Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: “Moyu, Who Had Died Once”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Moyu decides to take the upcoming Hunter Exam, despite it being nearly six months away. He recognizes the exam as both a practical way to obtain a Hunter License and a future opportunity to gain benefits through his Perception ability.
• Moyu and Menchi complete their ten-day journey across the Ankada Range. Moyu gains survival experience, samples unusual foods, and learns from Menchi’s expertise. They also finish pursuing the Fox River Prison inmates ahead of schedule.
• After reaching a neighboring country, Moyu chooses Laxiang City as their next destination. He plans to teach Menchi Nen there while waiting for Light’s message.
• During the airship journey, Moyu checks the bounty operation’s progress. The number of surviving Fox River inmates has fallen drastically, and fewer than five hundred are likely still at large.
• Piyon contacts Moyu and invites him to work with her again. Moyu declines, revealing that he is currently busy because he has taken Menchi as his apprentice.
• Moyu and Menchi arrive at the Suibian Law Firm, where they unexpectedly meet Cheadle. Cheadle and Liz initially assume Menchi is Moyu’s romantic partner because of their similar age and close association.
• In private, Cheadle explains that a second attempt to capture Davidson cannot be launched because the Hunter Association’s one-use Person Finder Nen artifact has already been consumed.
• Moyu reveals the Surprise Magic Box and its black Nen aura. Cheadle identifies this aura as post-mortem Nen and connects it to Moyu’s past experience of dying before birth.

Character Developments

• Moyu: Becomes more committed to his future as a Hunter, particularly as a bounty hunter. He continues developing as a mentor by taking responsibility for Menchi’s Nen training. He also learns more about the origin of his unusual abilities.
• Menchi: Grows closer to Moyu as his apprentice and companion. She learns from him during their journey and shows enthusiasm about taking the Hunter Exam alongside her master. Her quiet attentiveness and care are evident when she prepares food for Moyu.
• Piyon: Remains playful, nosy, and familiar with Moyu, but also shows genuine disappointment when he refuses her invitation to cooperate.
• Cheadle: Demonstrates concern over the failed Davidson operation and reacts with shock when she recognizes Moyu’s post-mortem Nen. Her understanding of Moyu’s past changes as she realizes that his abilities may stem from the time he died and was revived.
• Liz: Briefly interacts with Menchi and shares Cheadle’s mistaken assumption that Menchi is Moyu’s girlfriend.

Significant Themes

• The value of a Hunter License: The license is portrayed as an exceptionally useful credential, offering freedom of movement, access to restricted areas and services, and protection from bureaucratic obstacles.
• Mentorship and responsibility: Moyu’s relationship with Menchi shifts from travel companionship toward genuine master-and-apprentice development.
• The consequences of death and revival: The chapter reveals that Moyu’s near-death experience before birth may be the source of his post-mortem Nen, suggesting that his extraordinary abilities are directly tied to his unusual origin.
• Uncertainty and limited resources: The Hunter Association’s inability to repeat the Davidson operation highlights the unpredictable nature of Nen abilities and the limits imposed by one-use artifacts.
• Identity and secrecy: Moyu continues using aliases and concealing details such as his true age, reflecting his cautious and secretive nature.

Character Interactions

• Moyu and Menchi travel closely together, with Menchi learning from him and supporting him as his apprentice.
• Piyon teases Moyu about his lack of contact and questions the appropriateness of a teenager having an apprentice. Moyu avoids the personal questions and abruptly ends the call.
• Cheadle and Moyu discuss the failed operation against Davidson. Their conversation turns serious when Moyu reveals the Surprise Magic Box and Cheadle recognizes its post-mortem Nen.
• Cheadle and Liz silently reach the same mistaken conclusion about Moyu and Menchi’s relationship, creating a brief humorous contrast with the otherwise serious revelations at the chapter’s end.
• Cheadle connects Moyu’s present ability to the incident in which he died in Yiliana’s womb and was revived through Balance’s power, setting up a deeper mystery surrounding Moyu’s existence.

Plot points and events

• Moyu creates the Surprise Magic Box, a disposable Nen artifact that costs its user half their current aura and has a 50% chance of producing what they need most—or least—at that moment.
• Cheadle realizes Moyu can conjure Nen tied to death despite being alive. She suspects Elena’s sacrifice and Moyu’s earlier death made him something like a Post-Mortem Relic, and warns him to keep this secret.
• Moyu gives Cheadle the box, reasoning that she needs it more than he does to address the current crisis. She opens it and receives a Finger Compass, which can point toward Davidson.
• Cheadle sets off to return to the Hunter Association, but the compass begins fading as she gets farther from Moyu. She turns back, realizing it cannot be used at a distance from him.
• At an unknown Demon Domain, an elderly man examines the Eye of Vision, a Post-Mortem Relic, while more than a hundred black-clad figures stand behind him.
• After Cheadle leaves, Liz offers to find a training location for Menchi, whose Nen foundation Moyu plans to strengthen.

Character developments and interactions

• Moyu remains calm about the danger and value of his ability. His gift shows his trust in Cheadle, and his decision earns him a permanent Perception reward: When the Stars Shine on Humanity, which doubles mental resilience and increases affinity.
• Cheadle is alarmed by what Moyu may be and protective of him. Though she initially hesitates to accept the box, she trusts his insistence and acts quickly once it reveals a way to locate Davidson.
• Liz learns that Moyu and Menchi are master and apprentice, not a couple, and offers practical help with Menchi’s training.
• Menchi is established as needing further foundational Nen training.

