An hour later, Omask City Advanced Hospital.
Leo stood at the hospital entrance, looking up at the seventeen-story modern building.
The white exterior walls reflected a soft glow under the sunlight, people flowed in and out in an orderly fashion, and the air was filled with the distinct scent of disinfectant.
He walked quickly into the lobby and took the elevator to the fifth floor.
Before coming, he had already contacted Nas and learned about Goreinu's specific condition and room location.
The elevator doors opened to a quiet corridor, with only the occasional nurse and patient passing by.
Leo followed the signs and found ward F11.
He pushed open the door.
It was a single-occupancy ward with excellent lighting; sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting warm spots of light on the floor.
A bouquet of fresh flowers sat by the window, their faint fragrance mixing with the smell of disinfectant.
Goreinu lay on the hospital bed, his entire body wrapped in gauze and bandages.
His left arm was fixed in a brace, and his chest was also wrapped in thick bandages; he looked like a mummy.
But his eyes were bright, and upon seeing Leo enter, a happy smile immediately appeared on his face.
Nas sat in a chair by the bed, holding a magazine and flipping through it listlessly.
Seeing Leo, he immediately stood up and nodded respectfully.
"Grandmaster."
Leo nodded and walked to the bedside.
He looked at Goreinu's appearance and the corners of his mouth curled up slightly—though the injuries were not light, his spirits were good, so it seemed there was no major concern.
"Mm, Nas, thank you for your hard work."
Nas rubbed the back of his head and smiled somewhat sheepishly.
"It's no trouble at all, taking care of people is what I should do."
Goreinu let out a laugh, but it pulled at his wounds, causing him to grimace in pain.
He steadied himself and asked impatiently,
"Is everything settled? Do you know the Doctor's true identity?"
Leo sat down in the chair by the bed and smiled.
"Mm, it's all settled. I found out."
He paused and said in a relaxed tone,
"Don't worry, she will soon join those few people in meeting God."
Leo did not explain in detail about the forces behind the Doctor, the mole within the Hunter Association, or the matter of the styx stone.
These matters involved too much; Goreinu was already seriously injured, and there was no need to involve him further.
Hearing this, Goreinu gave a helpless, bitter smile.
"Having not seen you for so long, you've become stronger and stronger."
He lamented,
"It seems I need to hurry up with my cultivation. Focusing on traveling has caused me to fall behind too much."
Leo looked at him and said seriously,
"As long as you work hard, it's never too late. Your ability isn't bad."
This was the truth.
Goreinu's Nen Ability, 'Goreinu: Black and White Sages,' was very practical; as long as it was developed well, its potential was not small.
Hearing this, Goreinu laughed again, which once more pulled at his wounds, causing him to hiss in pain.
Seeing this, Leo stood up.
"Alright, I won't disturb your rest any longer."
He looked at Nas.
"Nas, I'll have to trouble you to work hard for a while longer and stay here to look after Goreinu, is that alright?"
Nas nodded vigorously.
"No problem! Rest assured, Grandmaster!"
Goreinu also nodded.
"Go on. Once I've recovered, I'll come find you."
He paused and said with some emotion,
"I originally planned to find you after ending this trip, but it seems I'll have to extend it a bit longer."
Leo didn't say much; after lightly patting his shoulder, he turned and left.
When he reached the door, he looked back.
Sunlight spilled onto the bed, illuminating Goreinu's smiling face.
Nas had already sat back down and was taking an apple from the nightstand to begin peeling it.
Leo withdrew his gaze and gently closed the door.
The corridor was still quiet as he walked away.
Inside the ward.
Goreinu looked at the closed door and was silent for a few seconds.
Then he turned his head and looked at Nas, who was peeling the apple.
"Sitting around is a bit boring,"
he said.
"Can you tell me how you and Leo met? And what has happened during this time?"
Nas's movements paused for a moment.
"Me?"
He thought for a bit.
