Loki collapsed into unconsciousness. Morel, standing behind him, immediately rushed forward, lifting Loki's body. "Knov, are you ready?" Kno
Loki collapsed into unconsciousness. Morel, standing behind him, immediately rushed forward, lifting Loki's body.
"Knov, are you ready?"
Knov, emerging from Morel's left, rapidly approached.
Looking at the unconscious Loki, he raised a hand, and a mysterious passage opened beneath Morel's feet.
They leaped into the passage, vanishing instantly, before the Chimera Ants could react.
Inside Knov's Four-Dimensional Apartment, Balda, Ponzu, and the others were still examining their surroundings, marveling at this strange space.
Pakunoda and Baise, unlike the others, didn't feel safe; they worried that if Knov died outside, they might never escape.
A Nen user's abilities might vanish after death, or, fueled by resentment, become incredibly powerful.
Their worry was short-lived. Knov and Morel soon entered, carrying the heavily injured Loki.
Pakunoda instantly pointed her gun at Knov's head, while Baise attacked Morel, only to be dodged and sent flying with a punch.
Morel, cradling Loki, stepped in front of Baise, seizing her by the throat.
It all happened in an instant.
"If I die, you'll be trapped here forever," Knov said coldly to Pakunoda.
Pakunoda scoffed. "Even if you don't die, if you don't let us leave, we'll die here anyway."
"Madam, we're not your enemies. Without us, you'd still be fighting those creatures," Morel said, his grip tightening on Baise's throat.
Pakunoda ignored Baise, her gaze on Loki. After a moment, she lowered her gun.
"He's dead."
Morel released Baise, looking at Loki.
"He's still breathing, but his condition is dire. Why? He shouldn't be this bad."
Pakunoda had seen Loki's aura when he crawled from the crater; it hadn't been this weak.
Now, he was near death, resembling Netero's state.
Morel looked at Loki with complex emotions. If Loki hadn't unleashed that sudden power, he and Knov might not have escaped, paying a heavy price for their proximity to Neferpitou.
They'd have been instantly attacked.
Loki had saved their lives.
Of course, if they hadn't saved Loki, they could have escaped, but Netero's final words, though unfinished, were clear.
He wanted them to save Loki.
During their time with Netero, they'd heard about Loki.
Netero still held hope for Loki, hoping he'd become a great Hunter, inheriting the Hunter Association. Even after Loki attacked the Association, nearly killing Netero and two members of the Zodiacs, Netero still held onto that hope.
The incident with the murdered villagers had seemingly hardened his resolve to kill Loki, but he'd been wrong.
And that mistake stemmed from Knov and Morel. Knov's conclusion led Netero to make a wrong judgment.
Morel closed his eyes, recalling the moment.
"The instant the Chairman died, Loki underwent a strange transformation."
"A transformation?" Pakunoda asked.
"He was trying to kill Netero. What transformation could he have?"
Morel shook his head.
"But I felt Loki's rage—intense, palpable killing intent that solidified into black aura. He became like a demon."
He sat down, taking a breath. "You wouldn't understand unless you felt that terrifying aura."
Knov adjusted his glasses; he'd been transferring the others into the Four-Dimensional Apartment and hadn't noticed. Everyone waited for Morel to continue.
"His Nen formed a red giant—a terrifying giant! Then, black flames appeared, killing several Chimera Ants".
"The black flames were inextinguishable; once ignited, they burned until their target was completely consumed."
Morel looked at the others. "Those flames forced Neferpitou back, giving Knov and me a chance to escape."
Silence fell. Everyone looked at Loki.
He'd unleashed that power while heavily injured, forcing back a terrifying monster.
What kind of rage could fuel that?
What was even more puzzling was the relationship between Loki and Netero.
Before his death, Netero had seemed to protect Loki, yet Loki went berserk afterward.
Why such a fierce battle, with the intent to kill?
"Are you taking him back to the Hunter Association?"
Morel and Knov exchanged glances.
"Yes. He's a wanted criminal, and his injuries require the Association's medical facilities."
"I understand," Pakunoda said, sitting down.
"We've captured him," Knov said on the comm-link to Cheadle.
Cheadle was surprised, but her joy quickly faded.
A calm voice spoke on the comm-link.
Cheadle dropped the phone, collapsing in her chair.
A Bean-Person, cleaning Netero's tea set, turned to Cheadle.
"This is something the Chairman left behind. He said to give it to Ging if anything happened."
Cheadle snatched the item—a letter.
Morel and Knov were surprised.
"Cheadle, this is for Ging?"
"Less talk! I want to know why the Chairman was so insistent on confronting that brat personally."
She opened the letter…
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