"Mr. Leo, the credit for capturing The Three Jackals Trio has been registered for you.
According to Association regulations, assisting Zodiacs members in capturing a B-Rank dangerous target earns you 15 merit points."
She operates the terminal in front of her, the screen light reflecting on her face.
"Your Hunter profile has been updated. If you need to register merit points in the future, simply submit the mission report and relevant evidence via the official Hunter website's online System. Once reviewed, the record will be completed; there is no need to come in person."
Leo takes the license and nods.
"Okay, thank you."
The three split up after returning to the Association headquarters.
Machi Komacine and Kansai take the unconscious Coyote to the underground detention center—a special facility for holding dangerous ability users, equipped with specialized restraint devices and a professional medical team.
Leo walks toward the public office area.
This area contains dozens of high-performance terminals for Hunters to query information, accept missions, and handle affairs.
He finds an empty seat, sits down, and logs in with his card.
The Hunter information website interface is simple and clean.
Leo clicks the mouse, and the screen jumps to the search interface.
He thinks for a moment and types keywords into the search bar: [Wanted Criminal] [Active] [Recent Sightings], then hits enter.
The list refreshes, and a dense list of names and photos scrolls down.
Each entry has brief information: Name, Codename, Ability Type (Known), Main Crimes, Danger Rank, Last Sighting Location, Bounty Amount (if any).
Leo begins filtering.
He first eliminates targets who only operate in remote areas or are hard to track and rarely appear—efficiency comes first.
There are over thirty names left on the list.
The mouse scrolls, his eyes scanning name after name and crime description.
Robbery, kidnapping, murder, illegal experimentation, human trafficking... the dark side of this world is presented on the screen in cold text.
Some entries have photos attached—the victim's smile while alive, juxtaposed with the tragedy of the crime scene, forming a stark contrast.
Leo's expression doesn't change, but his eyes gradually turn cold.
Finally, he stops on an entry.
[Name: Jelma] [Codename: None]
[Ability Type: Emitter (Suspected)]
[Ability Details: Unknown]
[Main Crimes:]
[1. Kalt City jewelry store robbery, killed the owner and two clerks (3 confirmed deaths)]
[2. Yorknew border truck hijacking, killed the driver and guards (2 confirmed deaths)]
[3. Holen Town bank robbery, killed security guard and one customer (2 confirmed deaths)]
[4. Attacked and captured Association Specialized Hunter, 1 confirmed death]
[5. 3 other suspected related cases, number of deaths to be confirmed]
[Total confirmed victims: 9 civilians, 1 Association Specialized Hunter]
[Wanted Rank: C-]
[Last Sighting Location: Bartochia Republic, Kalt City (three days ago)]
[Bounty Amount: 48 million jenny (private bounty), Association merit points: 8 points]
Leo opens the detailed file.
Jelma, male, 38 years old.
Former construction worker, awakened Nen Ability four years ago, and started committing crimes since then. No fixed organization, acts alone.
Characterized by high frequency of crimes, but sloppy methods, often leaving clues.
Fond of gambling, seen frequenting major casinos, lost most of his criminal proceeds at the gambling table.
The last time he was tracked by the Association was in Kalt City—a medium-sized city in the Bartochia Republic, famous for tourism and gambling.
This is the one.
Leo notes down all key information, then opens the resource application page and books the Association's private airship.
Destination: Kalt City.
Departure time: Two hours later.
The cost is high, but it's worth it.
The private airship is fast, confidential, and avoids many restrictions of commercial flights.
Leo closes the terminal and gets up to walk toward the detention center.
Third basement floor, special detention area.
Machi Komacine and Kansai have just come out of the medical room.
The wound on Kansai's left arm has been treated, wrapped in thick bandages, but he is in high spirits, loudly complaining about the disgusting smell here.
Machi Komacine sees Leo walking over.
"Ready to go?"
Leo nods.
"Locked onto a target. Jelma, Emitter, confirmed killed ten people, including one Association Specialized Hunter. Recently spotted in Kalt City."
Kansai whistles.
"You're fast! Just got back and already going back to work?"
"Idle is idle, might as well find something to do," Leo says.
"Besides... the sooner people like this are caught, the fewer victims there might be."
Machi Komacine is silent for a moment, then nods.
"Be careful. Emitters have long attack ranges and varied abilities, don't be careless."
"I will."
Kansai pats Leo's shoulder hard—with his uninjured hand.
"Go get 'em! Catch a few more scumbags! I'm rooting for you!"
Leo smiles and turns to leave.
Watching his retreating back, Kansai rubs his chin and turns to say to Machi Komacine.
"Hmm, Stinky Cow, where did you meet this kid? His strength is really not weak! I reckon he'll be promoted to One-Star Hunter soon."
He grins.
"Those scumbag wanted criminals... looks like they're in for a rough time. Haha!"
Machi Komacine doesn't answer.
He watches the direction Leo disappeared at the end of the corridor, and after a few seconds, he sighs softly.
He fears Leo will get too deeply involved and become a murderous maniac.
"What's wrong?" Kansai raises an eyebrow.
"You don't seem very happy?"
"...It's nothing."
Machi Komacine turns and walks toward the elevator.
