Swardani City.
This was the city where the Hunter Association headquarters was located.
In the city center stood a hospital bearing the same name as the city.
Currently, one floor of the hospital's inpatient ward had been urgently requisitioned, with hundreds of poisoned patients displaying petrification symptoms lying on hospital beds.
Their bodies were stiff as stone, their skin pale gray, and their vital signs continuously deteriorating.
So far, this toxin had already claimed twenty lives.
In the office at the end of the corridor.
Cheadle Yorkshire of the Zodiac Twelve was fully focused reviewing the newly released pathology report.
She pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose with her white-gloved left hand, her expression revealing deep concern.
Before the desk.
Gel, dressed in a black dress, stood with her arms crossed, her coldly beautiful face showing no emotion.
Her professions encompassed toxicology, autopsy, and pharmacology, while Cheadle excelled in both medicine and law, being one of the Association's rare Triple-Star Pro Hunters who shone in multiple professional fields.
Their areas of expertise had some overlap.
Thus, to resolve this incident, they had unusually gathered together.
The office was so quiet that only the sound of Cheadle turning pages could be heard.
After a moment.
Gel's cold voice broke the silence: "The root of the problem is that snake-type Nen Beast. Without dealing with it, the number of victims will only keep increasing."
"I understand. But without effective Exorcism methods, even if that snake-type Nen Beast is destroyed, it can grow stronger through 'molting'."
Cheadle didn't look up, speaking calmly. "So this would only address symptoms, not the root cause. Prioritizing developing an antidote that can neutralize the toxin would at least improve the patients' survival rates."
"I've hired an Exorcist."
Gel's face remained coldly beautiful as ice, exuding an aura that kept others at a distance. "As long as we use your ability specialized for solving difficult problems to locate that snake-type Nen Beast, we can completely eradicate the issue."
...
Hearing this, Cheadle stopped reviewing the report and looked up slightly surprised at Gel's coldly beautiful face.
Regarding that posthumously remaining snake-type Nen Beast, even the Association's own Exorcist couldn't handle it, unwilling to take the risk of containing its movement range.
Yet when Gel mentioned hiring an Exorcist, she seemed full of confidence.
"How can you be sure this Exorcist will succeed?"
Cheadle's expression remained unchanged. "If we fail again, that snake-type Nen Beast, empowered by Post-Mortem Will, will only grow stronger."
"I don't know this Exorcist's capabilities, not even his name."
Gel said indifferently. "But he was recommended by that guy Ging. Though I hate to admit it, I trust Ging's judgment."
"Is that so..."
Cheadle grew even more surprised, her changing expression seeming to ask: You actually managed to contact Ging?
Most Zodiac Twelve members understood that guy Ging's nature.
Seeing Cheadle's expression change, Gel immediately understood and explained: "Actually, Ging contacted me first and recommended this Exorcist... I trust his judgment and am willing to try one more time."
"Even if it's an Exorcist recommended by Ging, I don't intend to halt the development of the antidote."
Cheadle slightly shook her head, rejecting Gel's proposal.
Gel couldn't help but frown.
This situation felt somewhat contradictory.
Gel, as a toxicology and pharmacology expert, advocated prioritizing the elimination of the Nen Beast, while Cheadle, skilled in difficult and complicated diseases, insisted on developing the antidote.
Logically, Gel, the potion hunter, should have led the antidote efforts, while Cheadle handled suppressing or dealing with the serpentine Nen Beast.
It just goes to show that Pro Hunters' actions often depend more on their personalities and styles than their professional specialties.
Cheadle could tell Gel was determined, but she herself would never give up halfway.
"Go find Loupe."
Cheadle proposed a compromise. "His ability can also locate the serpentine Nen Beast's position, Gel."
This suggestion preserved both sides' room for action while speeding up the resolution.
Even with differing philosophies, they could maintain a professional collaborative attitude.
Gel thought it over; it just meant sacrificing most of the commission fee, which was better than more people dying.
She tacitly accepted Cheadle's proposal and turned to leave without another word.
