Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: “What a Joke...”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Hisoka is unexpectedly confronted by a large gang force in Los Santos. Although he does not understand why they are targeting him, he prepares for an attack.
• When the gang members open fire, Hisoka uses Bungee Gum to pull himself onto a nearby rooftop, effortlessly avoiding the gunfire.
• Illumi abandons Hisoka the moment it becomes clear that the gang is specifically after him, relocating to a safe rooftop and observing the situation.
• The gang’s true pursuer, Neil, appears. He is one of the Hex Mafia Family’s “Four Corners” and has come to kill Hisoka after the incident involving Young Lady Koko.
• Neil challenges Hisoka, boasting that he prefers fighting with a blade rather than firearms. Hisoka evaluates Neil’s aura and recognizes him as a worthy opponent.
• Hisoka attempts to ask why Neil wants him dead, but Neil refuses to explain and attacks immediately.
• Three minutes later, Neil has been killed and decapitated. His blade is damaged, while Hisoka remains uninjured.
• Hisoka plays with Neil’s severed head using Bungee Gum. Illumi finds Neil’s phone, sees that Koko is calling, turns it off, and demands that Hisoka pay him.
• Hisoka throws Neil’s head away and agrees to settle the bill.
• Meanwhile, Koko waits in several vehicles outside the district. She is still enraged and humiliated after being slapped by Hisoka—more accurately, by Moyu.
• The chapter ends with Moyu recovering on an unfinished building after enduring an assault involving guns, grenades, and rocket launchers. The Shadow Copy has grown stronger after absorbing the Marshfolk present at the venue.

Character Developments

• Hisoka: Demonstrates his constant alertness, agility, and overwhelming combat ability. He avoids unnecessary violence against the gang members but eagerly accepts a challenge from a stronger opponent. His playful cruelty is emphasized through his treatment of Neil’s head.
• Illumi: Shows his pragmatic, self-interested nature by immediately distancing himself from the conflict. Despite abandoning Hisoka during the ambush, he remains nearby and focuses on collecting payment.
• Neil: Is introduced as a confident and highly skilled assassin. His strong aura and mastery of the blade suggest considerable power, but his arrogance and refusal to communicate lead to his rapid defeat.
• Koko: Her humiliation and anger deepen. She remains determined to retaliate against Hisoka after failing to protect her dignity and losing Neil.
• Moyu: Reveals a reckless, battle-loving attitude. Rather than being traumatized by the bombardment, he treats it as an enjoyable experience, while the Shadow Copy benefits significantly from the encounter.

Significant Themes

• Overwhelming power versus arrogance: Neil believes Hisoka’s evasive tactics indicate weakness, but Hisoka quickly proves that his mobility is only one aspect of his ability.
• Self-interest and unreliable alliances: Illumi does not risk himself for Hisoka, highlighting the transactional nature of their relationship.
• Humiliation and revenge: Koko’s wounded pride drives the pursuit of Hisoka and motivates the Hex Mafia’s retaliation.
• Battle as entertainment: Hisoka treats combat as a source of amusement, while Moyu views even extreme physical punishment as an exciting experiment.
• Growth through conflict: Moyu’s Shadow Copy becomes stronger by absorbing the Marshfolk and surviving increasingly powerful attacks.

Important Character Interactions

• Hisoka and Illumi display their familiar, detached partnership: Illumi abandons him during danger but later reminds him to pay.
• Hisoka and Neil exchange a brief verbal confrontation before Neil attacks, with Hisoka’s curiosity contrasting against Neil’s uncompromising hostility.
• Illumi silently identifies Neil for Hisoka, then helps recover the assassin’s phone and redirects the financial consequences to Hisoka.
• Koko’s ongoing anger is tied directly to her earlier confrontation with Hisoka/Moyu, setting up continued conflict with the mafia family.

Key plot points

• Moyu recalls the chaos he caused at an underground boxing arena fifteen minutes earlier. His Shadow Copy, disguised as Hisoka Benso, fought off the venue’s mobsters while Moyu absorbed 72 Marshfolk. Most of the remaining Marshfolk died in the confusion.
• The incident reinforces Moyu’s concern that a “shared damage” restriction would undermine Soul Echo’s greatest advantage: the Shadow Copy can take risks without injuring Moyu.
• After resting on a rooftop, Moyu hears gunfire and explosions in the district. Knowing the local mob is pursuing Hisoka, he accepts that he has framed him and wishes him an enjoyable escape.
• Moyu estimates that the Shadow Copy has reached roughly grade C−, while Hisoka’s copy is around B−. Reaching C or C+ may be possible, but further growth will be harder as its strength increases.
• Moyu decides that his next goal is to find enough Marshfolk to roughly double the total absorbed—about 600. As he leaves Roland District, he spots a familiar-looking, green-haired man.

Character development

• Moyu becomes more aware of the limits imposed by his own capacity: although the Shadow Copy grows through absorbing Marshfolk, Moyu determines how many it can absorb.
• He briefly imagines Soul Echo becoming independent and reaching the highest calamity rank, but recognizes that this is nearly impossible except under extreme post-mortem conditions.
• His ambitions remain practical and focused: strengthen the Shadow Copy and deal with the escaped Fox River Prison prisoners.

Significant themes

• Human limits: Nen abilities may have vast potential, but their users’ capabilities impose constraints.
• Power and risk: A restriction can increase an ability’s strength while sacrificing its practical advantages.
• Growth and diminishing returns: The Shadow Copy can improve, but progress slows at higher strength.
• Deception and consequences: Moyu uses Hisoka’s appearance to provoke a mob response, showing little guilt about the trouble this causes.

Character interactions

• Moyu’s Shadow Copy fights the venue’s mobsters and briefly clashes with the silver-haired woman and her five Nen-user companions before Moyu finishes absorbing the available Marshfolk.
• Moyu indirectly leaves Hisoka to face the local mob’s pursuit, jokingly wishing him well.
• At the chapter’s end, Moyu and a familiar green-haired man notice one another, though neither approaches; the man quickly looks away.

Key plot points and events

• Moyu recognizes the green-haired Ying as the man who once helped him obtain forged documents in Ganlin City.
• Ying sees Moyu again and is overwhelmed by a sudden, almost supernatural sense of danger. He believes Moyu has changed dramatically in the little time since their earlier meeting.
• When Ying’s underlings confront Moyu, Ying panics and orders them to kneel and apologize. Moyu then takes Ying aside for a private conversation.
• Twenty minutes later, Ying has told Moyu about his powerful Intuition, which has repeatedly helped him survive dangerous situations.
• Moyu realizes Ying’s talent could lead to an innate Nen awakening. He considers that helping Ying open his aura nodes and learn Nen might let him awaken an ability directly.

