The massacre of the Kurta Clan had once shaken the world.
But no one knew that one boy had borne all the pain alone.
Unbearable grief.
Uncontrollable rage.
A soul wandering in a void of despair.
The boy's name was Kurapika.
He had spent his days drowning in the darkness, struggling to breathe, barely surviving.
The horrific images of his slaughtered clan haunted his memories, replaying in his mind as endless nightmares, leaving his spirit in tatters.
For the first year after the massacre, Kurapika was on the verge of collapse.
But in time, he slowly gathered the broken pieces of himself and found the strength to stand again.
He had a mission:
To avenge his clan.
To recover their stolen eyes.
No matter how painful or arduous the path, he would never turn back.
At the very least… he had to give his people a place to rest in peace.
Yorknew City – Airport Entrance
The crowded airport lobby buzzed with the sounds of footsteps, chatter, and rolling luggage.
A young Kurapika adjusted the strap of his bag, his ashen eyes scanning the passing figures.
Standing in front of the entrance, he hesitated, lowering his head instinctively to avoid eye contact with anyone, before silently following the flow of travelers into the terminal.
The sudden revelation about the whereabouts of his clan's eyes had driven this fourteen-year-old boy, still innocent in many ways, to rush to Yorknew City without a second thought.
Perhaps, in his overwhelmed state, he hadn't even thought about how he would retrieve them…
How would he track them down?
How would he take them back?
For someone who had only recently clawed his way out of despair, planning a covert retrieval operation was too much to ask.
From a logical standpoint, Kurapika shouldn't have walked through these airport doors.
But no matter how many times fate rewound, he would always follow his emotions—and step inside.
Moving carefully through the airport, Kurapika avoided bumping into others, weaving through the crowd in a slightly awkward zigzag pattern toward the check-in counter.
As he passed the waiting area, the corner of his eye caught sight of a young girl with twin tails and golden hair, standing alone at a magazine rack.
But his gaze didn't linger.
At the Magazine Rack
The twin-tailed blonde girl's eyes sparkled as she pulled a magazine from the shelf—one featuring a handsome blond man on the cover.
A dreamlike encounter during her wait for a flight!
Overflowing with excitement, she internally praised the airport's excellent selection.
"Sluuurp."
Using her gloved hand, she wiped a bit of drool from the corner of her mouth, giggling obsessively as she flipped through the pages of the newly released magazine she hadn't been able to buy yet.
Travelers nearby noticed her odd behavior, casting curious glances at her.
But she paid them no mind, utterly immersed in the world of gorgeous men.
In stark contrast, another blond youth walked further away—his figure lonely, sensitive, and fragile.
Nampis Auction House – VIP Lounge
Inside a luxurious lounge, a wrinkled-faced Aksai, well past his fifties, examined the emerald in his hands.
"A real treasure."
Pinching the gem between his thumb and forefinger, he lifted it toward the light, revealing its vibrant green glow, as if brimming with life.
And this was an untreated emerald—one that had never undergone heat treatment.
With the right processing, its color and clarity would improve significantly.
But Aksai had a deep love for natural gemstones.
Even knowing how flawless the emerald could become, he had no intention of altering it.
Carefully placing the gem into a prepared box, Aksai smiled at the man sitting across from him—Moro.
"It's been a long time since I've seen such a high-quality natural gemstone. Mr. Moro, to have discovered this inside an ordinary antique clock… You have quite the eye."
"You flatter me, Mr. Aksai."
Moro's thoughts stirred slightly.
He had never mentioned where the emerald came from.
Nor had he ever heard of Aksai having connections to the antique shop.
Most likely, the young shopkeeper had uploaded photos online, and the news had already spread through Yorknew's collector networks.
Considering this was the city's biggest auction season, that wasn't surprising.
Many antique dealers and potential buyers actively shared information during this time—though much of it was simply boasting.
It was a common trait among collectors.
While they spent fortunes acquiring rare artifacts, they also sought recognition among their peers.
Aksai calmly closed the box, his tone casual but sharp.
"Still, there's something I'm very curious about… How did you know, in advance, that an antique clock contained a natural emerald? You promised me this gem two days ago."
Moro smiled faintly, his voice steady.
"Mr. Aksai, I never specifically said I would give you an emerald. Even if I hadn't found this one, I still could have obtained another gemstone to satisfy you. But I happened to get lucky and stumbled upon this one while browsing the shops."
His expression remained calm.
"This is Yorknew City, after all. As long as you have money, you can buy anything you desire, can't you?"
"Haha! That's true!"
Aksai chuckled, finding no flaws in Moro's reasoning.
He let the matter drop and shifted the conversation toward the auction of the Scarlet Eyes and other valuables.
Moro had no objections to Nampis Auction House setting the auction date for the 10th.
Holding the auction midway through the festival was the ideal timing.
Since he was staying in Yorknew until the event ended anyway, everything had worked out perfectly.
After finalizing the details, Moro left Nampis Auction House and headed straight for the bidding market—
A free-market-style trading hub where negotiations were handled like auctions.
Essentially, a blend between an auction house and a flea market.
Here, one could find all sorts of strange goods—and, occasionally, hidden treasures.
Though finding bargains in these markets didn't yield massive profits, Moro wasn't here for money.
His goal was to absorb Nen energy.
A diverse marketplace like this was bound to have a few Nen-infused items.
Especially during this season…
Two Days Later
Moro visited every bidding market in the city and found five Nen-infused objects.
His energy reserves reached 26%.
Still, absorbing Dead Nen was far more efficient.
Perhaps it was time to seek commissions related to Dead Nen entities—that way, he could charge his energy faster while making a fortune.
As he walked through the market, Moro quietly pondered his next move.
"Ahhh~!"
Suddenly—
A self-proclaimed 'super-cute, invincible, blonde beauty' tripped and fell directly in front of Moro.
Her eyes were teary, as she pitifully looked up.
"Huh? Where'd he go?"
The space in front of her was empty.
Startled, she snapped her head around—
Just in time to see Moro sprinting away at full speed, already far in the distance.
"???"
Wait. WHY ARE YOU RUNNING?!
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50 Powerstones? (5 Bonus Chapters)
20 Advance Chapters: patreon.com/milezen