Ashir felt as if he were falling into a bottomless abyss, surrounded by endless darkness. His mouth and nose were blocked, his lungs filled with water, and his consciousness was being stripped away bit by bit...
Two minutes later, Leo stopped pouring the water.
He reached out and removed the towel from Ashir's face.
"Cough, cough, cough—!!!"
Ashir began to cough violently!
He gasped for breath, greedily sucking in the air as if he had just been rescued from drowning.
His body was still shaking violently, and it was impossible to distinguish between the sweat and tears on his face; his entire being looked as if he had just been fished out of a body of water.
Before he could even catch his breath, that soaking wet towel was placed over his face again.
Ashir's pupils instantly constricted to their limit!
"No—! No—!!!"
'Don't come over here!!!'
He began to scream heart-wrenchingly!
His body struggled frantically, exerting every ounce of strength to try and avoid that towel!
But Leo's hand pressed down on his head once more.
Splash—
The stream of water poured down again.
"Mmph—!!!"
Ashir's struggling became even more frantic, even more desperate.
His consciousness flickered between suffocation and lucidity, every breath an agony beyond measure.
That near-death sensation—that mixture of helplessness, fear, and despair—completely shattered his will.
Two minutes later, Leo removed the towel again.
"Cough, cough... pant... pant... pant..."
Ashir gasped for air, his body slumped limply in the chair, without even the strength left to struggle.
His eyes were hollow, his lips pale, and he looked as if every bone had been removed from his body.
Leo stood before him, still holding the towel in his hand.
His voice was cold, devoid of any inflection.
"Ready to talk?"
Ashir nodded desperately!
His head bobbed like a chicken pecking at grain, terrified that if he were a second too slow, that towel would come down again!
Leo looked at him, the corners of his mouth curling up slightly.
He turned and walked back to Machi Komacine's side, casually tossing the towel onto the table.
"Alright."
He said.
"Start the questioning."
Machi Komacine watched the scene, remaining silent for a few seconds.
His gaze lingered on Ashir for a moment; seeing the once-stubborn man now slumped in the chair like a pile of mud, a complex mix of emotions welled up in his heart.
But in the end, he simply nodded.
He walked to the interrogation table and opened his notebook.
"What is your name?"
Ashir panted, his voice so weak it was almost inaudible.
"A... Ashir."
"Are you one of the Doctor's people?"
Ashir nodded feebly.
Leo stood to the side and spoke up.
"What is your ability? Where is the Doctor's base? Tell us everything."
Ashir fell silent, his lips moving but making no sound.
Leo looked at him, saying nothing.
He simply picked up the towel from the table and gave it a light shake.
Ashir's body jerked violently!
Endless terror instantly flooded those hollow eyes!
"No, no, no!!!"
He screamed at the top of his lungs.
"Not again! I'll talk! I'll talk!"
Leo put the towel down, crossed his arms, and waited quietly.
Ashir took a deep breath and began his account.
"The Doctor's base... is on a small island in the waters between the southern Urubian Continent and the Mitene Federation. That island has no name, isn't recorded on any map, and cannot be found through conventional means."
Machi Komacine recorded the information rapidly.
"The base is hidden thirty meters underground. The entrance is very well concealed, behind a custom alloy door that requires a specific code to enter."
"How many people are inside?"
Leo asked.
"Over four hundred armed security personnel."
Ashir said.
"There are also five Nen Users responsible for guarding it. They are very powerful, much stronger than I am."
"What are the abilities of those five?"
Ashir shook his head.
"I only know their general types—two Enhancers, one Emitter, one Manipulator, and one Specialist. But their specific abilities... I don't know. The Doctor wouldn't let us know too much."
Leo frowned slightly but didn't press further.
"What else is in the base?"
Ashir swallowed hard.
"Many... many experimental subjects. Countless humans and various biological creatures are imprisoned there. The Doctor's research is nearing success; there are two experimental subjects that are extremely powerful and can be controlled."
He paused.
"I heard the Doctor say that once the final step is completed, she can produce results that will satisfy those above."
Machi Komacine looked up.
"What results?"
Ashir shook his head.
"I don't know. The Doctor wouldn't tell us those things. I only know she needs a vast amount of Life Energy to power the styx stone. That's why I was sent to acquire those creatures."
Leo and Machi Komacine exchanged a glance.
"And your ability?"
Leo asked.
"Explain it in detail."
Ashir did not dare to hide anything.
"My ability is called 'Dimensional Teleportation'."
"I can set coordinates on a flat surface and then perform long-distance teleportation. It takes five seconds to activate the teleport, during which I cannot be attacked, or it will be interrupted."
He paused.
"There is no upper limit to the number of people I can teleport, and no distance limit. I can set a maximum of nine coordinates, but the coordinates themselves are visible externally; once destroyed, they become invalid and must be reset."
Leo asked a few more questions about his ability, all of which Ashir answered one by one.
Leo thought to himself, 'This guy's ability is quite useful.'
Machi Komacine finished recording quickly and then asked several more questions—the specific coordinates of the island, the exact structure of the base, the distribution of security personnel, the characteristics of the five Nen Users, the Doctor's activity patterns...
Ashir answered them all without the slightest concealment.
He had completely given up all resistance.
Half an hour later, the interrogation ended.
Machi Komacine closed his notebook and looked at Leo.
Leo nodded.
He walked over to Ashir, gagged him again, and then with a light punch, Ashir was knocked unconscious once more.
He then turned and walked toward the door, with Machi Komacine following behind him.
Upon reaching the door, he stopped and looked back at the unconscious Ashir in the chair.
The door closed, leaving Ashir alone in the interrogation room.
In the hallway, Machi Komacine walked beside Leo, flipping through the notes in his hand.
"This base... its scale is much larger than I imagined."
His voice was somewhat heavy.
"Over four hundred armed personnel, five Nen Users, and two powerful experimental subjects..."
"A decision must be made quickly. In a few days, if the Doctor can't contact Ashir, I'm afraid she'll be alerted and manage to escape yet again."
Leo said nothing.
"What do you plan to do?"
Machi Komacine asked.
Leo stopped and looked out the window at the end of the hallway.
The sky outside was a clear, washed blue, and the sunlight was blindingly bright.
"Get the ship ready. I'll be back shortly."
He said.
Machi Komacine looked at him, wanting to say something but hesitating.
Ultimately, he just nodded.
Leo turned and strode away. His back disappeared at the end of the corridor.
Machi Komacine stood where he was, looking at the notebook in his hand, and let out a long sigh.