Character developments

• Moyu is puzzled by Ying’s fear, since he has shown no hostility. After hearing about Intuition, he becomes impressed and recognizes Ying’s unusual potential.
• Ying is revealed as a confident, experienced survivor whose instincts have kept him alive, but Moyu’s presence overwhelms him. He submits quickly to protect himself and his men.
• Ying’s underlings are initially aggressive, then confused by their leader’s sudden command to kneel.

Significant themes

• Instinct and hidden talent: Ying’s Intuition detects danger beyond what he can consciously explain and may develop into a Nen ability.
• Power and perception: Moyu’s apparent transformation terrifies Ying, even though Moyu does not deliberately project menace.
• Potential and mentorship: Moyu’s discovery raises the possibility that recognizing and guiding latent talent can accelerate a person’s awakening.

Character interactions

• Moyu approaches Ying and asks whether he remembers him; Ying can barely respond.
• Ying protects his group by ordering the underlings to apologize, despite their confusion.
• In private, Ying candidly explains his instincts and fear, while Moyu listens and evaluates his potential.

Chapter Summary: The Disappearing Nen Beast

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ying continues sensing dramatic changes in Moyu’s presence. Moyu initially seemed merely formidable, then dangerous, and finally radiated an oppressive, shadow-like force. Moyu suspects Ying may possess an unusual innate perception that allows him to sense not only strength, but possible future danger.
• Moyu considers Ying a rare talent. He believes that teaching Ying Nen could awaken an interesting ability, though he deliberately withholds this information for now.
• Moyu and Ying exchange contact information. Ying asks Moyu to save him as “Little Fly,” a nickname used by gang leaders. Moyu agrees and leaves, intending to develop the relationship gradually.
• After Moyu departs, Ying’s sense of danger weakens. Ying interprets this as evidence that exchanging contact information has reduced the possibility of Moyu becoming a future threat. He resolves never to provoke Moyu and to build a favorable relationship with him.
• In a Los Santos alley, Piyon and Kanzai encounter a fading Nen Beast. They identify it as likely a detection-type creature but cannot determine its owner or purpose. Kanzai wants to confront it if it reappears, while Piyon remains focused on investigating it.
• Piyon receives a message from Moyu, who asks their location and joins them at Shell Clothing Store.
• Piyon reports that she and Kanzai have captured and dealt with fifty-one escaped Fox River prisoners. Kanzai challenges Moyu, implying that Moyu accomplished little during his unexplained absence.
• Moyu calmly reveals that he killed approximately two hundred prisoners, shocking Kanzai and emphasizing the enormous gap between Moyu’s efficiency and theirs.
• Piyon informs Moyu about the mysterious Nen Beast monitoring them. Moyu immediately suspects it may be connected to the unknown individual responsible for attacking Fox River Prison.

Character Developments

• Moyu: Demonstrates keen insight into Ying’s potential and chooses patience over immediately influencing or training him. His overwhelming strength is further established by his claim of eliminating around two hundred prisoners. He also begins connecting the disappearing Nen Beast to the larger Fox River Prison mystery.
• Ying/Little Fly: Reveals himself as highly sensitive to changes in danger and power, possibly possessing an untrained Nen-related talent. Though intimidated by Moyu, he becomes eager to maintain a useful and friendly relationship with him.
• Piyon: Remains analytical and mission-focused, treating the Nen Beast as a clue requiring investigation. She also acts as the practical mediator between Moyu and Kanzai.
• Kanzai: Continues to be aggressive, competitive, and openly resentful of Moyu’s disappearances. His confidence is shaken when he learns how many prisoners Moyu eliminated.

Significant Themes

• Perception versus reality: Ying’s mysterious ability may detect more than physical strength, potentially revealing future threats or hidden intentions.
• Power and intimidation: Moyu’s presence affects others psychologically, even when he has no hostile intent. His accomplishments also highlight his overwhelming superiority.
• Potential and awakening: Ying represents an untrained talent whose abilities may emerge through Nen instruction.
• Trust and strategic relationships: Moyu and Ying establish a basic connection, while Ying realizes that cooperation may be safer and more beneficial than fear or hostility.
• The unseen enemy: The vanishing Nen Beast introduces an unresolved mystery and suggests that someone is secretly observing the hunters and may be connected to the prison attack.

Character Interactions

• Moyu treats Ying calmly and respectfully, while Ying responds with nervous obedience and flattery.
• Ying’s fear of Moyu lessens after they exchange contact information, suggesting that personal connection can alter his perception of danger.
• Piyon and Kanzai cooperate in investigating the Nen Beast, though Piyon is thoughtful and cautious while Kanzai favors direct confrontation.
• Kanzai criticizes Moyu for disappearing, but Moyu’s revelation about killing two hundred prisoners immediately silences and unsettles him.
• Piyon provides Moyu with the crucial information about the Nen Beast, linking the separate events involving the prisoners, the prison attack, and the unknown observer.

Chapter Summary: “How Is That Possible!?”

Key plot points and events

• Piyon and Kanzai detect and dispel an unidentified Nen Beast—a cat-sized gecko with large eyes and spotted skin—that has been secretly monitoring them.
• Moyu deduces that the surveillance is significant because the unknown user knowingly targeted two Zodiacs. He suggests the watcher may be connected to the Fox River Prison Incident and could be tracking the Zodiacs in real time to interfere with their mission—or to confirm that Piyon and Kanzai remain in Los Santos as bait.
• Moyu warns that the prison outbreak may be a diversion concealing a larger operation. The culprits’ ability to transform many people into Marshfolk suggests their goal may extend beyond simple revenge against society.
• Piyon recognizes the seriousness of the situation and contacts Botobai and presumably the other Hunter Association teams to determine whether they too have been monitored or obstructed.
• Moyu leaves the Zodiac team to continue hunting Fox River Prison inmates. He believes the Association’s containment efforts are ultimately futile until they locate Davidson, the original source of the incident.
• Moyu’s personal objective is different: he wants to kill as many inmates as possible—ultimately six hundred—to strengthen his Shadow Copy ability.
• While moving through Los Santos, Moyu senses a Marshfolk on a rooftop and discovers that the watcher is Norris, a member of the Qinglin Squad and the owner of the gecko Nen Beast.
• Norris’s ability places him in Zetsu while the gecko scouts, drastically reducing his presence and making him effectively impossible for surveillance targets to detect. Nevertheless, Moyu somehow senses him, intercepts his escape, and knocks him unconscious with one blow.

