Although Leo knew Satotz from the manga, he had to pretend not to recognize him at this moment.
He quickly organized his words in his mind, his face showing the appropriate amount of confusion and caution.
"Hello," he began, his voice steady.
"I'm an ordinary person who entered this place by accident, not a native. As for how long I've been here... about seven months, I suppose."
He paused, his gaze falling on Serena, revealing just the right amount of hesitation.
"By the way, miss, could you tell me what year and month it is now? I suffered a head injury and lost a lot of my memory."
Half-truths are the most effective. Memory loss could explain his vague concept of time and also pave the way for any potential knowledge gaps later.
Serena didn't answer immediately; she turned to look at Satotz.
The professional Hunter nodded slightly, the movement so small it was almost invisible.
Only after receiving permission did Serena look back at Leo, though her hand on the sword remained in a defensive posture.
"It is January 10, 1996."
As Serena spoke, her gaze swept over the simple animal skin clothing Leo was wearing.
"Looking at you, it seems you've had a difficult time."
1996, huh.
Leo quickly calculated in his heart—he vaguely remembered that Gon participated in the Hunter Exam in January 1999, which meant the plot had not yet begun. He wanted to know more information, but he couldn't appear too eager right now.
"Yeah, it's been alright."
Leo scratched his head awkwardly, an action that made him look a few years younger.
"I have some hunting experience, so I haven't starved to death."
Casper gave a kind smile at this moment and took a step forward.
This young scholar was clearly fascinated by the prospect of meeting a living person in the Secret Realm.
"Hello, my name is Casper."
He pointed to his companion, "She is Serena, and this is Mr. Satotz."
Satotz didn't speak, only nodding at Leo, his eyes beneath his purple hair watching him calmly, as if trying to see through the surface to the essence. Serena simply waved her hand, which counted as a greeting.
"Since you've lived here for half a year," Serena cut straight to the point.
"Can you tell us if there's anything special about this Secret Realm? For example, ruins, special areas, or... dangerous zones?"
Leo weighed his options quickly. Taking them directly to the palace was a risk, but also an opportunity.
Satotz was a Ruins Hunter with an interest in ancient civilizations; if he could establish a cooperative relationship, he might be able to use their power to leave the Secret Realm.
Although he could leave on his own, it would take another month or two to reach level 25 and remove the "Zetsu". He had spent too long in this Secret Realm and would love to leave early.
The most important thing right now was to gain their trust first.
"My name is Leo, nice to meet you all."
Leo nodded to the three of them, his tone becoming enthusiastic.
"No problem, I'm very familiar with this Secret Realm. There is a palace ruin in the center of the Secret Realm that is relatively well-preserved; I can take you there."
"Really?!"
Casper became excited instantly, his eyes behind his glasses shining.
"That's great! Thank you, Mr. Leo!"
Serena rolled her eyes at Casper, clearly dissatisfied with how easily her companion trusted a stranger. But she didn't say anything, just observed the surrounding environment more vigilantly.
"It's nothing, follow me."
Leo turned and led the way toward the palace.
The four of them began to walk through the forest.
Leo led the way in front, Satotz followed closely behind, while Serena and Casper fell slightly behind, forming a loose formation. After walking for a while, Leo felt this was a good opportunity to probe.
He slowed his pace and asked casually.
"By the way, how did you enter this Secret Realm?"
"We used—"
Casper started to speak without any defenses, but was interrupted by Serena halfway through.
"We used some special means to get in."
Serena spoke first, her tone flat but carrying obvious caution. Casper realized he had almost let something slip and pushed his glasses up in embarrassment.
Regarding the existence of Nen Ability, although the Hunter Association did not forbid revealing it to ordinary people, they usually would not take the initiative to explain it, especially when the other party's identity was unknown.
Leo understood; sure enough, the other party still had reservations about him.
This was normal; if he put himself in their shoes, he would be just as cautious. But Leo didn't plan to play riddles with them—time was precious, he needed to get information quickly and also demonstrate his own value.
Instead of mutual suspicion, it was better to break the deadlock actively.
Leo stopped, turned to face the three of them. He had a gentle smile on his face, but his eyes were serious.
"You are referring to 'Nen', right?"
The air instantly froze.
Casper widened his eyes in surprise: "You actually know about Nen?!"
"You idiot!"
Serena slapped the back of Casper's head, not holding back her strength. She immediately turned to Leo, her right hand pressing onto the hilt of her sword again, her eyes becoming sharp.
Even Satotz, who had been silent, had his eyes narrowed slightly beneath his purple hair, revealing obvious surprise.
He re-evaluated Leo, this time scrutinizing him more carefully, as if truly noticing this young man in animal skins for the first time.
Leo met their gazes, his expression calm.
"Instead of guarding against each other, it's better to be honest," he said slowly.
"Regarding my experience, what I said just now was basically the truth—I did accidentally fall into this Secret Realm, I am not a native, and I have lived here for over six months. But there are some details I didn't fully explain."
He paused, observing their reactions. Serena remained vigilant, Casper was curious, and Satotz was composed.
"I obtained something in the palace," Leo selectively revealed information.
"That's also how I learned about the existence of 'Nen'. So I understand your caution just now—'Nen' really shouldn't be easily revealed to ordinary people."
He looked at Satotz; the Hunter was listening quietly, with no intention of interrupting.
