MTLNOVEL Chapter 497: Chapter 497 So Busy
Somewhere in Visca Forest Preserve.
The bodies of three Needle People lay on the grass.
Kurapika knelt beside one, examining it carefully while Killua and the others watched.
Normally, Killua would not be interested in 'corpses' that no longer posed a threat, but these corpses exuded the same Aura as Illumi when they were alive, which made him a little concerned.
Kurapika examined the corpse closely, then eventually spotted a strange needle embedded in the back of its skull.
"A needle…?"
Kurapika pulled out the needle that was deeply embedded in the corpse's head with great difficulty, and a strange look flashed in his eyes.
'Is this the root that is controlling these three people?'
Kurapika's mind swirled with questions as he held the bead-tipped needle.
He thought of a technique called acupuncture that he had seen in a book, but that technique was used in medical treatment.
"This needle looks like…"
When Gon saw the needle in Kurapika's hand, he immediately thought of the ugly man who had kickedHisoka away.
That man had been unforgettable, and Gon distinctly recalled him being covered in similar needles.
Kurapika was still unconscious at the time and did not see the strange sight of Illumi kicking Hisoka away. When he heard Gon's reaction, he couldn't help but look over.
Tap, tap, tap-
Just as he was about to ask, a series of undisguised footsteps suddenly echoed from the forest.
Kurapika, Killua, Gon, and Leorio all instinctively turned towards the source of the sound.
The reason they overreacted was not because they suddenly heard footsteps, but because they felt an extremely dangerous aura coming with the footsteps.
'Is it Hisoka...?!'
Their expressions grew wary as they peered into the forest, speculating about the identity of the person approaching.
The sensation was eerily similar to the danger they'd recently felt from Hisoka.
So, when they sensed this dangerous aura, although they did not communicate, they all guessed that the person coming might be Hisoka.
But as the owner of the footsteps walked out of the woods, the person Kurapika, Gon, Killua, and Leorio saw was not Hisoka, but a man with needles stuck all over his face and a long, ugly face.
A terrifying aura that was almost the same as Hisoka's was emanating from this man.
"It's him…!"
Except for Kurapika, Gon and the others all looked grim.
This man, able to work alongside Hisoka and deliver a kick that left Hisoka utterly speechless, had left a lasting impression on them.
Kurapika turned his gaze toward Illumi, who is in disguise, with a serious look in his eyes.
He saw the shadow of Hisoka in Illumi, causing his eyes to turn slightly red.
"Huff-"
Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to calm down, then quickly glanced at the bead-headed needle in his hand.
The man had at least twenty needles of the same style on his face, the only difference being the size of the beads...
Which meant-
The person who had controlled those three examinees was none other than the man standing before them, wearing number plate 301.
"Destroying someone else's tools at will isn't a good habit, you know."
Before Kurapika could inform Gon and the others of his discovery, Illumi, under the alias Gittarackur, took the initiative to acknowledge it.
His voice carried a natural reverberation, creating an eerie effect. Then, in front of Kurapika and the others, he slowly pulled three bead-headed needles from his body, holding them between his fingers.
The three needles represented his intent to eliminate Gon, Kurapika, and Leorio. However, the others did not understand this gesture's true meaning.
"So, please go and die."
Illumi raised his hand and, with a flick, sent the three Nen-infused needles hurtling toward Gon, Kurapika, and Leorio.
Killua reacted the fastest. As the three needles flew towards them, he dashed forward, striking out with his sharpened, skeletal hand. Three sharp clangs rang out as he deflected all the three needles.
"I was the one who killed them."
Killua stood protectively before his friends, his gaze cold as he fixed on Illumi, who still held his throwing pose.
Now that he had awakened his Nen, he understood one crucial truth.
With just a small amount of Nen, even an ordinary needle could deal devastating damage to a regular person. This was the innate gap between Nen Users and non-Nen Users, which prompted Killua to block those Nen-infused needles.
Illumi tilted his head slightly with a creaking sound, and looked carefully at Killua, who seemed to have undergone some kind of transformation.
"Sure enough, my decision not to allow you to come into contact with Nen was correct."
Illumi sighed softly, speaking in a calm tone: "Because this only fills you with unnecessary confidence."
"Huh?"
Killua frowned, not understanding what Illumi means.
Illumi slowly raised his hand to remove a needle from his forehead, and then said in a cold tone without any emotion: "Killua, I taught you before- reckless confidence without understanding the situation only leads to death."
"You…!"
Suddenly realizing something, Killua's eyes shrank sharply, fear flashing across his face.
Without another word, Illumi pulled out a second needle from his face.
As he removed more of these needles, his ugly, horse-like face began to ripple and shift. Black hair sprouted from his scalp, cascading down his shoulders.
Under the stunned gazes of Gon, Kurapika, and Leorio-and the increasingly terrified look from Killua- Illumi gradually returned to his true form.
His hair flowed down to his shoulders, his complexion was pale, and his eyes were deep, as dark as obsidian.
Illumi's transformation into his true self brought a chilling shift to the air, making Killua's entire body shiver as if plunged into an icy abyss.
"Big… Brother!"
Killua's voice was a mix of terror and disbelief as he stared at Illumi.
Hearing Killua's address, Gon and the others, who had been ready to fight, couldn't help but freeze momentarily.
Illumi, with his dark, bottomless eyes, fixed his gaze on Killua and said in an expressionless tone: "Killua, I have a lot of things I want to ask you now, but before that, let me kill these outsiders first."
"…"
Killua's heart skipped a beat and though he opened his mouth to protest, no words would come.
"Run… get away..."
With his back to Gon and the others, Killua said in a trembling voice.
"Killua...?"
Gon and the others were tense, with sweats streaming down their faces.
They didn't understand the current situation, and even if they wanted to escape, they couldn't break free from Illumi's overwhelming aura.
Watching Killua's reaction, Illumi continued in his cold, unwavering tone: "Killua, as I've told you many times, an assassin has no need for friends. But don't worry, I have the patience to help you correct this."
"!!!"
Killua's eyes widened, and his mind quickly flashed with the innocent people who died at Illumi's hands, and his pupils couldn't help but tremble violently.
He seemed to be able to see Gon and the others lying in pools of blood.
"Run… you have to escape."
Killua said again with difficulty.
But he actually knew very well that when Illumi was set on killing them, with Gon and the others' current strength, there was no way to survive.
'Is there anyone who can stop Big Brother...?'
'Moses!'
'Only Moses can stop Big Brother!'
Struggling for each breath under Illumi's suffocating presence, Killua's chest felt unbearably heavy. He couldn't bear to see Gon and the others perish at Illumi's hands...
"I always feel like… I'm so busy lately."
Moses emerged from the forest on the side, and his eyes hidden under the silicone mask were locked onto Illumi.
His appearance immediately attracted the attention of everyone present.
Seeing Moses, Killua felt like a drowning man clutching a piece of driftwood. The oppressive weight in his chest lifted, and he could breathe freely again.
On the other hand, Gon, Kurapika, and Leorio also felt a sense of security when they saw Moses, who is wearing a silicone mask.
'But what is going on with these people...'
'Why did their mere presence feel like sinking into quicksand?'
'Nen-'
'What kind of existence is this?!'
Although they had not been involved in the battle, Kurapika and the others, having faced similar overwhelming experiences twice in one day, were already beginning to feel emotionally drained.