Character developments

• Moyu demonstrates sharp strategic thinking, recognizing that the Fox River incident may be a cover for a more dangerous plan. He remains detached from the Association’s broader priorities, focusing instead on maximizing the strength of his Shadow Copy.
• Piyon becomes increasingly alarmed and perceptive. She quickly grasps Moyu’s “bait” theory and realizes that ordinary containment measures may no longer be enough. She also privately compares Kanzai unfavorably with Moyu, valuing Moyu’s reliability.
• Kanzai understands the gravity of the situation but appears slow to respond, reinforcing Piyon’s doubts about his dependability.
• Norris is introduced as a confident reconnaissance specialist whose ability is designed even to evade high-level Nen users. His confidence collapses when Moyu detects him anyway.

Significant themes

• Hidden agendas and misdirection: The prison outbreak may be a conspicuous distraction concealing a larger attack or operation.
• Limits of containment: The Association’s efforts to cure or suppress the Marshfolk are rendered ineffective by an unknown third party continually expanding the crisis.
• Specialization and exceptional ability: Norris’s anti-detection technique is extraordinarily effective, but Moyu’s perception and combat skill exceed its intended limits.
• Conflicting priorities: The Association seeks to end the incident and find Davidson, while Moyu uses the chaos to pursue personal growth and power.

Character interactions

• Moyu and Piyon work together to interpret the gecko’s surveillance, with Moyu providing the key theories and Piyon acting on them.
• Piyon questions Kanzai’s seriousness, highlighting the contrast between his unreliable behavior and Moyu’s calm competence.
• Moyu separates from the Zodiac team despite the developing danger, choosing to continue his hunt.
• The chapter ends with a brief but decisive confrontation between Moyu and Norris, whose disbelief—“How is that possible?”—emphasizes the unexpected superiority of Moyu’s detection ability.

Key plot points and events

• Norris’s Nen ability, Black Tracker, lets him erase his presence while surveilling targets. If discovered, the ability dissipates without leaving an aura trail, but each use consumes a fixed amount of aura.
• Moyu detects Norris despite the ability and incapacitates him with a coordinated attack: he distracts Norris while his Shadow Clone pins and restrains him.
• Moyu deduces that Norris was the one watching Piyon and Kanzai, then calls them to the rooftop. They arrive and examine the unconscious suspect.
• Moyu declines to explain how he found Norris, noting that it would reveal something about his own Nen ability. He leaves to resume hunting the Fox River fugitives, warning Piyon and Kanzai that Norris may be one of the Marshfolk.
• Piyon and Kanzai remain behind to investigate and interrogate Norris once he wakes.

Character developments and interactions

• Moyu is shown to be observant and tactically inventive. He uses his Shadow Clone effectively, shares his conclusions with Piyon and Kanzai, but keeps his own ability private.
• Norris is confident in the concealment built into Black Tracker, but Moyu’s detection and sudden attack leave him stunned.
• Piyon accepts Moyu’s reasoning, appreciates his help, and urges him to be careful.
• Kanzai is frustrated that Moyu will not explain how he found Norris, but recognizes that Nen abilities are private. While checking Norris for poison, he grudgingly praises Moyu’s skill, prompting Piyon’s surprise and his defensive reaction.

Significant themes

• Secrecy and privacy: Nen abilities are valuable personal information, even among long-standing allies.
• Preparation and countermeasures: Norris’s ability is designed to prevent discovery, but Moyu’s perception and planning overcome it.
• Trust and cooperation: Moyu shares a suspect and warning with the Zodiacs, while they respect his decision to keep his methods confidential.

Key plot points and events

• Moyu suspects that the Fox River Prison mastermind learned about Davidson’s Swamp Man ability and used it to create panic as cover for another goal. He considers it unlikely that Davidson directed the operation, though the two may have known each other.
• He sends his analysis to Cheadle, then continues hunting Swamp Man inmates through the night.
• By dawn, Moyu has eliminated his 23rd inmate since separating from Piyon. With bounty hunters and civilians crowding Los Santos, he checks the official website and finds roughly 3,150 inmates still at large.
• The bounty list includes Hisoka, framed by local underworld factions as an inmate and assigned an enormous 500-million-Jenie bounty.
• Cheadle later tells Moyu that the Qinglin Squad was behind the attack on Fox River Prison. Piyon and Kanzai supplied the intelligence and credited Moyu with uncovering it.
• Netero has decided the Association must stop the Qinglin Squad and treat it as a threat to eliminate. Moyu agrees the squad should have been targeted already, given its collection of Post-Mortem Entities.
• After ending his call with Cheadle, Moyu receives another call from an unfamiliar number—and recognizes the caller as Light.

Character developments and interactions

• Moyu remains analytical and focused on the hunt, but his findings help expose the Qinglin Squad. He anticipates that the Association’s planned operation will be dangerous and suspects Cheadle does not want him involved.
• Cheadle relays the confirmed intelligence and Netero’s decision. She also tells Moyu that Piyon repeatedly praised him and Kanzai respects his abilities.
• Piyon and Kanzai provide the intelligence that confirms the Qinglin Squad’s involvement.
• Netero shifts from allowing the squad to operate to treating it as a target for elimination.
• Hisoka is an unwitting target of a fabricated bounty, while the chapter ends by setting up a new exchange between Moyu and Light.

Significant themes

• Power and constraints: Moyu reasons that a powerful ability like Swamp Man must come with strict conditions shaped by its user.
• Information as leverage: The mastermind’s understanding of the ability, and the Association’s intelligence network, drive the investigation.
• Escalation and consequences: The Qinglin Squad’s exposure prompts Netero to take action, potentially setting in motion the squad’s destruction.
• Bounties and unintended outcomes: The public hunt accelerates the inmates’ deaths, while Hisoka’s false listing shows how vengeance can distort official systems.

Key plot points and events

• Light unexpectedly calls Moyu about a Hunter Association request seeking information on Dis Mendico, a B-Rank wanted criminal. He discovers Moyu is the client, using the alias Kester and a new phone number.
• Moyu explains that he wants to find Dis Mendico because the criminal murdered someone he had met. Moyu’s goal is not to capture him but to kill him himself.
• Light reveals he had planned to change the request into a capture job, but abandons the idea when he learns Moyu’s real intention. He offers to help track Dis Mendico and asks to join the hunt.
• Moyu questions Light about his stalled progress toward a One-Star title. Light admits he failed to capture an A-Rank criminal, after pursuing a tip about the Phantom Troupe.
• Alarmed by the danger Light faced, Moyu challenges his judgment. Light insists he wants to join the hunt, then bluntly tells Moyu that he is not strong enough to face Dis Mendico alone.

