Hunter: I became stronger even after I died.

Chapter 257 Unbelievable
As we prepare to part ways, every second we spend together feels especially precious.

While Kurt was excited, he couldn't help but envy his brother for being able to so easily deal with their mother's obstruction.

But this envy was quickly forgotten.

After all, now we can spend a whole day having fun in town with our friends.

Killua had visited Chimney Town countless times and had long since lost interest.

He even gave names to the cats and dogs that roamed the streets.

But this time, he was more excited than ever before, taking the initiative to act as a tour guide and leading the way with great enthusiasm.

"This is the first time I've seen Killua so excited."

Kurt leaned closer to Morrow and whispered, his eyes following the excited, jubilant figure ahead.

Moro watched Killua waving and urging him on from a distance. He knew perfectly well why Killua was so excited, but as always, he didn't mention Illumi in front of Kalluto. He just casually gave a guess.

"It's probably because you've been away from home for too long, and it's rare to run into you at the foot of the mountain... Hurry up and go, your brother is urging you."

"Ah."

Kurt smiled and ran towards Killua in his wooden clogs.

Moro smiled as he watched Kal'tsit run towards Killua, then turned to look at Kurapika behind him.

"Kurapika, the street food in this town is pretty good, you should try it."

"it is good."

Kurapika nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over the neatly arranged stalls on both sides of the street.

The air was filled with the rich aroma of spices such as cinnamon and rosemary.

Even though I didn't feel hungry, my appetite was whetted.

Kurapika subconsciously slowed his pace, his gaze lingering on the tempting colors of the food.

Caramel-colored honey pastries, skewered meat coated in spices, steaming hot rice balls, freshly baked fruit-scented pancakes...

Moro noticed Kurapika's hesitation and slowed his pace accordingly, maintaining a perfect distance that neither left Kurapika alone nor seemed deliberate.

Ahead, Killua and Kalluto had already blended into the bustling crowd, with only Killua's clear voice faintly heard from afar: "Kalluto, over here, over here, I found it!"

"Would you like to try it?"

Morrow pointed to the freshly baked nut pancakes at the stall next to him, their golden surface still sizzling with oil.

Kurapika stopped upon hearing this, but before he could speak, Moro had already walked up to the stall.

He bought two nut crackers, then took one of them and broke it in half.

He gave half to himself and the other half to Kurapika.

The second nut pancake was for Kurt and Killua.

There are so many local delicacies in Zaomu Town that if you want to try them all, you can't eat too much of any one dish.

Moro handed the broken-off nut pancake to Kurapika.

Kurapika took it and whispered a thank you.

Morrow smiled, took a bite of the pancake, and the roasted aroma of various nuts immediately filled his mouth.

This stall really uses high-quality ingredients.

A seemingly small pancake contains at least half nuts.

Moro quickly devoured the pancake and gave a thumbs-up to the plump auntie owner of the stall.

This gesture brought a smile to the plump woman's face, which crinkled into a smile.

Seeing this, Kurapika hesitated for a moment, then also gave the fat aunt a thumbs up.

These nut pancakes are really delicious. The crust is crispy, the nut flavor is rich, and it blends perfectly with the caramelized aroma of honey.

"Child, come here."

The plump woman smiled and waved to Kurapika.

Kurapika walked over with some confusion.

The plump aunt immediately stuffed a few candied nuts into Kurapika's hand and said with a smile, "These were just made this morning, here are a few for you to try."

"Thank you."

Kurapika looked at the bright, clear candied nuts in his hand and a smile appeared on his face.

After saying goodbye to the plump woman, Moro and Kurapika continued along the market street.

In the short time it took to buy two pancakes, looking ahead again, Killua and Kalmod were nowhere to be seen, and no one knew where they had gone.

Moro slowed down and accompanied Kurapika as they strolled through the street stalls.

Kurapika finished the last bite of the pancake, and a faint nutty aroma lingered on his fingertips.

He stared at Moro's back, then glanced around at the bustling street scene, and suddenly realized...

I can't remember the last time I've strolled and lingered in a place so carefree and relaxed.

The sounds of vendors hawking their wares and laughter constantly filled the air, along with the aroma of food.

An important companion is right in front of me.

