Red Sparrow X Leaving the Village

Inside the Food Village Library.

The existence of a Library in the countryside is quite a rare thing in itself.

However, as a community of Nen user, many things here are naturally different from what we see here.

The Library's collection of books, half of which came from outside and had been accumulated over three centuries, did not arouse much interest in Kevin.

These books mostly describe various things in the outside world, covering a wide range of historical events, news summaries, and some modern and contemporary ideas and developments.

In addition, a significant proportion consists of various kinds of entertainment works.

The existence of these books allows the Village, even those living in seclusion, to learn about the outside world through written words.

Entertainment also helps villagers keep up with the aesthetic and intellectual trends of the times, so they don't fall far behind.

Kevin glanced at the books briefly and understood how popular these foreign books, which had flowed in over the past three hundred years, were.

Despite careful maintenance, most of the books still appear worn and tattered.

Kevin even saw several bookshelves filled with comic books, many of which were badly damaged and missing.

It was obviously borrowed.

This shows that the villagers have a strong demand for "entertainment".

In comparison, books that survived from three hundred years ago are in even better condition than books that have entered the country in the last three hundred years.

These books are almost all professional books, covering a wide range of fields such as geological exploration, environmental monitoring, Travelogue, food cooking, legendary kitchen utensils, and food processing.

This was exactly what Kevin had been searching for.

Seeing Kevin engrossed in reading these kinds of books, the old lady sitting at the counter by the door smiled and nodded.

Over the decades, she has witnessed countless Hunter x Hunter like Kevin come here.

Outsiders yearn to acquire the knowledge of the village, while the villagers long for everything outside.

"This stuff about chefs—it's totally my cup of tea," Kevin muttered to himself as he flipped through the pages.

The book contains a great deal of information about the acquisition and processing of ingredients, detailing the various changes that occur when these ingredients are incorporated into cooking.

It may seem unusual, but it actually explains the unique effects of these ingredients.

Moreover, many of the edible parts seem to be the essence of the creature.

Just by looking at the descriptions of how these ingredients were obtained, Kevin discovered many usable materials that might be found in the creatures.

Kevin managed to pull his attention away from the books, and then focused more on one of them, "Home Food."

It is clear that this book was written by the villagers of the Village three hundred years ago, and it records the various kinds of food raised in the area centered around this Village.

This place is now called Secret Realm because these food creatures, which were once farmed, have broken away from artificial breeding, returned to nature, and formed an independent ecological chain.

Most of these creatures were brought back to the Village by former Traveling Chef, so the book contains detailed descriptions and analyses of various ingredients.

This is undoubtedly an excellent guide for Kevin Pharmaceuticals.

After a quick browse, Kevin found several ingredients that met his criteria.

Since Kevin came to hunt in person, the targets he chose were naturally all of extremely high risk.

His first target was "Red Sparrow".

This is a bird that is only about the size of a palm. When they attack, they move quickly in flocks.

Although it can only fly in a straight line, its speed is extremely fast.

The truly crucial point is that this bird's entire body becomes extremely hot during rapid flight, and anything it touches...

They would all ignite due to the high temperature on their bodies.

Kevin chose this goal because he had always wanted to master an "elemental" skill.

In his understanding of Nen ability, elemental skills like these mostly belong to the Transmutation Type.

The ability of Transmutation Type allows one to convert their Nen Aura into other substances, such as fire, water, earth, or lightning.

The application of this ability seems easy to imagine, but in reality, very few people can actually achieve the desired results.

The Transmutation Type and the Materialization Type have similarities; both require a deep understanding of the target.

To successfully materialize something, Materialization Type must have a thorough understanding of the object's structure and all aspects. For example, Kevin spent a lot of time researching how to materialize Syringe, since Syringe itself isn't a particularly complex item.

Transforming Nen Aura into elemental matter is inherently extremely difficult.

Because Nen user in Transmutation Type not only need to understand the properties of the elements, but also need to experience them firsthand.

Among them, the seemingly easiest to achieve is the "fire" attribute change, which is extremely difficult for Nen user to accomplish.

Because flames are so dangerous to the human body, it is difficult for people to truly experience them.

Therefore, most people who try to build Nen-like Nen ability can usually only create effects that are essentially "heat" or "scalding," and pure "fire" is almost impossible to achieve. This is why Kevin chose the Red Sparrow.

Since his strength improved, Kevin usually searches for suitable materials based on the potions he plans to make.

He planned to first create a potion with "heat" as its property, Red Sparrow were the main ingredient in this potion.

