Come Look at the Butterfly!

Sashado's body completely dissipated.

There was no blood or scorch marks on the spot, only a small patch of dark gray substance on the ground.

Shaped like an open palm, with broken textures along the edges, and covered with a very thin layer of transparent mucus that gleams dimly in the sunlight.

Ian lightly leaped nearby, crouched down, and stared at the thing for a long while.

He didn't reach out to pick it up immediately, but instead swept it over with his brush first.

As his Nen flowed across the surface of the gray substance, he sensed an extremely faint movement, like the last drop of water slowly seeping from a dried-up riverbed.

There were still some Nen residues inside this thing.

Ian pondered for a moment.

'What does Sashado mean by leaving me this Host Body? Does it mean its power can be transferred?'

Netero walked over from behind and stood next to Ian, his gaze also falling on the thing on the ground.

He narrowed his eyes and stroked his beard.

"This is probably a remnant of the biological branding on his Host Body."

"Although the mantis's mark has disappeared, the base of the other marks has not completely disappeared."

Ian gave a soft "hmm" and reached out to pick up the piece of something.

It feels slightly cool to the touch, and the texture is like dried tree bark or a layer of shed snake skin. The edges are a bit brittle and look like they would break if you applied too much pressure.

He turned it over and looked at the back. He could still vaguely make out some fine patterns, like the afterimages left after some kind of pattern was burned.

The mantis's outline had been erased, but traces of other creatures remained, albeit blurred and indistinct, like writing soaked in water.

"Was it useful?"

Ian held the object up to his eyes, facing the sun, turned it around, and casually asked a question.

Netero's tone was flat.

"If we can find a way to analyze it, we might be able to find out exactly how many kinds of creatures his Host Body has mutated into. However, the information on the fragment is incomplete; at most, it can only be considered a clue."

Ian tossed the items into his 4D Pocket, clapped his hands, and stood up.

"Forget it, let's keep it for now and figure out how to use it later. I don't believe that guy would leave something like this for no reason."

In the distance, several Hunters had almost finished packing up their equipment.

Some people carried instruments on their backs, while others tied up the tools scattered on the ground, and they gradually gathered around.

They breathed a sigh of relief.

After all, their original purpose in coming here was to deal with Sashado's Host Body and avenge Netero.

But upon seeing the densely packed mutated creatures, to be honest, everyone held their breath.

If Ian hadn't wiped out those creatures in one fell swoop, it's hard to say how many of them would have survived.

Someone asked Netero whether he should continue tracking Sashado's whereabouts.

Netero shook his head.

"We can't catch him; his consciousness has already transferred to another Host Body."

"We don't know where that body is, nor how long he prepared beforehand. Chasing after him now is just a waste of time."

"Unless..."

Netero glanced at Ian beside him.

Ian does possess tools for tracking people, provided, of course, that the other party is willing to hand them over...

Seeing everyone's gaze, Ian shook his head and explained.

"I suggest you stop provoking that guy."

"This is just one of their Host Body. You saw the mutated Ise Mantis yourself; although I hate to say it, it's completely beyond your capabilities."

"Only Netero could withstand a few moves from them, as for you..."

At this point, he glanced at the approaching Hunters and said helplessly.

"It's better not to throw your life away..."

Hearing Ian's words, everyone blushed, but they had to admit that what he said was indeed true.

Then.

After exchanging glances, the group finally made a wise decision and turned to call on the others to prepare for evacuation.

Ian stood there, looking at the spot where Sashado had disappeared. The ground there was now clean, with only a faint scorch mark remaining.

During his previous observations, Sashado clearly saw the dense, numerous branding marks on his arms.

The Ise Mantis is just one example.

That guy also had other biological blueprints on him, and judging from his tone of voice, he was at least satisfied with those creatures, but the Ise Mantis was the best among them.

Perhaps by obtaining this fragment of the brand, he could continue to control those creatures, just like Sashado's Host Body.

Ian looked away and took the Light Cage out of his pocket.

The Ise Mantis inside, its blade broken and shrunk, no longer flies.

It huddled in a corner at the bottom of the Light Cage, its six legs tucked in, its severed forelimbs still protecting its abdomen.

Those compound eyes were half-closed, and they didn't look as cold as before; perhaps they were just tired...

After all, it had just experienced a completely unequal battle, and had been shrunk from three meters tall to the size of a palm, and had two blades broken.

Whatever its previous state, it has now quieted down.

The Cat Teacher had somehow floated to Ian's side, its paws gripping the edge of the Light Cage as it peered inside, its tail slowly flicking.

"It's become obedient now."

Ian hummed in agreement.

"The blade broke."

Cat Teacher said again.

"However, blades can regenerate, and mantises and similar creatures have strong regenerative abilities."

"If you want it to regain its fighting ability, you need to find it some good food to replenish its nutrition."

"If you don't feed it, it might regenerate the nutrients from its abdomen to its limbs, which could then affect the baby mantis inside."

Ian glanced at the Cat Teacher.

"You know quite a lot."

The Cat Teacher retracted its paw, stood with its hands behind its back, and spoke with a hint of smugness in its tone.

"The Cat Country I live in is not like yours, where only humans exist. Besides... this cage is too restrictive; it can barely turn around. You should move it to a more spacious place."