—--
"So this is the famous Swardani City..."
Morrow, in simple disguise, stood on a bustling street in Swardani City.
His altered eyes scanned the shops lining the street, mostly agencies specializing in various commissions.
Some of these agency owners were Pro Hunters, but more were amateur Hunters.
After all, this was the city where the Hunter Association headquarters was located. Even the crumbs of commissions from the Association were enough for these agencies to survive.
In fact, the Hunter Association, as the most prestigious organization of extraordinary individuals, genuinely struggled to handle all the commissions from around the world.
At such times, the countless agencies in the city could take on some of the less difficult commissions for the Hunter Association.
It could be said that Swardani City's main business came from the Hunter Association and the ubiquitous agencies on the streets.
This was Morrow's first time in Swardani City. Seeing this street, he conceived the idea of opening an Exorcism agency here.
But for now, official business took priority, so he stopped dwelling on it and headed straight to the agreed meeting spot.
Soon, Morrow arrived at a members-only tea room. After providing his reservation number, he was led by an attendant to a secluded tea room.
Inside the tea room, Gel and Loupe had been waiting for some time.
Upon seeing Morrow's heavily concealed appearance, with only his eyes visible, both of them showed a flicker of surprise.
Morrow paid no mind to their reactions, naturally taking a seat.
He had initially thought only Gel would be here, but unexpectedly, the Lost Hunter Loupe was present too.
Then it was obvious... Loupe's role was likely to locate the Nen Beast left behind by Post-Mortem Will.
That meant they wouldn't waste much time.
Good.
Thinking this, Morrow lifted his gaze to the two and said calmly, "I'm in a hurry. Let's resolve this quickly."
...
Seeing Morrow's confidence, Gel and Loupe reacted differently.
Gel was somewhat astonished, while Loupe was more curious.
The former only wanted to quickly resolve the threat posed by the serpentine Nen Beast, while the latter valued talented individuals highly.
"I hope your skills live up to that confidence."
Gel stared at Morrow for a moment, then turned to Loupe and said indifferently, "Let's begin then."
"No problem."
Loupe habitually adjusted his glasses and then activated his Nen ability.
「Call of the Lost」
As aura surged, a slightly bloated palm visibly formed on Loupe's left hand.
"This is my ability, Call of the Lost."
Loupe gently held the silicone-like palm and proceeded with his usual explanation:
"Before activating the search ability, the seeker must wear this palm and sketch the item they wish to find. It doesn't need to be an exact replica, but they must harbor the emotion of 'I want to find it' to establish a connection with the 'lost object.'"
Every time he took on a commission, he had to explain his Nen ability.
This made Loupe speak quickly and clearly during his explanations.
Having witnessed Loupe's Nen ability back in the Kukan'yu Kingdom, Morrow showed no reaction.
But when Gel realized she had to wear the palm, she couldn't help but frown.
She had mysophobia.
However, to prevent more victims, she forced herself to endure the disgust and took the palm from Loupe.
After putting it on, Gel quickly drew the serpentine Nen Beast and immediately tried to remove the palm, only to find it tightly adhered to her skin, impossible to take off.
At that moment, a mouth suddenly appeared on the palm's surface.
"Oh, what a pity, failure failure~!"
?
Several wrinkles immediately appeared on Gel's broad forehead.
Loupe calmly explained, "If your 'emotion' isn't strong enough, there's a chance of failure. Please draw it again."
...
Not a trace of cold indifference remained on Gel's face, replaced instead by gritted teeth.
She took a deep breath, endured the disgust, and drew the serpentine Nen Beast on the paper again.
"Is it okay now?"
As soon as she finished, she eagerly tried to remove the palm.
But the unmoving palm was essentially telling her...
"Ooh, failed again! Looks like you're not sincere enough!"
The mouth on the palm stretched wide, shouting loudly.
Black lines instantly covered Gel's broad forehead, and her eyelids even began to twitch.
Though she wasn't severely mysophobic, this bizarre palm was causing her intense discomfort.