What was an ordinary scene suddenly gave Kurapika a feeling of having found a treasure.

"What's wrong? Is there anything you want to eat?"

Moro's voice came from ahead.

Kurapika snapped out of his daze, met Moro's questioning gaze, smiled and shook his head, then quickly followed.

"Moro, Kurapika."

Killua's voice suddenly rang out from the bustling crowd.

Moro and Kurapika looked in the direction of the sound and saw Killua holding a bulging brown paper bag with the ends of several bamboo skewers sticking out of the bag.

Kaldor followed closely behind Killua, having already unfolded his purple bamboo fan, concealing most of his face behind it.

"Here, I brought these especially for you."

Killua darted in front of Morro and Kurapika, covering the bag with both hands and looking extremely sincere, "These are the most authentic local specialty grilled skewers from Chimney Town."

Just as Morrow was about to reach out to take it, he caught a glimpse of Kurt's fan trembling slightly out of the corner of his eye.

While wondering what was going on, when she looked at Killua again, she caught a fleeting glint of cunning in the boy's eyes.

"Yeah."

Moro withdrew his hand without making a sound, his gaze sweeping back and forth between the brown paper bag and Kurt's trembling fan.

Kurapika, smelling the rich aroma of spices wafting from the brown paper bag, leaned forward slightly and asked, "Is it grilled skewers?"

"Yes, this place is famous for its grilled skewers."

Killua glanced quickly at Moro, who was already on guard, and swiftly turned the paper bag towards Kurapika, "It would be a shame to miss this."

Upon hearing this, Kurapika grabbed the two bamboo skewers without any warning.

He thought he'd grab one for Moro too, so he held the end of the bamboo skewer and pulled it out.

But what came into view was not the barbecue meat he had imagined at all.

Several amber-colored caterpillars covered in spices were skewered on a stick, their plump bodies writhing wildly in the spices.

On the other skewer were several earthworms, their skin stained grayish-white by the seasoning, writhing and stretching in agony.

Spices fell in a flurry as the insect struggled, scattering onto Kurapika's hand.

Kurapika froze on the spot, his pupils trembled, and he shuddered reflexively.

Then--

His face turned slightly pale, and he quickly inserted the bamboo skewer back into the brown paper bag.

"Hahaha!"

Killua couldn't hold it in any longer and burst into laughter, clutching his stomach with one hand.

Beside him, Kurt struggled to suppress his laughter, his shoulders shaking from the effort.

"Brother, I knew Moro wouldn't fall for it. Only Kurapika, that idiot, would."

"Haha, that's really true."

The prank succeeded, and Killua laughed so hard that tears streamed down his face as he watched Kurapika's reaction.

Moro watched from the side, shaking his head with a smile. He took the brown paper bag from Killua's hand, opened it, and looked inside. It was full of strings of insects.

Besides caterpillars and earthworms, there are also insects such as centipedes, bees, and ants.

Their only thing in common is that they are still alive.

"Don't tell me this is for eating raw."

Morrow looked at Killua and Kurt.

"How could that be?!"

Killua wiped away the tears of laughter, held up two fingers, and explained, "There are two ways to eat it: grilled or deep-fried. I'm not lying, it really is a specialty of Chimera Town, but..."

He glanced at Kurapika, who was still in a daze, and couldn't help but laugh out loud, "They need to be cooked first, hahaha!"

Kurt covered his mouth with his fan and urged softly, "Brother, stop playing around and hurry up and bake it."

Actually, there were several other types of spiders at the stall, but in terms of prank potential, they were Killua's favorite ultimate weapon.

However, Kurt carefully stopped him.

Killua glanced at Kurapika, then burst out laughing again. He snatched the brown paper bag back from Moro and ran to find the owner to bake it.

Soon.

Killua ran back carrying a huge wooden tray.

The insects in the brown paper bag had been roasted until golden brown and crispy, their surface evenly coated with a layer of enticing spices, exuding a wonderfully caramelized aroma.

"Here, give it a try."

Killua lifts the wooden plate high.

Morrow picked up a string of roasted ants, each about the size of a thumbnail, and popped them into his mouth. The charred shells crumbled like crispy chips, and surprisingly, he could taste a bit of meat.

"not bad."