Character developments and interactions

• Moyu is driven by personal grief and a desire for revenge. He trusts Light enough to explain his motives, but remains firm about handling Dis Mendico himself. His concern over Light’s Phantom Troupe pursuit reveals genuine care beneath his resolve.
• Light shows loyalty and concern for Moyu, offering to help primarily to protect him rather than to claim credit. He is candid about his failed assignment and his unfinished One-Star qualification.
• Their conversation shifts from surprise and disclosure to disagreement: Light tries to safeguard Moyu, while Moyu resists assistance and questions Light’s own recklessness.

Significant themes

• Revenge versus justice: Moyu seeks personal vengeance rather than capture or formal justice.
• Strength and vulnerability: Light’s warning underscores the danger of underestimating a powerful opponent; both men have limits despite their determination.
• Loyalty and responsibility: Light’s offer reflects a bond formed through their brief training, while Moyu’s concern for Light shows that their regard is mutual.
• Risk and ambition: Light’s pursuit of the Phantom Troupe and One-Star status highlights the perilous choices Hunters make in pursuit of their goals.

Key plot points and events

• Light warns Moyu not to fight Dis Mendico alone. Though he sees Moyu as exceptionally talented, he believes Moyu’s current Nen skills are far below what is needed to face the B-Rank criminal, a seasoned combat specialist.
• Moyu understands Light is speaking out of concern, but still refuses his help. Moyu wants to defeat Dis Mendico himself, partly because he hopes his achievement will earn a reward from Perception.
• Moyu is more alarmed by Light’s plan to pursue the Phantom Troupe. Knowing they are overwhelmingly dangerous, he warns Light to stop.
• Light admits he once confronted a lone Troupe member, who avoided a direct fight and escaped. He agrees to abandon the pursuit, though he suspects Moyu is simply retaliating for being criticized.
• Light returns to the question of Dis Mendico. Moyu refuses again and challenges Light to fight him instead.

Character developments and interactions

• Light shows both ambition and genuine concern: he wants to become a One-Star Hunter, but also tries to protect Moyu from taking on an opponent he considers far too strong. He has some experience against the Phantom Troupe, but his encounter ended without a fight.
• Moyu remains determined to act independently, while recognizing Light’s kindness. He also turns the conversation around to protect Light from a dangerous pursuit.
• Their exchange shifts from a disagreement over Moyu’s readiness to a mutual argument about which of them is taking the greater risk. Moyu’s challenge leaves Light stunned.

Significant themes

• Talent versus readiness: Moyu’s extraordinary potential does not erase the gap between his current abilities and a veteran Nen fighter’s strength.
• Ambition and danger: Both characters pursue goals that could cost them their lives.
• Protectiveness and independence: Each tries to shield the other, while resisting the other’s help.
• Recognition and reward: Moyu’s desire to earn Perception’s reward makes him value a victory achieved on his own.

Chapter Summary: “Route X Target X Nen Artifact”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Light believes Moyu is not strong enough to confront Dis Mendico, so he plans to join the hunt and protect him.
• Moyu discovers that Light intends to hunt the Phantom Troupe. Worried that Light is risking his life for an unrealistic goal, Moyu proposes a match:
  • If Light wins, Moyu will follow Light’s earlier condition.
  • If Moyu wins, Light must abandon his plan to hunt the Phantom Troupe.
• Light agrees, confident that his greater experience will allow him to win. He plans to defeat Moyu, help him capture Dis Mendico, and eventually become Moyu’s mentor.
• The match is scheduled for five days later in Los Santos, where Moyu is currently operating.
• Moyu intends to capture six hundred Fox River Prison inmates within five days, but Los Santos has become too heavily targeted by bounty hunters. He buys a map and plans a route toward the border, where escaped criminals are more likely to appear.
• Moyu obtains a black sedan from Little Fly, paying him fairly and offering future contact if Little Fly encounters something he cannot understand.
• After Moyu leaves Los Santos, Piyon informs Kanzai that he has departed.
• Piyon reveals that Cheadle’s group received a Nen Artifact from Ging that can locate people, allowing them to search for Davidson. However, Piyon and Kanzai are too late to participate in the current operation.

Character Developments

• Moyu: Demonstrates increased confidence in his abilities by challenging Light despite their previous sparring match, in which his Nen and combat experience were inferior. He also shows strategic maturity by changing locations and targeting border regions to maximize his chances of finding prisoners.
• Light: Remains protective of Moyu but is also determined to pursue the Phantom Troupe for reasons beyond simply obtaining a Hunter Star. His confidence leads him to underestimate Moyu’s recent growth.
• Little Fly: Maintains a practical business relationship with Moyu, accepting payment without hesitation. Moyu’s offer of future assistance suggests growing trust between them.
• Piyon and Kanzai: Continue supporting the search for Davidson but find themselves behind the main operation. Their contrasting personalities are highlighted, with Piyon teasingly withholding information and Kanzai demanding direct answers.
• Ging: Though absent, he contributes a crucial Nen Artifact for Person Finding, indirectly advancing Cheadle’s investigation.

Significant Themes

• Mutual concern and protection: Moyu and Light both want to prevent the other from recklessly risking his life, creating a conflict rooted in care rather than hostility.
• Growth versus past judgment: Light remembers Moyu as inexperienced, but Moyu’s confidence suggests that he has developed substantially since their earlier spar.
• Ambition and safety: Light’s desire to hunt the Phantom Troupe reflects deeper personal motives, while Moyu favors a safer, more practical path toward achieving Hunter titles.
• Pragmatism and fairness: Moyu’s straightforward payment to Little Fly emphasizes a preference for clear, mutually beneficial relationships.
• The double-edged nature of appearances and chance: Moyu reflects that his attractive appearance has caused trouble but also indirectly helped him discover the Shadow Copy’s ability to grow stronger through swamp mud.

Character Interactions

• Moyu and Light: Their phone conversation establishes the upcoming match and reveals that each is trying to protect the other from danger. Both conceal parts of their plans while imagining futures in which they guide or safeguard one another.
• Moyu and Little Fly: Their brief exchange reinforces their professional trust and Moyu’s willingness to offer support beyond a single transaction.
• Piyon and Kanzai: Their conversation provides an update on the Davidson search and introduces the Nen Artifact. Piyon’s playful manner clashes with Kanzai’s impatience.

