Encounter X Farewell

The figure emerging from the grass and foliage was a woman clad in a black, form-fitting dress.

Her skin was dark, her figure slender yet curvaceous, exuding a seductive air.

For someone dressed like this to be wandering through an uninhabited forest was strange enough.

However, the fact that the woman was a nen user made her presence less surprising.

Moro looked at the woman who had suddenly appeared, his body tense, nen energy surging and fluctuating.

But when he noticed her attire and the face with a wide forehead and striking vertical pupils, Moro's tension eased slightly.

He recognized her.

This was Gel, the Snake of the Hunter Association's Zodiac Twelve.

Moro surmised she had been drawn by the sound of gunfire.

Gel stood on the slope, arms crossed, calmly scrutinizing Moro.

Their gazes met midair—hers was assessing, his was a mix of surprise and cautious vigilance.

It seemed that Moro's naked body in such a situation was something entirely unremarkable to Gel.

Her gaze swept over the nen aura surrounding Moro, noting how much more relaxed it was compared to when she first arrived.

The rapid shift from tension to relaxation struck her as unusual.

Gel shifted her focus to the open truck door and the two corpses on the ground.

Her gaze then returned to Moro. She said coolly, "Do you think my threat level is lower than his?"

She extended her finger, deliberately pointing at Zazan's lifeless body.

"Quite the opposite," Moro replied.

Though he remained vigilant, his sense of danger had significantly diminished.

Initially, Moro had thought Gel was drawn by the gunfire, but now it seemed she had been present even before the shots.

The noise when she revealed herself was likely intentional.

"If you wanted to harm me, you wouldn't have made that sound just now to warn me," Moro said, looking up at Gel with a calm expression.

Despite his words, he subconsciously prepared himself for attack or defense.

He knew he wouldn't stand a chance against a member of the Zodiac Twelve, but he wouldn't go down without a fight. Even if he became a corpse, he'd make a splash.

Gel listened to Moro's response and gave his nen-infused right hand a fleeting glance. Her expression remained indifferent as she descended the slope with a light leap, landing on the mountain road.

Without a word, she walked toward the truck, naturally closing the distance between herself and Moro.

From the start, Moro had placed himself in a position of absolute disadvantage. Seeing Gailu approach, he couldn't help but feel the pressure intensify.

As a transmigrator, Moro's impression of the Hunter Association wasn't as lofty as some idealistic entity solving the world's problems.

But aside from a few exceptions, he didn't believe the Zodiac Twelve were the type to kill indiscriminately.

However—

Not everyone was as straightforward as Gon.

Moro's unease in Gel's presence wasn't surprising.

Sensing the shift in Moro's emotions, Gel stopped walking, relieving some of the pressure she had been exerting.

She had intended to test him a little because of his earlier disingenuous remarks but realized she might have gone overboard with someone who was likely not a criminal.

Gel shook her head slightly and turned her attention to the truck.

From her angle, she could see the rows of cages in the truck bed, filled with naked children.

The nudity…

Thinking this, Gel's gaze shifted briefly to Moro's body, confirming his role in the situation.

Moro showed no reaction to her scrutiny—not out of exhibitionism but simply because he found it too trivial to let it affect his emotions.

However, Gel's indifferent gaze and expression reminded Moro of something.

When Morena had first purchased him and he woke up aboard the airship, she had looked at him in the same way.

"You're lucky to have survived that chaos with all your limbs intact. That's why I bought you."

At the time, Morena's expression had been identical to Gel's.

But Morena had gone further, doing something that had made Moro deeply uncomfortable. She casually grabbed his most sensitive area and remarked in a flat tone:

"If you were a woman, I'd be much more satisfied."

The way she spoke and acted made it seem like she might crush him at any moment.

That had been Moro's first encounter with Morena.

In Moro's eyes, Morena never hid the large scar that stretched across her face. Perhaps because of this, she sometimes didn't bother hiding her peculiar thoughts around him or Doggo.

Despite spending nearly a year with her, Moro still didn't fully understand Morena.

Perhaps because…

From the start, he had labeled her a "sociopath."

"You're quite trusting of me, aren't you?"

Gel's calm voice snapped Moro out of his thoughts. He tensed, inwardly berating himself for the careless lapse.

Noticing the brief flash of regret in his eyes, Gel found herself a little intrigued.

From their brief interaction, she could tell Moro was someone with exceptionally high standards for himself.

For people like him, once they crossed the threshold of nen, their future abilities often turned out extraordinary.

If she were more ambitious about earning a Two-Star Hunter title, she might have invested more time and effort into him.

"Gel, Professional Hunter."

Gel introduced herself, her gaze fixed on Moro.

"Pleasure to meet you. Just call me Moro."

Moro responded with his name in turn.

Gailu gave a slight nod and said, "Tell me the whole story. I might be able to help."

"…"

Moro hesitated briefly but soon began explaining the situation.

He left out details about the mental hospital that the truck had been heading toward.

In this matter, he was merely one of the "pigs" yet to be sent to the "slaughterhouse." Saying and doing less was the most rational choice.

After listening, Gel quickly deduced that this was a case of human trafficking.

She showed no curiosity about Moro's knowledge of nen nor did she question his actions in finishing off the middle-aged man.

Her presence in the area had been for a minor task: collecting venom from a newly documented species of snake.

This incident was just an unexpected sideshow.

If she could lend a hand without too much trouble, she would. But to get deeply involved? She had no interest.

Gel's detached attitude was exactly what Moro had hoped for.

"Gel, I leave them in your hands."

Seeing that Gel was willing to help settle the situation for the children in the truck, Moro felt a sense of relief.

Perhaps now, because of his actions, those children might have a chance to live better lives.

Gel nodded slightly. For her, handling this would take little more than a phone call.

Moro smiled faintly and, under Gel's watchful eyes, stripped the corpses of clothes that fit him.

He also retrieved their wallets, pocketing the cash, and made sure to take the handgun as well.

Gel remained silent, simply watching.

After securing the gun, Moro prepared to leave.

"Thank you."

He expressed his gratitude earnestly.

Without Gel, he would've struggled to figure out how to deal with the children in the truck.

Gel raised her chin slightly in acknowledgment.

Taking that as a cue, Moro turned and walked away.

As he left, his gaze lingered in the direction the truck had been heading.

At this hour, had Morena and Doggo already reached the mental hospital?

Moro didn't know.

Standing at the crossroads of fate with knowledge of the future, he had no intention of retracing his old path.

Although their lives hadn't intersected yet, this would be his farewell…

Morena.

With that thought, Moro turned resolutely in the opposite direction.

Behind him, Gel watched him go until he disappeared from view.

Then, pulling out her phone, she made a call to arrange for the children in the truck to be rescued and taken care of.

After finishing the call, Gailu noticed the surveillance system installed in the truck's cabin.

Curious, she entered the cabin and replayed the footage.

Moments later, watching the video feed of what had happened in the truck, Gel's vertical pupils contracted sharply, revealing a glint of disbelief.

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