Seeing this, Morrow's lips curled slightly under his mask, a flicker of amusement in his eyes.
Since arriving in this world, he had only interacted with Gel once.
Back then, he sensed an aloof, icy demeanor about this Zodiac Twelve member, cold as a snake.
But now, watching Gel grit her teeth, nearly on the verge of breaking, he realized that beneath that coldness lay a warmth not easily noticed by others.
Loupe pushed his glasses up with his middle finger, clearly understanding the reason for Gel's failure, and reminded her, "Don't resist it so much. Otherwise, no matter how many times you try, you'll still fail."
"That's easy for you to say, such a disgusting thing..."
Gel took a deep breath, unwilling to say more, and once again attempted to draw the snake-like Nen Beast.
This time, she actually took Loupe's reminder to heart.
After she finished drawing, she immediately sensed the separation between her skin and the Seeker's Hand. Instantly, she detached the hand and flung it forcefully onto the table.
Thud.
The hand immediately let out a cry: "Ouch, barely passable, barely passable~!"
"The voice isn't loud enough, but it should be fine."
Loupe sighed softly and picked up the Seeker's Hand.
Gel, on the other hand, abruptly stood up and stormed into the bathroom with a dark expression.
A few seconds later, the sound of running water came from the bathroom.
Clearly, this disgusted snake lady was washing her hands.
Loupe didn't pay much attention to Gel's exaggerated reaction. He stood up and looked at Morrow across the table.
Seeing this, Morrow also rose and walked to the door to wait.
A short while later, Gel emerged from the bathroom, her expression restored to its previous cold sternness, as if nothing had just happened.
"I can feel it, this way, this way!"
The Seeker's Hand's index finger kept pointing south while shouting incessantly.
This was a characteristic of the ability. There was no way to make it shut up.
Morrow glanced at Gel as she came out of the bathroom and asked, "Before we find the target, tell me what information you have."
Gel cast a disgusted look at the still-chattering Seeker's Hand and briefly explained the origin of the snake-like Nen Beast.
It was a Conjuration ability of a Nen user, capable of conjuring a snake with a single eye, wings on its back, and a body covered in eye patterns.
This conjured snake possessed abilities leaning toward Transmuter traits, capable of converting aura into venom.
The venom's effect was to petrify the target, but it wasn't lethal.
However, after the Nen user's death strengthened the ability, not only did this One-Eyed Snake persist, but the venom's effect also intensified, causing gradual death during the petrification process.
Moreover, because the ability user was filled with resentment before death, this venomous snake eye had no specific target for its hatred.
Or rather, its target was all humans.
"One more thing."
After explaining the origin of the snake-like Nen Beast, Gel's tone suddenly turned serious. "This One-Eyed Snake has a molting ability. Once it suffers a fatal attack, it will molt and become even stronger. So…"
"That good?"
Morrow blurted out without thinking.
?
Gel was taken aback for a moment, looking at him with a slightly puzzled expression.
Morrow immediately realized his slip, lowered his eyelids, and his tone turned serious as well: "It seems this will be a tough battle."
...
Gel fell silent briefly, but a trace of doubt arose in her heart.
For some reason, this Exorcist covering his head and face gave her an inexplicable sense of familiarity, whether in his gaze or his voice, as if she had encountered him somewhere before.
If Morrow knew what Gel was thinking, he wouldn't pay it much mind.
He wasn't taking the Hunter Exam, so his disguise was a bit careless.
He hadn't worn colored contacts to change his eye color, nor had he deliberately altered his voice.
A few hours later, guided by the Seeker's Hand, Morrow, Gel, and Loupe arrived at a concert hall where a music performance was about to be held.
When they realized the One-Eyed Snake might be hiding inside, Gel's expression instantly turned grave.
In just two more hours, the hall would be filled with nearly five hundred audience members.
If the One-Eyed Snake had launched an attack at that moment...
Without the slightest hesitation, Gel immediately found the concert hall manager and, relying solely on her status as one of the Zodiac Twelve, swiftly cleared out all the staff.
