By the time Leo was on his way back to Colton Manor, Morel had already arrived.
He was several hours earlier than the agreed-upon time.
He was burly, wearing a dark suit, carrying a long object wrapped in white cloth over his shoulder, and wearing a pair of sunglasses, his long white hair fluttering slightly in the wind.
Morel's two apprentices followed behind him—Knuckle, a young man with a pompadour hairstyle wearing all-white clothes.
Shoot, on the other hand, had long purple hair, was dressed in purple, and had a serious expression.
Vivian greeted them personally.
She had received notice from Leo and knew that this Hunter was a distinguished guest specifically invited by the boss, so she could not be neglectful.
"The three of you please wait a moment; the boss will be back soon."
Vivian led the three of them to the reception room on the second floor and ordered someone to bring tea and refreshments.
Morel gave his thanks and sat down on the sofa, his gaze sweeping over the room's decorations—low-key, yet meticulously detailed everywhere.
He didn't ask many questions, just waited quietly.
Knuckle stood by the window, looking out at the neatly manicured garden.
"Master, who exactly is this Leo? To have a mafia leader receive us personally."
Knuckle's voice was kept very low.
He was a Beast Hunter, only interested in various living creatures.
Morel picked up his teacup and took a sip.
"A very interesting young man."
After accepting the commission, he had looked into Leo carefully.
Powerful, somewhat mysterious, possesses a sense of justice, hunts wanted criminals everywhere, though he's a bit too prone to killing.
Shoot stood to the side with his hands in his pockets, not joining the conversation.
He had heard of Leo's name—a Two-Star Hunter who had wiped out the Phantom Troupe, very famous within the Association.
But as for what the man himself was like, he had never seen him.
It was already afternoon when Leo returned to the manor.
He first went to the lounge to change into clean clothes, then went straight to the second floor.
As he pushed open the door, the three of them stood up simultaneously.
Morel was the first to come forward.
His strides were large, reaching Leo in a few steps, and he extended his hand.
"You must be Leo. I'm Morel. I've heard much about you."
His voice was just as it had been on the phone: hearty, deep, and carrying a power that made one feel inexplicably at ease.
Leo shook his hand, the corners of his mouth curling up slightly.
"Hello, Mr. Morel. It's a pleasure to meet you."
Morel let go of his hand and gestured to the two people behind him.
"These are my two apprentices—Knuckle and Shoot."
Knuckle took a step forward and bowed his head slightly.
"Hello, Mr. Leo. It's a pleasure to meet you."
His tone was respectful, but a hint of curiosity was hidden in his eyes.
Shoot also nodded, his voice slightly softer than Knuckle's.
"Hello."
Leo glanced at the two of them; these two had been quite brilliant in the Chimera Ant arc of the original work, fighting very hard.
"Hello. Please, have a seat, the three of you."
He walked to the head seat and sat down, and Morel's group of three also reseated themselves.
Knuckle and Shoot sat on either side of Morel, their backs very straight.
"Now, regarding the commission—"
Leo didn't waste time on pleasantries and got straight to the point.
"I need you to find an ecologically suitable island in the undeveloped waters east of the Ejin Continent, outside human territorial waters, near the boundary of the Boundary Sea Territory."
Morel was silent for a moment.
His fingers tapped lightly on his knee twice, his gaze falling on the tabletop as if he were unfurling a nautical chart in his mind.
"East of the Ejin Continent... those are undeveloped waters, no shipping routes, no supply points. The Boundary Sea Territory boundary is even further; even conventional ocean research vessels rarely go there."
He looked up at Leo.
"What you're asking is more than just going out to sea to find an island."
Leo did not deny it.
Morel's gaze became profound.
"You intend to head to the Dark Continent."
Knuckle and Shoot both shuddered simultaneously.
The Dark Continent!
That place strictly forbidden by the V5, where ordinary people aren't even allowed to mention the name.
They looked at Leo, their eyes filled with a mix of complex emotions.
Leo smiled.
"That's right. I plan to build a transit base near the Boundary Sea Territory boundary to facilitate my exploration of the Dark Continent."
Morel shook his head, his tone becoming a bit heavier than before.
"With all due respect, the V5 will not authorize anyone to go to the Dark Continent."
"I know that."
Leo's voice was very calm.
"But soon, that ban will become invalid. As for why, I cannot tell you."
