The moon was obscured, and the wind howled through the mountains, whipping up countless fallen leaves.
The surrounding trees swayed incessantly, their rustling creating an unbroken symphony.
Under the cover of night, these towering trees resembled ghostly shadows, their eerie presence amplified by the shrill wind, creating an atmosphere of dread.
Moses walked onto a man-made platform. The guide lights on either side, long neglected, emitted only a faint glow.
But in this pitch-black environment, even the faintest light stood out starkly.
'Is this a coincidence...'
'Or is it premeditated?'
Sensing the faint, almost imperceptible killing intent, Moses remained calm.
He couldn't determine whether the other party was here for the hefty bounty on his head or for the Nitro Rice he had brought back from the Dark Continent.
If it was the former, then it was likely that his movements over the past few days had caught the attention of these money-hungry individuals, prompting them to ambush him here.
If it's the latter...
Then this was not good news for Moses.
It would mean that his journey to the Dark Continent had been noticed by certain individuals long ago.
Then, as if they believed that he would be able to return safely, or perhaps out of a willingness to spare no effort to avoid missing him, they had been lying in wait for nearly a year.
Regardless of which possibility it was, Moses had to seriously consider Hawk's safety.
As for the shadowy figure hidden in the darkness, their strength was not to be underestimated.
If not for his perception, which was honed by the Dark Continent and now far beyond what it once was, he might not have detected their presence so quickly.
The other party had come prepared, holding the advantage of initiative...
But now… it's hard to say.
'First, shorten the distance to the mountaintop. Then, send a shadow to the temple.'
Moses looked straight ahead, without changing his pace, and strode towards the wooden stairs leading to the mountaintop.
Although he was ready for a fight, he also had to consider Hawk's safety.
So, he planned to close the distance to the temple on the mountaintop as much as possible before the other party made their move, ensuring the strength and precision of his shadow.
This is crucial.
For this reason, he didn't even send out his shadow in advance to a position where he could carry out his 'tactics'.
'Very patient, and very cautious.'
As he walked up the mountain steps, Moses remained expressionless, though he felt a slight surprise in his heart.
There had been many opportunities to attack along the way.
However, the figure hidden in the darkness had held back...
'Judging from their Aura State, they probably haven't noticed yet, right?"
Moses looked up toward the slope above and could already see the lights of the temple on the mountaintop.
'It doesn't matter. This distance... should be enough.'
Estimating the distance with his eyes, Moses's heart stirred. He suddenly raised his hand, and Aura flowed like water, quickly gathering in his palm.
Black Sword-
As the bright Nen fluctuated, a long black sword rapidly formed in Moses's hand.
[Super Speed: Gun]
The horizontally held black blade suddenly surged with Nen in the form of electric arcs, then shot toward the darkness without any buildup.
At this moment.
In the darkness, a lean figure's eyes flashed with surprise, clearly caught off guard by Moses's preemptive strike.
'Hey, hey... my 'Zetsu' isn't that bad, is it?'
A fleeting thought of surprise crossed their mind as the lean figure sidestepped and retreated several steps, dodging the trajectory of the black blade.
In the darkness, the black sword, radiating Aura, shot through the air, passing in front of the lean figure before continuing to crush the trees in its path, disappearing into the distant darkness in the blink of an eye.
After dodging this powerful attack, the lean figure didn't spare a glance at the receding black sword. Instead, they continued to retreat.
As they retreated, a sword light lingering with Aura fell on his original position.
"Tsk, tsk, it's really fast, but what's the use?"
The lean figure retreated out of the blade's attack range, and there was a hint of mockery in their eyes as they looked forward.
"Since you've already detected my position, you shouldn't have messed up like that, Moses Isaac. You just missed your only chance to easily take me out."
As if unconcerned about Moses's potential follow-up, the lean figure took the opportunity to taunt as they retreated.
Moses didn't pursue after them, but gazed calmly at the slim figure that was glowing with Aura in the darkness.
That blow just now-
Had been more about sending a shadow to the mountaintop temple as quickly as possible.
Of course.
There was no way Moses could pronounce the motive for his action.
"You are…"
Moses's eyes had already adapted to the darkness and he could now barely see the other person's appearance.
He has a thin body and a long horse-like face. He wears a golden headband on his forehead and has a buzz cut. He also shaved a heart shape on the top of his head near his forehead, which is right above the middle of the golden headband.
He was clad in a combat-style outfit, with bronze-colored bracers adorning his arms above the elbows. Emblazoned prominently on his chest was the kanji symbol of 'monkey'. His appearance, combined with his distinctive features, made his identity unmistakable.
'One of the Zodiacs, Saiyu the Monkey...'
The calmness in Moses's eyes was shattered as a flicker of surprise crossed his mind. He hadn't expected that the person lying in ambush here would be Saiyu, one of the Zodiacs.
'Why is he here waiting for me?'
The question that had just surfaced in his mind was quickly answered by a flood of information.
'Saiyu the Monkey, spy, Pariston, Beyond Netero, the Dark Continent...'
As a transmigrator, Moses, armed with foreknowledge, quickly pieced together Saiyu's role as a spy within the Zodiacs, as well as Pariston and Beyond Netero standing behind him.
From this, it seemed that Saiyu's motive for lying in wait here was likely to see what Moses had brought back from the Dark Continent.
Or perhaps -
Saiyu had already deduced, based on Moses's hurried arrival at the temple in the scenic area, that he had indeed brought something back. It was even possible that Saiyu had guessed it was the Nitro Rice.
Because…
Hawk had once been treated at the Hunter Association's exclusive hospital, so it would not be difficult to investigate the related medical records.
Moses's thoughts rapidly expanded, leading him to deduce a wealth of information.
But he quickly reined in his thoughts.
These deductions might not necessarily be accurate, and it is not appropriate to delve into it further under the current circumstances.
"Come."
Moses raised his hand, pointing the tip of his black blade directly at Saiyu.
"If you want to die, I'll grant your wish."
His eyes reflected a darkness deeper than the surrounding night, and his seemingly calm tone revealed a bone-chilling chill.
Seeing this, Saiyu was not afraid at all. Instead, he grinned recklessly and said: "What's this? You seem suddenly 'nervous'. Could it be that you're worried about the one in the temple..."
A sudden gust of wind cutting through the night interrupted Saiyu's words.
Moses's figure was as fast as lightning, and he appeared in front of Saiyu with the black sword in his hand.
Saiyu's pupils contracted slightly, but he was prepared.
Recklessness, loose lips...
These were traits that defined his usual personality.
But in battle, these traits didn't enhance his combat prowess.
Their purpose was purely tactical.
[Three Monkeys]
Just as Moses stepped in front of Saiyu, three monkeys emerged from the shadows, appearing behind Moses with impeccable timing.
These three monkeys were Saiyu's Nen Beasts.
One was called the speak-not monkey, a mute monkey whose ability was to deprive the enemy of their speech upon successfully striking an enemy.
Another was the hear-not monkey, a deaf monkey whose ability was to directly deprive the enemy of their hearing upon successfully striking an enemy.
The last was see-not monkey, a deaf monkey whose ability was to directly deprive the enemy of their vision upon successfully striking an enemy.
Saiyu's earlier loose lips had been a ploy to set up this moment.