I'm Really Not A Nen Exorcist (HxH Fanfic)

Cheadle never hid her disdain for Hawk.

Because Hawk used to be a tomb robber who wandered through various ruins and tombs.

Moreover, this detested tomb robber actually took away her most cherished close friend.

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

Cheadle always wondered why her dear friend would be attracted to a man like Hawk.

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

Now—

On their first formal meeting, the impulsive desire for Cheadle to take Moses away couldn't be suppressed no matter what.

And the memories surging in her mind were actively stirring her emotions.

This led her to lose control of her emotions, and she blurted out what was on her mind.

"Eh?"

Moses was taken aback by Cheadle's words and didn't know what to say for a moment.

He could vaguely sense—

Something must have happened between Hawk, Cheadle, and his predecessor's mother, who he had no memory of.

However…

Regardless of Cheadle's motive for wanting to take him away, he didn't want to leave the temple for now.

Because the geographical location here was remote and quiet enough, making it an excellent environment for his training.

Moses's current plan was to quickly solidify his basics in the Four Fundamental Techniques, and then master the two advanced techniques, 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 Double-Star Pro 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—

Moses had already planned everything out. In short, once his Nen mastery were proficient enough, he would fight in the arena using only Nen techniques and not revealing his Nen ability in front of a large audience.

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 didn't know what Moses was thinking.

Looking at the silent Moses, she wanted to explain further that she wasn't joking.

But her timely return to reason stopped her.

The most pressing issue wasn't to take Moses away, but to completely get rid of the cost power that threatened Moses's life.

"What I mean is—"

Cheadle regained her composure, and softly said in the tone of an elder, "The city I live in is very lively and bustling. If you have time later, you can come with me and stay for a few days before returning."

"Okay, I've never seen a big city in my life."

Assisted by the fragments of his predecessor's memory, Moses showed an expectant and excited expression at the right time.

Cheadle smiled faintly when she saw this, then raised her index finger and said, "There's one more thing."

"Hmm?"

Moses looked at Cheadle in confusion.

Cheadle emphasized, "In the future, don't use honorifics when addressing me."

"…"

Moses felt something was off, but he chose to go along with it.

Then—

Cheadle took the initiative to bring up topics and chat with Moses.

Though it was called chatting, in reality, it felt more like a one-sided interrogation from Cheadle.

Questions like…

Whether Hawk has ever hit him, what Hawk usually feeds him, and whether Hawk would let him take on part-time work to supplement the household expenses- various questions were asked by Cheadle.

It was astonishing how Cheadle could come up with so many questions, but she persistently asked from morning until noon, asking about every detail…

Moses almost couldn't handle it and, seeing that it was already noon, quickly tried to use making lunch as an excuse to escape from Cheadle's almost inhumane 'care'.

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

"Sit still. I'll handle it."

Cheadle took control of the situation with an authoritative tone, leaving Moses no room to object.

Moses, once again, went along with it, obediently sitting in the chair without moving.

Cheadle then went straight to the kitchen.

"…"

Upon entering the kitchen, Cheadle lowered her head.

The reflection in her glasses obscured her eyes.

After a few moments of silence, Cheadle raised her hand and gently pushed the frame of her glasses, then began cooking.

Half an hour later.

Thick black smoke billowed from the chimney on the kitchen's roof, accompanied by a strong burnt smell.

"?"

Moses looked at the mixed smell of burnt smoke emanating from the kitchen, and couldn't help but recall the confidence Cheadle exuded when she had pressed him back into his seat.

'A Double-Star Hunter who specializes in solving various tricky problems but doesn't know how to cook?'

'What a classic twist…'

Moses felt powerless to comment. He walked through the smoke into the kitchen and instantly spotted an unidentifiable charred substance in the iron pot. Looking down further, he saw many pieces of firewood stuffed into the stove, and the flames were blazing as if trying to break free from the stove, constantly surging towards the outside of the stove.

Cheadle stood next to the stove, holding a spatula in her hand, looking a bit at a loss.

"Maybe I should do it."

Moses suggested after looking at Cheadle.

"Alright, fine."

