to deplete Moro's aura, Moro wasn't worried about the cost of firing more flying stars.

Creating an opening... and striking it precisely.

That was the result Moro aimed for.

Even though his current level of "En" didn't allow for seamless attacks, he had another weapon up his sleeve.

As soon as Moro noticed Vaughn's pace falter and his movements lose rhythm—

He drew his handgun.

Gunfighting is a skill forged through countless rounds of practice.

In this world, anyone with enough money can buy as much ammunition as they need.

And Moro had both money and drive—so his marksmanship was exceptional.

Bang, bang!

Moro squeezed the trigger, firing off the entire magazine in rapid succession.

The bullets burst from the barrel, spinning with deadly precision as they crossed 60 or 70 meters, aimed straight for Vaughn's weak points.

Faced with this sudden barrage of gunfire, Vaughn's pupils contracted. He abruptly stopped running and spun around.

"Fireplace!"

Vaughn activated his ability.

His abdomen transformed into a blazing fireplace, its hearth flickering with flames as he channeled the remaining aura to shield himself.

The twelve bullets hit their mark.

Splat, splat—

Blood sprayed from Vaughn's cheeks, shoulders, and legs, where the bullets grazed him, leaving shallow wounds.

Of the twelve rounds fired, some missed, while others were sucked into the fireplace on his stomach.

Whoosh!

Those bullets acted as fuel, causing the fireplace to erupt with a fierce blaze.

Though not an overwhelming inferno, the flames strengthened Vaughn's aura significantly.

"Now!"

With his power temporarily boosted, Vaughn surged forward and charged directly at Moro.

From the moment he stopped to block the bullets to when he launched his counterattack, only one second had passed.

But in that fleeting second, Moro had taken note of Vaughn's ability.

A fireplace manifested through materialization… flames fed by absorbed damage… noticeable spikes in aura.

All of this pointed to a singular conclusion:

A power that turns damage into strength.

And judging by the fire's form, this enhancement clearly had a time limit.

Understanding this, Moro shifted his focus to defense, ready to play it safe until Vaughn's power waned.

Vaughn noticed Moro's swift reaction and couldn't help but admire his quick thinking.

But admiration didn't stop Vaughn's assault.

He used his enhanced agility to close the distance and reached Moro.

With a sharp step forward, Vaughn launched a straight punch at Moro's face.

Moro dropped the gun and raised his arm to block the blow.

But Vaughn wasn't done—he stepped in further and launched an uppercut toward Moro's jaw.

Moro had no choice but to step back to avoid the strike.

However, Vaughn pressed the attack, twisting his body to deliver a powerful kick to Moro's stomach.

Thud!

The impact sent Moro flying.

Despite the violent onslaught, Moro remained composed.

He knew that the moment the fire in Vaughn's hearth dimmed, it would be his time to counter.

That was the most stable course of action.

And yet... Moro felt that merely defending was too passive.

It felt... restrictive.

No.

Still airborne, Moro's thoughts shifted, and he decided to act.

Before hitting the ground, Moro endured the pain and launched two flying stars at Vaughn.

Vaughn immediately focused on the incoming stars.

Then—

Moro kicked his foot backward, launching a third, marble-sized flying star toward Vaughn while landing firmly on the ground.

In what should've been a purely defensive situation, Moro made a bold move, laying down an unexpected trap.

If this had been the Moro from before his resurrection, inexperienced in real combat, he never would have dared to make such a risky choice.

But now—

Repeated combat experiences were filling in the gaps in Moro's foundation, nourishing his growth like fertile soil.

This was the first and most critical step in Moro's combat evolution.

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Powerstones?

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