Furthermore, considering the characteristics of the Red Sparrow, if Kevin later wants to create a potion with "fire" properties, the Red Sparrow could also be used as an auxiliary ingredient.

It's worth a try, no matter what.

As for why there's no need to worry about Red Sparrow being unsuitable as crafting materials, the answer can be found in relevant records.

Even as Nen user, it's difficult to dodge Red Sparrow's attacks, so most people would choose to run away when they encounter Red Sparrow.

Only those with exceptionally sharp reflexes can capture the Red Sparrow when it attacks, using a specially designed metal net.

However, Red Sparrow are social creatures, and when they launch an attack, it is usually not just one bird.

Besides the Red Sparrow, Kevin continued to learn about other creatures.

He discovered that the content of these books had not been entered into relevant information websites.

After all, knowledge is wealth. The Hunter Association won't act like a babysitter, directly feeding all information to Hunter x Hunter. Instead, it provides a platform for Hunter x Hunter, giving them more opportunities for exploration and discovery.

The book provides detailed information on how to capture and process various "ingredients," which was sufficient for Kevin.

"You're here."

Just as Kevin was engrossed in the book, Men Qi's voice came from beside him.

Kevin then looked up.

Men Qi looked at him with a hint of helplessness.

It's already evening.

Kevin put down his book, got up, walked to the door, and looked outside. It was already pitch black outside.

The elderly woman who manages the Library is still sitting at the front desk, wrapped in a blanket, with a cup of hot water in front of her, dozing off.

"I'm sorry, Mother-in-law, I'm sorry to bother you," Kevin said apologetically.

At this moment, the grandmother, who had just begun to wake up, simply chuckled and said, "You children are always like this, I'm used to it. Come again next time, haha. It's good to have a thirst for knowledge, but don't get too obsessed."

Kevin smiled and nodded, thanked the old lady again, and then left the Library with Men Qi.

"If all goes well, the book contains information about the surrounding ingredients, as well as how to catch and process them. If you're interested, you can come here and look for them later," Kevin said to Men Qi.

Men Qi nodded.

The two returned to the hotel.

Bianluoke was sitting in the living room, flipping through a comic book, occasionally letting out a burst of laughter.

The sound of metal clanging came from upstairs; it must be Buhaci making dinner.

Although Xiahara is Gourmet Hunter, he is indeed inferior to Men Qi in terms of cooking skills, and he is not particularly enthusiastic about cooking.

Simply put, he's a bit lazy. But then again, if he weren't lazy, he probably wouldn't have his current physique, nor would he have developed the Nen ability associated with it.

Before long, dishes were served one after another, each with a generous portion.

At the Xiahara, Bianluoke did not refuse and ate with them.

"How does it taste?" Buhaci asked after Bianluoke finished tasting the food.

After savoring it carefully, Bianluoke nodded and commented, "Not bad."

Kevin and Gowen exchanged a glance. In their opinion, the food was already quite delicious, but they didn't expect it to receive such a low evaluation from Bianluoke.

However, Xiahara and Men Qi didn't seem to care, and even nodded in agreement.

This is Food Village, and the standards for evaluating food are clearly not on the same level as Kevin and his friends' usual understanding.

After a satisfying meal, the group began to chat about their respective experiences of the day.

"It's not quite what I expected. I thought every villager here was a master chef," Men Qi remarked first.

"How could that be? Although we are descendants of master chefs and have a complete culinary tradition, it doesn't mean that everyone wants to be a chef or is willing to be one." As he spoke, Bianluoke pointed at Men Qi and Buhaci.

"And you two, like the others who came before, both call yourselves [Gourmet Hunter], and your cooking skills seem pretty good too."

"But essentially, you're not chefs at all, are you? You're just Hunter x Hunter who treat [food] as prey."

Perhaps because of his profession, Bianluoke has come into contact with many Hunter x Hunter, especially Gourmet Hunter, so he has a good understanding of the Hunter x Hunter profession.

Faced with Bianluoke's words, Men Qi and Xiahara nodded without refuting them, because it was indeed the truth.

"Not a chef?"

Kevin and Gowen found it hard to believe that Men Qi and Buhaci, with their superb culinary skills, could not be considered chefs in Bianluoke's eyes.

"After all, we're food Hunter x Hunter, not chef Hunter x Hunter. We're after delicious food, unique flavors we've never tasted before."

Men Qi shrugged and explained with a smile.

Upon hearing this, Kevin suddenly realized what was going on.

The core of Gourmet Hunter lies in the pursuit of delicious food; they focus more on "ingredients," on novel flavors and unusual things they have never tasted before.

