Accident X Before the Secret Realm

At the airport, Kevin and his two companions disembarked from the private Airship.

The attendants were very considerate, placing their luggage below and carefully putting it into the shuttle bus.

The three then left the airport by car.

"The road ahead is going to be tough; it's the hardest part."

Men Qi turned her head, looked at Kevin sitting in the back row, and said with a smile.

"No need to remind me, I already know the situation."

Kevin rolled his eyes in exasperation.

He knew Men Qi was teasing him, since he rarely traveled like this.

"It's alright, we arranged transportation in advance, and we have locals to guide us. Although the route is a bit roundabout, it shouldn't cause too much trouble."

Buhaci added from the side.

Their destination was a place known as the "Secret Realm".

Just from the name, one can guess that this place is most likely located in a remote and sparsely populated area.

Getting there from civilized areas is by no means easy.

And that is indeed the case.

Even the nearest city is hundreds of kilometers away from the Secret Realm.

Moreover, this is only the straight-line distance; they will have to cross wilderness areas along the way, making the journey anything but easy.

The vehicle slowly drove into the city, and the city gradually came into view.

Although it's called a city, it looks more like a dilapidated rural Small Town.

No building here exceeds six stories; various low, rustic buildings are scattered haphazardly along both sides of the road.

Illegal structures built without authorization are everywhere.

The entire street was in complete disarray, with vehicles of all sizes weaving through traffic and people jostling for space between them.

"Beep beep!"

"What's with the rush? If you're so capable, then overtake me!"

"Don't rush!"

"Can you move aside? It's such a short distance, what's the rush!"

Chaos, crowds, arguments—the cacophony of sounds rose and fell on the narrow street.

"Oh, perfect timing for a good nap."

Men Qi was clearly used to this scene. She silently pulled up her sunglasses, crossed her arms, and lay down in the passenger seat.

Kevin looked at Buhaci, Buhaci could only shrug helplessly.

You'll get used to it.

Seeing this, the driver laughed and chatted with the group, "This is the traffic situation in our country. How about it, lively enough?"

The driver's humorous self-deprecating remarks brought smiles to the faces of the group.

For Men Qi and Buhaci, who travel all over the world every day, such a scene is not unfamiliar.

After all, not every country can maintain good order. In those resource-scarce and geographically complex regions, people don't have the energy to improve transportation; having a decent place to live is already quite good.

You could even say this place is pretty good.

Kevin had rarely had such an experience, whether in his past life or now, so he kept quietly looking out the window.

The vehicles were like worms struggling to crawl through bread, barely managing to get into the city.

After driving around for a long time, we finally arrived at the other side of the city.

Where is the person who was supposed to pick us up?

After getting off the bus, Men Qi carried her luggage and looked around, but she didn't see the Guide she had arranged to meet.

"It's probably delayed. Let's give them a call and ask," said Xiahara, squeezing off the bus.

Kevin didn't say anything; he wasn't familiar with the process, so he just followed along.

Immediately afterward, the sound of Men Qi arguing on the phone could be heard.

And at this time...

Kevin sensed someone watching him and followed his senses to find the source of the gaze.

"Um?"

The two exchanged a glance.

"Mr. Kevin?"

"Gowen?"

An unexpected person appeared beside me; judging from their appearance, they seemed to have just happened to be passing by.

The young man, slightly younger than Kevin, strode forward, his face full of surprise and joy.

"Mr. Kevin, I never expected to run into you here."

You're still so polite.

Kevin listened to the other person's words and smiled helplessly.

Gowen simply smiled and did not respond.

Kevin looked Gowen up and down and nodded slightly.

He noticed that Gowen's Nen Aura was in much better condition than when he had just activated it during the exam, indicating that he had become quite proficient in controlling Nen Aura.

This indicates that Gowen received good instruction after the exam.

Buhaci and Men Qi also looked over.

Kevin gestured to the two people behind him and introduced them, "These two are my companions, Men Qi and Buhaci, both Gourmet Hunter."

The two greeted Gowen.

Gowen immediately introduced himself, "My name is Gowen Thor. I actually prefer to call myself Knight rather than Hunter x Hunter. It's a pleasure to meet you two seniors."

Gowen is a very straightforward person, with a smile on his face, and his upright character seems to be etched into his bones.

We chatted briefly and became somewhat acquainted.

Gowen said excitedly, "I never expected to meet you in such a remote place. I've been staying here ever since the exams ended."

"If there's anything you need help with, please don't hesitate to ask me."

Upon hearing this, Men Qi asked without any hesitation, "Do you know where the Haxing Casino is?"