With the lingering taste of spices on his lips and teeth, Morrow nodded.

Killua gave a "I wasn't wrong" look and picked up a skewer of grilled centipedes to eat.

"Kurapika, come and eat."

Moro turned around and looked at Kurapika, who was some distance away, and called out to him.

Kurapika shook his head quickly, covered his mouth, turned his back, and muttered softly, "Absolutely, absolutely... I won't eat it!"

Seeing Kurapika's reaction, Killua and Kalmod exchanged a glance and couldn't help but laugh.

After finishing the insect skewers, the group continued along the bustling street.

Kurt successfully bought the latest flavor of candy. Meanwhile, Killua was drawn to the noise coming from a nearby candy shop.

"There's a lucky draw event!"

He ran to the candy shop, his eyes sparkling as he stared at the prizes on the display stand.

It was an exquisitely crafted blue and white skateboard. The deck was made of wood from the Dentora region and dyed with pigments extracted from natural plants to create a gradient ocean color that shimmered with a pearly luster in the sunlight.

Want to try your luck?

The owner greeted us warmly, saying, "Buy a bag of our special chocolates and you can enter a prize draw. The grand prize is this limited edition skateboard!"

"Ten packs, please!"

Killua revealed his cat-like eyes and rubbed his little hands together expectantly.

ten minutes later.

Killua's feet were surrounded by bags of chocolates, as well as a number of insignificant consolation prizes.

"Ten more packs, please!"

"Damn it, it was second prize, I was so close!"

"Twenty more packs, please!"

Killua rolled up his sleeves, displaying an air of determination that he wouldn't give up until he won the grand prize.

The shopkeeper smiled and took out twenty bags of chocolates, then pushed the raffle box in front of Killua.

A few minutes later.

Killua received several more consolation prizes and raffle tickets thanking him for his patronage at his feet.

"Damn it, give me twenty more packs!"

Killua cried out in frustration.

It's not far behind.

Kalmod and Kurapika looked at each other in bewilderment.

Moro wasn't surprised at all; he vaguely remembered that Killua had a strong gambling streak.

Furthermore, the environment provided by the Zoldyck family allowed Killua to explore and master many hobbies at a very young age, such as skateboarding, yo-yo, darts, and billiards, not to mention playing cards.

So it's not surprising that he has a bit of a gambling spirit.

However, Killua's luck seemed to be bad this time. He drew countless times, and the best he could get was only second prize.

"Ah!"

After one round, Killua received a bunch of consolation prizes and sadly clutched his head.

"I don't believe it anymore!"

He shouted, then suddenly remembered something and turned to look at Moro and the others who were watching, "You guys should give it a try too."

"Then I'll try my luck."

Moro walked over and casually picked up a lottery ticket from the lottery box.

Seeing this, Kalmod and Kurapika also drew a card.

Moro opened the lottery ticket first, and upon seeing the words "first prize" on it, exclaimed in surprise.

Killua's ears immediately perked up, and he looked toward Morrow.

Moro held up the lottery ticket and laughed, "My luck was pretty good; I won the first prize."

“!!!” Killua.

"what."

Kurt also let out a sound of surprise.

Killua looked over as if by reflex.

Kurt showed his lottery ticket and said, "Brother, I also won the first prize."

“!!!” Killua.

"Congratulations to both of you, you're really lucky!"

The candy shop owner shook the bell in his hand and congratulated him with a smile.

"Eh?"

This time it's Kurapika.

Killua looked at Kurapika in disbelief, his eyes wide, and said:
"You didn't also win the first prize, did you? There are only three prizes in this category, how could you both have won it once?!"

"It's not the first prize."

Kurapika shook his head.

Killua breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this.

Kurapika then held up the lottery ticket, pointing the side marked "Grand Prize" towards Killua.

"It's the grand prize."

"!!!"

Killua froze, his face frozen in disbelief.

Are you kidding...

He drew the lottery hundreds of times, and his best result was only a second prize.

But, but...!
Killua stared blankly, questioning the meaning of life for the first time in his life.

However, after receiving the skateboard from Kurapika, Killua instantly recovered and happily hugged the limited edition skateboard.

"It's about time we sent you back."

Moro glanced at the sky.