Ian looked down at the praying mantis curled up in the Light Cage.

Its abdomen was still swollen, suggesting that the small mantis inside was not yet greatly affected.

So he followed the Cat Teacher's advice and enlarged the Light Cage a little.

He then put it back in his pocket without saying anything more.

He glanced back at the Forest behind him.

The battlefield was a scene of utter devastation, like a meteorite had fallen. The trees that had been smashed by the White Stone Crabs still lay in their places, their broken branches revealing their pale, white cores.

The wind blew through the woods, carrying the damp scent unique to the wetlands.

Ian didn't look for long; he only glanced at it before turning back.

The Hunters have already begun to retreat.

Some walked in front, some brought up the rear, and they crossed the bushes in twos and threes along the way they came.

Ian walked at the back of the group, with Zeno and Netero not far ahead of him, the two talking in hushed tones.

Biological Hunter Jikeya passed by carrying a piece of equipment. When he saw Ian approaching, he looked quite excited, probably wanting to study the mantis.

Ian quickly turned his head away, pretending not to see, and simply said something.

"It's mine."

Jikeya paused for a second, opened his mouth, but ultimately didn't dare to speak and retreated sheepishly.

Ian sighed...

Being too shy really gets you nowhere.

The group continued forward, passing through a relatively dense thicket of trees, their footsteps clattering on decaying leaves and damp mud.

Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the tree canopy, casting dappled patterns of light and shadow on everyone's shoulders.

Ian walked at a leisurely pace, his hands in his pockets, his fingers touching the outline of the Light Cage to confirm that it was still there.

After walking for a while, Zeno said it casually, in a voice that was neither too loud nor too soft.

"What are your thoughts on that thing Sashado mentioned?"

Netero walked ahead without looking back.

"In the few times I've fought him, I've never heard him mention anything. Perhaps it's some relic, perhaps a location, or perhaps it's just bluffing."

Ian chimed in from the back.

"It's not a bluff. That guy may be annoying, but he wouldn't lie about something like this."

Zeno glanced back at Ian.

"Ian, do you think he's telling the truth?"

"I think at the very least... he believes that thing is real."

Ian shrugged.

"A letter and facts are two different things, but since he's so certain, it means he has at least some clues."

"But he can say what he wants, we'll do what we want. When he actually finds it, it'll definitely cause quite a stir. Anyway, V5 will handle it then."

Even now, Ian is still very unhappy with V5's handling of the situation.

They don't put in any effort themselves, always trying to push the trouble onto the Hunter Association. As for Netero, after this incident, he should have finally seen the light and is no longer bound by these trivial human matters.

The Cat Teacher floated down from mid-air and hovered beside Ian.

"You seem to trust him quite a bit."

Ian gave a slight smirk.

"I'm not his guardian, let him look for whatever he wants."

"Only..."

He grinned, a confident smile spreading across his face, and said softly.

"I believe that no matter what, I am confident I can change the worst-case scenario!"

The others exchanged glances.

They naturally couldn't understand why Ian had such confidence.

Upon hearing this, several Hunters nearby couldn't help but burst out laughing.

Netero and Zeno didn't laugh; instead, they exchanged a glance, both clearly showing signs of relief.

In the eyes of these top Hunters...

Only then could one understand that Ian's tools possessed potential far exceeding the limits of human capability...

On the way back, everyone felt much more relaxed.

Although you can leave through the [Anywhere Door].

However, Ian has no intention of leaving completely yet, as there are still Sashado Host Body organisms remaining in this wetland.

He wanted to look around before leaving.

After walking for a while, Ian suddenly stopped without any warning. He simply stood there, looked back at the Forest, and stood still.

Sunlight streamed through the treetops overhead; the wind was light, and the leaves rustled softly.

Several birds flew up and landed in the woods, making it look no different from an ordinary Forest.

"What's wrong, Ian?"

Noticing his unusual behavior, Netero and Zeno spoke up, and Cat Teacher also looked at Ian curiously.

Ian was about to shake his head.

But in the instant he turned his head, he caught something out of the corner of his eye.

On a tree at the edge of the Forest, a butterfly slowly landed on a branch that stretched out at an angle.

Its entire body was dark red, with a very fine black stripe around the edge of its wings, and it landed quietly on a leaf.

It didn't move, didn't flap its wings, as if it was always meant to be there.

Ian paused for a moment, but didn't stop, continuing to walk forward.

He instinctively felt that this thing was destined for him.

After his strength increased to a certain level, he also developed a strong intuition, a kind of sixth sense.

Then I remembered the branded fragment in my pocket, and some lingering memories flashed through my mind. Finally... I confirmed that there were some blurry dark red marks in the patterns on the fragment, the color of which was almost the same as the butterfly.

He took the brand fragment out of his 4D Pocket.

Then, he felt a connection that perhaps only Sashado's Host Body could feel. He held the fragment in his hand, turned his gaze to the dark red butterfly in front of him, and a thought struck him.

As if driven by something, the dark red butterfly fluttered its wings slightly, slowly took flight, and floated in front of him.

Ian raised an eyebrow, then called out to those behind him.

"Jikeya, come look at the butterflies!"