It turned out that they had just learned over the phone that their booked local Guide had been gambling at a casino and had been detained.

"Of course I know. Although that kind of place is a mixed bag, I still know a thing or two about it."

With that, Gowen led everyone to the casino.

They quickly found the Guide and paid him a ransom.

"This money is just enough to cover your payment, you'd better behave yourself."

Men Qi glared at the Guide without any politeness and said fiercely.

The thin, middle-aged man gave a fawning smile and nodded hurriedly, "Of course, of course. I know the place you're going very well; Hunter x Hunter hire me as their Guide every year."

Clearly, because of this job, he had come into contact with the profession of Hunter x Hunter to some extent.

This is not unfamiliar to us.

Who else but Hunter x Hunter would be looking for Guide to lead them that way?

"Shall we set off now?"

Men Qi suggested it, and everyone nodded in agreement.

Gowen, who was following along the whole time, roughly understood Kevin and his group's destination.

"Excuse me, everyone, you're not going to [Food Village], are you?"

Gowen asked tentatively.

Kevin didn't answer directly, but turned to look at Men Qi and Xiahara.

Both of them looked completely indifferent.

Kevin nodded. "That's right."

After receiving a definite answer, Gowen's expression clearly became conflicted.

"Just say what you're thinking. That's not like you, is it?" Kevin said with a smile, not caring about Gowen's hesitation.

Gowen was somewhat embarrassed, but then showed admiration and nodded solemnly. "I'm sorry, I was being a bit presumptuous. I'd like to make a bold request: could I Accompany with you? There are some things I want to clarify, and I've always wanted to enter this [Secret Realm]."

Before Kevin could speak, Men Qi frowned and asked rudely, "You must be Kevin's fellow examinee, right? Judging from your appearance, you've been here receiving Nen ability training from instructors assigned by the Association since you got your Hunter License. You just finished your training not long ago, right?"

Gowen nodded. "That's right, Miss Men Qi, you are very perceptive."

"Now that you've Nen ability and are Professional Hunter, entering the Secret Realm shouldn't be difficult for you, right? Why do you insist on coming with us?"

Men Qi continued to press for answers.

Gowen clenched his fist, took a deep breath, and said frankly, "Because I am still very weak. Although I have known since I was a child that different powers exist in the world, I only realized my own insignificance when I actually stepped into this world."

"The Food Village is not safe; even the journey to the Village could be life-threatening for me."

As he spoke, he turned his gaze to Kevin.

Gowen knew very well that although he had now mastered Nen ability and built his own Nen ability system, he understood that Kevin in the exam room was someone he could not contend with, let alone the Kevin of today.

Although he didn't know exactly how strong Kevin was now, he keenly sensed the change in Kevin's demeanor and guessed that Kevin must be even stronger now.

Men Qi and Xiahara, being able to Accompany Kevin and being both Professional Hunter, must be quite formidable.

This was a rare opportunity for him.

Moreover, Gowen had developed a certain level of trust in Kevin during the exam, which is why he made this request.

Do you know any information about the Secret Realm that hasn't been made public yet?

$"

Kevin keenly sensed that Gowen must have a reason for wanting to enter the Secret Realm, and that reason was likely related to some intelligence.

Gowen nodded.

Men Qi glanced at Buhaci and Kevin, and after receiving their tacit approval, said to Gowen, "Then let's stick together for now until we enter the Village, what do you think?"

Gowen nodded happily. "Of course, thank you all. I will also share the information I know with you."

And so, a simple agreement was reached, and the four of them Accompany.

They quickly got into the car the Guide had rented and drove out of the city.

The car drove onto the winding mountain road.

Throughout the journey, the Guide kept chattering away about things that didn't really make any sense.

"Alright, let's stop talking about that and get to what we're interested in."

Men Qi waved his hand helplessly, interrupting the Guide.

"Alright, alright, you're the bosses, we'll do as you say," the Guide replied, then added, "It's the same every year. I just don't understand why you Hunter x Hunter always like to go to such dangerous places."

After he finished speaking, he began to recount the various pieces of information he had learned over the years from his interactions with different Hunter x Hunter.

He charges a high price, not only because he is Guide, but also because he will share information about the Secret Realm for free along the way.

That Secret Realm, known as the "No Return Land," probably took on its current form about three hundred years ago.

I don't know the exact time, but I've heard it was about three hundred years ago.

"After some time, your Hunter Association began to monitor that area."

"Before that, monsters often came out of that place. Of course, I never saw them with my own eyes. After all, I'm not an old man who's hundreds of years old, haha."

