Hunter: I'm Really Not a Nen Exorcist - Chapter 20

Cheadle never hid her disdain for Hawk.

Because Hawk used to be a tomb raider who roamed various ruins and tombs.

And also because this tomb raider, whom she deeply despised, had taken away her most cherished close friend.

It wasn’t just that. This damned bastard not only failed to give her friend happiness but let her pay the price with her life for something she shouldn’t have suffered.

Cheadle always wondered why she would fall for a man like Hawk.

So, since the end of that particular ‘incident,’ she often felt that her friend got the short end of the stick.

Now—

On their first formal meeting, the impulse Cheadle felt to take Moyu away was something she couldn’t suppress.

And the memories churning in her mind were only stirring her emotions further.

This made her unintentionally blurt out her innermost thoughts.

“Eh?”

Moyu was taken aback by Cheadle’s words and was momentarily at a loss for what to say.

He could vaguely sense that—

There must have been something that happened in the past involving Hawk, Cheadle, and his past self’s mother, of whom he had no memory.

However,

Regardless of Cheadle’s motive to take him away, he did not want to leave the temple for now.

Because its location was remote and peaceful, it provided an excellent environment for his cultivation.

His current plan was to quickly solidify his basics in the Four Major Principles, and then master the advanced techniques of “Gyo” and “Ken.”

Once he reached that level, he would consider leaving the temple.

Even if he were to leave, he would probably not choose to go with Cheadle.

Who knows how many enemies a Two-Star professional hunter might have?

More importantly, the Heaven’s Arena, where he could gain combat experience, was where he intended to go in the future.

Regarding this—

He had already planned everything. Anyway, once his Nen techniques were proficient, he would combat the arena’s floor masters using only Nen techniques and not revealing his Nen ability.

Not using Nen ability was because he didn’t want to expose his capabilities meaninglessly in public. And using only Nen techniques was to accumulate strength faster.

Of course, Cheadle had no idea about Moyu’s thoughts.

Looking at the silent Moyu, she wanted to explain further that she wasn’t joking.

But her returning sense of reason stopped her.

The most pressing issue wasn’t to take Moyu away but to completely get rid of the Power of Price that could threaten Moyu’s life.

“What I mean is—”

Cheadle regained her composure, speaking softly in a senior tone, “The city I live in is very bustling. If you have time later, you can come with me and stay for a few days before returning.”

“Sure, I’ve never seen a big city in my life.”

With the help of fragments from his past self’s memories, Moyu showed an expression of anticipation and excitement.

Cheadle smiled faintly, then raised her index finger, saying, “There’s one more thing.”

“Hmm?”

Moyu looked at Cheadle in confusion.

Cheadle emphasized, “Don’t use formal terms when addressing me in the future.”

“…”

Moyu felt something was off, but he chose to go with the flow.

Shortly after—

Cheadle initiated a conversation with Moyu.

Though it was termed as a conversation, it felt more like a one-sided interrogation from Cheadle.

Questions like…

Did Hawk ever hit you? What does Hawk usually feed you? Does Hawk make you do part-time jobs to supplement the family income? and so on.

It was astonishing how Cheadle could come up with so many questions, persistently asking from morning till noon, diving into minute details…

Overwhelmed, Moyu, seeing it was almost noon, hastily used preparing lunch as an excuse to escape from Cheadle’s relentless ‘care.’

However, as he stood up, Cheadle pressed him back into his seat.

“Stay seated. I’ll handle it.”

Cheadle took charge with a tone that allowed no room for disagreement.

Her assertive and confident demeanor made Moyu comply again, obediently sitting still.

Cheadle then proceeded straight to the kitchen.

“…”

Upon entering the kitchen, Cheadle lowered her head slightly.

The reflection in her glasses obscured her eyes.

After a few moments of silence, Cheadle adjusted her glasses and began cooking.

Half an hour later—

Thick black smoke billowed from the chimney atop the kitchen, accompanied by the strong scent of something burning.

“?”

Moyu, looking at the burnt-scented black smoke emanating from the kitchen, couldn’t help but recall the confidence Cheadle exuded when she had pressed him back into his seat.

A Two-Star Hunter specialized in solving intricate problems but doesn’t know how to cook?

What a classic twist, right?

Moyu couldn’t help but sigh. He walked through the smoke into the kitchen and instantly spotted an unidentifiable charred substance in the iron pot. Further below, a roaring fire blazed from the stove, as if trying to escape its confines.

Cheadle stood next to the stove, holding a spatula, looking utterly lost.

“Let me handle this.”

Moyu suggested after glancing at her.

“Alright, fine.”