Significant themes

• Death and what survives it: Post-Mortem Nen ordinarily follows death, making Moyu’s living connection to it unsettling and possibly unprecedented.
• Trust and sacrifice: Moyu gives up a rare, potentially life-saving artifact because he believes Cheadle needs it; her response reflects deep concern for him.
• Power and uncertainty: The box’s equal odds of help or harm make its usefulness inseparable from risk.
• Human resilience: Moyu’s new permanent buff raises the possibility of resisting mental attacks, including threats associated with Dark Continent creatures.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Qinglin Squad suffers catastrophic losses after Netero’s 100-Type Guanyin and Botobai defeat two more Heavenly Stem members, Heavenly Stem Xu and Heavenly Stem Xin.
• With only six powerful Heavenly Stems remaining—Yi, Bing, Jia, Geng, Ren, and Gui—and fewer than one hundred other capable fighters, the squad is no longer able to openly challenge the Hunter Association.
• The masked Qinglin leader concludes that there is no conventional path forward. He decides to sacrifice himself by using the post-mortem relic known as the Eye of Vision.
• The Eye of Vision can create a Nen Space and may connect to the world of the dead. The leader’s decades of meditation have generated the mental power needed to activate it.
• Although the Eye cannot destroy the Hunter Association outright, it can buy Swamp Man time to infiltrate the leadership of major nations. Once that infiltration is complete, the squad plans to activate the “switch” represented by Davidson, unleashing worldwide chaos.
• At the Suibian Law Firm, Cheadle discovers that the Finger Compass only remains stable within approximately five hundred meters of Moyu.
• She returns to inform Moyu, who realizes that he had overlooked the range limitations of the Nen Artifact because he did not consciously regard it as part of his own Nen system.
• Moyu remains calm and suggests using the situation as an opportunity to approach Davidson, joking that he wants to obtain an autograph from the author of Swamp Man.

Character Developments

• The masked Qinglin leader reaches a psychological breaking point. Though he has long carried out the wishes of the dead with unwavering determination, age and repeated defeats have exhausted him. His humanity finally gives way to cold nihilism, and he chooses self-sacrifice as the squad’s final strategy.
• The Qinglin Squad shifts from attempting to defeat the Hunter Association directly to pursuing a long-term plan of global destabilization. Their desperation makes them increasingly willing to sacrifice ordinary civilians.
• Cheadle demonstrates her usual conscientiousness by immediately acknowledging her oversight regarding the Finger Compass’s range. Her discovery also establishes an important practical limitation on Moyu’s Nen Artifact.
• Moyu shows composure and adaptability. He recognizes the technical reason for the artifact’s limitation and quickly turns a potential setback into a possible advantage involving Davidson.

Significant Themes

• The futility of strategy against overwhelming power: The Qinglin Squad’s elaborate ambush fails because Netero’s strength renders their plans meaningless.
• Desperation and nihilism: Facing extinction, the squad abandons ordinary moral restraints and embraces mass chaos as a means of survival.
• Sacrifice and decay: The leader’s aging body reflects the decline of the entire organization, while his final act transforms decades of discipline into a weapon.
• The danger of ideological extremism: His belief that ordinary human lives are expendable shows how prolonged conflict has stripped away his humanity.
• Limits and unforeseen consequences: The Finger Compass’s five-hundred-meter range illustrates how Nen abilities are governed by technical restrictions that users may overlook.
• Order versus chaos: The Qinglin Squad hopes to destroy established systems so that only “extraordinary” humans remain dominant.

Character Interactions

• The masked leader addresses the silent Qinglin core members, announcing that he will go ahead and sacrifice himself. Their silence suggests shared resignation and loyalty.
• Cheadle privately brings Moyu back to discuss the Finger Compass, trusting him with the artifact’s limitation and taking responsibility for her mistake.
• Moyu explains the likely Nen-based cause of the range restriction, while Cheadle listens seriously.
• Their exchange ends with Moyu’s lighthearted autograph remark, contrasting his calm humor with the Qinglin Squad’s increasingly grim and destructive plans.

Chapter summary

Key plot points and events

• The Finger Compass can lead the Hunter Association to Davidson, but it cannot travel far from Moyu. The Association therefore needs Moyu to accompany the operation.
• Cheadle is torn between the operation’s importance and her concern for Moyu’s safety. Moyu volunteers, both to help avert the threat posed by the Swamp Man and because he welcomes a challenging Nen battle. He also hopes to see Netero and his 100-Type Guanyin in action.
• Moyu leaves Menchi behind in Laxiang City, instructing her to train and promising to test her progress when he returns. Liz agrees to supervise her.
• Cheadle and Moyu travel to Shivadani City. Cheadle has already briefed Netero, and she has plausible ways to explain Moyu’s involvement and the Finger Compass.
• At the Hunter Association, the Zodiacs await Cheadle’s arrival. Netero’s unusually early attendance leads them to suspect the meeting concerns the effort to capture Davidson. Cheadle enters with Moyu, surprising the group—especially Piyon.

Character developments

• Moyu chooses to take on a dangerous mission, driven by both responsibility and his appetite for a worthwhile challenge. His curiosity about Netero also reveals his desire to measure his own strength.
• Cheadle resolves her personal conflict after Moyu volunteers, accepting his help despite her concern for him.
• Menchi is disappointed that she cannot join Moyu, but agrees to stay and train. Her Nen development remains an important goal before the Hunter Exam.
• Piyon is startled and seemingly jealous to see Moyu arrive with Cheadle.

Character interactions

• Moyu reassures Cheadle through his willingness to help, and she thanks him.
• He firmly turns down Menchi’s request to come along, leaving her training in Liz’s care.
• On the airship, Cheadle explains that Moyu’s previous role in the response effort justifies his participation.
• Piyon and Moyu exchange a silent, teasing conversation through looks; she questions why he came with Cheadle, and he chooses to ignore her.

