She was originally meant to be a very beautiful woman, but after listening to the performance of the Dark Sonata, her appearance changed completely. Her features came to resemble something like a marmot, and at the same time, her aura nodes were opened—she became a Nen user. However, if given the choice again, Melody would undoubtedly choose to have her original appearance rather than Nen abilities.
Mana's situation was strikingly similar to Melody's. It was clear that Mana's entire face had turned dull and shadowed. When a Nen user experiences a change in appearance, their mental state becomes difficult to maintain, let alone someone like Melody who had once been an ordinary person.
"Come here." Linne motioned to Mana.
Mana stepped forward. Linne raised her hand and placed her palm on Mana's body. A powerful suction force burst forth from Linne's hand. In the next moment, a distinct kind of energy—an unfamiliar kind of Nen—was drawn out from Mana and absorbed into Linne's body. Mana's appearance began to change. It was recovering, and at a pace visible to the naked eye, his former face was returning.
Mana's expression was filled with delight. "Thank you, Lady Linne."
"Go back and get some rest."
Linne looked toward Menchi and the others and said, "That concludes this matter. You've all worked hard. Go get some rest, Ron, come here for a moment."
She specifically called Ron back. The others left the room, including the middle-aged woman who had been standing at Linne's side.
"Senior Linne." Ron's tone was respectful. Whether it was Linne's strength or her position, both deserved his deference. Linne's seniority was even higher than Zeno's.
"You look so much like him," Linne said, gazing at Ron with a nostalgic expression. "Aside from the hair color."
"Are you referring to Great-Grandfather Zigg, Senior Linne?"
"That's right," Linne nodded. "In the blink of an eye, all these years have passed, and now even Zigg's great-grandson has grown this much."
She spoke with emotion and gestured to the seat across from her. "Sit."
"No need to be so formal. Just call me great-grandmother."
Ron froze for a moment. That form of address… Could it be that Linne had some sort of relationship with Zigg Zoldyck in the past?
"Yes… Great-grandmother."
Linne smiled. "Actually, I knew from the first day you arrived in Gourmet Paradise. I even went to observe you. You're quite impressive—to have such strength at your age."
"You are indeed worthy of the Zoldyck bloodline. And you've done well in other respects too—not just in terms of your Nen ability rank."
"That Fallen One—did you kill a part of him?"
"To be able to destroy even a part of him is already quite an accomplishment. Back then, he too had stepped into the S-rank category, but because of something that happened in the Dark Continent, he was weakened. From the cursed coin, it's clear that he's recovered significantly—and has walked down a different path."
As she spoke, Linne drifted into memory. "We were actually very close partners in the past. So when he returned to the Human World and lost his way, I kept indulging him. I gave him countless chances, hoping he would turn back."
"To become such a monstrous existence—what meaning is there in living like that?"
"The person he was then—is he still the same now?"
"Or has he become someone entirely new?"
"It's obviously the latter."
"And he knows it himself, but still refuses to accept it." Linne shook her head.
Ron fell into contemplation. From Linne's words, it was clear she had always been aware of the Fallen One's actions but had refrained from intervening out of sentiment. The state of the Fallen One, as Linne described it, reminded Ron of a type of creature from his memories—zombies. After a human dies, the body might develop new sentience. But a zombie has no connection to the living person it used to be.
It might be an entirely new being and it just had some of the memories of the fallen one.
Ron recalled the Fallen One's previous form. "So you're saying… that the Fallen One's full transformation is when the desiccated corpse fully takes over, and the youth's part is entirely consumed?"
"At that point, the young man's consciousness disappears, and a new soul manifests within the mummified body?"
Ron asked, "So, great-grandmother, was it because you could no longer tolerate him that you decided to act this time?"
"No," Linne shook her head. "It's because my life is nearing its end. I no longer have the time to keep indulging him."
"There's a bit of selfishness on my part too. His strength isn't particularly high right now, but what he brought back from the Dark Continent is… special."
"To use the cursed silver coin and forge a reverse contract, I also had to pay a heavy price." Linne extended her hand. "Do you see the change on my hand?"
Ron looked closely. The skin on Linne's hand had lost its luster and elasticity, taking on a grayish, withered tone, as if it were gradually turning to stone or drying into brittle bark. The veins beneath the surface were faintly blackened, clearly affected by some corrosive force. Though Linne's posture remained composed, the signs of erosion were undeniable.
"This is the price I paid to activate the cursed silver coin's reverse contract. Before, I could never fully decide. But now, I don't have many years left. My life is already nearing its end."
"That's why I finally made the decision—to take him down before I go."
"I indulged him long enough. That's enough."
"Let's stop talking about this and move on to something else."
Linne said, "Ron, tell me about the Zoldyck family. How are little Zeno and little Silva doing these days?"
"Grandfather Zeno is mostly retired now. Uncle Silva is currently the head of the family. Illumi and Milluki are both on track. Kalluto is with Aunt Kikyo. Killua is at Heaven's Arena."
Ron gave a simple summary of the current status of several Zoldyck family members—enough to foster closeness with Linne without exposing any compromising details.
"You practice the Nen Beast system?"
"Did you come to Gourmet Paradise to find inspiration?"
That was true. Ron wanted to incorporate the unique traits of Gourmet Paradise into the creation of Nen Beasts. At the same time, because of the concept of "Gourmet Cells," he also wanted to sample all the cuisines of Gourmet Paradise.
"Then let me give you a gift." Linne said, "After the Elite Ten Tournament at the Moon Institute concludes, I'll organize a parliamentary candidate exhibition match among the chefs and Freelance Gourmet Hunters of Gourmet Paradise."
"It should be of some help to you. At that time, all of the top chefs and Freelance Gourmet Hunters in Gourmet Paradise will participate."