A dejected Cheadle retreated from the kitchen.

Shortly after—

Moyu cooked a pot of noodles. While the taste wasn’t guaranteed to be top-notch, the quantity was plentiful.

During the meal, perhaps out of embarrassment, Cheadle kept her head down, eating quietly and refraining from bombarding Moyu with further questions.

This gave Moyu a much-needed respite.

After a simple meal, Moyu directly went to the guest room to clean up, ensuring Cheadle had a comfortable place to stay for the night.

“After all the trivial questions she bombarded me with… she never once inquired about Nen. What could be the reason behind her selective blindness?”

While sweeping the floor, Moyu pondered with a broom in hand.

“Let’s wait until Hawk returns.”

Swoosh—

The broom swayed, creating whirlwinds of dust within the room.

Nightfall.

After having dinner, Moyu returned to his room to practice the four fundamentals.

He usually trained in the courtyard, but with an extra person in the temple now, Moyu had no choice but to continue his cultivation within his room.

The night deepened, enveloping everything in serene silence.

Cheadle slowly stepped out of her room, arriving at the pond in the courtyard.

“It’s so peaceful.”

Cheadle gazed down into the pond.

It looked utterly ordinary, nothing out of the blue.

Only an insider would know—

Directly below this seemingly ordinary pond lies an artifact, one even professional Hunters treat with the utmost caution: the “Relic of the Dead.”

Usually, items materialized by a Nen user would vanish upon their death, leaving no trace behind.

But Nen…

Under specific circumstances, can become even more potent after death, continuing to exist in the world as an independent entity.

This so-called ‘Relic of the Dead’ is precisely a unique artifact that remains after being nurtured by death through the manifestation of Nen.

It also has another name: Nen Artifact.

Being created by Nen, the majority of these Nen Artifacts possess at least one special ability.

However, due to the stringent conditions required for the birth of a Nen Artifact, only a handful of Nen users possess one.

Worth mentioning—

In recent times, new Nen Artifacts have rarely been created.

The Nen Artifacts currently controlled by Nen users are mainly found within various ruins or royal tombs.

The ‘Relic of the Dead’ sealed beneath the pond was indeed stolen from some ruins by Hawk.

Yet, the particular artifact Hawk retrieved belongs to those with poor tameability, presenting high risks and threats.

Its existence isn’t just about an ability that might have flourished hundreds or even thousands of years ago but pure catastrophe…

“How should I—”

Cheadle, with a suddenly icy gaze towards the pond, murmured, “Completely eradicate you?”

As an insider, she had witnessed the terror of this artifact and couldn’t help but speculate—

Could such a terrifying existence originate from the Dark Continent, an area beyond the known world map? Could it represent an unconfirmed calamity?

When such suspicions arose in Cheadle, as a member of the Zodiacs of the Hunter Association, she should’ve reported everything to Netero.

But she didn’t.

Caught between her admiration for Netero and her personal selfishness.

She hardly hesitated and chose selfishness.

Because—

Back then, she didn’t want to see a newborn baby being accused as a potential unknown calamity from the Dark Continent and taken in by international organizations.

Cheadle stood by the pond for a long time, eventually withdrawing her gaze and silently heading towards the temple’s exterior.

Stepping outside the temple, Cheadle, already familiar with the terrain of the mountain, determined her direction with a mere glance.

She began her descent, trekking deeper into the woods.

Swish—

Navigating through the trees, Cheadle’s expression remained neutral. With a mere tug of her hands, she produced a faintly glowing thread.

At first glance, it seemed strikingly similar to Machi of the Phantom Troupe’s Nen Stitch ability.

Theoretically, Nen abilities aren’t unique.

Given similar conditions, two different individuals can potentially develop the same Nen ability.

However, the Nen thread conjured by Cheadle, in terms of functionality and versatility, paled in comparison to Machi’s Nen thread.

The two weren’t on the same level.

Strictly speaking, both in quality and strength, Cheadle’s Nen thread was no different from regular sewing thread.

Why would she develop such an ability with seemingly limited utility?

If someone posed this question to Cheadle, her response would be straightforward— she believed it would be useful.

Cheadle zigzagged through the forest, strategically placing her seemingly ordinary Nen threads at various points.

She was setting up a perimeter, a warning net to detect potential enemies.

Her caution was largely credited to Hawk’s influence.

Buzz, buzz—

A subtle vibration emanated from the phone in her pocket.

Pulling it out, Cheadle noticed the incoming call was from Hawk.

Meanwhile, within the temple quarters—

Moyu stared intently at his shadow.

He pondered—

Perhaps he should prioritize developing the ‘Shared Vision’ ability.