"I also know how you got in," Leo continued.
"The exit of the Secret Realm—or rather, the entrance—is in the cave at the end of the eastern forest. It requires Nen to activate it. That is why I have been trapped here for over half a year."
He spread his hands to show he had no weapons and no hostility.
"For some reason, I am temporarily unable to use Nen."
Leo decided to throw out more information to gain trust.
"So even if I know where the exit is, I can't leave."
"But if your goal is also to explore the Secret Realm, perhaps we can cooperate—I am familiar with the environment here, I know where it's safe and where it's dangerous. And in exchange..."
He looked at Satotz: "I hope that when you leave, you can take me with you."
The forest was quiet for a few seconds. Serena and Casper both looked at Satotz, waiting for the team leader's decision.
Satotz was silent, his purple eyes fixed on Leo, seemingly evaluating the truth of his words.
A moment later, Satotz spoke, his voice calm but carrying undeniable authority.
"You said you obtained something in the palace and learned about the existence of Nen. What exactly is it?"
"A stone."
Leo answered half-truthfully.
"Dark gold, it merged into my body after I touched it, giving me some information—about the origin of the Secret Realm, basic concepts of Nen, and this on the back of my hand."
He raised his right hand, showing the dark red vortex tattoo. The tattoo looked particularly striking under the dappled light of the forest.
Satotz's gaze fell on the tattoo and lingered for several seconds. Leo could feel that the other's gaze carried a certain professional scrutiny—Ruins Hunters had clearly seen many ancient relics and special items.
"A treasure of the ancient Capet Kingdom," Satotz said slowly.
The sentence was not a question, but a statement. "'Eternal Chamber'... the legendary trial Secret Realm."
Leo was shocked. Satotz really knew about this place!
"Yes," he nodded in admission.
"The Secret Realm is called the 'Eternal Chamber', built two thousand two hundred years ago. There are altars in the palace, murals, and some... things I haven't fully figured out yet."
Satotz was silent for a moment, then made a simple decision.
"Take us to the palace," he said. "If what you say is true, we can consider cooperating. But before that—"
He took a step forward. This step was very ordinary, but Leo instantly felt an invisible pressure. It wasn't Killing Intent, but a pure, powerful presence.
"I need to verify your state," Satotz said calmly. "You said you cannot use Nen. Is this true?"
Leo nodded: "I cannot perceive or use Nen at all."
"Reach out your hand," Satotz commanded.
Leo extended his right hand as instructed. Satotz did not touch him, just hovered his palm about ten centimeters above the back of Leo's hand.
A few seconds later, he withdrew his hand.
"'Zetsu'. A forced Zetsu that keeps your body in a state of Seal."
There was a hint of imperceptible relaxation in Satotz's voice.
"It's not a disguise."
This conclusion made Serena relax slightly. If Leo really couldn't use Nen, then the threat level was greatly reduced—no matter how strong his body was, there was an essential gap compared to a Nen User.
"Then, the basis for cooperation exists," Satotz said. "You guide us to explore the Secret Realm and provide information. When we leave, if conditions permit, we can take you out."
"Thank you," Leo said sincerely.
Although the other party added the premise "if conditions permit," this was the best commitment he could get at this stage.
"Let's go, the palace is not far."
He turned to lead the way again, his pace a bit lighter this time.
The team continued forward. The atmosphere was much more relaxed than before, but caution remained—especially with Serena; she still maintained a combat stance, just no longer ready to draw her sword at any moment like before.
Casper couldn't help his curiosity and leaned over to Leo to ask in a low voice.
"Mr. Leo, you said you lived in the Secret Realm for half a year... are there any special creatures here? We saw very few animals along the way."
Leo's heart skipped a beat. This question was critical.
"There aren't many, indeed."
He chose to answer truthfully, but slightly adjusted his wording.
"There were quite a few when I first arrived, but over these six months... perhaps it's because I've been hunting too frequently. It's hard to find large animals in some areas now."
He paused and added.
"However, I know a few relatively safe routes that avoid the territories of some dangerous creatures. Once we reach the palace, I can draw a rough map for you."
"That would be great!" Casper said happily.
Satotz followed behind, listening to their conversation, his eyes beneath his purple hair flickering slightly.
Hunting too frequently? An ordinary person without Nen Ability could significantly reduce the number of creatures in a Secret Realm within half a year?
This Leo... I'm afraid he is not as simple as he appears on the surface.
But Satotz didn't point it out. Everyone has their own secrets; as long as it doesn't affect the team's goals, he didn't intend to probe further.
A Ruins Hunter's primary task is to explore and record, not to interrogate.
After walking for about another twenty minutes, the trees gradually thinned out. Ahead, the outline of the ancient palace appeared in the forest.
"We're here."
Leo stopped and pointed to the building.
"That is the core of the 'Eternal Chamber'—the palace ruins of the Capet Kingdom."
In the sunlight, the mottled stone building stood quietly, its half-collapsed dome telling the story of the passage of time.
Satotz looked up, his eyes behind his gold-rimmed glasses showing obvious interest for the first time.
"Capet Kingdom..." he whispered to himself, "The legendary ancient civilization."
He looked at Leo: "Let's go in."
Leo nodded, though he was thinking quickly in his heart. Regardless, he now had hope of leaving the Secret Realm. He led the three of them toward the palace entrance, the stone steps covered in moss.