Significant themes

• Duty versus personal safety: Cheadle must weigh the public good against the risk to someone she cares about.
• Growth through challenge: Moyu sees the mission as a chance to test himself, while Menchi is encouraged to build her Nen skills in his absence.
• Trust and responsibility: Cheadle relies on Moyu’s choice, and Moyu entrusts Liz with Menchi’s development.
• Jealousy and playful subtext: Piyon’s reaction adds humor and hints at her personal attachment to Moyu.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Moyu reflects on his alias, Kester, and worries that the Zodiacs or Chairman Netero may know his identity is fabricated. He concludes that even if exposed, there is little evidence about his true origins beyond a likely connection to Meteor City.
• Moyu attends a Zodiac meeting despite not possessing a Hunter License. Most members react with suspicion or irritation, though Kanzai and Piyon already regard him favorably.
• Chairman Netero immediately begins the meeting without questioning Moyu’s presence, implying that he already knows enough about Moyu and considers him qualified to remain.
• Cheadle directs Moyu to sit in an observer’s chair. Pariston attempts to provoke him by offering Ging’s empty seat and questioning whether Moyu should participate, but Moyu ignores the bait and takes the audience seat.
• The meeting concerns the second operation to capture Davidson. Cheadle reveals the Finger Compass, a Nen artifact capable of locating people, allowing the Association to quickly devise a new plan.
• Kanzai is especially enthusiastic about participating in the operation, while Piyon continues to glare suspiciously at Moyu.
• The chapter ends with an airship heading toward Shivadani City, carrying a cold bronze eyeball surrounded by powerful post-mortem Nen, foreshadowing a dangerous development.

Character Developments

• Moyu remains calm and self-controlled despite being scrutinized by the Zodiacs. He demonstrates that he can withstand Pariston’s provocations and adapt to the unusual political atmosphere of the Association.
• Netero shows his confidence in Moyu by refusing to question his presence publicly, suggesting that he recognizes Moyu’s abilities and qualifications.
• Cheadle acts protectively and pragmatically, attempting to secure Moyu’s place while managing the meeting.
• Pariston displays his usual manipulative and playful behavior, probing Moyu’s status and attempting to create tension.
• Kanzai remains openly friendly and excited about the upcoming mission.
• Piyon appears to trust Moyu but remains highly attentive to him, repeatedly scrutinizing him during the meeting.

Significant Themes

• Identity and secrecy: Moyu’s false name and unknown past raise questions about whether identity is defined by records, reputation, or personal ability.
• Recognition and qualifications: The chapter contrasts formal credentials—such as a Hunter License—with genuine competence, as Netero accepts Moyu despite his lack of official status.
• Political tension and manipulation: The Zodiac meeting reveals the balance of trust, suspicion, and hidden agendas within the Hunter Association, particularly through Pariston’s behavior.
• Composure under scrutiny: Moyu’s silence and restraint demonstrate his growing maturity and ability to navigate powerful personalities.
• Foreshadowing: The post-mortem Nen and ominous artifact aboard the airship signal that the upcoming operation may involve an unusually dangerous enemy.

Character Interactions

• Cheadle and Netero implicitly cooperate to allow Moyu to remain at the meeting.
• Pariston deliberately challenges both Cheadle’s decision and Moyu’s position, but Moyu refuses to engage.
• Netero’s brief response effectively ends Pariston’s challenge and confirms Moyu’s provisional acceptance.
• Kanzai’s enthusiasm contrasts with Piyon’s suspicious attention toward Moyu, highlighting the differing reactions among the Zodiacs.

Chapter Summary: “A New Calamity”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Qinglin Squad’s leader sacrifices his life to fully awaken the Eye of Vision, unleashing an enormous and rapidly growing mass of post-mortem Black Nen.
• Defo, the squad’s “Gui” Heavenly Stem associated with death, pilots an airship carrying this power toward Shivadani City, intending to deliver it directly to the Hunter Association.
• The Eye of Vision traps dozens of Qinglin Squad members in Nen cocoons and creates interconnected Nen Spaces within them. These spaces feed on the victims’ mental strength and expand when they merge, potentially engulfing much of the Hunter Association’s combat force.
• The Hunter Association concludes that the Marshfolk infection can no longer be contained. The organization’s primary objective becomes capturing Davidson, the source of the Swamp Man’s ability, even if killing him is ultimately the only way to halt the crisis.
• The Marshfolk have infiltrated the upper levels of multiple nations, making political intervention nearly impossible without undeniable proof.
• The Zodiacs finalize their second operation: combat specialists such as Botobai and Kanzai will lead the capture effort, while Cheadle, Piyon, and Pariston provide support.
• After the meeting, Chairman Netero asks Moyu to accompany him privately for tea. He indirectly raises the subject of Nen abilities capable of reviving people after death, clearly hinting at Moyu’s own circumstances.

Character Developments

• The Qinglin leader completes his long-prepared plan by sacrificing his life, transforming years of meditation and accumulated Nen into a catastrophic weapon.
• Defo displays complete devotion to the Qinglin Squad’s cause. He is unconcerned about dying and focuses only on delivering the “gift” to Shivadani City.
• Moyu remains composed despite intense scrutiny from the Zodiacs. He recognizes that Pariston has taken an interest in him but refuses to react in a way that might give Pariston useful information.
• Moyu accepts Netero’s invitation, demonstrating both his willingness to cooperate and his confidence under observation.
• Pariston continues testing Moyu through artificial smiles and prolonged eye contact, apparently treating their silent exchanges as an entertaining psychological game.
• Netero observes Moyu carefully and deliberately steers their private conversation toward resurrection-related Nen, confirming that he is investigating Moyu’s unusual status.
• Cheadle and Piyon show strong curiosity about Moyu’s relationship with Netero, with Piyon especially frustrated that she loses the chance to question him herself.

Significant Themes

• Sacrifice and fanaticism: The Qinglin leader gives up his life and decades of effort to create a weapon intended to cripple the Hunter Association.
• The uncontrollable nature of Nen: Nen is portrayed as capable of producing effects that persist after death, alter reality, and potentially create large-scale disasters.
• Political helplessness: The Hunter Association cannot simply act against compromised government officials, even when they suspect Marshfolk infiltration.
• Surveillance and hidden motives: Moyu is watched by nearly everyone around him, while Pariston and Netero probe him in very different ways.
• Trust and identity: Moyu relies on Cheadle’s trust and extends that trust to Netero, even as Netero subtly questions whether Moyu has returned from death.
• Calm versus manipulation: Moyu’s emotional restraint contrasts with Pariston’s playful psychological manipulation and Netero’s seemingly casual but purposeful conversation.

