Raid on the Cleaners' Hideout

The basement was dim and damp, thick with the stench of blood and mold.

Terrence was bound to a metal chair with special alloy restraints. His glasses sat crookedly, and bruises marked his face, yet his eyes still held a twisted arrogance.

Mizai Istom had interrogated him for nearly half an hour, exhausting every conventional method—from logical questioning to the intimidation of Nen pressure—but Terrence kept his mouth tightly shut and refused to reveal a single word.

The door opened, and Goreinu walked in. Fresh bandages were wrapped around his upper body, and his complexion was still somewhat pale. "How is it? Still refusing to talk?"

Mizai Istom shook his head, a rare trace of irritation flashing through his eyes. Conventional interrogation methods were often ineffective against stubborn people like this.

From the corner, Leo, who had been silently observing while leaning against the wall, suddenly spoke. "Let me handle it."

Terrence let out a scornful laugh, his expression full of disdain.

Mizai Istom looked at Leo. "Fine, but no violence."

"Don't worry." Leo straightened and walked over to Terrence, looking down at him. "I like people with stubborn mouths."

His tone was calm, even faintly amused, but for some reason, the temperature in the basement seemed to drop several degrees.

Leo turned to Goreinu. "Have the Colton Family find some powerful aphrodisiacs. They should still have several hunting dogs left, right? Bring those too."

Goreinu froze, then his eyes widened as his throat bobbed. "Y-you, what did you say?"

Even Mizai Istom wore a rare expression of shock.

Terrence's face instantly turned deathly pale. His body began trembling uncontrollably, but he still forced out hoarsely, "D-don't think you can scare me! You wouldn't dare—"

"Oh, right." Leo cut him off, his smile unchanged. "Get a high-definition camera too. How could such a wonderful scene be enjoyed by him alone? Film it, then upload it to all the major websites. I've already thought of the title—All-Purpose Superman. Afterward, strip him naked and toss him at the entrance of Heaven's Arena. The more people, the livelier."

He paused, leaning close to Terrence's ear and lowering his voice.

"Oh, and the other Cleaners members probably use the internet too, right? When they see that video, do you think they'll come save you... or decide you've stained the organization's reputation and come silence you themselves?"

"I'll talk!" Terrence broke down, practically screaming. "I'll talk! I'll tell you everything I know about the Cleaners! Make that devil leave! Get him out!!"

He screamed as he shook violently, tears and snot smeared across his face. The finger he pointed at Leo trembled like a fallen leaf in the wind.

Leo straightened and shrugged at Mizai Istom and Goreinu. "All right, he's yours. Make sure he tells you everything he knows. If anything seems off, remember to let me know—I have other ideas."

He turned and walked out of the basement, his steps light.

Watching Leo's back vanish up the stairwell, Goreinu swallowed and whispered to Mizai Istom, "What a cruel method... If an enemy falls into his hands, death would definitely be the best possible ending..."

Mizai Istom fell silent for several seconds before looking back at the shattered Terrence. His usual calm returned to his voice.

"Then let's start with the Cleaners' hideout in Toth City. Tell me everything."

The second-floor conference hall was brightly lit.

Mizai Istom spread the recorded intelligence across the long table, with Leo and Goreinu seated on either side.

"The Cleaners' current hideout in Toth City is in the unfinished buildings of Starry Bay in the western suburbs. Deep underground, they've converted the site into a laboratory."

Mizai Istom pointed to a red circle on the map. "Aside from Gabri, Theodore, and Terrence, who are already dead or captured, they have three members remaining."

He turned a page.

"The leader's codename is Doctor. His real name is unknown. He is extremely cautious, and his ability is bizarre. He has successfully escaped the Hunter Association's pursuit three times. According to Terrence, Doctor seems able to 'foresee danger.' Every time the Association moves against him, he manages to evacuate in advance."

"The other two: one is a Manipulator, codenamed Rat King. Her ability is to control swarms of rats, which are numerous and carry many diseases."

"The other is a Conjurer, codenamed Iron Wall. He can conjure a full suit of armor with a 'reflection' property—it can reflect physical attacks back at the attacker."

Mizai Istom closed his notebook and looked at the clock on the wall.

