The Source of Resentment X All the Answers

"Rescue! Rescue! Rescue!"

Hearing the echoing sounds in his ears, Kevin slowly lowered the Syringe he was holding tightly, his face expressionless.

"I was so nervous and did a lot of preparation beforehand, but after all that trouble, it's just this kind of inexplicable whispering again," Kevin muttered helplessly.

He had been full of anticipation, thinking that the Resentment swirling around him would convey some useful information, but instead it just chattered in his ear, saying nothing that made any sense.

Left with no other option, Kevin pulled the box to himself and simply sat cross-legged on the ground.

The small box was filled with a thick Resentment emanated from the Record Book placed on top.

The Resentment seemed to have a life of its own, spreading outwards along the inner walls of the box, covering everything except the Notebook, making it impossible to see what was inside.

"Is this some kind of deal you're trying to make with me?" However, Resentment didn't respond to this, except for its continuous whispers in his ear.

Kevin tried to pull out the Notebook, but found that he couldn't move it an inch.

"Alright, alright, then I'll see what's written inside." Kevin thought to himself, he'd been led here, but hadn't gotten any useful information yet.

The only thing that can be confirmed at present is that [the Coming sound] and [the Sacrificial Target] are not the same thing; in fact, they can be said to be completely opposite.

Kevin turned to the first page, which read:

[Ann Vipera]

[Travelogue]

The information is very brief, only indicating that this Record Book is Travelogue titled "Ann Vipera".

When Kevin tried to turn the page again, he found that the pages seemed to be glued together and he couldn't turn them at all, as if the whole book had become a single unit.

"What exactly do you mean?" Kevin couldn't help but grumble. "You're just showing me a name?"

Just as Kevin tried to turn the pages again, the Resentment stirred, and the whispers in his ear became clearer.

"Contract, contract, contract."

Kevin frowned, lost in thought.

Judging from the current situation, this Resentment seems to want him to accomplish something.

This box might be a return gift from the other party; at least, that's the assumption based on the current situation.

The only thing the other party showed him was the names in the Record Book and the nature of the notebook. According to Kevin, the Resentment, or rather the original subject of the Resentment, felt that simply presenting the names was enough to convey certain information.

"So what does this name mean?" Kevin pondered. The only thing he knew was that Vipera seemed to be Melusina's middle name.

However, depending on the customs of different regions, the meaning of a middle name varies. It may be to commemorate someone, to express gratitude, or it may be related to family blood ties.

With that in mind, Kevin picked up his phone and started searching for relevant information; in times like this, he had to seek outside help.

He received a reply not long after.

Vipera was active from 1715 to 1725 and was one of the most famous chefs in the world at that time. According to historical records, he was even very likely the most skilled chef of that era.

At the same time, he is also a famous Traveling Chef in [Food Village].

After the Curse appeared, he quickly disappeared without a trace. It is speculated that he may have also been Curse at the time and was trapped in the Secret Realm, unable to leave.

Looking at the reply in his hand, Kevin couldn't help but frown. He really couldn't see anything special about the name from this information that would make the Resentment go to such lengths.

The whispers of Resentment continued to echo in my ears, "The contract—what contract is it?"

"Curse, Curse, Curse."

"You want me to remove the Curse from the Village, right?" Kevin asked tentatively.

"Contract, contract--"

Kevin understood; this Resentment wanted him to sign a contract to help the Village break the Curse.

Could this Resentment be related to this?

Based on existing intelligence, it is speculated that the Curse may be related to a person Vipera, and he may even be the culprit.

Perhaps out of guilt or other emotions, he was preoccupied with breaking the Curse until his death, which is why he developed such Resentment.

Of course, this is just Kevin's personal speculation.

"If it's a contract to help remove the Curse, I'm willing." As Kevin said this, his will seemed to generate some kind of power, and the Resentment whispers in his ear instantly dissipated.

Then, these Resentment coiled around his arm, gradually forming a dark pattern resembling the God Text.

Kevin immediately recalled the details of the contract. The terms were very lenient, only requiring him to break the Village's Curse, without even mentioning any punishment.

Kevin stretched out his textured arm and touched the Notebook again.

This time, the Notebook came loose, and he was able to remove it completely.

Then, he looked at the box, and the contents inside were now clearly visible.

The box contained few items, but each one looked extremely peculiar.

Kevin could feel the vibrant energy emanating from it simply by getting close.

Using the [Condensation] ability, this aura became even stronger, with each item radiating a rich Nen Aura.

A round object, like a marble.

A white bone plate with black veins on it.

A small, palm-sized, beautifully decorated gold dagger.

