After two days and nights of continuous sailing, the Airship finally landed at the airport in Omask City.
This city was the closest to Wusong Town; Leo didn't delay and quickly walked out of the airport.
He had kept in contact with Goreinu over the past two days to confirm he was still alive.
Goreinu was in bad shape, with a fractured arm and serious chest injuries, but fortunately, they weren't life-threatening.
He had been constantly shifting his hiding spots within Wusong Forest to evade the search of his pursuers.
"There's a troublesome guy who can control ant swarms,"
Goreinu told him over the phone.
"Those ants are everywhere; I was almost discovered."
He bought some specialized trauma medicine at a pharmacy near the airport, asked for directions, and confirmed the general direction of Wusong Town.
Then—he set off.
Without taking a car or hesitating, he charged straight out of the urban area at a run.
The wind howled in his ears as the scenery on both sides retreated rapidly.
Leo moved at full speed, his entire being like an afterimage as he galloped across the wilderness.
Drivers of the occasional passing vehicles only felt a blur before their eyes, as if something had flashed by, yet saw nothing when they looked again.
In less than an hour.
The edge of Wusong Forest appeared in his field of vision.
The forest was denser than he had imagined; towering Wusong pines blotted out the sky, their branches covered in translucent ice crystals that shimmered with fine light under the sun.
A faint mist permeated the woods, making the entire forest seem hazy and mysterious.
Leo slowed his pace, pulled out his phone, and dialed Goreinu's number.
"I'm here. Where are you?"
Goreinu's weak but clearly relieved voice came from the other end.
"I'm at... head east for about two kilometers, there's a crevice in a cliff covered by vines..."
Leo hung up and turned to run toward the east.
Two minutes later, he found the hidden crevice behind a thicket of vines.
Goreinu was leaning against the rock wall, his face pale, his left arm hanging limply, and a visible indentation on his chest.
The moment he saw Leo, he let out a long breath, his entire body relaxing.
"Good... you're here."
Leo didn't waste words and stepped forward to check his injuries.
The broken arm needed setting, the chest wound needed dressing, and there were numerous abrasions and bruises across his body.
He took out the medicine he had bought and began treating the wounds.
Goreinu winced in pain but endured it, beginning to recount what had happened over the last few days.
"A few days ago, while I was still in Wusong Town..."
He took a deep breath.
"News suddenly spread through the town that gold had been discovered deep within Wusong Forest."
Leo's movements paused slightly.
"Gold?"
"Yes."
Goreinu nodded.
"The whole town went crazy; everyone ran into the woods. I thought it was strange, so I followed them to see what was going on."
He paused, a flicker of solemnity in his eyes.
"I followed them and found a cave. It was huge. I hid in the shadows to observe and found that once those people went in, they never came out again."
Leo's brow furrowed slightly.
"I staked out the place for a day and a night,"
Goreinu continued.
"Not a single person came out. This was too wrong. Just as I was preparing to go in and take a look..."
His voice grew low.
"Three people walked out of the cave."
"Three people?"
"Yes. One wearing black leather, one bare-chested and covered in scars, and a refined-looking man wearing glasses. I hid in the shadows and overheard their conversation."
Goreinu took a deep breath, trying to keep his voice steady.
"That cave contains a Secret Realm. They lured the townspeople inside to test an experimental subject. They mentioned 'The Doctor'."
Leo's gaze instantly became sharp.
The leader of the Purifier Organization, The Doctor.
That name, which had been missing for so long, had finally reappeared.
"Are you sure it's The Doctor?"
Goreinu nodded.
"Certain. They mentioned it several times in their conversation."
Leo was silent for a few seconds, then asked,
"Do you know the location of that cave?"
"I do,"
Goreinu said.
"It's near Pine Forest Lake, very well hidden. I can take you there..."
"No need."
Leo interrupted him.
"Leave this place first and get treatment. Just tell me the location."
Just as he was about to help Goreinu up to take him away from this dangerous area—a low hum suddenly echoed from the distance.
The sound was like a tide, moving from far to near, growing louder and louder.
Following that, the ground began to vibrate slightly, and the birds in the forest took flight in terror, letting out sharp cries.
Leo looked up.
At the edge of his vision, a mass of black objects was surging toward them.
They were like a flood, covering the sky and the earth; wherever they passed, even the dry branches and fallen leaves on the ground were devoured.
An ant swarm.
Countless ants converged into a black torrent, crushing toward the duo's position at an alarming speed.
Goreinu's face turned deathly pale.