"Well—it's not like I can't say. It was like this..."
He put down the apple and the knife, sat up straight, and began to tell the story.
From being saved by Sophia at Heavens Arena to becoming an apprentice; from Leo's guidance to the cultivation in Shimeile Wetland; from the trials of the Hunter Exam to finally obtaining his hunter license...
Goreinu listened quietly, occasionally interjecting with a few questions.
Sunlight streamed through the window onto the two of them, and time became slow and peaceful at that moment.
Leo walked out of the hospital entrance and took a deep breath.
The air outside was much fresher than inside the hospital, carrying the distinct scents of the city—car exhaust, fumes from roadside stalls, and the fragrance of flowers drifting from afar.
He pulled out his phone and checked the time.
2:30 PM.
He opened a ticket-booking app, made a few quick operations, and booked a flight to the Hunter Association Headquarters.
The next flight was taking off in forty minutes; the timing was perfect.
As he walked toward the airport, he dialed Machi Komacine's number.
After three rings, the call was picked up.
"Hello, is this Leo?"
Machi Komacine's voice came from the other end, steady and gentle as always.
"It's me,"
Leo said.
"Are you at the Association Headquarters?"
"I'm in the Kakin Empire handling some affairs."
Machi Komacine paused.
"What's wrong?"
Leo's tone became serious.
"There is a very important matter that I need to discuss with you in person. I'll wait for you at the Association Headquarters."
There was a second of silence on the other end.
Machi Komacine didn't ask what it was, nor why it couldn't be said over the phone.
He simply responded briefly,
"I understand. I'll head back once I've finished the tasks at hand. It should take about two days."
"Alright. Get back to your work."
Leo then dialed another number, and after two seconds, the call connected.
"Hello, is this Mr. Leo?"
Vivian's voice came through.
"It's me. You owe me a promise; I'm going to use it now,"
Leo said.
"Alright, what is your request?"
Vivian nodded.
"Please find a large place and collect a vast number of livestock and animals for me. I have a use for them, the more the better."
Vivian was slightly surprised by Leo's request, but she didn't press him and readily agreed.
"No problem, I will notify the people below to arrange it as soon as possible. Any other requirements?"
Leo said,
"None. Once I'm done with my business, I'll come find you."
Afterward, Leo hung up the phone and put it back in his pocket.
The outline of the airport had already appeared in his field of vision.
The massive terminal building gleamed with a cold, hard luster under the sun, with Airships constantly taking off and landing, the roar of engines drifting from afar.
Leo quickened his pace. Forty minutes later.
The Airship rose steadily into the sky, passing through the clouds and flying toward the Hunter Association Headquarters.
Outside the porthole, the sea of clouds churned, sunlight spilling over them in a golden glow.
On the distant horizon, the outlines of continuous mountain ranges were faintly visible.
Leo leaned back against the seat and closed his eyes.
In his mind, Layard's words kept surfacing.
"There are people above the Doctor."
"They are researching creatures that can be mass-produced, possess Nen Ability, and are completely controllable."
"That gem... has super regenerative abilities and the effect of controlling organisms."
The styx stone.
Kotekinnas's forbidden object, something that clearly should have completely disappeared with that self-destruction, had been picked up from the ruins and fallen into the Doctor's hands.
Even more terrifying—immediately after the explosion occurred, they knew there was something there to be picked up.
There was also a rat inside the Hunter Association.
Finding them might be a bit tricky; Retz's ability might not be useful without specific information.
Kalluto Zoldyck should be able to do it. In the Greed Island arc, the Phantom Troupe didn't have any information on the Nen-remover Abengane, yet Kalluto was able to find him accurately, which showed his ability was stronger than Retz's.
He would first discuss countermeasures with Machi Komacine; if they really couldn't find the person, he could only issue a commission to the Zoldyck Family.
Leo opened his eyes and looked out at the sea of clouds.
Two days later, he would meet with Machi Komacine.