The Base's Treasure Trove and Breeding Line

Begel stared at the corpse on the chair.

Hu Ti's brain had been completely emptied.

He glanced at Kevin and Locke, who were both staring at him.

From Begel's expression, Locke guessed that the letter from the Hunter Association must be related to the body on the chair.

He didn't say anything, but simply handed the envelope to Kevin.

Kevin took the letter and read it.

The letter was written in a woman's handwriting.

The letter begins by stating the purpose of the letter, and then the writer identifies himself as Rooster Koto the Twelve Zodiacs.

In a sense, Begel was also a member of the response team formed by the Hunter Association.

The letter mentioned that a key enemy officer named Lac had likely escaped to the area under Begel's jurisdiction.

He was told to pay close attention, and he was given a detailed description of the enemy's Nen ability and his severely injured state.

At the same time, the letter also warned Begel not to push the enemy too hard, because there might be inescapable worms in the enemy's mind.

During their siege of the enemy base, they obtained almost no crucial information.

All members who knew the important information had their heads eaten by the worms in Lac's brains as he escaped.

Even the Nen user in the team responsible for gathering intelligence were unable to extract relevant memory information from the minds of these dead.

This messenger pigeon flies extremely fast, crossing thousands of mountains and rivers, perhaps in less than a day.

But who could have imagined that an accident would still happen?

"In other words, when we were hunting Flying Dragon before, this Lac just happened to get here by some means and ran into us."

After tilting his head and reading the contents of the letter, Locke muttered to himself.

Begel nodded silently, his expression grave.

All I can say is that this enemy was incredibly unlucky.

They encountered them as soon as they appeared, and were followed all the way until the base was found in less than half a day.

There wasn't even time to treat the injuries or recover the strength.

The last resort he resorted to to save his life was completely dismantled under Kevin's powerful suppression.

It can be said that Kevin and his two companions had made thorough preparations before obtaining the intelligence, and had conducted a comprehensive and detailed examination of Lac.

They carefully checked items that could be used for suicide, such as poison, and found nothing unusual.

But who could have predicted that Lac's brain contained Insect Egg, and that they couldn't be detected?

Furthermore, judging from the content of the letter, it is very likely that the means of controlling the insects are in the hands of Lac himself.

Considering the Nen ability he demonstrated, this speculation certainly holds true.

I never expected this guy to be so ruthless to himself, resorting to such methods to end his own life in order to prevent the Hunter x Hunter from obtaining information.

Kevin once again deeply realized just how unwavering the will of a powerful Nen user could be, even if that unwavering will was used for evil purposes.

"What do we do now?" Locke asked.

He was not a member of the Hunter Association and was not very familiar with the internal workings of the Association.

In this situation, will they be held accountable by the Association?

Begel shrugged nonchalantly, looking completely unconcerned.

"It was just an accident. Nobody can blame us. They might even reward us for acting quickly."

To be honest, they really can't be blamed for this.

"If anyone's to blame, it's the Twelve Zodiacs Branches for their poor leadership; not only did they let the enemy escape, but their communication was also so slow."

Begel simply shifted the blame, pinning the responsibility on the Twelve Zodiacs branches.

"Alright, let's check out this base. Maybe we can find some useful information."

"To be honest, after dealing with them for more than half a year, I haven't gathered a single useful piece of information."

Begel grumbled as he ignored the corpse, intending to leave it to the Association members to see if they could find any clues.

He took out a piece of paper and began writing a reply.

Kevin walked straight out of the room. He wasn't interested in these things; he was only concerned with the creatures and research records left behind at the base.

After all, this is a research base for artificial organisms and genetic engineering.

It might contain various cells, biological records, or even precious samples.

Although it may seem unimportant, what he wants might be available here.

For Kevin, this place was a treasure trove.

He ran straight to the top of the base, grabbed the leader of the three researchers, and plunged into the "treasure trove" to search.

Although the researchers eventually Emission the Charging Armor, they only wreaked havoc in the corridors; the important rooms remained undamaged.

At this moment, the Flying Dragon's corpse was being dismembered.

Kevin followed the researchers as they explored the base.

Begel and the others were scattered throughout the base.

"This is Insect Repellent, a type of medication that is difficult to detect without careful examination using special equipment."

"It can effectively dispel these Charging Armor have achieved their gigantic size through [Amplification Organ]."

The researchers explained that Begel immediately brought over the Insect Repellent after discovering it.

This is exactly what the frontline research base needs.

Next, they saw a screen with a floor plan showing green dots at various locations.

"These markings represent every Charging Armor outside. Once it dies, the marking appears and the armor is automatically destroyed."

As can be seen on the screen, there are several areas where Charging Armor are clustered.

Of course, while it's called a gathering, it's actually based on family units, with no more than five people in each group.

In some places there are only two or three.

Two of the Charging Armor had their markings removed, and judging from their location, they were likely outside the research base.

With this marker, the Charging Armor in this area should be able to be dealt with quickly.