Cheadle retreated from the kitchen dejectedly.

Shortly after—

Moses cooked a pot of noodles. While the taste wasn't guaranteed to be top-notch, the portion was plentiful.

During the meal, perhaps out of embarrassment, Cheadle kept her head down, eating the noodles without bombarding Moses with further questions.

This gave Moses a much-needed respite.

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

'All day long, she bombarded me with so many insignificant little questions … but never once she inquired about Nen. What could be the reason behind this selective ignorance?'

Moses pondered with his head down while sweeping the floor.

'Whatever, let's wait until Hawk comes back.'

Slish slish—

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

At night.

After dinner, Moses returned to his room to train the Four Fundamental Techniques.

He usually trained in the courtyard, but with an extra person in the temple now, Moses had no choice but to continue his training in his own room.

As the night deepened, silence prevailed.

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

"It's so quiet."

Cheadle lowered her head, gazing at the release pond.

It looked very ordinary, with nothing particularly special.

Only an insider would know that directly below this seemingly ordinary pond lies an artifact, one even Pro Hunters would have to treat with utmost caution - the Post-Mortem Artifact.

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

However, Nen, under specific circumstances, can become even more potent after death, turning into an independent entity that continued to exist in the world.

This so-called Post-Mortem Artifact is precisely the unique item left behind by the manifestation Nen after being nourished by death.

It also has another name: Nen Artifact.

As something created by Nen, the vast majority of Nen Artifacts possessed at least one special ability.

However, due to the stringent conditions required for the birth of a Nen Artifact, the number of Nen users who possessed one could be counted on one's fingers.

It's worth mentioning that—

Rarely have new Nen Artifacts been born in recent times.

Currently, the Nen Artifacts controlled by Nen users are mostly found in various ruins or royal tombs.

The Post-Mortem Artifact sealed beneath the release pond was one that Hawk had stolen from some ruins.

However, the particular artifact Hawk retrieved belongs to type with extremely poor tameability, presenting high risks and threats.

What it could bring about was not some ability that might have flourished centuries or even thousands of years ago, but a complete disaster…

"What should I do—"

Cheadle looked down at the release pond with cold eyes and said in a deep voice, "To completely eradicate you…"

As an insider, she had witnessed the horrifyingness of this artifact, and she even unconsciously developed a speculation —

Could this terrifying existence possibly come from the Dark Continent, the area beyond the known world map? Could it be an unconfirmed disaster?

When such suspicions arose in Cheadle's mind. As a member of the Zodiac Twelve of the Hunter Association, she should've reported everything to Netero.

But she didn't.

Between her admiration for Netero and her personal selfishness, she almost had no hesitation and chose selfishness.

It's because—

At that time, she didn't want to see a newborn baby being accused as a potential unknown disaster from the Dark Continent and taken in by international organizations.

Cheadle stood by the pond for a long time, then quietly withdrew her gaze and headed towards the outside of the temple.

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

She walked along the steep slope, gradually moving into the forest.

Whoosh…

Navigating through the trees, Cheadle's expression remained calm. Between her hands, she pulled out a thin line emitting a faint glow.

At first glance, it seemed strikingly similar to Machi's Nen Stitches ability.

In theory, Nen abilities aren't unique.

Under similar conditions, two different people have a probability of developing the same Nen ability.

However, the Nen thread conjured by Cheadle, in terms of functionality and versatility, is far inferior compared to Machi's Nen thread.

The two were not on the same level.

Strictly speaking, there was not much difference between the quality and strength of Cheadle's Nen thread and regular sewing thread.

'Then, why would she develop such a seemingly less impactful ability?'

If someone were to ask Cheadle this question, her only answer would be — I believe it will be useful.

Cheadle shuttled back and forth in the forest, strategically placing her seemingly ordinary Nen threads in various corners.

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

The reason for such caution could be attributed to Hawk's contributions.

Bzzz, bzzz—

The phone in her pocket suddenly vibrated slightly.

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

Meanwhile, inside the temple—

Moses stared at his shadow intently.

He was pondering—

Perhaps it is necessary to first develop the ability of 'Shared Vision' ability.