Why—
Why is Bonolenov of the Phantom Troupe here?
And why has he transformed into Saixin's appearance? This is clearly a targeted operation.
Watching Bonolenov revert from his disguise, Morrow's pupils trembled.
In that instant, countless thoughts raced through Morrow's mind.
He realized Bonolenov had come specifically for him.
From there, his thoughts turned to Saixin's situation and the possibility of other Phantom Troupe members lurking nearby.
The worst-case scenario? The entire Phantom Troupe was mobilized, and he just happened to be their prey.
But...
What was their motive?
Morrow had never crossed paths with the Troupe before.
Was this a whim? Or had they taken an interest in his antique shop?
Unlikely.
Forget the shop's value—it wasn't even noteworthy in Yorknew City. Given the Phantom Troupe's audacity to raid entire auction houses, why would they bother with his small-time store?
A spur-of-the-moment decision?
Even less plausible.
If it were truly impulsive, they wouldn't have gone through the trouble of targeting Saixin first, let alone resorting to a disguise—a far more calculated approach.
This was clearly premeditated, ensuring the operation's success.
And among the Troupe, who would insist on such meticulous planning?
Chrollo Lucilfer.
The worst possible scenario.
This meant that aside from Bonolenov, at least Chrollo and his ever-present shadow, Pakunoda, were involved.
This was bad...
But now, more than ever, he needed to stay calm.
Why was the Phantom Troupe after him?
There was no time to dwell on that. Right now, survival was the priority.
Morrow suddenly stepped back, snatching an ashtray from the visitor counter by the door.
Amid the storm,
Bonolenov observed Morrow's action but remained indifferent. Even after his disguise was exposed, he showed no urgency to attack.
He had failed to execute the leader's plan flawlessly, but the outcome wouldn't change.
"Hm?"
Bonolenov's eyelids flickered.
A dull thud echoed from inside the antique shop, followed by complete darkness as the lights went out.
Only then did Bonolenov realize Morrow had used the ashtray to smash the circuit breaker, swiftly cutting the power.
But what good would that do?
Bonolenov remained motionless, standing firm in the downpour.
Inside the pitch-black shop,
Morrow glanced toward the back door, where an overwhelming, unrestrained killing intent surged—completely unconcealed.
Trapped.
Morrow exhaled deeply.
From Bonolenov's methods, he had deduced that Chrollo and Pakunoda were likely nearby. But it seemed there were more than just three...
Abandoning any thought of confronting the threat at the back door, Morrow steadied himself and stepped outside.
In that brief moment, three figures had appeared on the street.
At the forefront stood a man with short black hair, a purple cross tattooed on his forehead, and deep, inscrutable black eyes. His calm demeanor carried an undercurrent of detachment.
To his left was a tall, curvaceous blonde woman with striking, coldly beautiful features—though her hooked nose slightly marred her elegance.
To his right was a youthful, baby-faced man with golden hair and emerald-green eyes, his face alight with amusement.
Chrollo, Pakunoda, Shalnark. Some distinctive facial features allowed Morrow to instantly recognize the identity of the newcomer, and his heart sank.
Chrollo stood with his hands in his pockets, his gaze fixed on Morrow as if looking at an inanimate object devoid of any meaning.
Beside him, Shalnark stood with one hand on his hip, smiling faintly. "Quite alert and decisive. It seems he knows about us—"
"Let's restrain him first," Pakunoda interjected, arms crossed beneath her ample chest.
Chrollo silently raised his right hand, channeling aura into his palm.
Watching Chrollo's aura manipulation, Morrow's expression remained steady, his tone devoid of any emotion:
"The Phantom Troupe… What an honor. But as far as I know, we've never had any direct or indirect dealings, have we?"
Chrollo's eyes remained as still as stagnant water, offering no response. The other Troupe members likewise remained silent.
No answer, then...
Morrow took a deep breath, desperately searching for an escape.
At that moment, Chrollo activated his Nen ability.
"Skill Hunter."
Amid the swirling aura, a book bearing a crimson handprint materialized in his right hand.
Rustle…
The pages flipped on their own under the pouring rain. When they stopped, Chrollo's left hand conjured a monocle linked by golden chains.
Seeing the materialized monocle, Morrow's eyes flickered with an unreadable emotion—something between relief and anger.
That monocle was Saixin's Materialization ability.
The fact that Chrollo had stolen it meant Saixin was still alive.
But given the Phantom Troupe's methods, even if alive, his fate was likely far from pleasant...
Chrollo held the monocle but did not put it on.
"No rush," he said calmly, stopping Bonolenov, who had been about to strike.
Originally, Chrollo had intended to unsettle Morrow by manifesting the monocle, creating an opening to capture him alive.
Yet, strangely...
Morrow's reaction lacked even a trace of surprise or confusion.
When an enemy suddenly wielded a comrade's ability, even the most composed person would at least show some human bewilderment.
But what Chrollo saw in Morrow was not shock, disbelief, or confusion—but rather...
Relief?
What could he possibly be relieved about?
The only explanation Chrollo could think of was that Morrow had instantly deduced the ability's owner was still alive upon seeing the monocle.
But to reach that conclusion, Morrow would have to know about his Specialization Ability, Skill Hunter.
Now that was interesting.
"Morrow… As you said, we've never had any direct or indirect contact," Chrollo stated with certainty, his eyes glinting with curiosity. "Yet your reaction tells me one thing—you understand my Nen ability."
This was not a question, nor a guess.
It was a definitive conclusion.
Hearing Chrollo's words, Shalnark, Pakunoda, and Bonolenov all showed surprise.
"…"
Morrow remained silent, inwardly startled.
Just a fleeting change in expression upon seeing Saixin's ability—and Chrollo had pieced it together, declaring it with absolute confidence.
This was Chrollo Lucilfer. Morrow suppressed the turmoil in his heart while resisting the urge to look at Pakunoda.
If there was still a chance to escape, it would be...
Information.
Morrow was almost certain that Pakunoda had used her memory-searching ability on Saixin to extract information about himself.
And this information contained a crucial misconception.
That was...
In Saixin's understanding, I'm an Enhancer.
But in reality, I'm an Emitter type.
The opportunity lay precisely in this discrepancy.