Kevin glanced at it and then looked away, his gaze drawn to one organ after another preserved in specially made containers.

These organs are extremely small.

Compared to the palm-sized [Growth Organ] that Kevin had previously extracted from the Charging Armor, these organs were much smaller, about the size of a thumb.

With careful handling, it should be possible to transplant it into a normal Charging Armor vehicle.

"Is this the [Amplification Organ] you were talking about?" Kevin asked.

The researchers nodded. "That's right, it's an unknown organ, clearly taken from some kind of insect."

"It has a high compatibility with various insects, but it has not yet been successfully transplanted into non-insect organisms. Perhaps it has been successful, but I don't know, or maybe it will."

"That being said, in reality, only two types of insects truly show good results after transplantation. One is the [Charging Armor] you see, which is mainly used as food for the [Calamity Dragon]."

Upon hearing this, Kevin looked at the researchers.

"Calamity Dragon?"

This was the first time he had heard this title, but he roughly knew what it referred to.

The researchers nodded again. "It's the X-9 test subject you killed. It was a creation based on the [Flicking Lizard] and fused with various genes."

"The Calamity Dragon at our base actually escaped control six months ago, so we had to use Charging Armor to restrict its movement."

"Fortunately, it has a strong sense of territory and is unwilling to stray too far from the base, so it has been rampaging in this area."

This is also giving us a big headache.

This Calamity Dragon has been wreaking havoc in the area, and they can't control it; it will be discovered sooner or later.

There was no other way but to prepare early.

Therefore, they deliberately scattered the Charging Armor on the edge of the city, hoping to lure the Calamity Dragon there and thus conceal the base's presence.

Let's put the problem further away.

Furthermore, they strictly restricted personnel from leaving their posts, and their control over the Calamity Dragon was almost to the point of complete disregard.

Aside from the most basic observations, almost no further effective interference was carried out.

Otherwise, Begel would have come knocking on their door long ago.

"It's been out of control for six months? Haven't the higher-ups come to deal with it during this time?"

Kevin frowned.

The researchers gave an awkward laugh.

It's obvious he did something behind the scenes.

Sure enough, there's no shortage of such things, nor are there any shortage of such people, anywhere.

But he still tried to justify himself, saying, "There's nothing we can do about it. It's not like our base was the only one exposed. There are research bases everywhere; they were exposed a long time ago."

"We were lucky to find out late, otherwise Lac wouldn't have been injured like that and had to come here."

"Do you know this guy named Lac?"

The researchers nodded. "He's different from us. He can have absolute control over those artificial organisms and induce genetic mutations in them, preventing many genetically engineered organisms from collapsing."

As he spoke, his tone became more enthusiastic, and he grew somewhat agitated.

Seeing Kevin's look, he coughed twice to calm himself down.

"That dragon was delivered by him more than a year ago."

"You just said there's another kind of insect?"

Kevin was more concerned about this issue.

The researchers nodded and led him down to the warehouse below.

Since there were only five of them in total, they hadn't even checked this area before.

"This is the supply warehouse of our research base."

Once down there, Kevin saw an insect that resembled Chimera Ant, but with a shorter and rounder body.

Insects, when magnified, actually look somewhat cute.

They use their antennae to carry things much larger than their own bodies, busily moving around in the cargo hold.

However, these insects are about the size of a human, much smaller than Charging Armor.

"[Carrier Ant]."

"Is this a giant variety of Argentine Ant?" Kevin asked.

The researchers were surprised that Kevin knew this, and nodded in agreement. "That's right, this is what happens when Argentine Ant has its Growth Organ transplanted."

"Although it's called Chimera Ant, it actually belongs to the Beetle family. I suspect this transplanted organ was actually cloned from some kind of Beetle."

Since he's already been caught, he answers whatever Kevin asks, and even guides Kevin to understand things Kevin doesn't ask about.

He looked like he was trying to redeem himself through leniency.

"Unlike Charging Armor, Argentine Ant have strong social habits. With a little training, like they are now, they are almost harmless, as long as they have enough food."

As he spoke, he stretched out his foot and tugged at the [Moving Bug] that walked past him.

With these insects around, it's no wonder they dared to build an underground base in such a remote and sparsely populated place.

After all, Argentine Ant are known for their skill in digging tunnels.

Kevin walked over, picked up a [Carrier Ant] at random, and examined it closely.

"Is it okay to kill it?"

"It's best to kill them outside, otherwise you'll disturb the insects. Although they won't attack you, they'll become chaotic and disorderly, making them difficult to deal with."

Hearing this, Kevin nodded, grabbed the bug, and went outside.

He punched into the insect's body and removed the [Growth Organ].

I held it in my hand and felt it.

Not ideal.

Compared to the organs on the [Charging Armor], the [Moving Bug's ] [Growth Organ] are noticeably weaker.

Not only are they different in size, but their colors are also much duller.

Do you have any Charging Armor seedlings? Or those large Charging Armor that aren't fully grown yet?

The researchers nodded. "Yes, we have well-established cultivation techniques for both, and even mature cultivation methods for [Growth Organ]."

