Two days later, Hunter Association Headquarters.
Seventh floor, Room 707—the private office of the Zodiac "Ushi," Machi Komacine.
Leo sat on a brown leather sofa, a cup of cold coffee sitting on the coffee table in front of him.
He didn't touch the coffee, just sat quietly, his gaze resting on the distant skyline outside the window.
Sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting warm patches of light on the floor.
The office was quiet, with only the rhythmic ticking of the wall clock.
The door was pushed open. Machi Komacine walked in quickly, a hint of apology on his face.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Leo."
He sat in the main seat, having rushed back from the Kakin Empire; his face still bore a trace of fatigue, but his eyes remained steady and sharp.
Leo waved his hand, his tone relaxed.
"It's nothing."
He paused, looking directly at Machi Komacine.
"However, what I'm about to say next will give you quite a headache."
Machi Komacine was slightly surprised but quickly regained his composure.
He leaned back in his chair and nodded.
"It's fine, go ahead."
Leo didn't waste words and cut straight to the point.
"I've found information about the Doctor."
Machi Komacine's expression changed slightly.
Leo began to recount everything—starting from Goreinu's phone call, to the anomalies in Wusong Town, the Red Worm Monstermen in the Secret Realm, the blood-colored gorilla known as "experiment subject no. 2," and finally Layard's confession.
"Goreinu accidentally stumbled upon their operation in Wusong Town."
Leo said.
"The residents were lured into the Secret Realm to become nourishment for the experiment subject. The Doctor's people were testing the so-called 'experiment subject no. 2'—a gorilla parasitized by some kind of insect that can continuously strengthen itself by absorbing Life Energy."
Machi Komacine's brow furrowed deeper and deeper.
"We've cleared everything inside that Secret Realm."
Leo continued.
"But that's not the point."
He looked directly into Machi Komacine's eyes.
"The point is—from Layard's confession, several things can be confirmed."
"First, there are the Doctor's people within the Association. Because immediately after the Aistan Island incident, someone knew everything that happened there and even obtained the Scepter fragments you collected."
Machi Komacine's fingers tightened slightly.
"Second, there is someone behind the Doctor. She isn't the ultimate mastermind, just an executor. The people behind her have immense power, are very likely connected to the V5, hold high positions, and there might even be more than one."
"Third, the Doctor's research has made a Breakthrough. They used the styx stone from Aistan Island to solve the instability issue of the experiment subjects. Now they can create controllable biological weapons, and since this experiment subject is only number two, it means there are more."
"Fourth, the Doctor's location is an island, but the specific location is unknown. A massive facility is built underground on the island, where many civilians and creatures are imprisoned for their research. Furthermore, their entry and exit are handled entirely by someone with teleportation abilities. To deal with the Doctor, this person must be found first, otherwise, the Doctor will escape again."
Machi Komacine's pupils contracted slightly.
"The styx stone?"
His voice was a bit hoarse.
"Wasn't that gem destroyed along with the Scepter?"
Leo shook his head.
"It wasn't completely destroyed. Someone used a small fragment of the Scepter and tracked down the gem on the island using their ability."
He paused.
"But that person is already dead."
"If we want to catch the Doctor, we have to hurry. I estimate the deaths of those people in the Secret Realm can delay things for at most a month. If there's no news for too long, it will definitely alert the Doctor. I suggest flushing out the Rat first before considering catching the Doctor. You're the most familiar with the Association's interior, so I'll leave it to you."
A brief silence fell over the office.
Sunlight still streamed in quietly, but the air in the room seemed to grow heavy.
Machi Komacine rubbed the bridge of his nose, took a deep breath, and spoke slowly.
"No wonder... no wonder the Doctor could evacuate in advance every time. We've been investigating for so long and came up empty-handed every time. It turns out someone has been tipping them off."
His voice carried a hint of self-reproach.
"It was my miscalculation."
Leo didn't speak, just watched him quietly.
Machi Komacine's gaze deepened. He was silent for a few seconds before suddenly speaking.
"Leo, do you know Pariston?"
Leo raised an eyebrow.
Pariston Hill.
The Vice Chairman of the Hunter Association, the "Rat" of the Zodiacs, a man who appears gentle on the surface but is actually unfathomable.
"I've heard of him."
He said.
Machi Komacine said slowly.
"In the two years since he took office as Vice Chairman, a total of fourteen Hunters have gone missing."
He paused.
"And before Pariston took office, the average number of disappearances per year was 0.6."
Leo's eyes narrowed slightly.
0.6 people versus fourteen—a tenfold difference.
This statistical comparison was indeed shocking.
"You suspect him?"
Machi Komacine didn't answer directly, only saying:
"There must be an unspeakable secret hidden behind this."
He stood up, walked to the window, and turned his back to Leo.
"This is a matter of great importance. I can't make the call; I'll report to the Chairman first."
Leo shrugged, his tone indifferent.
"The Chairman won't care about this."
Machi Komacine turned around and looked at him with some surprise.
Leo leaned back on the sofa, the corners of his mouth curling up slightly.
"But it's just as well that you report it. It'll save me from having someone use 'procedure' to block me after I've finished the job."
Machi Komacine glanced at him but didn't say much more.
He nodded and walked toward the door.
"I'll go up and find the Chairman first. Wait here for a moment."
The door closed. Silence returned to the office.
Leo sat on the sofa, his gaze falling on the completely cold cup of coffee.
He thought of Chairman Netero's always-smiling face, the "special training" that lasted ten days, and that golden Hyakushiki Kannon.
With that old man's personality, how would he react to such news?
He would probably just stroke his beard and say with a chuckle, "Oh? Interesting."
Netero was only interested in martial arts.
Those conspiracies hidden in the shadows, those missing Hunters, those innocent people who died—he didn't care.
No matter how many people died, he wouldn't care.
Ultimately, those who can become Nen Users are all extremely obsessive, indifferent to anything outside their pursuit of goals.
Leo leaned back on the sofa and closed his eyes.
'Pariston...'
He silently repeated the name in his mind.
If Machi Komacine's suspicion was true, and if that perpetually smiling Vice Chairman really was one of the masterminds... then this game would be even more interesting.
He opened his eyes, a flash of coldness passing through them.