Kurt, who had been all smiles, smiled slightly after hearing Morrow's words.

Killua didn't think too much about it and randomly picked a silk scarf from a pile of prizes as a gift for his mother.

After all, you have to keep your word.

The group quickly climbed Mount Kukuro and arrived at the Trial Gate at dusk.

In the security booth.

Wearing a hat and dressed in a security guard uniform, Kebo looked surprised when he saw Killua and the others.

He recognized Morrow's identity and was surprised to find him returning with Killua.

After a brief moment of surprise, Keibuke stepped out of the guard booth and respectfully greeted Killua Killua.

Killua nodded to Keibhide, then turned to Moro and Kurapika, his eyes filled with anticipation: "Why don't you stay for dinner before you leave? I'll have the butler prepare a private feast."

"No, I'll be leaving soon."

Moro shook his head in refusal.

Illumi, who was crippled by him, is now lying at home.

How could he possibly swagger in as a guest?

Seeing Morrow's decisive refusal, Killua could not hide his disappointment.

He was really happy today, so he hoped that this happiness would last a little longer.

Even if it's just for the time it takes to eat dinner...

But seeing Morona's resolute reaction, Killua ultimately did not try to persuade him to stay.

Kurt, standing next to him, was even more disappointed. He pursed his lips and looked at Morrow with some sadness.

Morrow reached out and placed his hand on Kurt's little head.

Then, unsurprisingly, it was knocked away by Kurt with his fan.

A faint smile appeared on Moro's lips, and then he suddenly strode towards the magnificent trial gate in front of him.

The towering, heavy stone gate cast a deep shadow under the setting sun.

Moro stepped into the shadows and came to the entrance of the Trial Gate.

His gaze slowly moved upwards along the mottled patterns on the stone gate, where he could clearly see the many traces left by the years.

The stone gate in front of us, which was used to test the growth of Gon and his friends in the original work, can be considered, in a sense, a witness to his growth over the past year.

Moro raised his hand and placed it flat on the stone door.

He could feel several gazes coming from behind him, but he didn't care. He opened his vital energy to the maximum extent and, with the amplification of his surging spiritual energy, he mustered all his strength to push open the stone door.

rumble……

With a heavy rumble, the first stone door opened, followed by the second, the third...

Until the seventh stone door, the tallest and largest, was also pushed open.

The last rays of the setting sun shone through the crack in the door and fell on Morrow, bathing him in an orange-red glow.

Both Jebtsok and Killua were shocked to see Moro push open all the trial doors in one go.

Killua sensed a powerful aura from Moro that resembled his father's, while Keibuke simply couldn't believe his eyes.

"They actually... pushed open seven doors...!"

Jebtsok stared in disbelief at the radiant Moro, his mind replaying the dreamlike feeling he had experienced when he first met Moro.

I felt a strong sense of unreality about what was happening right in front of me.

This led to deep doubts.

How did this young man manage to do that in such a short time?
Just then, a huge white figure emerged from the forest inside the gate.

It was a giant hound named Sanmao, rigorously trained and kept by the Zoldyck family.

It was clearly drawn here by the commotion of all seven trial gates being opened.

Upon seeing that the person who pushed open the door was an unfamiliar face, a hint of curiosity appeared in Sanmao's cold, machine-like eyes.

But the next moment,
The curiosity in the beast's eyes receded like the tide, replaced by a fear born of biological instinct.

Sanmao suddenly looked up at the sky, but after just one glance, she trembled all over and lay prostrate on the ground, her head pressed tightly against the ground, afraid to move.

Moro, who was bracing the stone door with both hands, and Kurapika and the others all noticed Sanmao's strange reaction.

Just as they were wondering about this, they suddenly heard a whooshing sound from the sky.

Everyone looked up and saw a huge, strange beast with a pair of fleshy wings that seemed to blot out the sky, slowly descending towards them from the air.

Jiebujie had never seen such a scene before, and was so frightened that he fell to the ground with a thud.

Even Killua was startled.

The strange beast in front of me is even bigger than the magical beast I keep at home!
Moro looked up at the sky and recognized the strange beast as a chimera, and then understood why Sanmao suddenly collapsed to the ground in fear.

It was scared by the chimera.

(End of this chapter)