Morel stared at him for a few seconds.
Leo's gaze was very firm, without a trace of hesitation or retreat.
He had seen many people who said they were going to the Dark Continent; some were arrogant, some were ignorant, and some were just talking.
But Leo was different; he was serious.
Morel sighed.
"Alright then. I'm only responsible for finding the island. I won't get involved in anything else."
Leo nodded.
"No problem. Regarding the remuneration, we will provide more than enough."
They finalized some more details—vessels, supplies, communication methods, and timeline milestones.
Morel asked very detailed questions, wanting to confirm every single step.
Leo answered them one by one without any impatience.
Half an hour later, all matters were settled.
Morel stood up.
"Then we won't disturb you any longer."
Leo also stood up.
"Vivian will take you to the harbor; the yacht and supplies are all ready."
Morel nodded and led Knuckle and Shoot toward the door.
When he reached the door, he paused and looked back at Leo.
"That bit about the ban becoming invalid, are you sure?"
Leo didn't answer, only smiled.
Morel didn't press further and pushed the door open to leave.
In the hallway, Vivian was already waiting by the door.
She bowed slightly.
"The three of you, please follow me."
Morel followed behind her, with Knuckle and Shoot bringing up the rear.
Knuckle leaned into Shoot's ear and lowered his voice.
"What do you think he meant by the ban becoming invalid?"
Shoot shook his head.
"I don't know, but he didn't seem to be lying."
Ashir walked over from another direction, holding a small metal disc in his hand.
He walked up to Morel and handed the disc over.
"Mr. Morel, if you find an island, you only need to place this disc on the island and then notify us. We will handle the rest."
Morel took the disc and weighed it.
It was very light, its surface carved with fine patterns that gave off a faint luster under the light.
He didn't ask questions and put the disc in his pocket.
"Understood."
The group went down the stairs, through the hall, and toward the manor entrance.
A motorcade was already waiting there.
Vivian opened the car door; Morel bent down and sat inside, followed by Knuckle and Shoot.
The car door closed, the engine started, and the motorcade slowly drove out of the manor.
Leo stood at the second-floor window, watching those few black sedans disappear outside the manor gates, then turned and headed downstairs.
The vault was underground.
The hallway was dimly lit, and the sound of footsteps echoed softly in the empty space.
He entered the password, and the heavy metal door popped open with a 'clack'.
In the room, that deep green phantom beast egg lay quietly on a metal rack, the patterns on the shell giving off a dark luster under the light.
Leo stepped forward and picked up the egg.
He carried the egg out of the vault, through the hallway, and back to the training room.
He had Vivian prepare a large amount of food—roasted meat, bread, fruit, and energy drinks, which piled high on the long table in the corner of the training room.
He intended to hatch this egg in one go.
He couldn't switch people midway, couldn't interrupt, and couldn't fail.
Even Zeno had nearly been drained dry back then; he needed to be fully prepared.
Leo placed the egg on a soft mat in the center of the area, sat down cross-legged, and adjusted his breathing.
Nen flowed slowly through his body, his muscles relaxed, and his condition was adjusted to its peak.
He opened his eyes and raised his right hand.
A fingernail pressed hard across his palm, and a bloody gash appeared.
Blood seeped out, dripping down the edge of his palm.
He controlled his body's tissues, preventing the wound from healing—
This was not difficult for him now; his level eighty body was already capable of fine-tuned control over its own physiological functions.
He pressed his bleeding palm against the eggshell.
The moment the blood touched the shell, it was absorbed.
The eggshell was like a parched sponge, greedily sucking the blood from his palm.
Leo could feel the temperature of the eggshell rising.
He activated his Nen.
A massive amount of aura poured out from his palm, flooding into the egg.
Golden Nen flowed, condensed, and permeated across the surface of the shell.
The patterns on the shell began to glow, first a faint light, then brighter and brighter.
Leo felt the Nen in his body rapidly draining away.
The speed was even faster than he had anticipated.
Every second, Nen was being siphoned from his palm and poured into that egg.
Ten minutes later.
His breathing became heavy, but he did not let go.
A third of his aura capacity was already gone.
The temperature of the eggshell grew higher and higher, and the patterns on it became brighter and brighter.
The entire egg trembled violently in Leo's hands.
Leo remained expressionless, continuing to channel his Nen.