Plot points and events

• The Hunter Association needs to locate Davidson, whose Marsh Man ability has become central to the crisis. Person-finding Nen abilities are rare, so the Association accepts help from Ging, who sends a one-use wind-up bird called Little Red.
• Cheadle activates Little Red using Davidson’s identifying information and aura. The bird comes alive and flies off to track him, prompting the Zodiacs to set out.
• In the Qinglin Squad’s mountain base, the frail President learns the Association has begun moving and orders Geng to “Kill.”
• The Qinglin Squad intends to exploit Davidson as bait. It wants him dead, while the Association needs him alive to undo the Marsh Man ability—an advantage made more dangerous by the unpredictable possibility of Post-Mortem Nen.
• Five days later, Moyu is traveling toward the border. He has hunted many escaped Marsh Men and reached 422 of his 600 target, but he can feel that Shadow Copy is nearing its limit.

Character developments and interactions

• Ging unexpectedly contributes to the Association’s efforts, though his archaeological expedition prevents him from joining directly.
• Cheadle takes charge of Little Red’s activation, while the other Zodiacs watch. Ge’er mocks the bird’s name; Xiyou snaps at the group, and Ge’er responds with a hostile glare.
• The Qinglin President reveals his ruthless priorities with a terse order. Geng accepts the command and leaves to carry it out.
• Moyu continues his demanding hunt but recognizes that his ability may not sustain him much longer.

Significant themes

• Information and pursuit: Rare tracking abilities can determine who controls the next move.
• Conflicting objectives: The Association must preserve Davidson, whereas the Qinglin Squad benefits from his death.
• The danger of Nen after death: Post-Mortem Nen is uncertain, but its lingering effects can make even death an unreliable endpoint.
• Limits and costs of power: Little Red requires aura to keep searching, while Moyu’s progress is constrained by Shadow Copy’s approaching limit.

Chapter Summary: “Menchi”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Moyu realizes the Shadow Copy has nearly reached its absorption limit. Since the Shadow Copy is around C- level while Moyu himself is only about E+, he reflects that the imbalance could theoretically lead to the copy developing a will to usurp its master.
• Outside a farm, Moyu kills the last Fox River Prison inmate in the area. The Shadow Copy emerges from the ground, crushes the attacker, and disappears into the darkness.
• The farm’s residents had already been killed by the prisoners, who were transformed into Marshfolk but retained their original personalities and cruelty. Moyu is deeply disturbed by the repeated massacres he has witnessed.
• Over five days of nonstop travel from Los Santos, Moyu eliminates more than four hundred Fox River Prison inmates along a route leading toward the border. Although the Shadow Copy no longer needs to absorb Marshfolk, Moyu continues hunting the prisoners to prevent further atrocities.
• Moyu believes the Hunter Association will eventually resolve the Swamp Man Phenomenon. He expects either the Marshfolk to be restored or to be destroyed because of Davidson’s interference, while the Qinglin Squad will likely be eliminated once Netero intervenes.
• Moyu reaches Tota Town, where he plans to meet Light. After sleeping in Zetsu for several hours to recover from five days without rest, he enters the town and eats at a local market.
• At the market, he witnesses a fierce argument between a young pink-haired girl named Menchi and a vendor named Stav. Menchi accuses Stav of violating the rules of Mount Ankada by killing a pregnant tree rat and provokes him into nearly attacking her.
• Moyu suspects Menchi is the future Gourmet Hunter from the original storyline. A grocery-store owner confirms that Menchi has been staying in Tota Town for months, entering the mountains daily and even raiding a dangerous Dove Bee hive for honey.
• Light finally arrives and greets Moyu. Upon sensing Moyu’s aura, Light immediately notices that something is unusual, setting up a likely discussion about Moyu’s growth or condition.

Character Developments

• Moyu: His relentless hunt demonstrates both his growing strength and his strong moral resolve. Despite reaching the Shadow Copy’s limit, he continues fighting out of anger and disgust toward the prisoners’ cruelty rather than personal gain. His lack of sleep and willingness to operate alone also emphasize his endurance and increasingly independent role.
• Shadow Copy: It remains vastly stronger than Moyu and acts with lethal efficiency, but Moyu begins contemplating the danger of its power imbalance and the possibility that it could develop independent desires.
• Menchi: She is introduced as bold, aggressive, self-confident, and highly capable despite her young age and small stature. Her concern for Mount Ankada’s rules and wildlife reveals a strong sense of justice, while her survival in the mountains shows unusual courage and skill.
• Light: His first reaction to Moyu’s aura suggests that he is perceptive and capable of recognizing significant changes in Moyu.

Significant Themes

• Power and control: Moyu’s reflections on the Shadow Copy raise questions about whether overwhelming power can eventually escape its master’s control.
• Human nature and cruelty: The Fox River prisoners remain vicious even after becoming Marshfolk, showing that transformation does not automatically change a person’s morality.
• Justice and responsibility: Moyu continues killing the prisoners even when he no longer benefits from doing so, believing that stopping them is his responsibility.
• Fate versus change: Moyu relies on his knowledge of the original storyline while wondering whether his own actions as a “butterfly” might alter future events.
• Respect for nature: Menchi’s confrontation with Stav highlights the importance of Mount Ankada’s rules and the moral boundaries surrounding hunting and the treatment of animals.

Character Interactions

• Moyu has no meaningful conversation with the final prisoner; the encounter is a swift ambush carried out by the Shadow Copy.
• Menchi and Stav engage in a heated verbal confrontation over the killing of a pregnant tree rat. Menchi deliberately insults and provokes him, while bystanders attempt to prevent the conflict from becoming violent.
• The grocery-store owner enthusiastically tells Moyu about Menchi’s exploits in Tota Town, indirectly confirming her identity and reputation.
• Menchi notices Moyu as he leaves the market and wonders whether he is also a Nen user.
• The chapter ends with Moyu and Light reuniting after two months apart. Light senses that Moyu’s aura is abnormal, immediately recognizing that something about him has changed.