"Found it, found it!"
In the central aisle of the concert hall, the Seeker's Hand suddenly pointed toward the lighting rig above the stage.
The three of them immediately looked up.
They saw a One-Eyed Snake, about two meters long and as wide as an adult's five fingers, coiled on the lighting rig, its cold serpentine eyes gazing down at them.
Perhaps disturbed by the noise from the Seeker's Hand, it suddenly leaped down from the rig.
But as it fell, its body abruptly stiffened, unfurling a pair of wing-like membranes mid-air. Like an arrow released from a bow, it shot straight toward the three standing in the aisle.
"Shooting Star."
Without hesitation, Morrow raised his hand, and a Shooting Star condensed from aura instantly shot through the air, striking the One-Eyed Snake directly.
Thud!
The Shooting Star hit its mark precisely, the raging Nen tearing the One-Eyed Snake's body to shreds.
? Loupe froze.
?? Gel's pupils contracted slightly. Since she had already explained the One-Eyed Snake's shedding ability, she clearly hadn't expected Morrow to attack so recklessly.
"Sorry, sorry. I'm really afraid of snakes, and I just reacted without thinking."
Morrow casually offered an explanation, but his gaze remained fixed on the snake's remains.
The shattered pieces of the snake's body weren't completely dead. Instead, they oozed black Nen, writhing and coalescing like living things.
Then, the snake skin on the clump of flesh peeled off with a swift motion.
The One-Eyed Snake emerged unscathed from beneath the shed skin, raising its upper body, its eyes gleaming coldly.
What was even more alarming; the black Nen wrapped around it was denser and more ferocious than before.
Seeing this, Morrow's eyes lit up slightly.
Just as Gel had said, this Nen snake's shedding ability essentially enhanced the intensity of its Post-Mortem Will.
However, even if this power could continuously grow stronger after death, it must have an upper limit. It couldn't keep strengthening indefinitely.
Regardless, to increase the profits of Tree Rings energy, Morrow needed this Nen snake to grow stronger.
The One-Eyed Snake stared fixedly at Morrow, then shot toward him again, wrapped in black aura like a spring.
"I'll restrict its mobility."
Seeing this, Gel set aside blaming Morrow. Her right arm abruptly transformed into a black snake with four heart-shaped patterns on its forehead.
But before she could act, she saw Morrow raise his hand and launch another Shooting Star.
The release speed was extremely fast, clearly demonstrating a high level of mastery in Emission.
???
Gel could only watch as the Shooting Star tore the One-Eyed Snake to pieces once again.
"You...?!"
She turned sharply, her icy gaze piercing Morrow like a blade, and snapped, "What exactly are you trying to do?"
Beside them, Loupe looked on with uncertainty, instinctively taking half a step back.
Morrow, however, shrugged nonchalantly and remarked, "Snakes are just too terrifying. Good thing my Nen bullets are fast."
Before he finished speaking, Gel had already maneuvered the snake head close to his cheek, its crimson tongue nearly touching his skin.
Yet Morrow showed no reaction, completely belying his claimed fear of snakes.
"You'd better give me a reasonable explanation."
Gel's voice carried a bone-chilling coldness.
Though Loupe remained silent, his expression grew increasingly grave as he sensed the Nen snake's surging aura, and his gaze toward Morrow carried a hint of wariness.
"Don't worry, I'll handle it."
Morrow responded briefly before releasing his aura output and striding directly toward the Nen snake, which had completed its molting and grown stronger once more.
Seeing that Morrow hadn't directly addressed her question, Gel frowned, and the heart-shaped snake head materialized by her hand immediately lunged to bite Morrow's cheek.
But this aggressive move was more of an intimidation tactic.
Morrow detected no hostility from Gel, so he didn't react, allowing the heart-shaped snake head to strike.
Rip.
During the feigned intimidation, the fangs accidentally caught on the face mask, tearing it to shreds as the snake head swung away.
With the mask gone, Morrow's true face was revealed.