Character Interactions

• Defo interacts mainly with the airship’s Nen phenomenon, treating the growing calamity as a triumphant delivery rather than a threat to himself.
• Moyu and Pariston engage in a silent contest of eye contact and controlled reactions; Moyu refuses to provide Pariston with emotional clues.
• The Zodiacs observe Moyu and Netero closely, eager to understand Moyu’s importance to the Chairman.
• Netero publicly singles Moyu out after the meeting, increasing the Zodiacs’ curiosity and suspicion.
• In private, Netero offers Moyu tea and hints that he knows about Nen-based resurrection, prompting Moyu’s brief surprise before he regains his composure.

Chapter Summary: “You Rotten Old Man, You’re Bad to the Bone”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Netero reveals that he knows about Moyu’s hidden identity, background, secrets, and potentially dangerous post-mortem Nen through Cheadle and Biscuit.
• Rather than judging Moyu by his powers or circumstances, Netero evaluates him based on his character. He is impressed that Moyu quickly realized Cheadle had exposed his secret but continued trusting her intentions.
• Moyu openly gives Netero his true name: Moyu Isaac. Netero points out that his own full name is Isaac Netero, suggesting a connection between them. Moyu initially dismisses it as coincidence, but Netero evasively changes the subject.
• The chapter implies that their shared surname is connected not by blood, but through an old master-disciple tradition in which disciples adopted their master’s surname out of respect.
• Netero mischievously claims that Biscuit believes Moyu could defeat him after ten years. When Moyu nearly chokes on his tea, Netero admits he invented that specific statement, though Biscuit did describe Moyu as the most talented and hardworking person she had ever met.
• Netero invites Moyu to “play ball,” a euphemism for sparring. Moyu recognizes Netero’s habit of using such games to toy with younger opponents and jokingly suggests waiting ten years instead.
• The two then converse more sincerely about post-mortem Nen surrounding the Temple, Swamp Man’s ability, and combat techniques. Their discussion allows them to develop a deeper mutual understanding.
• Netero again proposes a ball game. Before Moyu can decide, a terrifying aura suddenly descends from above. Both men sense it and look toward the ceiling.
• The chapter ends with an enormous, aura-wrapped eye streaking toward Shivadani City like a meteor, signaling an imminent catastrophe that most civilians remain unaware of.

Character Developments

• Moyu: Demonstrates emotional maturity, honesty, and strong trust in Cheadle. He remains calm when his secret is revealed and is willing to discuss his identity openly. His humor and skepticism toward Netero show that he is not easily intimidated, though he remains wary of being manipulated into a fight.
• Netero: Shows that he values character above lineage, talent, or dangerous abilities. He is playful, deliberately evasive, and enjoys provoking Moyu, but also sincerely respects him and wants to assess his abilities and potential firsthand.
• Cheadle and Biscuit: Though absent, both significantly influence the meeting. Cheadle’s judgment and protective actions earn Moyu’s trust, while Biscuit’s extremely high evaluation of Moyu shapes Netero’s expectations.

Significant Themes

• Character over power or origin: Netero believes a person’s moral character matters more than their background, secrets, or abilities.
• Trust and protection: Moyu accepts Cheadle’s decision to conceal his secret because he understands that she acted to protect him.
• Master-disciple legacy: The shared “Isaac” name hints at a connection based on inherited teachings and respect rather than family blood.
• Mentorship and testing: Netero’s teasing invitation to spar reflects his interest in measuring and challenging Moyu’s growth.
• Humor masking seriousness: Their playful conversation conceals important discussions about dangerous Nen, Moyu’s potential, and the approaching threat.

Character Interactions

• Moyu and Netero engage in a verbal battle marked by evasive questions, teasing, and mutual observation.
• Netero deliberately exaggerates Biscuit’s praise to provoke Moyu, while Moyu responds with dry skepticism and humor.
• Their conversation gradually shifts from interrogation and teasing to genuine intellectual exchange, suggesting the beginnings of mutual respect.
• The sudden arrival of the ominous aura interrupts their developing rapport and forces both characters to focus on the approaching danger.

Key plot points

• A vast mass of Post-Mortem Nen descends over Shivadani City, spreading in fine black strands. The aura is tied to the Eye of Vision and likely comes from one of the relics collected by the Qinglin Squad.
• The strands infect ordinary people, turning them into black cocoons. Their mental energy creates individual Nen Spaces that rapidly merge, threatening to engulf the entire city. Nen users can resist infection by protecting themselves with aura, but the expanding cocoon eventually traps even those trying to flee.
• Moyu recognizes the aura as Post-Mortem Nen and suspects the Qinglin Squad is behind the event. He leaves to find Cheadle, accompanied by Piyon.
• Moyu and Piyon enter a Nen Space inside the Hunter Association Building. It recreates the surroundings in grayscale, with Moyu and Piyon apparently the only people present. Their eyes retain their color, and Moyu can still sense the Nen’s source, though Piyon cannot.
• After searching the building, they head outside. A giant cartoon rabbit, matching the design on Piyon’s shirt, bounces toward them.
• In a separate scene, Netero encounters Jed, the friend he once killed. Jed declares that death has not ended his grudge.

Character developments and interactions

• Moyu acts quickly and cautiously, linking the citywide crisis to the Qinglin Squad and prioritizing finding Cheadle. His unusual sensitivity to Post-Mortem Nen may stem from having died once before.
• Piyon chooses to stay with Moyu for safety. Her playful curiosity—checking her underwear to test whether color is lost in the Nen Space—contrasts with the danger around them. She is delighted by the giant rabbit, while Moyu is baffled.
• Pariston watches the phenomenon with fascination rather than fear, anticipating that something entertaining will happen.
• Netero is confronted with the return of Jed, a figure from his past whose resentment remains unresolved.