Chapter Summary

Plot Points and Events

• Light reunites with Moyu after two months and is shocked by Moyu’s dramatic improvement in Ren. Moyu’s aura shroud is now stable and well-controlled, resembling the skill of someone with years of training.
• Light speculates that Moyu must have trained almost constantly. The narration confirms that Cookie-chan’s massages greatly reduced Moyu’s need for sleep and recovery, while his training boost further accelerated his progress.
• The two prepare for their promised match. Light clarifies that he will use more than Ren this time, intending to show Moyu what a genuine Nen battle is like. Moyu treats this as obvious, suggesting he is confident in his own development.
• Before fighting, Moyu takes Light to the market because Light is hungry after traveling directly from the airship. Light ignores prepared snacks and buys an enormous sack of meat instead.
• They leave town, borrow a large cauldron, and travel into the outskirts of the Ankada Range. Near a stream, they build a fire and stew all the meat together, planning to eat before using the nearby clearing as a battlefield.
• Unbeknownst to them, Menchi is hiding nearby in Zetsu. She is appalled by their careless cooking methods and wonders why they came into the forest merely to make a simple stew.
• Menchi’s concealment is so effective that neither Moyu nor Light detects her. Her exceptional Zetsu comes from years of exploring wilderness areas as a Gourmet Hunter and from having unconsciously learned the technique during childhood.

Character Developments

• Moyu: Has undergone extraordinary growth in Ren, moving from clumsy and immature control to a highly stable aura shroud. His accelerated progress reflects his unusual talent, intense training, and supernatural support from Cookie-chan and Perception. He also appears increasingly self-assured about facing stronger opponents.
• Light: Remains impressed and unsettled by Moyu’s development. Though he acknowledges Moyu’s talent, he still considers him inexperienced and plans to teach him the realities of Nen combat through a serious physical confrontation.
• Menchi: Is established as an exceptionally skilled Zetsu user despite having only ordinary Ren. Her wilderness experience and refined senses have shaped her Nen abilities. Her strong culinary standards and fiery personality are also highlighted.

Significant Themes

• Rapid growth through sacrifice and support: Moyu’s progress demonstrates how talent, relentless practice, reduced recovery needs, and external advantages can produce seemingly impossible results.
• Experience versus talent: Light represents practical combat experience and believes Moyu’s improved fundamentals do not yet equal mastery in an actual Nen battle.
• Different forms of Nen mastery: Moyu’s strength lies in developing Ren, while Menchi’s greatest skill is Zetsu, showing that ability can be highly specialized.
• Food and personality: Light’s enormous appetite and casual cooking contrast humorously with Menchi’s professional reverence for ingredients and cuisine.
• Hidden observation and awareness: Menchi’s successful concealment establishes the forest as a place where even skilled Nen users may be watched without realizing it.

Character Interactions

• Light and Moyu discuss the upcoming match, with Light mentally underestimating Moyu’s readiness while Moyu responds with calm confidence.
• Moyu takes care of Light’s immediate needs by offering tea and bringing him to the market.
• Light’s preference for buying and cooking a huge quantity of meat shapes their journey and provides comic contrast with Moyu’s practical cooperation.
• Menchi silently observes the pair, criticizing their cooking and remaining concealed rather than confronting them.

Plot points and events

• Light cooks meat quickly and carelessly while waiting with Moyu, then challenges him to a fight to assess his progress and settle who will lead the job.
• Menchi watches from the bushes, initially restraining herself from confronting Light over his wasteful cooking. She is startled by the fighters’ immense aura.
• Light begins cautiously, but switches from Ren to Ken after seeing Moyu’s strength. To Light’s shock, Moyu can use Ken too.
• Light’s superior physical power puts Moyu under pressure, but Moyu uses Shadow Curtain to unbalance him and lands a Nen-enhanced knee strike. Sensing that Light has guarded against the blow with Ryu, Moyu wisely retreats instead of overcommitting.
• Light recognizes that Moyu’s opening charge was a deliberate feint, not a sign of poor combat judgment. He acknowledges Moyu is capable of taking on Dis Mendico, but refuses to concede.
• Moyu uses a powerful Shadow Copy to attack from the front while he attacks from behind. Light’s defenses cannot handle both threats: the copy uses Mimicry to transform and wrap around Light’s arm, then pins his throat. Light concedes.
• Menchi is left baffled by Light’s defeat, unable to understand how Moyu overcame an opponent who seemed stronger in every obvious way.

Character development

• Moyu demonstrates extraordinary growth in Nen and combat skill after two months of hard training. He is strategic, reads Light’s reactions well, and knows when to retreat rather than press an unsafe attack.
• Light begins confident that his experience and Enhancer advantages will decide the fight. Moyu’s progress repeatedly surprises him, and he ultimately admits defeat.
• Menchi shows increased emotional sensitivity since awakening Nen, especially about food, but consciously holds back her temper. Watching the fight also exposes how much she still has to learn about Nen and combat.

Themes

• Growth through discipline: Moyu’s rapid progress reflects sustained, intense training.
• Strategy over raw power: Light has the advantage in strength and defense, but Moyu wins through misdirection, timing, and coordinated attacks.
• Adaptability and restraint: Both fighters must adjust their plans, and Moyu’s decision to withdraw from a risky follow-up helps him avoid a counterattack.
• The limits of appearances: Menchi initially sees Light as the obvious favorite, but the fight shows that visible strength does not tell the whole story.

Character interactions

• Light and Moyu begin with a calm reunion, but their discussion quickly gives way to a serious test of strength tied to the job.
• Light’s respect for Moyu grows as he recognizes the extent of his progress and the thought behind his tactics.
• Menchi observes both men from concealment, her reactions shifting from irritation at Light’s cooking to astonishment at the battle and its outcome.

Chapter Summary: “I Actually... Didn’t Notice Her”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Menchi observes the spar between Moyu and Light from hiding. Although Moyu’s aura is noticeable, Light’s aura feels much more powerful and dangerous to her, especially after witnessing his speed and destructive attacking style.
• Menchi expects Light to overwhelm Moyu, but Moyu unexpectedly defeats him. The result shocks her and challenges her limited understanding of Nen.
• Light accepts his defeat, recognizing that he lost because he underestimated Moyu’s perception and failed to remain cautious—not because Moyu was physically stronger.
• Light admits that Moyu has grown tremendously in only two months and confirms that Moyu is strong enough to pursue Dis Mendico.
• However, Light remains worried about Moyu facing danger alone. His protectiveness comes from seeing Moyu as an exceptionally talented “genius sapling” he wants to nurture.
• Moyu reminds Light that he won the spar and invokes their agreed-upon condition: Light must stop pursuing the Phantom Troupe. Light reluctantly accepts and decides to focus on tracking Dis Mendico instead.
• Moyu reveals that he has detected someone hiding in the bushes. His Shadow Copy suddenly restrains Menchi, nearly injuring her before Moyu stops it.
• Moyu explains that he had noticed a disturbance in the bushes during the fight and secretly sent the Shadow Copy around in a concealed two-dimensional form to ambush the hidden observer.
• Light is stunned that he failed to sense Menchi while Moyu detected her, set a trap, and maintained the deception without Light noticing.
• Menchi panics and immediately surrenders to avoid being harmed.