Both Gel and Loupe's eyes simultaneously fell upon Morrow's face.
Though his eyes seemed different from their memories, that face...
"It's you?!"
They spoke almost in unison, their tones filled with surprise.
Loupe was merely astonished, while Gel felt an indescribable tremor in her heart.
She never imagined she would see Morrow again.
And certainly not like this.
That's why, when she saw Morrow appearing before her in this capacity, her heart was profoundly shaken.
Why him?
Was he acquainted with Ging?
A skilled Exorcist?
And this intensity of aura...
What was going on?
One question after another surfaced in Gel's mind.
So much so that she even wondered if this Morrow merely resembled the frail young man she had encountered two years ago.
Suddenly, the One-Eyed Snake's hiss interrupted her thoughts.
Hmm?
Gel looked toward the stage and saw the Nen snake being torn apart and molting again by the Shooting Star.
But this time, after molting, the black aura surrounding the Nen snake seemed frozen, no longer changing.
"It seems this intensity is the limit."
Then she heard Morrow's murmured words.
The next instant.
The Morrow reflected in her eyes suddenly vanished, reappearing without warning beside the freshly molted Nen snake.
"What are you trying to..."
Gel's pupils contracted as she spoke, but her words were cut short by what unfolded before her.
She saw Morrow reach out and transfer the Nen snake, enveloped in thick Post-Mortem Nen, into his body.
The malicious aura flowing from the Nen snake in the air also vanished without a trace.
Gel fell silent, and Loupe was equally speechless.
But their gazes toward Morrow held different meanings.
Gel's was stunned and confused.
Loupe's was shocked and excited.
On the stage.
Morrow subtly glanced at the back of his hand.
The third ring was finally filled...
And it had even overflowed by 4%.
Fortunately, the Nen snake's strength had been enhanced through several waves, otherwise filling the third ring might not have been possible.
"Incredible, absolutely incredible!"
After collecting himself, Loupe approached Morrow while vigorously applauding, as if he had just witnessed a breathtaking concert, his eyes shining with undisguised admiration.
"Morrow, I should have recognized you earlier..."
His smile carried a touch of regret, but it was quickly replaced by eagerness, "But I must say, you're truly exceptional. Please allow me to extend another sincere invitation."
"Let's talk about it another time."
Morrow stood with his back to Loupe, receiving the negative emotions from the Nen snake, along with a detailed antidote formula from the memory fragments that could neutralize the effects of the petrifying venom.
Loupe, having been rejected once again, showed no sign of anger and said earnestly, "What a pity. But my invitation stands indefinitely; you're always welcome to change your mind."
"Yeah, sure."
Morrow turned around and replied dismissively, then shifted his gaze toward Gel, who looked somewhat taken aback.
Watching Gel's slightly widened eyes, Morrow recalled their first encounter; her frosty demeanor and keep-your-distance attitude.
Compared to her vivid expression now...
It was far more interesting.
A flicker of amusement passed through Morrow's eyes as he said, "Can we settle the payment now? I'm in a bit of a hurry, Sis Gel."
Hearing this address, Gel's memories surged forth, and her earlier speculation about similar appearances completely collapsed.
She stared at Morrow with even greater astonishment.
At this moment.
She'd rather believe Kanzai could fluently recite a hundred idioms than accept that this unfathomable Exorcist before her was the frail young man from two years ago.
Seeing Gel's reaction, Morrow's smile spread from his eyes to his face.
Back when he dealt in antiques and went street scavenging, he'd long grown accustomed to the street-smart tactic of calling stall owners "brother" or "sister."
During their first meeting after his rebirth, when Gel proactively offered help and he was in a vulnerable position, that "Sis Gel" had been sincere.
Now, it was still "Sis Gel," but carried more of a teasing tone.
And it made Gel instantly confirm his identity.
However, Morrow didn't much care about Gel's subsequent attitude. Once the payment was settled here, he would immediately leave to participate in the Hunter Exam.
As for that antidote formula that came with the memory fragments; if it proved useful, he'd have Ging pass it along.