Cooperation × Snake Nest Gains

Ever since Kevin beat me up at the airport last time.

Hisoka lost all interest in fighting Kevin.

Because it wasn't a close battle, but a pure crushing defeat.

When fighting Kevin, he was like facing a wild beast, relying on pure strength to absolutely suppress him in terms of power, speed, and physique.

Even pure mental power was suppressing him.

This overwhelming advantage in basic stats left Hisoka with no room to utilize his combat skills.

So-called combat wisdom is the sharpest weapon in battles of equal strength, and the key to victory for the weak over the strong.

But in the face of pure power, all of these become meaningless, because there is no room for combat wisdom to be displayed.

What he longed for was a battle of equal strength, a battle where life and death hung in the balance, a battle where one danced on the edge of a blade.

He is undoubtedly a complete pervert.

In the eyes of a normal person.

For him, the pleasure of fighting was like "sexual desire".

He has a clear purpose in doing things.

And he's not a fool.

The scene on the phone made him feel wonderful.

After that battle with Kevin, he asked Illumi for information about Kevin.

He also learned about this Pharmacy, and because of his frequent battles, Illumi even made a recommendation.

He had originally planned to find an opportunity to come and take a look.

Unexpectedly, they met at this time, and he didn't want to have any misunderstandings with the other person for no reason.

On the contrary, when he saw that symbol during the raid and looting, a plan had already formed in his mind.

He orchestrated a conflict between the Phantom Troupe and the opposing side, while he mediated between them, seeking an opportunity to confront Chrollo one-on-one.

He longed to fight his opponent.

He believed that Kevin was absolutely capable of doing this.

The current conversation suggests that the animosity between the two parties has existed for a long time and is quite deep.

That would make things even more natural.

"Oh dear~ it seems you two have a grudge against these little spiders for a long time~"

"When did you join them?" Kurapika asked very seriously; this was a very important question.

"Don't get me wrong, I only joined because of some personal reasons. I'm not even considered one of them yet, and I'm still a newcomer, I just joined recently."

Upon hearing this, the two people on the other end of the phone nodded slightly, their tone softening somewhat.

Although they had already guessed this from their previous conversations, they still wanted a definitive answer.

"So you want to go undercover to provide us with intelligence and convenience? Then why? What are you after? And what do you want to gain from it?" Kurapika asked calmly.

There's no smoke without fire; Hisoka clearly has some purpose against the Phantom Troupe, and he even joined them for that purpose.

This is a very good breakthrough point for Kurapika and his team.

Why do I say that?

They weren't lacking the power to annihilate the Phantom Troupe. To put it arrogantly, Kurapika believed that Uncle Kevin alone would be more than enough to give the Phantom Troupe a run for their money.

Add to that the other Nen user in the Manor, and their combined strength is definitely not inferior to the opponent's.

The problem, however, is that they want to wipe them all out in one fell swoop.

The thirteen Phantom Troupe members must be eliminated quickly.

This was their goal from the very beginning.

However, intelligence on the Phantom Troupe clearly shows that they only gather when they commit major crimes, and even then, the time they spend together is extremely short.

Sometimes it only takes one night, and these kinds of group crimes were very frequent a few years ago.

Later, the frequency decreased, sometimes only once every one or two years, and the rest of the time it was done alone.

The outside world cannot determine the communication and information exchange between them.

Catching one or two wouldn't be difficult for them, but the problem is that killing one or two wouldn't make any difference.

The Phantom Troupe did experience some losses.

What they want is complete annihilation, to make it cease to exist.

Moreover, hunting them one by one would alert the enemy, which would be troublesome.

The members of the Phantom Troupe are notoriously difficult to track down. Trying to eliminate just a few of them can backfire and result in being harmed instead.

The remaining members hid in the shadows and launched a sneak attack.

The enemy is in the dark while we are in the light, which is very disadvantageous for the Manor.

Now we have an undercover agent.

There must be times when we act collectively, right?

One of the undercover agents would definitely receive information.

That's enough.

Hisoka's role is to infiltrate the group and relay intelligence from within during the next major operation.

They can then capture them all in one fell swoop.

There's no better way.

"My goal is simple: I want to have a one-on-one fight with Chrollo, the Chrollo of the Phantom Troupe."

I'm a pure lover, and I don't like to share with others~

What a disgusting analogy!

However, Hisoka's purpose did indeed shock the two of them. Was he really going to infiltrate such a dangerous group for such a strange goal?

They had witnessed Hisoka's strength firsthand, and to be frank, if he were exposed, several of them attacking him together would definitely not survive.

It's safe to say he truly is a complete psychopath.

"You know their troubles, right? The best way is to resolve them all, and I can provide you with information that will give you the opportunity to eliminate all of their members at once."

And all you have to pay is to clear out a one-on-one arena for me.

This condition is extremely unequal; Hisoka's efforts and what he received are vastly disproportionate.

But just as people are different, everyone has a different value judgment about what they acquire.

"I promise, if you can provide us with intelligence for your next group operation, we will provide you with a safe platform for one-on-one combat." Kurapika readily agreed to the verbal promise.

There's no way to provide any effective evidence for this, so it's fine as it is.

"Hehe~ Well then, it'll be a pleasure working with you." Hisoka hung up the phone with satisfaction.

He reaped more rewards than he had expected today.

Dark Continent.

The snake's nest.