Significant themes

• Post-Mortem Nen and the persistence of grudges: Jed’s return embodies the idea that strong emotions can survive death and become a force in the present.
• Mass danger and helplessness: Ordinary citizens are consumed before they understand what is happening, while even Nen users have limited options once the cocoon expands.
• Uncertainty and perception: Moyu and Piyon enter an unfamiliar world with incomplete information; their different ability to sense the aura highlights the limits of what they can perceive.
• Contrast between horror and absurdity: The citywide catastrophe and Netero’s grim reunion are juxtaposed with Piyon’s comic behavior and the inexplicable giant rabbit.

• Nen Spaces spread across Shivadani City: Streams of mental energy create an enormous space that draws people inside and turns them into sources of further Nen Spaces. Because it is powered by post-mortem Nen, its rules—and the possibility of escape—are uncertain.
• Netero confronts Jed: Within a gray Nen Space, Netero tells his former friend that attaining Buddhahood remains his true destination. Jed rejects the sentiment and challenges him to face his hatred. Netero answers by summoning his golden Guanyin, whose immense aura shakes the space itself.
• The nature of Nen Spaces is considered: The narration contrasts Emitters’ ability to shift localized space with Conjurers’ more troublesome spaces, which can impose rules. Access may allow free passage, deny it, or permit travel in only one direction; post-mortem Nen could produce still stranger effects.
• Moyu and Piyon investigate: Outside the Hunter Association building, Moyu and Piyon identify a gigantic cartoon rabbit head as likely originating from Piyon within a Conjurer-style Nen Space. Moyu leaves it to her, while both remain wary of unknown rules and whatever else the space might create.
• The rabbit head reveals a new effect: Piyon’s punch sends the giant head flying, but it vanishes into gray fragments when it touches a building. A duplicate streetscape appears beyond the tear, suggesting that spaces are overlapping. Beneath the opening, Moyu spots someone who looks exactly like him, prompting Piyon’s surprise.
  Character developments and interactions: Netero remains composed but shows a rare emotional disturbance at seeing Jed again. Jed’s hatred drives his challenge. Piyon readily takes responsibility for the rabbit head, while Moyu stays analytical and cautious; their banter also highlights her playful sensitivity to his wording. The chapter ends with the unsettling possibility of a duplicate Moyu.

Plot points and events

• Piyon and Moyu examine a spatial rift that reveals a second copy of Shivadani City. They suspect a powerful Post-Mortem Nen ability has copied the area into multiple overlapping Nen Spaces.
• A gray-eyed duplicate of Moyu appears beneath the rift. It moves using a fast, partly shadow-based technique Moyu has imagined but cannot yet perform himself, suggesting the Nen Space can draw on someone’s thoughts or memories.
• Moyu and Piyon cross into the second Nen Space. The ominous aura seems to shift with them, implying that the connected spaces each have their own aura.
• Elsewhere in another Nen Space, Kanzai defeats a group of weak, spiky-haired tiger creatures while Cheadle watches. A gray-eyed Moyu Clone appears, apparently created from Cheadle’s mind.
• Kanzai attacks the clone, expecting an easy fight. The clone avoids his punch by opening a hole in its face, then lands an uppercut and elbow that send Kanzai crashing to the ground.

Character development and interactions

• Moyu remains cautious and analytical, trying to understand the Nen Space rather than dwell on the embarrassment of his apparent “copy.” He recognizes that the clone can manifest techniques beyond his current abilities.
• Piyon teases Moyu relentlessly about having “given birth” to his duplicate, but turns serious when they discuss the danger and implications of the Nen phenomenon. She and Moyu exchange familiar, lightly teasing banter.
• Cheadle stays composed while assessing the situation, though she is weary of Kanzai’s assumptions.
• Kanzai is cocky and eager to fight the clone, but is shocked when it proves vastly more capable than he expected. His defeat punctures his confidence.

Significant themes

• Nen shaped by the mind: The Nen Spaces appear to create beings and objects based on people’s memories, preferences, or imagined abilities.
• Appearance versus reality: The creatures initially seem threatening, but most are weak; the Moyu Clone, however, is unexpectedly powerful.
• Uncertainty and escalation: The linked Nen Spaces and their shifting auras suggest a larger, poorly understood danger than the characters first assumed.

Key plot points and events

• Kanzai is stunned when Cheadle’s Moyu Clone proves far stronger than the Hedgehog-Headed Tigers. After being knocked down, he charges after it, furious at being ignored.
• The Clone heads for Cheadle on the bus. She recognizes it as a creation of the colorless Nen Space and wonders why it is so powerful.
• Kanzai catches up and attacks, but the Clone repeatedly vanishes and reappears behind him—seemingly teleporting. Kanzai’s quick Nen defense lets him withstand an initial blow, but he cannot land a counterattack.
• The Clone exploits Kanzai’s movements to strike the same spot in his lower back, eventually sending him crashing into a van. Kanzai is physically unharmed but loses his temper.
• Cheadle watches, realizing the Clone’s apparent abilities exceed what she knows of Moyu and questioning how the Nen Space created it.

Character development

• Kanzai shifts from bafflement to rage and frustration. His instincts and Nen control remain sharp, but his confidence is shaken by an opponent he cannot hit.
• Cheadle stays observant and composed, assessing the fight rather than rushing in. Her surprise turns into curiosity about the Clone’s unusual strength and teleportation-like ability.
• The Moyu Clone appears calm and strategically skilled, using repeated repositioning to exploit Kanzai’s attacks.

Significant themes

• Appearance versus capability: The Clone looks like other Nen Space creations, yet its strength and skills are markedly different.
• Adaptation under pressure: Kanzai’s rapid shift from offense to defense shows his combat skill, even as the Clone keeps finding ways around it.
• Uncertainty about Nen abilities: The Clone’s apparent teleportation and power challenge what Cheadle and Kanzai thought they understood about the Nen Space.

Character interactions

• Kanzai’s anger is fueled by the Clone ignoring him and repeatedly outmaneuvering him.
• Cheadle warns Kanzai when the Clone appears behind him, though he reacts before her warning is needed.
• The Clone’s attacks provoke Kanzai but also give Cheadle a chance to study the gap between the Clone’s abilities and Moyu’s known level.