"It's that guy! He's found us!"
Leo watched the approaching ant swarm, the corners of his mouth turning up slightly.
"Ants, huh..."
He murmured to himself, a smile appearing on his face.
"What a coincidence."
He released Goreinu and took a step forward, shielding him.
His right fist slowly rose.
Nen surged; there were no fancy movements, no complex preparations.
Just the simplest, most direct—'Ko'.
On his fist, Nen compressed and condensed at an incredible speed.
The light shifted from white to incandescent white, and finally into a blinding gold, as if he were holding a miniature sun.
A wave of Qi diffused outward with Leo at the center, blowing the dry branches and fallen leaves into the air; even the surging ant swarm was forced into a slight stall by this Aura.
Leo struck out with a punch!
A fist-shaped golden mass of Nen detached from his knuckles, shooting straight into the black torrent!
He didn't look back once.
Turning around, he helped Goreinu up and walked away.
Behind him—
"BOOM—!!!!"
Blinding light exploded! The air was compressed and torn apart, letting out a deafening blast!
Under that single punch, the massive ant swarm was instantly annihilated, leaving not even a trace of remains.
Only a patch of scorched earth and trees torn by the wind of the punch remained to prove what had just happened.
A continuous warmth flowed from the tattoo on the back of his hand.
[Rank: 67 (68%) → (81%)]
Deep within Wusong Forest.
Zachary snapped his eyes open, his face turning deathly pale in an instant.
Through the perspective of the ant swarm, he had witnessed that scene with his own eyes.
That blinding light, that world-destroying power—under that punch, the ant swarm he had painstakingly nurtured vanished in an instant. He stood frozen in place, motionless.
Only one thought remained in his mind.
Too strong.
That person was far too strong.
It took a long time before he came to his senses.
His body trembled slightly, and his back was already soaked with cold sweat.
He turned and ran desperately toward Ian and the others.
He had to report this; he had to let them know that such a monster had arrived here.
Ten minutes later.
Leo supported Goreinu as they moved away from the range of Wusong Forest.
They came to a secluded valley with an open view that was easy to defend and hard to attack.
Leo leaned Goreinu against a large rock and let him sit down to rest.
Goreinu's injuries had stabilized significantly after simple treatment; though his face was still pale, his spirit was clearly much better.
"Thank you, Leo,"
Goreinu gave a bitter smile.
"I owe you another life."
Leo waved his hand without a word.
An hour later, three figures appeared at the entrance of the valley.
Sophia walked at the front, still in her dark sportswear that was easy to move in, her long hair tied back in a neat ponytail.
Her pace was light, and her eyes alertly scanned the surroundings.
Shizuku followed behind her, wearing a black long-sleeved shirt, black-framed glasses, and her signature cross necklace around her neck.
Her expression was as calm as ever, as if she were just out for a picnic.
Nico walked at the back, carrying a large travel bag on his back.
After this period of training, his entire frame had become sturdier, and his gaze had grown more steady.
When the three saw Leo, they walked over quickly.
"Master!"
Sophia ran to Leo's side, her eyes falling on Goreinu leaning against the rock, her brow furrowing slightly.
"What happened? This is..."
Leo pointed at Goreinu.
"His name is Goreinu, he's a friend of mine. He was attacked."
Sophia immediately understood and turned to look at Nico.
"Nico."
Nico nodded and stepped forward to help Goreinu up.
"Mr. Goreinu, I'll take you for treatment. Don't worry, I'll take good care of you."
Goreinu nodded gratefully, allowing Nico to support him.
He turned to look at Leo and said solemnly,
"Leo, I've told you the location of the cave. The experimental subject in that Secret Realm, and that Doctor... be careful."
Leo nodded.
"Understood. Take care."
Nico supported Goreinu, and they soon disappeared into the distant woods.
Only Leo, Sophia, and Shizuku remained in the valley.
Leo turned around and looked at the two.
"Next, we're going to a certain place."
An excited light flashed in Sophia's eyes.
"Is it that cave?"
Leo nodded.
"I can't let the clue about The Doctor go."
He paused, his gaze becoming profound.
"In that Secret Realm, there's something they're using for experiments. I want to go in and see exactly what it is."
Shizuku adjusted her glasses and asked calmly,
"Do we kill them all?"
Leo glanced at her, a slight smile playing on his lips.
"We kill everyone who makes a move against us."
The three turned and walked toward Wusong Forest.
Sunlight spilled through the clouds, casting long shadows on the ground.