"There's one more crucial piece of information. They agreed that if the three men did not return to the hideout by eight tomorrow morning, they would be presumed exposed or captured. Doctor would immediately destroy the materials and flee."

Leo frowned. "There isn't enough time. Otherwise, Mr. Mizai Istom could have gathered more people from the Association and made sure nothing went wrong."

He pondered for a moment. "That Iron Wall who can reflect physical attacks is troublesome... But Mr. Mizai Istom, your Closed-Room Judgment should be able to counter him, right?"

Mizai Istom nodded. "Yes. My ability can restrain him."

"Then that's not a problem." Leo said, "Leave Rat King to me. I like hunting creatures best."

Goreinu couldn't help interjecting. "What about Doctor? The one who can foresee danger..."

"Leave Doctor to me."

Mizai Istom's tone was certain.

"I've studied his escape records. This so-called 'foresight' is likely an extremely keen danger-sensing ability, or perhaps some kind of alert-type Nen beast. As long as he appears before me, my Closed-Room Judgment can handle him. He won't escape."

Leo looked at Goreinu. "Brother Goreinu, you're injured, so don't take part in the raid. Take the Colton Family's men and swallow up the Waldeck Family while their elite forces are depleted."

Goreinu was silent for a moment before finally nodding. "All right. But be careful. If your lives are in danger, retreat. Don't force it."

Leo smiled. "Don't worry. I won't easily throw away my life. This world is vast, and I haven't seen enough of it yet."

The three rose to their feet. Outside the window, night had already fallen, and scattered lights flickered on along the streets.

In the western suburbs of Toth City lay the unfinished buildings of Starry Bay.

Originally planned as a high-end residential district, the construction site had been abandoned for three years after the developer's funding chain collapsed. More than a dozen concrete skeletons loomed in the night like the bones of giant beasts, eerie and desolate.

Leo and Mizai Istom hid on the fourth floor of one of the buildings. Through a window without glass, they observed the target building roughly a hundred meters away.

It was a seven-story unfinished building, with two emergency lights glowing at the ground-floor entrance.

Under the lights, two armed guards paced back and forth, their expressions alert.

More conspicuously, a black van arrived every hour. Several Waldeck Family thugs would jump out, drag two or three bound and gagged vagrants from the back, and roughly haul them inside.

"They've delivered two batches tonight already," Leo said quietly. "At this rate, there are at least ten or twenty prisoners in the underground 'laboratory.'"

Mizai Istom's gaze was icy.

"The Waldeck Family has abduction points throughout Toth City, specifically for kidnapping vagrants and homeless people to supply the Cleaners with experimental subjects."

He paused, anger suppressed in his voice.

"I've been investigating this organization for two years and have destroyed two of their hideouts. From the experiment records we seized... they were researching how to strip away Nen abilities, forcibly transfer one person's life energy into another body, and even... deliberately torture subjects to death in an attempt to artificially create 'Nen after death.'"

Leo was silent for several seconds. "So that's why Doctor needs so many 'materials.'"

"They're madmen wearing the disguise of researchers."

Mizai Istom said, "At their core, every experiment they conduct is about finding more efficient ways to plunder, torture, and kill."

Leo looked toward the distant entrance. "The people down there... are they still alive?"

"Some of them may be." Mizai Istom said. "Doctor's experiments require 'fresh samples.' But those who have already been used..."

He did not finish, but the meaning was clear.

Leo took a deep breath. "I understand. I won't hold back against those Waldeck thugs below."

Mizai Istom looked at him.

"My duty is to arrest the Cleaners' members and have them stand legal trial..."

After a moment of silence, he said, "I understand your choice. But please try to keep Doctor alive. I need him alive to face legal punishment."

"I can only promise that I'll keep him alive if I get the chance," Leo said. "But if he threatens my life..."

Mizai Istom nodded. "That's acceptable."

The two exchanged a glance and said no more.

Leo turned toward the stairs. "Let's go. We'll charge straight in and clear out the small fry below first."

Mizai Istom followed behind him.

In the darkness, the two figures descended soundlessly like cheetahs and sprinted toward the illuminated unfinished building.