There was also a gemstone that seemed to conceal something mysterious inside.

Kevin reached into the box and took out the gem.

The moment the gem was taken out, Resentment quickly overwhelmed him, and the remaining items in the box became invisible again.

"Huh?" Kevin looked blankly at the gem in his hand.

Soon, it dawned on him.

"So it was a deposit? Well, they're quite committed to keeping their promises." The mention of Resentment and contracts usually conjures up images of punishment and consequences, but this contract was surprisingly formal, even including a deposit.

Kevin examined the gem in his hand carefully, but it didn't give him the feeling of wanting to use it.

Although Kevin is able to use minerals as materials for making potions, so far, in the process of making many potions,

He has only ever used one type of mineral—a special protein mineral.

This mineral is essentially formed from biological remains over a long period of time, while the gem in front of him is clearly a very pure mineral. Although it exudes a vibrant aura, it does not inspire Kevin to want to use it as a material.

This unpolished gemstone has an irregular shape and seems to have a life flowing inside, giving it a very strange feel.

Within the pale red gemstone, Flowing Light shimmered and various free-floating substances moved about.

Kevin held the gem up to the light from outside the cave, and its beauty became even more apparent.

"If this were sold, its value would be immeasurable." Even though Kevin wasn't an expert in gem appraisal, he could see the immense value of this gem; it was more than enough as a deposit.

Kevin carefully put the gem away and turned his attention to his Notebook.

At this point, his right hand, with its black markings, was already able to turn the Notebook.

He flipped through the Notebook casually, but instead of turning to the next page as usual, he went straight to the very end, where the previous pages remained tightly stuck together.

"This secrecy is really annoying," Kevin muttered, carefully examining the few pages he could turn to see what was recorded.

"I regret it. I have never felt so remorseful. My past arrogance and haughtiness led me to make such a serious mistake."

Reader, by turning to this page you have surely entered into a contract, signifying your ability to solve problems. Now, listen to the bitter fruit of my arrogance.

Wait a minute, Kevin thought, was this written specifically for the person reading this?

No, the problem is that this is the content set by Resentment, also known as post-mortem Nen Resentment, which is the change produced by extreme will and emotions at the moment of death. Can it really be controlled like this?

Perhaps? After all, the post-mortem Nen should have existed since ancient times, and it's impossible that no one would want to understand and control it.

No matter how you look at it, this is a powerful force.

Regardless, the facts were undeniable, so Kevin had no choice but to calm down and read on carefully.

"I have an insatiable greed for food, and I yearn to taste all the delicacies in the world. To this end, I have spent a lot of time and paid countless prices to explore food, and thus I have honed my superb culinary skills."

When I saw that book, based on my past experience in exploring fantasy, I was convinced that it was not just an ordinary fantasy novel, but a real-world guide.

After years of unremitting efforts, I finally arrived at the place described in the book. As for my specific experiences there,

The previous page already contains records. Now, please complete our contract, and everything I leave behind will belong to you.

After reading this passage, the words "Dark Continent" instantly came to Kevin's mind.

He had read the book and even owned the first edition.

The more he recalled the contents of the book, the more he longed to go to the Dark Continent, but he also knew that unimaginable dangers lurked there.

Kevin calculated the book's publication date and, combined with the period in which the person in front of him was active, realized that it was roughly three hundred years ago.

At the time, most people regarded the book as a fictional fantasy novel. It wasn't until later, when some major countries explored the outside world and confirmed the authenticity of some of the book's contents, that they hurriedly banned it.

This chef clearly knew the secrets in the book before exploring various countries and even went there himself.

In other words, the items in the box are likely "souvenirs" brought back from the Dark Continent?

This Ann Vipera is someone who went to the Dark Continent and returned safely!

Kevin continued reading.

"On that mysterious continent, even someone as powerful as me must remain vigilant at all times and proceed with extreme caution."

"During the exploration, my team suffered heavy losses; almost none of the ten men were left. It was just too dangerous there."

But in the end, I still found one of my goals.

Before setting off, I was ambitious and thought I could achieve all my goals, but now it seems that this one goal alone has exhausted all my energy.

It was a snake egg, said to be one of the most delicious things in the world.

These eggs were guarded by an enormous, powerful, and incomparably strong serpentine monster.

The dozens of eggs piled together emitted an irresistible aroma that I found hard to resist.

In the end, I paid a heavy price to successfully obtain a snake egg, and without lingering for a moment, I immediately returned the way I came.

I was overjoyed and planned to take the snake egg back to share with everyone in the Village. In my opinion, one of the charms of delicious food is sharing, and I longed to taste this exquisite delicacy with everyone.

