When most people think of virus research, they associate it with advancements in medicine.
But when you add "human experimentation" to the term, the meaning changes entirely.
Biological weapons—
This was the phrase that immediately came to Moro's mind after reading through the intel.
In this world, the infamous "Poor Man's Rose," classified as a bomb, was essentially a biological weapon.
Even the resurrected King of the Chimera Ants, with his body fused from countless exceptional genes, couldn't withstand the erosion of the Rose's virus.
This showed that the upper limit of the viruses in this world was beyond imagination—a veritable forbidden zone for humanity.
Yet humans, as a species, have never stopped exploring the path of destruction.
The Poor Man's Rose, cheap and easy to produce, was proof of that.
Even so, Moro hadn't expected a mafia organization to dare touch human experimentation related to viruses. To them, it might have simply been an exceptionally lucrative business.
"Nolan Gambino…"
Moro closed the email interface, his expression blank.
The intel Argol had sent was drenched in metaphorical blood, exposing the darkest corners of the world.
After putting his phone away, Moro headed to a clothing store on the street, spending money on an outfit to disguise his appearance. To be cautious, he also purchased a properly fitted gas mask.
The western outskirts of Pritt Town were covered by vast wetland forests, many of which were filled with miasma. Thus, gas masks were common equipment in the area.
Since this was a gray zone, dressing in a concealed manner was perfectly normal—even walking around in a gas mask didn't draw any attention.
Moro wore a loose black hoodie, pulled the hood up, and covered his face with a mask and sunglasses, leaving his face completely hidden.
He packed the gas mask and some portable food into his backpack, then visited a local gang to procure firearms.
Moro had expected buying guns to be challenging, but the process turned out to be as simple as buying bottles of water—once the money was in place, everything went smoothly.
After making his preparations, Moro left the town.
According to the intel from Argol, the virus experiment base was located near a village on the edge of the wetland forest.
As for the precise location, Argol couldn't pinpoint it.
It wasn't due to a lack of ability but a refusal to take on greater risk.
As she had explained, she could investigate the Phantom Troupe without hesitation because the Troupe didn't care about such things.
The mafia was different. Their basic modus operandi was vengeance—they would relentlessly pursue even the smallest trace of someone meddling in their affairs.
In essence, Argol was conducting business, not risking her life for Moro.
Moro understood.
Even without Argol going all out, her intel provided Moro with a growing appreciation for the value of a reliable information network.
For him, this network was like a search engine—its only drawback was that it cost money.
Once outside Pritt Town, the road became bumpy and riddled with potholes. The vegetation on both sides of the path grew astonishingly tall, partially obscuring fallen road signs.
It was hard to believe that such poorly maintained infrastructure lay just outside a town with modern facilities, including an airport.
Moro walked along the main road for a while before following the map to a muddy footpath, worn down by countless travelers.
Walking another ten kilometers along this trail would lead him to a village called Shanni, located near the edge of the wetland forest.
For a village to survive in such a harsh location, its residents must have been remarkably hardy.
Moro had long understood one thing: even without the Nen system, the physical limits of humans in this world could not be measured by the standards of his previous life.
If a food chain were established, it would look something like this:
Ordinary humans → Slightly stronger ordinary humans → Very strong ordinary humans → Extremely strong ordinary humans → Exceptionally strong ordinary humans → Nen users.
A very strong ordinary human in this world would be akin to a superhero on Earth.
Thus, despite the countless dangers in the forest, humans could still extract resources to survive.
Moro trudged through the muddy path for over ten kilometers, eventually spotting thin plumes of smoke rising in the distance.
He put on his gas mask and bypassed the village, heading deeper into the forest.
Since the exact location was unknown, Moro decided to explore the surrounding areas first. If he found nothing, he would then investigate the village directly.
A day passed in the blink of an eye.
Moro meticulously searched the forest's edge but found no concrete evidence.
However, he did discover some scattered bricks near a small hill overgrown with vegetation, suggesting the presence of a tomb.
Focused on locating the virus research base, Moro paid the tomb little attention and continued exploring the remaining areas.
By dusk the next day, Moro had combed through most of the designated area without any results.
If Argol's intel was accurate, the base was most likely hidden within the village itself.
After a quick meal of dry rations, Moro prepared to leave the forest and head to the village.
Just as he was about to move, he heard faint noises.
Immediately, Moro shut off his aura nodes, entering a state of Zetsu, and crouched in the dense undergrowth.
Moments later, he heard light footsteps.
Although soft, the steps still produced faint sounds as they pressed against the damp, leaf-strewn soil.
The owner of the footsteps soon entered Moro's line of sight.
"It's her."
Moro recognized the figure as the heavily dressed woman he had seen in Pritt Town.
While Pritt Town had many people concealing their appearances, this woman had left a deep impression on him.
Not only was she a Nen user, but her eyes seemed utterly out of place in a chaotic place like Pritt Town.
Moro silently observed her.
At first glance, he leaned toward the impression that she wasn't a bad person. However, he didn't jump to conclusions and remained cautious, even considering the possibility that she worked for Nolan.
The woman carefully scraped moss-like material from a tree and placed it into a test tube.
After securely sealing the tube, she turned and left.
Moro didn't emerge immediately. He waited until she was far away before rising to his feet and looking in the direction she had gone.
It led to the village.
Beneath a Mansion in Shanni Village
A vast tomb lay underground.
More accurately, it was a tomb that had been artificially modified and reconstructed.
The once damp and dark stone walls of the passageways were now lined with pipes and cables.
Deep within the tomb, lights blazed.
In the bright, spacious central chamber, the original coffin remained, now encased in a rectangular glass enclosure.
The coffin lid was partially pushed open, and wisps of black mist seeped out.
Around the glass enclosure, figures in white protective suits moved busily.
Among them stood a man in a black suit, his slicked-back hair giving him an air of authority.
The man turned to glance at a row of surveillance screens mounted on the wall.
One screen showed a dimly lit room where the woman from earlier was mixing chemicals.
"A Pro Hunter, truly professional and quite useful. What's her name again?"
The man casually asked, his gaze fixed on the screen.
Someone nearby promptly answered:
"Virus Hunter Sambika Norton."
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