Plot and key events

• Kanzai attacks the Moyu Clone, but its strange abilities—teleportation and the ability to let attacks pass through gaps in its body—allow it to break through his defenses.
• Cheadle urges Kanzai to work with her, but he refuses, convinced the clone’s attacks are weak enough for him to handle alone. He asks her to observe and gather information.
• Cheadle warns that there may be other impostors nearby. She suspects the Association’s members may have been drawn into separate Nen Spaces, and that the clone’s knowledge and abilities may come from the real Moyu in another space.
• Kanzai charges again. The clone severs its own arm, and Kanzai suddenly suffers a long, bloody cut on his arm.
• The attack makes Cheadle question whether the Nen Space’s creations can bypass the usual limits of Nen vows and restrictions. She fears the space has unleashed something extraordinarily dangerous.

Character developments and interactions

• Kanzai remains proud and combative. Though he recognizes the clone as a serious opponent, he insists on fighting alone and focuses on winning.
• Cheadle shifts from puzzlement to a growing theory about the Nen Space. Her concern deepens when the clone’s apparent power exceeds what she believes Moyu could possess.
• Their exchange highlights their differing approaches: Kanzai relies on direct action, while Cheadle observes, reasons, and warns.

Significant themes

• The limits and rules of Nen: The clone’s abilities raise the possibility that a created being can evade normal restrictions.
• Uncertainty and escalating danger: Each discovery complicates Cheadle’s understanding of the Nen Space and increases the stakes.
• The gap between appearance and reality: The clone looks and acts like Moyu, but may possess powers beyond the original—making it difficult to know what, or whom, they are facing.

Plot points and events

• The Nen Space’s copies have no Vows or Restrictions, letting them use their abilities more freely while retaining their originals’ combat skill. This explains why the Moyu Clone managed to hurt Kanzai.
• The clone’s ability transfers self-inflicted injuries to Kanzai. It repeatedly wounds itself to damage him from a distance, while remaining unnervingly composed.
• Cheadle checks whether Kanzai still wants to fight alone. He refuses, insisting he can withstand the clone’s attacks and that his Tiger Stripes healing will outlast them.
• Kanzai’s injuries—and Cheadle’s questions—leave him visibly irritated. He insists his desire to tear off the clone’s face has nothing to do with jealousy of Moyu.
• In Nen Space B, Moyu and Piyon find that the passage has been breached. A large battle is underway nearby, involving nearly a hundred people, monstrous creatures, and moving machines.
• Moyu sends his shadow to scout the fighting and wonders where his own clone has gone. The clone arrives at the battlefield and fixes on a cloaked man.

Character developments and interactions

• Kanzai is shaken at first but regains his composure and clings to his decision to fight alone. He frames enduring the clone’s attacks as strategy, though his personal dislike of the copy—and his frustration with Moyu’s calm demeanor—also drives him.
• Cheadle remains level-headed, assessing the danger and questioning Kanzai’s choices. Her calm teasing only makes him more defensive.
• Moyu stays cautious, scouting the chaotic battle while keeping track of the danger posed by his missing clone.
• Piyon reacts with curiosity to the breached passage and the commotion beyond it.

Significant themes

• The danger of unrestricted abilities: Copies freed from Vows and Restrictions can use their powers in ways their originals cannot.
• Endurance versus offense: Kanzai relies on healing and patience rather than attacking, turning apparent passivity into a planned strategy.
• Identity and rivalry: Kanzai’s hostility toward the copy is entangled with his resentment of Moyu’s unflappable calm.

Key plot points and events

• The Nen Space erupts into a chaotic battle: Qinglin Squad members, Hunters, and enormous Thought-Objects clash amid burning cars, damaged buildings, and shattered streets.
• The Qinglin Squad is using the Nen Space to wear down Hunters and prolong the space’s existence, buying time for the Swamp Man Phenomenon to spread.
• Moyu’s clone enters the fight and begins eliminating opponents with startling speed. In five seconds, it kills a Qinglin Squad member and a Professional Hunter; it then continues cutting down outsiders across the battlefield.
• The Qinglin Squad initially appears to dominate, but its numbers quickly collapse. A muscular squad leader finally notices the clone after only four of his roughly dozen comrades remain.
• Moyu and Piyon watch from the battlefield’s edge. Piyon remarks on the clone’s killing spree, while Moyu insists it is not him.

Character developments and interactions

• Moyu’s clone is revealed as a highly efficient, merciless fighter, exploiting the battle’s confusion to strike without warning.
• Piyon is unsettled by the clone’s brutality and sees it as a new, darker side of Moyu.
• Moyu distances himself from the clone’s actions, but Piyon rejects the distinction, arguing that the clone’s behavior is exactly like his.
• The Qinglin Squad shifts from confident control to alarm as the clone rapidly decimates its members.

Significant themes

• Reality versus imagination: Real objects and people collide with imagined creations in the Nen Space, producing physical devastation.
• Power and vulnerability: The Qinglin Squad is initially the strongest force, yet its confidence leaves it unaware of the threat picking it off.
• Identity and responsibility: Moyu’s denial raises the question of whether a clone’s actions can truly be separated from its creator.
• Violence in chaos: The battlefield’s disorder provides cover for both the Squad’s mass assault and the clone’s precise killings.

Key plot points and events

• Piyon watches the Moyu Clone move almost invisibly through a chaotic battle, killing targets with precise, low-effort attacks.
• She teases Moyu that, despite his preference for direct combat, he would choose the easiest solution when facing real trouble. Moyu gives up denying that the clone reflects his own ideas and abilities.
• The clone is finally noticed as the Qinglin Squad and the remaining Professional Hunters regroup and turn their attention toward him. They realize he is a gray-eyed product of the Nen Space, like the hostile Thought-Objects.
• With the fighting briefly halted and no easy openings left, the clone’s Nen surges. He creates dozens of copies of himself—apparently without weakening them.