I shared the snake egg with the Village, and its taste was undoubtedly the most exquisite delicacy in the world.

However, problems also arose at this moment.

I was far too proud and reckless. After all, this snake egg came from a monster that survived on that terrifying continent, and even an unhatched egg contained immense danger.

It cast Curse upon us; all those who shared the food—the entire village—were shrouded in this Curse.

The animals we raised were also affected by the Curse and went berserk, attacking anyone Curse without restraint.

The number of frenzied creatures was simply too great. Faced with this sudden turn of events, even I was powerless to stop it, and large-scale casualties began to occur in the Village.

In the end, we had no other choice but to use our special Nen ability to protect the Village and temporarily isolate it from the effects of the Curse.

My remaining companions and I left the Village, embarking on a journey to find the source of the Curse and a way to lift it.

But the Curse is far more terrifying than we imagined. Outside, we have become easy prey in the eyes of those less intelligent creatures, who hunt us down just as I once hunted those delicious prey.

Although we are quite powerful, we cause considerable trouble wherever we go. If this continues, we will eventually become a scourge in people's eyes, and the inevitable killings will severely damage the surrounding ecosystem, plunging it into chaos.

Is this the bitter fruit of my actions? Left with no other choice, we returned to our hometown, but still found nothing.

After reading this, Kevin couldn't help but sigh; the Curse was worse than he had imagined.

He hadn't anticipated this situation. If he ventured out rashly, even with his own strength, he would inevitably attract powerful creatures, causing immense destruction along the way.

It's important to understand that there are countless large creatures in this world, and for ordinary people, the destructive power of these creatures is extremely terrifying.

Kevin continues reading:

"After returning to the Village, we began to study the Curse on our own and strengthened the Village's defenses."

However, something even more despairing happened: our descendants were not spared either, even if they intermarried with people from outside the village.

The children born will also bear the Curse.

In despair, some chose to leave the protective barrier, willingly allowing themselves to be devoured by the monsters drawn by the Curse.

It seems he wanted to use this to absolve himself of his sins.

How ridiculous!

But all of this is a problem I caused, and I must take responsibility and find a solution.

After years of research, I have finally figured out the cause of the Curse.

Resentment is not something that only humans or intelligent beings can generate; the creatures we eat and slaughter also possess Resentment.

The ingredients around our Village are of the highest quality, and the creatures that grow there are full of vitality. Over the centuries, our insatiable appetite has accumulated a great deal of Resentment on this land.

The appearance of that snake egg acted like a fuse, completely igniting these Resentment.

I named the race to which the snake eggs belonged [Resentful Eater Snake]. They are not ordinary creatures at all, but monsters formed from Resentment.

The so-called incubation process is not a normal incubation, but rather it is born from Resentment.

Our insatiable appetite, coupled with the surrounding Resentment, provided it with an ideal environment to grow.

I don't know what complex reactions occurred during the incubation process, but when we ate the snake eggs, the snake hatched and turned into Resentment Snake.

We who eat snake eggs bear its Curse, which transforms our greedy appetites into suffering, making us taste the torment endured by the creatures we devour.

After finding the root cause, I started thinking of ways to solve it.

I spent a lot of time collecting materials on sacrificial Succession Ceremony from ancient and modern countries, and carefully designed a Festival.

I had assumed that the invisible Resentment Snake would be utterly unable to resist the allure of this Festival.

The Festival design seemed to be a success. The invisible Resentment Snake finally revealed its true form. It had just hatched and was very weak. I easily attacked it, thinking I could destroy it in one fell swoop.

However, my arrogance led me to make another grave mistake.

To my utter surprise, that Resentment Snake was impossible to eliminate using conventional methods.

My Festival not only failed to destroy it, but actually accelerated its growth. It accepted the Festival's procedures, actively participated in them, and even optimized them.

Currently, I can still suppress and eliminate it using my status and power. But once I die, the Succession Ceremony will truly begin to operate, and the snake will rapidly grow stronger.

So many years of research have exhausted my life, and in the end, I have failed.

The existence of powerful creatures on that continent is beyond reason; this is a profound lesson I learned at a terrible cost.

The following content is a solution I wrote down based on conjecture in the final moments of my life. I hope my Resentment will help me find the right person to complete this mission.

Kevin finished reading these pages of records, and was filled with emotion.

These few pages alone contain such a wealth of information; the other person's thought process is like a mysterious treasure.

It's worth his time to analyze it.

Without a doubt, this Record Book will be key to unraveling many mysteries.

Kevin calmed himself down and slowly turned to the last page.