NOVEL NEXT Chapter 6: Chapter 6: Toru
Chapter 6: Toru
Haru remained noncommittal about Muser's claim.
I don't have enough information to judge if it's true or false.
He knew almost nothing about the woman who seemed to have been this body's mother. Was she a Nen user in life? And Muser—what was his exact identity? Haru could only guess.
The most pressing limitation was his ability, Star Mark. While it let him control someone's body, it didn't grant him access to their thoughts. He could force them to speak or act in certain ways but couldn't extract information they hadn't willingly voiced.
I can't interrogate a trained killer like this, Haru admitted to himself. If I'm not careful, I'll expose more about myself than I learn from him.
He glanced at the stack of cash, the Hunter License, and other loot he'd taken. It was already more than enough.
Let's end it here.
Haru smirked. "Impressive imagination. That baby wouldn't stop crying, so I tied a rock to him and threw him in the sea. Tomorrow, when your comrades come, you can all dive in together to fetch him."
Muser responded with a dry sneer. "My comrades are already dead, aren't they?"
His body, however, moved without his consent, standing upright and trailing Haru like a puppet.
Haru didn't press further. Whether Muser had allies or not, Haru would assume the worst. Always better to prepare for the possibility of backup.
With his hands casually in his pockets, Haru led Muser to a windowless room in the ship's cabin.
"In you go," Haru commanded. "Don't come out unless I say so."
Muser stepped inside, once again marveling at Haru's Nen ability. He can completely override my consciousness or leave it intact and issue commands… This manipulation ability is frighteningly versatile.
Sitting cross-legged on the floor, Muser stared at the closing door. There must be a restriction or condition tied to such a perfect ability.
When the door shut, the room went silent except for the distant sound of waves crashing outside.
---
"I can move again?" Muser murmured, noticing his regained autonomy. "So, he used the third method—remote control."
His ability is even more polished than I thought…
But Muser smirked. Unfortunately for you, I'm also a Manipulator. When you touched me, you fulfilled the conditions for my ability as well.
He raised his hand toward the door, murmuring, "Rear Window Bird."
---
Meanwhile, Haru walked down the hallway, frowning. How do I kill this guy?
The passive healing granted by his Star Mark was proving to be an obstacle. It's too effective. If a bullet wound to the neck didn't kill me, there's no reason it wouldn't save him too.
Haru's thoughts were interrupted when the glowing tiger approached. That guy called it a Phantom Moon Tiger, right? What a lame name.
He extended a hand, gently peeling away the blood-encrusted scab from the tiger's injured eye. The tiger blinked its now-healed eye and affectionately nudged Haru's hand.
"Phantom Moon Tiger must be your species name," Haru mused, scratching its head. "It's awful. Let's call you Toru. How about that?"
Toru purred contentedly, nuzzling closer.
"Alright, that's enough," Haru chided. "Where's all that majestic energy from before?"
Toru blinked innocently.
Haru reached for Toru's belly. Beneath its fur was a small rose-gold pentagram—the Star Mark.
The mark disappears if I touch it, Haru recalled.
Toru backed away, avoiding his hand.
"Do you like being controlled that much?" Haru teased, chasing after it playfully.
But there were more important things to do. Haru returned to the ship's main hall, where his controlled wolf, "Wolf Haru," awaited in the shadows.
"Stay here," he commanded the wolf, pointing toward the hallway. "If that guy tries to leave, kill him."
The wolf growled in acknowledgment, trotting to the doorway and settling down to keep watch.
Haru rubbed the back of his neck, feeling the Star Mark he'd placed on himself. I wonder what this healing's limits are. Could I survive decapitation? A destroyed heart?
He made a mental note to experiment further—perhaps with Muser. If I kill a murderer, no one's going to complain, right?
As Haru pondered, his foot struck something on the floor. Looking down, he found a twig.
He picked it up and sat by the entrance to the cabin, leaning against the warm bulk of Toru. The tiger yawned, curling around Haru protectively.
The twig in his hand had grown from the leaf he'd used for his Water Divination test earlier. One leaf turned into a whole branch. What's next? A tree growing right here on the ship?
Haru sighed, his thoughts drifting back to the moment he'd woken up after fainting earlier.
---
"I… grew taller?"
Haru had noticed that his clothes, already ill-fitting, seemed even smaller. His sleeves were shorter, and his pants cuffs no longer covered his ankles.
Comparing himself to Toru and the wolf, he realized he had grown significantly.
Every time a life ended nearby—be it animal or human—a strange energy entered his heart. When the energy accumulated to a certain point, he'd faint, only to awaken having physically aged.
Was it a blessing or a curse?
---
(End of Chapter)