The main reason why most Gourmet Hunter also work as chefs is their unwavering pursuit of delicious food.

This enabled their culinary skills to reach a certain level.

Therefore, in the eyes of others, Gourmet Hunter are equivalent to chefs, which seems like a logical equation.

But in reality, this is putting the cart before the horse.

In fact, many Gourmet Hunter collaborate with ordinary chefs, many of whom are renowned chefs who are the ones who truly identify as chefs as a profession.

Strictly speaking, the true role of Gourmet Hunter is more like that of a diner.

"Moreover, this Village used to be a place with frequent population movement, always welcoming visitors from all directions."

Bianluoke seemed to remember something and muttered to himself.

His words are not difficult to understand.

The former [Food Village] was indeed like that, but it was later Curse and sealed off, which is why it could no longer continue its former liveliness and vitality.

The villagers are not foolish; the transmission of culinary skills does not rely solely on bloodlines, but rather on the close connection between masters and apprentices.

The reason this Village has become a sacred place in the hearts of chefs is that those with dreams and goals come here to learn, and then leave to make their own way in the world.

But people can't wander forever; eventually, they'll return here. This is how the tradition has been passed down from generation to generation, resulting in the Food Village we know today.

The Village was once a place of constant movement.

Children born in the Village may choose to leave if they have other ambitions, and eventually settle down elsewhere.

However, centuries of isolation have caused the Village's culinary skills to fall behind the times, leaving them with no choice but to do their best to preserve the original techniques.

Fortunately, the villagers in this Village possess Nen ability, and they incorporate a great deal of Nen ability techniques into their culinary skills.

This at least ensured that they were not completely forgotten by the world during these hundreds of years of isolation.

The group continued chatting while eating.

Men Qi and Buhaci spent the whole day visiting the homes of the Village's most skilled cooks, observing and reflecting on their best cooking techniques, and are currently determining their specific learning goals.

These villagers were already used to it.

Despite being closed off for centuries, the reputation of Food Village is well-deserved.

In this Village, you can find top-notch skills in almost every culinary field, from various cooking techniques to pastry making.

It has everything you could need.

As for Gowen, to be honest, he found almost no valuable clues today.

His personality, somewhat rigid due to his own beliefs, made it difficult for him to communicate smoothly with the villagers.

Most of the time, it was the villagers who asked him about the outside world out of curiosity.

However, it is precisely because of his gentle nature and his ability to not get annoyed by the children's noise that he is even more popular with them.

"I'll probably leave tomorrow to scout out the area," Kevin said.

Men Qi nodded. "We don't want to go out yet, we may have to wait for a while. During this time, you will have to act on your own."

"So you'd better not choose a target that's too dangerous from the start."

After thinking for a moment, Buhaci suggested, "How about we compare our respective goals? There's overlap, and then we can act together later, what do you think?"

Kevin knew that Buhaci would make such a suggestion, and nodded with a smile.

The next morning.

Kevin was preparing to leave the Village. Although Men Qi and the other man were not going with him, Gowen decided to go with him.

Kevin readily agreed.

Although Gowen is not currently very strong, he has good potential and learning ability. Having him Accompany would be a help rather than a burden, so Kevin would naturally not refuse.

The two walked out of the village and saw the person still lying on their side in the small camp, using the sky and earth as their blanket.

"Speaking of which, we can ask this guy what happened when we get back," Kevin suddenly said.

Gowen nodded in agreement.

Boundary the two stepped out of the Village, they immediately felt the slight, bone-chilling cold in the air disappear.

"So this is the manifestation of the Curse on the villagers, as I thought to Kevin."

"Why did you suddenly want to work with me?" Kevin suddenly asked Gowen.

After all, Gowen's goals were different from his.

Upon hearing this, Gowen remained silent for a moment, then said, "I want to learn combat, specifically Nen ability- level combat."

Kevin understood that the battle Gowen was referring to was a combat technique between Nen user.

Perhaps in Gowen's eyes, Kevin is strong and already possesses a certain foundation in Nen ability before becoming a formal Nen user. Following Kevin might allow him to learn unique combat techniques at this stage.

After all, there is a significant difference between the fighting styles of Nen user and ordinary people. Gowen has been working hard to learn how to build Nen ability and doesn't have much practical knowledge about it.

Upon hearing Gowen's idea, Kevin poured cold water on it. "There's a big difference between a battle between humans and a battle between humans and beasts."

"What I want to learn is the combat technique between humans and beasts," Gowen said.

"Hmm---" Kevin wondered.

Did he discover something?