Character developments

• Moyu recognizes that the clone is successfully enacting tactics and Nen-ability combinations he had only considered. The display reminds him of Biscuit’s wish to meet his future self.
• Piyon shows perceptiveness, reading the clone as an expression of Moyu’s practical, efficiency-minded nature despite his protestations.
• The Moyu Clone shifts from discreetly picking off individuals to revealing overwhelming strength through mass duplication.

Significant themes

• Self-knowledge and identity: The clone’s actions expose aspects of Moyu’s own thinking that he would rather deny.
• Efficiency versus enjoyment: Piyon challenges Moyu’s claim that he prefers direct combat, arguing that practicality would take precedence when the stakes are high.
• Escalation and uncertainty: The battle’s many dangers give way to a new threat when the clone’s apparent ability to multiply without losing strength is revealed.

Character interactions

• Piyon observes the clone and confronts Moyu with her interpretation of what it says about him; Moyu initially denies the connection, then concedes internally.
• The Qinglin Squad regroups under the muscular man’s command, while the Professional Hunters also focus on the clone.
• A Professional Hunter demands to know what the clone is, but it ignores him and remains intent on killing.

Key plot points and events

• Moyu’s clone conjures dozens of Shadow Clones, each retaining its full Nen strength—an astonishing feat compared with abilities like Morel’s smoke soldiers, whose power is divided among them.
• The Qinglin Squad leader realizes the Nen Space has turned against him. Believing a Nen-using Thought-Object can exploit abilities without their usual restrictions or costs, he loses the will to fight and decides to escape and warn Defo.
• The clones’ numbers match those of the remaining outsiders, though the scene suggests the original clone may be able to create even more. The arriving army is poised to overwhelm the fighters and end the melee.
• Outside the arena, Moyu is as shocked as everyone else by the clone’s power. He urges Piyon to leave Nen Space B before the Thought-Objects finish the fight and turn on them.
• Piyon initially wants to keep watching for information, but accepts Moyu’s judgment. The two head away as the Qinglin leader flees and the battle rapidly approaches its end.

Character developments and interactions

• Moyu recognizes that the clone’s overwhelming power makes staying dangerous, and acts decisively to get himself and Piyon to safety.
• Piyon shows both curiosity and trust: despite wanting to observe the Nen Space, she follows Moyu without demanding an explanation, trusting the thirteen-year-old’s assessment.
• The Qinglin leader shifts from apparent control to panic and retreat once he understands the threat.
• Moyu’s clone demonstrates formidable tactical judgment, having used efficient surprise attacks before revealing its capacity to overwhelm the arena openly.

Significant themes

• The danger of power without limits: The Nen Space may let Thought-Objects use Nen abilities beyond their normal restrictions, making them exceptionally dangerous.
• Appearances versus true strength: The clone’s ability to multiply without diluting its power overturns ordinary expectations about conjured duplicates.
• Trust under uncertainty: Piyon relies on Moyu’s judgment even though she does not fully understand the danger.

Key events

• Moyu flees toward a spatial rift, with Piyon following. He is unaware that the attackers behind them are his own Shadow Clones and assumes they are a threat.
• The Shadow Clones overwhelm the Qinglin Squad and other Hunters. Their ability to shift between flat shadows, liquid-like forms, and solid attacks lets them bypass defenses and kill one Qinglin member almost instantly.
• A muscular Qinglin Squad member escapes toward a rift, hoping to warn Defo. He is horrified by the clones’ power and concludes that a human Thought-Object capable of using Nen is far more dangerous than an ordinary, monstrous Thought-Object.
• Piyon witnesses the clones’ devastating teamwork and understands why Moyu is rushing to escape.
• Moyu spots the fleeing muscular man and tells Piyon to stay hidden and follow him.
• In another Nen Space, Kanzai is exhausted and wounded, and begins to doubt whether the Moyu Clone he faces has any limits.

Character developments and interactions

• Moyu remains wary of the clones without realizing they are his own, but quickly shifts from escape to pursuing the muscular survivor as a possible lead.
• Piyon moves from uncertainty to recognizing the immediate danger. She trusts Moyu’s direction and agrees to track the fleeing man discreetly.
• The muscular Qinglin member shifts from disbelief to terror, fixating on the impossible-seeming power of a young Nen user’s Thought-Object and prioritizing escape and warning Defo.
• Kanzai loses his earlier confidence as the clone wears him down.
• The Shadow Clones act with coordinated, lethal efficiency, while their victims struggle to understand the nature of their attacks.

Significant themes

• Knowledge makes power more dangerous: Unlike mindless Thought-Objects, human Nen users’ creations can apply Nen knowledge creatively and push abilities beyond expected limits.
• Appearances and mistaken understanding: Moyu fears the clones without knowing he created them, while the Qinglin member cannot reconcile their power with the apparent youth of their source.
• Teamwork and survival: The clones’ coordinated attacks make escape the only sensible response for those caught in their path.

Chapter Summary: “This Isn’t a Good Thing?”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Kanzai discovers that the Moyu Clone’s curse-like ability can bypass Nen defenses and damage him from a distance.
• Kanzai initially counters it with Tiger Stripes, using its healing ability to negate the clone’s self-inflicted damage. However, the clone repeatedly revives after mutilating itself, rendering Kanzai’s strategy ineffective.
• The two enter an endurance contest: the clone continues harming and reviving itself while Kanzai conserves his strength and refuses to attack.
• Kanzai gradually becomes exhausted, while the clone shows no signs of weakening. Cheadle intervenes before Kanzai is completely worn down.
• Cheadle proposes two explanations for the clone’s seemingly endless Nen supply:
  1. It may be replenishing its Nen through Nen Space.
  2. Moyu’s original body may be restoring Nen while remaining in Zetsu.
• She emphasizes that Kanzai cannot defeat the clone alone. Kanzai reluctantly agrees to fight alongside her.
• Just as Cheadle prepares to create an opening, the Moyu Clone stops its self-harm and releases a massive amount of aura, summoning more than a hundred Shadow Clones.
• Cheadle and Kanzai are shocked. Kanzai, already drained from the endurance battle, appears particularly vulnerable to being overwhelmed by the Shadow Clone army.
• In another part of Nen Space, a subordinate informs Defo of the dangerous situation. Instead of being alarmed, Defo reacts with interest and says, “Isn’t this a good thing?”, creating a new mystery about his intentions.