Character Developments

• Moyu: Demonstrates major growth in combat ability, perception, tactical thinking, and control over his Shadow Copy. He defeats Light through superior awareness and clever preparation rather than raw strength. His ability to read Light’s protective intentions also shows emotional insight.
• Light: Experiences a significant blow to his confidence but handles the defeat maturely. He acknowledges Moyu’s strength without making excuses. His attitude shifts from testing and protecting Moyu to accepting Moyu as someone capable of making his own choices, though he remains deeply concerned for his safety.
• Menchi: Reveals her inexperience with Nen and her tendency to judge danger through aura. Her initial confidence in Light’s superiority is shattered by Moyu’s victory. She also becomes the unwitting target of Moyu’s counter-surveillance strategy and reacts through sheer survival instinct.
• Shadow Copy: Shows its usefulness not only in direct combat but also in stealth, surveillance, deception, and restraint. Moyu’s control prevents it from seriously injuring Menchi.

Significant Themes

• Perception versus power: Light appears more dangerous because of his overwhelming aura and force, but Moyu’s superior perception and awareness determine the outcome.
• Growth and hidden potential: Moyu’s rapid development surprises even experienced Nen users, emphasizing how quickly talent can emerge under the right circumstances.
• Caution and preparation: Light loses because he fails to remain sufficiently alert, while Moyu succeeds by observing his surroundings and planning several steps ahead.
• Protection versus independence: Light wants to protect Moyu from danger, but Moyu’s strength and unconventional path make excessive protection inappropriate.
• The danger of appearances: Menchi assumes Light will win based on aura and combat presence, while Light assumes he can detect threats around him. Both judgments prove unreliable.

Important Character Interactions

• Moyu and Light: Their spar changes the balance of their relationship. Light respects Moyu’s ability, while Moyu uses the victory to enforce his condition regarding the Phantom Troupe. Their exchange also reveals Light’s genuine concern for Moyu rather than a desire for personal credit.
• Moyu and Menchi: Moyu identifies and traps Menchi before she can explain herself, nearly causing serious injury. His calm response contrasts with Menchi’s panic.
• Light and Menchi: Light remains completely unaware that Menchi is nearby, making Moyu’s awareness and tactical superiority even more striking.
• Menchi’s perspective on Moyu and Light: She initially views Light as overwhelmingly dangerous, but Moyu’s victory forces her to reconsider her understanding of Nen and combat strength.

Key plot points and events

• Menchi, who had been hiding nearby and watching Moyu and Light spar, is caught and pinned by Moyu’s Shadow Copy. Terrified, she surrenders.
• Moyu questions why she was spying. Menchi insists she only delayed approaching because Light’s careless treatment of ingredients had upset her and she wanted to calm down first. Moyu doubts her explanation, but she maintains that it is true.
• Light notices that Menchi’s Nen is mostly undeveloped, though her Zetsu is unusually refined. Moyu and Light briefly pretend that, since she witnessed Moyu’s ability, they may need to kill her. Light argues against it, and Moyu releases her.
• Fascinated by the Shadow Copy and Nen, Menchi asks Moyu how his ability works and whether she could learn it. She then asks him to take her as his apprentice.
• Moyu suggests she ask Light instead. Menchi dismisses him as weaker than Moyu, stinging Light’s pride.

Character developments

• Menchi shifts from fear and desperation to excited curiosity. Though a novice in Nen, she is perceptive and skilled at hiding her presence; she also shows a strong interest in learning.
• Moyu remains composed and suspicious, questioning Menchi closely and assessing her abilities. He is also intrigued by the possibility of turning the encounter to his advantage.
• Light recognizes Menchi’s potential despite her beginner-level Nen. His pride is bruised when she rejects him as a teacher.

Significant themes

• Concealment and perception: Menchi’s exceptional Zetsu lets her evade notice, while Moyu emphasizes hiding one’s abilities and choosing when to reveal them.
• Talent versus training: Menchi’s Nen is uneven—poorly developed overall, yet unusually strong in one area—highlighting that skill can emerge in unexpected forms.
• Curiosity and mentorship: Seeing Nen in action turns Menchi’s fear into a desire to learn, setting up a possible teacher-student relationship.

Character interactions

• Moyu challenges Menchi’s explanation for spying, while she tries—and fails—to persuade him with her reasoning.
• Moyu and Light play along with the idea that Menchi may be dangerous, then decide she is no threat and let her go.
• Menchi openly admires Moyu’s ability and asks him to teach her; Moyu redirects her to Light, whom she bluntly judges to be weaker.

Key events

• After watching the fight, Menchi concludes that Moyu is stronger than Light—not because of raw power, but because she values Moyu’s refined techniques. She asks him to take her as a disciple.
• Moyu questions Menchi about her Nen. A nameless old man taught her to open her Aura Nodes and control her aura six months ago, but her Ten and Ren remain mediocre. Her Zetsu, however, is remarkably strong, developed naturally through years of exploring forests and mountains.
• Moyu considers accepting her partly to test whether taking her as a disciple could earn him a blessing from Perception or other rewards.
• He asks Menchi to fight him, saying he will judge her performance rather than the result. He sends his Shadow Copy to face her. Menchi understands the challenge and attacks, showing swift, practiced movement.

Character developments and interactions

• Menchi is direct, curious, and eager to learn; she readily agrees to Moyu’s test and focuses on demonstrating how she fights rather than simply winning.
• Moyu is cautious and analytical. He recognizes Menchi’s unusual natural talent for Zetsu and evaluates both her abilities and the possible benefits of becoming her mentor.
• Light accepts Menchi’s judgment and leaves Moyu to handle her request.
• Menchi’s first exchange with Moyu shifts from asking for mentorship to proving herself through a sparring match.

Significant themes

• Technique versus raw strength: Menchi values Moyu’s skill and refinement over Light’s greater display of physical power and aura.
• Natural talent and formal training: Menchi’s Zetsu developed instinctively, while her basic Nen training appears incomplete.
• Mentorship as mutual evaluation: Moyu’s proposed fight tests Menchi’s character and technique, while he also considers what accepting her might bring him.

