Leo took the paper doll. The little thing lay in his palm as he closed his eyes.
Various images began to surface in his mind—the Doctor.
That woman wearing gold-rimmed glasses.
Layard, that man in the black leather jacket, every detail revealed in the Secret Realm.
Internal personnel of the Hunter Association.
Aistan Island.
The ruins after the explosion, the fragments of the scepter, and the rediscovered styx stone.
Every clue, every deduction, every suspicion—all were poured into the paper doll.
Leo felt the Nen within his body begin to surge, gathering toward his palm like a stream of water and flowing into that tiny paper doll.
One second. Two seconds. Three seconds.
The paper doll trembled slightly, as if greedily absorbing this Nen.
Four seconds. Five seconds. For a full five minutes, the paper doll finally stopped its extraction.
Leo opened his eyes and looked down at the little paper doll still lying quietly in his palm.
Although half of his manifested Nen capacity had been drained, he felt no discomfort.
With his current Rank and Nen capacity, recovering from this consumption was only a matter of time.
Kalluto stood aside, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.
He had just said that the paper doll would drain half of Leo's manifested Nen.
According to his estimation, for a normal Hunter's level, this process would take about thirty seconds to a minute.
But Leo... took a full five minutes.
This meant his Nen capacity was several or even ten times that of an ordinary Hunter.
'This guy...'
Kalluto thought to himself.
'Just how strong is he?'
Machi Komacine stood aside, his expression remaining steady.
He had known Leo's strength for a long time, so he wasn't surprised.
Just then—the paper doll suddenly jolted violently.
Then, it jumped down from Leo's palm.
It landed on the ground and stood firmly.
It turned around as if identifying a direction.
Then, it started walking toward the office door with its short little legs.
Kalluto reminded him.
"Let's go. The paper doll has reacted. The person you're looking for should be in this building."
Leo looked at the wobbling little paper doll walking forward, a satisfied smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.
Hiring Kalluto this time was truly the right choice.
He stood up and walked toward the door.
Machi Komacine also stood up and followed.
The three followed behind the little paper doll and walked out of the office.
The little paper doll reached the stairwell and turned in without hesitation.
It floated slowly down the stairs.
Leo followed behind, his gaze always locked onto that tiny figure.
Somewhere downstairs. That long-hidden mole might be handling daily work, or perhaps waiting for the next instruction.
He didn't know. A tiny paper doll was approaching him.
The tiny paper doll wobbled ahead like a baby who had just learned to walk.
Leo, Machi Komacine, and Kalluto followed behind it, all the way down the stairs.
From the seventh floor to the sixth, from the sixth to the fifth, the paper doll didn't hesitate for a moment, heading firmly in a certain direction.
They reached the fourth floor.
The paper doll turned out of the stairwell and stepped into the fourth-floor corridor.
Leo looked at the tiny figure, the corners of his mouth curling up slightly.
"Looks like it's right here."
His voice was very light, yet it carried a cold smile.
"You little rat, you've really made me wait a long time."
The paper doll continued to float forward.
It floated past 401, 403, 405... eventually, it stopped in front of room 409.
Then—with a soft "whoosh."
The paper doll spontaneously combusted, turning into a small pile of ashes scattered on the floor.
Leo looked up at the sign on the door.
"Transportation and Access Management Registry" Office.
Machi Komacine stood behind him, and seeing this door sign, a clear look of surprise flashed in his eyes.
"Brennan Ford!"
He couldn't help but cry out.
"I didn't expect it to be him..."
Machi Komacine said with a troubled expression.
"Leo! Give me some face, don't kill him."
Leo sighed and said.
"Understood."
Subsequently, Leo pushed the door open directly.
The office wasn't large, about twenty square meters, filled with various documents and filing cabinets.
An office desk was placed by the window, with several thick stacks of folders on it, and a computer next to them.
A middle-aged man was sitting at the desk, holding a document, seemingly verifying something.
Hearing the door open, he looked up.
Seeing the two people walk in, a hint of surprise flashed across his face, but it was quickly replaced by a polite smile.
"Mr. Machi Komacine, Mr. Leo."
He stood up, his tone as natural as if he were receiving ordinary visitors.
"What wind brings you here?"
Leo didn't speak.
He just walked straight up to Brennan and looked down at him.
That gaze was as cold as if he were looking at a corpse.
The smile on Brennan's face stiffened for a moment but quickly returned to normal.
He looked at Machi Komacine, seemingly seeking some kind of support.
But Machi Komacine just stood at the door, looking at him with a dark expression.
In that gaze, there was disappointment, complexity, and a hint of unspeakable heartache.
"Brennan Ford."
He said in a low, raspy voice.
"I didn't expect... it to actually be you."
Brennan's smile completely froze.
He was silent for two seconds, then forced a smile.
"What are you talking about? I don't quite understand..."
"Stop pretending."
Leo's voice interrupted him.
That massive Nen Pressure, like an invisible mountain, instantly enveloped the entire office!
Brennan only felt it difficult to breathe, almost kneeling on the ground.
His face instantly turned pale, and cold sweat broke out on his forehead.
"Tell me everything about the Doctor and what you've done."
Leo's voice was as cold as a blade.
Brennan opened his mouth, wanting to say something—
"Don't do anything stupid!"
Leo's Nen Pressure intensified a bit more.
The air in the office seemed to freeze, and documents rustled under the invisible force.
"You should know my methods."
He leaned down, staring into Brennan's eyes.
"If you don't want to die, you'd better confess honestly."
Brennan swallowed hard. He looked at Machi Komacine, hoping this old colleague of many years would say something to stop Leo's violent interrogation.
But Machi Komacine just stood at the door, looking at him with a complex expression.
No words, no stopping him.
Brennan's heart went completely cold. He knew he had been exposed.
In terms of strength, he was far from Leo's match, and even Machi Komacine was much stronger than him.
This was the Association Headquarters, filled with Hunters and staff everywhere. Even if he wanted to flee, where could he go?
He took a step back, slumped into his chair, and gave a long sigh.
A few seconds later. He spoke as if resigning to his fate.
"I understand..."
He looked up at the ceiling, his eyes empty and complex.
"The Doctor and I... are only in a cooperative relationship. I am not her subordinate."
Machi Komacine's brow furrowed, and he couldn't help but question him.
"Why? Brennan, I've known you for so many years. You should know what kind of person the Doctor is! Do you know how many people those experiments of hers have killed?!"
Brennan gave a bitter smile. That smile was full of helplessness and bitterness.
"I know."
"But people change."
He said softly.