This is considered part of their job, so all the necessary equipment is provided.

With that, he led Kevin on a tour.

They arrived at a designated area.

The huge breeding box was densely packed with Charging Armor seedlings, which were very small.

It was only about the size of two or three fists, far from being the size of a normal Charging Armor.

"These are culture tanks, containing Charging Armor that have reached a certain stage of development but have not yet been transplanted with [Growth Organ]."

2

As they spoke, the researchers led Kevin to another culture tank.

"These are patients who have already received Growth Organ transplants. There is a certain mortality rate, but we have now managed to keep the mortality rate below 40%."

There were also breeding boxes for Moving Bug placed around.

After listening to the researchers' detailed explanation, Kevin nodded in satisfaction.

That's enough.

With materials full of growth potential and the cultivation methods mastered, we have achieved our goals.

These are the only useful creatures in this base. After all, it's just a place to observe important dragon-type experimental subjects and incidentally serve as a feeding facility.

"Kevin, I think you'll be very interested in this."

Sometime later, Begel appeared, holding a document in his hand, and waved it around.

The researcher next to him glanced at the document, adjusted his glasses, and nodded in sudden understanding.

"So you're interested in this, but all the related items have been taken away by headquarters."

"So don't ask me, I really don't know. I'm just the head of this small research base, and my knowledge is limited."

The person in charge of the study was very "frank," making a prediction without being asked, indicating that he was unaware of the situation.

Kevin ignored him and punched him in the stomach.

"You do it-"

The researcher, who had been punched for no apparent reason, took several steps back and was about to question the attacker when he froze.

Because this punch, apart from making him take a few steps back, didn't actually cause him any pain.

"Um?"

He scratched his head in confusion, then rubbed his stomach.

I believe you.

Kevin said.

Begel looked at Kevin with a strange expression. "You—never mind."

He really wanted to ask Kevin what his Nen ability was, as it was clearly a lie detector technique.

Feedback is given through striking.

Although he didn't understand the underlying principles, could this also be Enhancement Type ability?

Dude, are you Enhancement Type or not?

Begel was starting to get confused.

If we had to force a categorization, it might be classified as Enhancement Type.

After all, he didn't know the specific circumstances under which Kevin made the potion.

In the previous battle, Kevin's methods were clearly Enhancement Type, and his style was too violent.

But the way it formed a hexagonal shield using air also resembled Transmutation Type, Begel felt he couldn't be wrong about that.

However, this makes sense, since Enhancement Type and Transmutation Type are adjacent types, and it's normal to have a composite Nen ability if you have certain talent and ability.

This might further justify Kevin's potion-making abilities.

The problem is, how does a lie detector work when you throw a punch?

Is this reasonable?

Is it possible for one person to master so many Nen ability?

Since Nen ability are a matter of personal privacy, Begel didn't press the matter and kept his questions to himself.

"So what is this document?" Kevin asked curiously.

Begel then came to his senses and handed the file to Kevin.

Kevin opened it and saw that it contained information about some biological samples that had passed through the base.

Among them was a record of the [Golden Chicken].

In addition, there are some records about [Demonic Beast] and [Rare Beast].

"Hiss~"

Wow, this is a major discovery!

Kevin's eyes lit up, and he suddenly turned to stare at the head of the research team behind him.

The other person was intimidated by Kevin's gaze and silently took two steps back.

"What... what do you want? I really don't know."

Are the creatures recorded in this document real?

The other party, of course, knew what was written in the document and nodded quickly.

Then it leaned closer and discovered the creature that Kevin was interested in.

"It's definitely real. I've seen the Golden Chicken with my own eyes, and I even took one of its Golden Egg, though I haven't come up with any research results. After all, there's also the [Smiler Wetland] nearby, and we've provided quite a few [Demonic Beast] samples."

As he spoke, he pointed to the file in Kevin's hand.

He continued to recount what he roughly knew, or even what he was guessing.

"Some creatures just passed through our base, some as far back as four or five years ago, but most of them are from the last few years."

"After all, we're engaged in genetic biology research, so we definitely need to collect all sorts of biological samples and study their genes and various organs; that's our job."

After he finished speaking, he emphasized it again.

"I believe you can understand that our organization is highly secretive, so please don't expect me to know the location of other bases. I don't have that kind of authority, you understand?"

Begel crossed his arms and couldn't help but say.

"I wonder if those teams led by the Twelve Zodiacs Branches have found an important base. If they have, then..."

Everything will be much easier then.

After all, they were also participants in this operation, so it's only natural that they should acquire some spoils of war; at the very least, they should have the opportunity to access relevant resources.

It's better than encountering nothing at all.

To be honest, Begel himself really wanted to study these creatures, and not getting the Golden Chicken sample was a big regret for him. Kevin nodded, agreeing that this was the only way.

Let's see if we can get any useful intelligence or information from the Twelve Zodiacs that are about to arrive.

If all else fails,

We can only try our luck with the mysterious Nion the Fortune Teller.