Chapter Summary: “New Channels for Rewards”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Menchi spars with Moyu’s Shadow Copy, demonstrating a combat style developed through years of fighting beasts and poachers in the wilderness.
• She charges like a cheetah, evades the Shadow Copy’s punch, circles behind it, and attempts to strike its spine with an aura-enhanced blow.
• The Shadow Copy anticipates her attack, catches her wrist from behind, and neutralizes her follow-up kick by trapping her leg between its own.
• Moyu ends the spar before Menchi can escape, causing her momentum to send her backward. He catches her safely.
• Menchi assumes Moyu is disappointed by her performance, but Moyu’s real frustration is that the spar was too easy to generate a reward from his Perception ability.
• Moyu accepts Menchi as his disciple. Overjoyed, Menchi hugs him and celebrates.
• Perception responds to Menchi’s anticipation, granting Moyu +1 Zetsu. This reveals that meaningful relationships—not merely deadly fights or encounters with famous characters—can produce rewards.
• Moyu theorizes that establishing a significant bond with characters such as Gon, Killua, Kurapika, Leorio, or Tonpa may allow him to gain further rewards.
• He also wonders why interactions with Cheadle, Biscuit, Sambika, Piyon, and Kanzai have produced nothing, concluding that he likely has not formed sufficiently meaningful relationships with them.
• Light interrupts Menchi’s enthusiastic embrace with an awkward cough.

Character Developments

• Menchi: Displays strong instincts, adaptability, and practical combat experience, though she is ultimately outmatched by the Shadow Copy. Despite losing, she remains determined and eagerly accepts Moyu as her master. Her excitement reveals a more openly affectionate and youthful side.
• Moyu: Gains a new understanding of how Perception rewards function. He realizes that cultivating relationships may be a far easier and more reliable path to growth than risking his life in combat. His fleeting idea of provoking Menchi into hating him so she would train harder also reveals his increasingly strategic—and somewhat mischievous—mindset.
• Light: Continues to observe Moyu and Menchi’s relationship, reacting with mild awkwardness and amusement.

Significant Themes

• Growth through relationships: Personal bonds can provide power and rewards just as combat can, expanding Moyu’s methods of advancement.
• Perception versus reality: Menchi mistakes Moyu’s disappointment over the lack of a reward for criticism of her fighting ability, highlighting how easily intentions can be misunderstood.
• Mentorship and ambition: Menchi’s acceptance as a disciple marks the beginning of a new teacher-student relationship and gives her a path toward greater strength.
• Strategic exploitation of systems: Moyu immediately begins analyzing the conditions behind Perception’s rewards and considers how to use relationships to optimize his development.

Character Interactions

• Menchi and the Shadow Copy engage in a fast, tactical spar showcasing Menchi’s combat instincts.
• Moyu protects Menchi after ending the fight and then agrees to train her.
• Menchi enthusiastically embraces Moyu as her new master.
• Light’s interruption breaks up the embrace, creating an awkward but humorous moment.

Key plot points and events

• Moyu realizes Perception rewards come from forming meaningful relationships, not simply meeting important characters. Taking Menchi as his apprentice earns him a Zetsu level, strengthening a key foundation for learning In.
• He reflects that becoming Biscuit’s apprentice might previously have earned him a reward, and sees Perception as a way to make up for the years of training veteran Nen users have accumulated.
• Light learns Menchi is Moyu’s apprentice and regrets missing his own chance to mentor Moyu. After their trip back to town, he leaves to pursue Moyu’s commission to find Dis Mendico.
• Menchi tells Moyu she has killed poachers who threatened her while she searched for rare ingredients. Moyu is relieved to learn she has experience dealing with lethal danger.
• Moyu recruits Menchi to help him track down Fox River Prison escapees in the Ankada Range. She eagerly accepts, and they stock up on wilderness supplies.
• A store owner encourages Moyu and Menchi to take the Hunter Exam; Menchi confidently agrees.
• A week into the expedition, Moyu finds three inmates trapped in spider cocoons and kills them. He then receives a message from Cheadle: the Hunter Association’s operation has failed.

Character developments and interactions

• Moyu becomes more alert to Perception’s relationship-based rewards and treats the mountain expedition as both a manhunt and a chance to gain wilderness experience.
• Menchi settles into her new role as Moyu’s enthusiastic, inquisitive apprentice. Her cheerful curiosity contrasts with her practical experience and matter-of-fact attitude toward killing poachers.
• Light remains loyal to Moyu’s plans despite disliking his decision to act alone; he departs to complete the assignment and is left regretting that he did not take Moyu as an apprentice.
• Moyu and Menchi develop a trusting working partnership: he praises her experience and relies on her guidance, while she is delighted to be useful.

Significant themes

• Relationships and growth: Meaningful bonds can produce tangible benefits, while mentorship gives both characters a new direction.
• Talent versus experience: Moyu’s ability can accelerate his progress, but mastery and knowledge still require time and practice.
• Preparation and adaptation: Moyu recognizes his lack of wilderness knowledge and uses the expedition to learn, while depending on Menchi’s expertise.
• The cost of survival: Menchi’s willingness to kill is shaped by past threats, and Moyu’s hunt quickly turns lethal.

• Plot and events: Cheadle reports that the Hunter Association defeated the Qinglin Squad’s ambush but failed to capture Davidson, the operation’s main target. Moyu suspects the squad used a Nen ability to help Davidson escape, but decides not to ask Cheadle for more details, expecting another operation to follow. He continues through the Ankada Range, where his ability leads him to three Marshfolk prisoners trapped in silk cocoons. After killing the giant Door Spider that attacks him, he finishes off the prisoners. With his Shadow Copy already at its growth limit, he is no longer hunting the escapees solely to strengthen it.
• Character developments: Moyu recognizes how much he depends on and learns from Menchi’s wilderness skills, survival knowledge, and expertise with food. Menchi prepares the spider’s leg meat, and Moyu enjoys it. He also decides to take the Hunter Exam, partly because a license would be useful; Menchi eagerly commits to taking it with him.
• Interactions: Moyu and Menchi share an easy, affectionate mentor–student dynamic. He praises her abilities, she is briefly embarrassed, and her pleasure in his enjoyment of the food reflects her pride as a future Gourmet Hunter. Her enthusiastic “I’m going with you, Master!” closes the chapter.
• Themes: The chapter contrasts a tactical victory with a failed objective: defeating the Qinglin Squad matters less than letting Davidson escape. It also highlights practical cooperation and mentorship, as Moyu’s progress in the wilderness depends on Menchi’s complementary expertise. Finally, their decision to pursue Hunter licenses signals a shared next step beyond the immediate hunt.