The clock struck midnight, and the rain grew heavier.
Inside the antique shop, Moro carefully stored the jade figurine. It was his biggest find in recent times—a treasure that, with a bit of effort, could fetch a handsome price. This was the shop's typical revenue model. However, most of the profits went to Melena, while Moro's true focus was on the faint traces of Nen lingering on antiques and handcrafted artworks.
After placing the box containing the jade figurine in a cabinet, Moro locked the door and glanced at the closed shop entrance, then at the clock on the wall. It was past midnight.
"Saixin should be back soon," he muttered.
Thinking of his overworked employee, Moro began boiling water for tea. Saixin, the shop's only employee, was diligent and never complained, making him easy to push to his limits. That morning, Moro had sent Saixin to meet a client, and if all went well, he should return with a few handcrafted artworks.
The first tree ring on Moro's hand was now fully filled, though it showed no signs of activating. Still, he planned to continue absorbing Nen to see if he could ignite the second ring. After all, antiques and artworks retained their market value even after their Nen was absorbed.
Moro brewed tea and poured it into Saixin's thermos, then settled onto the sofa. When Saixin returned, he'd check the new items for Nen… and then it would be time to make his escape.
He wondered what Saixin would choose. Would he loyally follow Moro, or take some money and part ways? Knowing Saixin's personality, it was likely the former.
A faint smile tugged at Moro's lips as he glanced at the shop's door, rattling under the rain's relentless assault.
Time passed silently.
Half an hour later, a new sound mingled with the storm's roar. Recognizing it as Saixin's return, Moro stood, a faint smile on his face.
Creak—
The door swung open.
A tall, rugged-looking man with strong features strolled casually into the shop. It was Saixin, his black suit drenched from the rain, carrying two boxes.
"Boss, big haul!" Saixin announced, closing the door behind him. His rough face broke into an excited grin.
Moro's eyes flicked to Saixin's right foot as it crossed the threshold, and his smile faltered briefly. But he quickly recovered, gesturing to the counter beneath the display case where the thermos waited. "Good work. I made you some tea."
"Heh, always so thoughtful, Boss. No wonder the two sisters next door are head over heels for you," Saixin teased, setting down the boxes and walking over with a wide grin.
Moro raised an eyebrow, ignoring the jab, and asked casually, "Why so late?"
"Rain's too heavy. Got stuck in traffic on the way back," Saixin replied, grabbing the thermos and taking a swig.
"Yeah, this rain… it's something else," Moro said, his gaze calm but fixed on Saixin's side profile. His hand slipped behind his back, drawing a handgun.
Though both he and Saixin were Nen users, they always carried guns. Sometimes, a gun was more effective.
Like now—
Moro suddenly raised the gun, aiming just beside Saixin.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Three shots rang out. The first was deliberately fired wide, but the next two targeted Saixin's lower back.
Saixin's pupils contracted as he leaped aside, narrowly dodging the bullets aimed at his spine. "Boss?" he asked, bewildered, turning to Moro.
But Moro was already closing the distance, delivering a Nen-charged elbow strike.
Saixin's confusion vanished instantly. At the last second, he raised his arm to block.
Thud.
The collision of elbow and arm produced a heavy thud, the Nen-enhanced force sending a visible ripple of air outward. Caught off-guard, Saixin couldn't fully counter the blow and was forced back.
He stumbled to the shop's large window, his body stopping short of the glass, but his aggressive Nen aura made contact.
Crash!
Under the Nen's pressure, the window shattered, and the storm's wind and rain surged inside.
With his back to the storm, Saixin's face was expressionless as he stared at Moro, who had attacked without warning. "How did you know?" he asked.
"At first, it was just a hunch," Moro said, keeping the gun trained on him, his brow furrowed. "But now I'm sure."
"Heh." Saixin let out a sheepish grin, understanding why Moro had fired the first shot wide—it was a test.
Moro's frown deepened, his voice icy. "Drop the pathetic imitation."
"Man, what a letdown. I thought my disguise was perfect," Saixin said, his smile fading. Curiosity crept into his tone. "So, what gave me away? How'd you figure it out so fast?"
"Your right foot when you walked in," Moro replied coldly.
He wasn't joking.
Saixin was an avid believer in fortune-telling, obsessively checking his daily horoscope. For today—past midnight—his reading had been clear: whether entering or leaving, always lead with the left foot, or face a week of bad luck.
Why did Moro know this? Because Saixin relentlessly shared his fortune-telling obsession, trying to drag Moro into it.
The imposter Saixin, unaware of this quirk, gave a blank response. "Oh, really…?"
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Moro emptied the clip, the gunfire echoing as bullets flew toward Saixin.
A flicker of anger rose in the imposter's chest. He dodged the onslaught with fluid movements, putting distance between them. Based on his intel, the antique shop's boss was an Enhancement-type Nen user, so after this second attack, his strategy was to keep his distance—both to avoid close combat and to buy time for his allies to act.
More importantly, his transformation ability required a moment and some space to deactivate. Without reverting, he couldn't access his full aura capacity.
Retreating to the street, the imposter expected Moro to pursue. Instead, Moro stayed inside, as if his earlier aggression was merely a facade.
So cautious and conservative… the imposter thought, a smile returning. This made things easier—he could deactivate his transformation.
With a thought, he raised his left hand in the rain, twirling his index finger rhythmically while humming a short tune.
Inside the shop, Moro discarded the empty gun. Watching the imposter's actions, he first felt puzzled, then quickly realized the man was undoing some kind of transformation ability.
Under Moro's gaze, Nen swirled around the fake Saixin. In mere seconds, his appearance and body underwent a drastic change.
In place of Saixin stood a bald man, shirtless and wearing only boxers, his body slightly smaller than Saixin's and riddled with holes of varying sizes.
Moro's pupils contracted in shock.
Phantom Troupe…
Bonolenov?