Character Developments

• Kanzai: His confidence is shaken as he realizes the clone has outlasted and possibly manipulated him. Though he tries to preserve his pride by dismissing the endurance contest as boring, he ultimately accepts that he needs Cheadle’s help.
• Cheadle: Demonstrates calm analytical thinking and strong leadership. She correctly identifies the likely source of the clone’s seemingly limitless stamina and takes responsibility for coordinating a joint attack.
• Moyu Clone: Reveals exceptional endurance, regenerative ability, tactical intelligence, and the capacity to rapidly create over a hundred Shadow Clones. It proves to be far more than a simple imitation.
• Defo: Displays an unsettling lack of concern regarding the crisis. His positive reaction suggests that the clone’s actions may serve his larger plans.

Significant Themes

• Endurance versus strategy: Kanzai’s physical resilience is undermined by the clone’s superior resource management and regenerative ability.
• The danger of underestimating a copy: The Moyu Clone possesses enough intelligence and combat skill to manipulate experienced fighters, challenging the assumption that it is merely an inferior counterfeit.
• Cooperation and humility: Kanzai must set aside his pride and accept that he cannot overcome the clone alone.
• Hidden agendas: Defo’s reaction implies that the apparent crisis may actually benefit him, hinting at deeper motives behind the Nen Space conflict.

Character Interactions

• Kanzai and the Moyu Clone engage in a silent battle of endurance, with Kanzai attempting to wait for the clone to exhaust itself.
• Cheadle interrupts Kanzai’s futile contest and explains why he is losing.
• Kanzai initially reacts defensively but accepts Cheadle’s conclusion and agrees to cooperate.
• Cheadle positions herself as the attacker who will create an opening for Kanzai, but the clone responds before their plan can begin by summoning a massive army of Shadow Clones.
• Defo’s subordinate urgently reports the danger, but Defo’s surprisingly pleased response leaves him confused and signals that the situation may be unfolding according to Defo’s wishes.

Key plot points and events

• A Qinglin Squad member warns Defo that Moyu’s powerful Nen Clones could spread into other Nen Spaces and become a serious threat.
• Defo dismisses the concern, then kills the muscular man with a nearly invisible cut across his neck. His death adds time to the Nen Space.
• The Qinglin Squad’s mission is to keep the Eye of Vision active by surviving and hunting other Nen users. Defo, however, entered intending to sacrifice himself—and hopes everyone will die there if it best serves the goal.
• Elsewhere in the Nen Space, Moyu and Piyon watch the Eye of Vision, whose immense aura marks it as a dangerous Post-Mortem Entity.
• Rather than attempt an exorcism beyond his ability, Moyu proposes waiting for a stronger Hunter—ideally Botobai or Chairman Netero—to deal with it. The two do not know that the other Nen Spaces are already in chaos.

Character developments and interactions

• Defo is revealed as utterly devoted to the operation, treating his own life, his comrades’ lives, and strangers’ lives as equally expendable. His calm execution of the muscular man shows both his ruthlessness and commitment.
• Moyu recognizes the limits of his exorcism skills and chooses caution over a reckless confrontation.
• Piyon has come to rely on Moyu’s judgment, though she is startled by his blunt “get carried” plan. She ultimately accepts the logic but teases him about his limited abilities.
• The muscular man misunderstands Defo’s intentions and is killed before he can respond.

Significant themes

• Sacrifice and devotion: Defo sees death as a tool for extending the Nen Space and fulfilling the mission.
• Power and limits: Moyu’s decision to wait highlights the importance of judging one’s capabilities honestly.
• Hidden danger and dramatic irony: The characters make plans without knowing how rapidly events elsewhere are deteriorating.

Key plot points and events

• The Moyu Clone sends armies of equally powerful Shadow Clones through spatial rifts to hunt down every outsider in the Nen Spaces.
• In Cheadle’s Nen Space, more than a hundred clones overwhelm Kanzai and Cheadle. Kanzai’s ability prevents a quick fatal blow, but his depleted Latent Aura eventually runs out, and he is defeated. Cheadle then faces the swarm alone.
• Across the Nen Spaces, the clones overwhelm isolated Nen users, including members of the Qinglin Squad. Their victims vanish as gray fragments, unable to retaliate or form Post-Mortem Nen.
• Botobai confronts the clones, initially confident that their individual weakness makes them harmless. But the clones continually reform after being dispersed, and he begins to realize he may be in trouble.
• In another Nen Space, Netero and Jed’s immense summoned constructs—the 100-Type Guanyin and the Hundred Demons Rakshasa—devastate the area around the Hunter Building. Netero notices that Jed appears to have been strengthened. As Moyu Clones begin emerging from a spatial rift, Netero watches in puzzlement.

Character developments and interactions

• Kanzai fights fiercely but is ultimately undone by exhaustion; Cheadle is forced to witness his defeat before facing the clones herself.
• Botobai shifts from dismissing the Shadow Clones to recognizing the danger posed by their endless numbers and ability to reform.
• Netero remains focused on Jed but is intrigued by both Jed’s apparent enhancement and the sudden arrival of multiple Moyu Clones.
• The Shadow Clones show no concern for their opponents, pursuing them relentlessly and wearing them down rather than relying on individual strength.

Significant themes

• Numbers and attrition: Individual power is not enough against an effectively replenishing swarm.
• Overconfidence: Botobai’s initial certainty falters as he learns the clones cannot be handled like ordinary Nen constructs.
• Helplessness and relentless pursuit: The victims cannot regroup or escape the hunters’ systematic sweep through the Nen Spaces.