"Just hope... he won't get lost in the power."
Kansai is stunned for a second, then quickly catches up.
"Hey! What do you mean by that? Speak clearly! Hey!"
The voice echoes in the corridor, but Machi Komacine does not respond again.
Two hours later, the Association's private airship takes off from headquarters.
Kalt City is not far, with a flight time of only three hours.
At four in the afternoon, the airship lands at a small airport on the outskirts of Kalt City.
He calls a taxi and heads straight to the city center.
Kalt City is indeed prosperous.
The streets are clean, the buildings modern, and neon lights turn on one after another at dusk.
Casinos, hotels, high-end restaurants, luxury shops... everything in this city seems to revolve around "consumption" and "entertainment."
Leo gets off two blocks away from the "Golden Crown Casino."
He walks into a normal-looking cafe, picks a window seat, and orders a coffee.
From this angle, he can see the main entrance of the casino perfectly.
Intelligence shows that Jelma has a gambling habit and prefers large casinos.
The Golden Crown Casino is one of the three most famous casinos in Kalt City, luxuriously decorated, with high foot traffic, making it the best place to hide.
Leo drinks his coffee slowly, his eyes fixed on the window.
Time passes bit by bit.
At six in the evening, the traffic at the casino entrance increases, and guests in various attire come and go—business people in suits, tourists in casual wear, and guys with shifty eyes who look like gamblers.
But none of them are Jelma.
Seven o'clock. The sky is completely dark, and the neon lights illuminate the street like daylight.
Eight o'clock. Leo has already refilled his coffee for the third time.
He is very patient—hunting is essentially a game of waiting.
Nine ten.
The revolving door of the casino entrance turns, and a man walks out.
Medium build, wearing a wrinkled shirt and jeans, greasy hair, and a pale complexion from long-term lack of sleep.
He stands at the entrance and spits hard on the ground.
"Damn it..."
The voice isn't loud, but Leo's hearing catches it.
The man grumbles and kicks a trash can nearby.
"Lost it all again! I had already won hundreds of millions... didn't expect that whichever gate I bet on, I'd lose, damn it!"
He shakes his head and walks toward the other end of the street, still muttering.
"Money's all gone... time to pull a job. This time... I'll definitely win it back with interest!"
Leo puts down the coffee cup, pulls a few bills from his wallet and presses them under the cup, then gets up and leaves.
Target confirmed. Jelma.
On the street, Jelma walks very slowly.
He keeps his head down, still calculating how much he could have won if he had changed his betting method in that last hand, completely unaware of his surroundings.
Leo follows about thirty meters behind him.
He doesn't walk on the ground but goes up to the rooftops.
The buildings in Kalt City are generally not high, the roofs are flat, and the gaps are small.
Leo jumps silently between buildings, landing as softly as a cat.
He maintains "Zetsu," his aura completely concealed, his whole person becoming part of the night.
Jelma is completely unaware.
Long-term gambling life has numbed his nerves.
Slow reaction, decreased observation, weakened perception of danger—these are the costs of addiction.
Half an hour later, Jelma walks into an old city area.
This stands in stark contrast to the prosperity of the city center.
The buildings are low and dilapidated, the streets are narrow, and half of the streetlights are not working.
There is no one around at night, only a few stray cats rummaging for food in the trash.
The time has come. Leo jumps down from the roof, landing silently.
He begins to close the distance.
Twenty meters. Jelma is still muttering.
Fifteen meters. Leo quickens his pace.
Ten meters. Jelma finally feels something and subconsciously turns his head—too late.
Leo's figure disappears from where he was the moment Jelma turns.
Not really disappearing, but the speed is too fast, leaving only a blurry afterimage in the dim light.
The next second, a palm clamps onto the back of Jelma's head.
Five fingers tighten like iron pliers.
Jelma doesn't even have time to mobilize his Nen, and his entire head is pressed toward the ground by an irresistible force—Bang!!!
His face makes intimate contact with the stone road, the crisp sound of his nasal bone shattering clearly audible.
Jelma's vision goes black, the intense pain leaving his brain blank.
He instinctively wants to struggle, wants to unleash his Nen, but the strength of that hand is too great, pinning him down so he cannot move.
Leo doesn't pause.
He grabs Jelma's hair, lifts his head, and then smashes it down again.
Bang! Second time.
Bang! Third time.
Bang! Fourth time.
Four impacts, each heavier than the last.
Spiderweb-like cracks and a large pool of blood have already appeared on the stone road. Jelma is completely still.
Limp on the ground, having lost his life.
Leo releases his hand, looks at the man covered in blood on the ground, and shakes his head.
"Pathetic."
Long-term gambling not only emptied his money but also numbed his nerves.
Such a close-range sneak attack, and he didn't even have basic warning reflexes—in this state, even with a Nen Ability, he couldn't exert even 30% of his strength.
Leo takes out his phone, takes a photo of the dead Jelma, uploads it to the Association System, and attaches a brief mission report.
A few minutes later, the reply comes.
[Target confirmed: Jelma. Status: Deceased, 8 merit points registered.]
Leo puts away his phone and walks toward the airport.
The street is quiet, with only the sound of footsteps.
The night wind blows through the streets of the old city, kicking up some dust.