After the Guide finished speaking, he told a lame joke, but then realized that everyone was staring at him, so he coughed awkwardly twice.

"Ahem, anyway, that place is very dangerous. Every few years, one of you Hunter x Hunter gets into an accident there. We Guide usually get together to drink and chat, and that's how we find out when someone's gone missing."

"Legend has it that there used to be a Village there, Food God Village who cooked for the gods in heaven. Later, because the food displeased the gods, they cast Curse, and the Village was surrounded by monsters, and the people inside could never get out."

The Guide mostly told legends and stories; there wasn't much valuable information, but it was better than nothing.

The group turned their attention to Gowen, hoping to glean more information about the Secret Realm from him.

In fact, they weren't completely ignorant about the Secret Realm. After all, many Hunter x Hunter had explored it, and the Hunter Association had quite detailed information, which could be bought for a little money.

But they felt that Gowen might be able to provide some additional information.

After all, it's Secret Realm; if all information were discovered and made public, it wouldn't be called Secret Realm.

Furthermore, according to certain regulations, some intelligence, even if possessed by the Hunter Association, will be sealed and not disclosed casually.

This Secret Realm contains such sealed information, which they cannot access at their current Hunter x Hunter status. Perhaps only Star Rank Hunter x Hunter or even Two-star Hunter are qualified to access it, which naturally aroused their curiosity.

Gowen nodded and began to recount his situation. "I have an older sister who became Hunter x Hunter when I was very young. At the time, I didn't understand what Hunter x Hunter meant."

"One day, she left home and never returned, leaving only a letter. In the letter, she mentioned that she was preparing to go to this Secret Realm. Until his death, my father wanted to know what had happened to my sister. It was because I wanted to find out about this that I decided to become Hunter x Hunter and enter this Secret Realm."

After listening to Gowen's account, everyone realized that there weren't many clues.

All I know is Gowen's motivation for becoming Hunter x Hunter.

Gowen seemed to realize this as well, and then shared what he knew and some speculations. "Later, I read the letter carefully. My sister mentioned that she wanted to enter the Secret Realm because there was an important Festival in the Village."

"Festival? Is it Harvest Festival?" Xiahara asked.

"At first I also thought it was Harvest Festival," Gowen nodded, then added, "But Harvest Festival happen every year at the end of the year, can they really be considered 'important'?"

This was just his guess. If his sister was indeed like that, then the annual Harvest Festival would certainly be important to her.

After all, people's thoughts differ greatly, so he could only treat this as a conjecture.

After all, he was very young when his sister left, and his memories had already begun.

The problem is that they are all Professional Hunter, and the information they obtain through Hunter x Hunter websites is the same.

The Village does indeed only have one celebration at the end of the year.

This is also why they chose to come at this time; it allows them to stay in the Village for a while and participate in the harvest festival.

This is a suggestion based on information from the Hunter x Hunter website.

It is said that during the harvest festival, all the villagers of the Food Village will showcase their most exquisite culinary skills.

For Hunter x Hunter enter this Secret Realm and arrive at the Village, their purpose is self-evident. Therefore, if a Hunter x Hunter wants to come, they usually choose to do so at the end of the year.

"How many years ago did your sister write that letter?" Kevin suddenly asked.

"19 years ago," Gowen replied. Kevin had only asked casually and hadn't expected to glean any crucial information from it.

And so, the group spent two or three days traveling.

Fortunately, Hunter x Hunter come here every year, whether alone or in groups, so there are Hunter Cabin and campsites set up along the way.

Finally, they arrived at the entrance to the Secret Realm.

This place looks ordinary and unremarkable, nothing special about it.

There was just a weed-covered airstrip nearby, which looked big enough to park an airship.

There were several small warehouse-like buildings nearby, and a watchtower stood out prominently in the distance.

The Guide skillfully drove the car to the watchtower, poked his head out, and waved.

A middle-aged man, probably in his fifties and slightly overweight, stepped down from the watchtower.

This person is undoubtedly a Nen user.

"Hunter x Hunter?"

The middle-aged man asked.

"Who else could be here?" the Guide replied casually.

"Get out of here, I didn't ask you."

The middle-aged man waved his hand as if shooing away flies, then turned his gaze to Kevin and his group of four, somewhat surprised that they Accompany a group of four.

After all, Hunter x Hunter mostly act alone, and even when they form a group, it's usually two or three people at most. It's rare to see three people Accompany, so this time there were actually four.

Men Qi immediately pulled out her Hunter License.

According to regulations, if it is a group trip, only one person needs to have Hunter License, but everyone still took out their licenses.