On a platform nestled among several intertwined giant trees, there is a newly built Wooden Cabin.

This is Kevin and Melusina's new home.

They are now, to some extent, members of the Serpent's Nest.

Putting aside other factors, these Resentful Eater Snake are undoubtedly the top predators in a large area.

"As expected, these faint Resentment in the air are the adult Resentful Eater Snake scattered and settled here." Kevin said, sitting on the edge of the Wooden Cabin's platform, reaching out to feel the Resentment in the air.

"Has the environment here changed your Nen ability?" Melusina asked curiously from the side.

Kevin shook his head. "Nothing has changed, it just gave me more insights, after all, it's an ability I gained from A-rank potion."

Observing the hunting methods of these Resentful Eater Snake and their living environment gave me a different perspective on this ability.

This bottle of A-rank potion, made from the core of the Resentful Eater Snake, is also Kevin's first A-rank potion.

The ability to learn is still related to Resentment.

In human society, Resentment is something that is generally avoided, because it is mostly harmful to people.

The harmless part exists, but it's mostly limited to a specific person or bloodline.

The completely harmless type, however, is a true treasure, belonging to the category of priceless family heirlooms.

For example, the dagger Kevin had earlier.

It hadn't even been used a few times before it was eaten by that Resentful Eater Snake as "fare."

But seeing more here has given him a deeper understanding of how to use this Nen ability.

He was originally able to keenly sense Resentment due to his special physique and experiences, and he used his Nen ability to strip it away.

Now, he can easily manipulate other Resentment to a certain extent using the Nen ability he gained from the A-rank potion.

It's not just about simple reinforcement.

Through his own abilities, he also sensed the difference in his surroundings from within this Resentment.

Adult vengeful serpents have become purely energy-based beings.

This Snake Nest can be described as omnipresent.

This is perhaps the source of the Snake Nest's confidence.

"Are you thinking of taking this opportunity to create some New Potion?" Melusina asked with a smile, pinching Kevin's cheek as she looked at him from the side.

Upon hearing this, Kevin didn't hide anything and nodded with a smile.

"This is a great opportunity, isn't it? A safe environment, materials everywhere—this is a chance."

Kevin wasn't joking.

Inside the Snake Nest, there's little difference between having Nen Aura defense and entering a state of absolute power; the main point is that Melusina can guarantee his safety here.

Therefore, this area can be clearly defined using a safe zone.

Naturally, one can feel at ease making medicines here.

Moreover, this is the Dark Continent, where crafting materials are everywhere.

For example, [Timely Rain Cloud] has a huge amount of materials in that area, including the rain that falls on him.

However, the falling rain will not be absorbed; it will rise again when the Reverse Rain.

In that kind of environment, collecting them would be quite troublesome.

But without a doubt, these Raindrop are top-tier B-grade materials. If you could search through that cloud, you would definitely find A-rank materials.

But that's a bit of wishful thinking.

B-Rank materials are sufficient, and they are Time System- related materials, a type of material Kevin has never encountered before.

He desperately wants it now.

Then there's the Snake Nest.

This nest is also full of treasures.

Those lost skeletons—these are the skeletons that shed as children transition from Growth Stage to Adult Stage.

Although the energy inside had long been drained, the special material and the fact that it had been in Snake Nest environment for many years still made it valuable.

Depending on the year, the material grade can range from C-rank to A-rank.

Kevin has spent most of his time classifying these skeletons.

To the Resentful Eater Snake, these useless skeletons are as meaningless as roadside Rock.

And those wild Snake Berry Tree I saw when I came here before, even in this special environment, are actually top-grade B-level materials.

Moreover, it possesses a vibrant Nen Aura.

What does that mean?

Kevin felt that his new generation of [Nen-boosting] potions might require the use of these materials.

And the materials he collected along the way.

There are so many that you can't even count them all; they come in all sorts of types.

It's safe to say that Kevin doesn't have to worry about materials at all; he can easily produce B-grade items.

The only troublesome thing is the A-rank materials; it requires some effort and involves some risk.

With the Snake Nest as the center, Kevin could explore the surrounding area as much as he could.

"I can use this time to make some top-quality potions without worrying about the uniqueness of the materials."

"Go all out! We can use quantity to create quality and quickly boost our strength. Haven't you noticed how much our strength has improved in just over a month since we arrived here?"

Upon hearing this, Melusina nodded and stretched out her fair arm to give it a squeeze.

"It has increased significantly, and the change has been gradual and subtle."

"That's right, it's that food. Ever since we ran out of the food we brought ourselves, we've been eating the prey we hunt."

In previous human societies, these prey would have been considered Rare Beast Phantom Beasts, but here they were no different from ordinary wild animals.

Each of them was incredibly nutritious, and with the constant escape and the frantic consumption and absorption of these nutrients, their strength naturally increased significantly.

Eating this kind of food is always the best way to subtly and slowly improve one's strength.

Be pragmatic.

Use Digestion Potion to accelerate absorption and take advantage of the high nutritional value of these materials.

It can be said that it can bring Melusina's physique to its limit very quickly.

As for Kevin, not for now.

Unless he can find good materials to create a potion that allows his body to break through its limits.

"Let's focus on the Raindrop for now, since we're already somewhat familiar with that area," Melusina suggested after thinking for a moment.

Kevin nodded.

"Then let's go to Timely Rain Cloud's area, along with the snake that dragged us back before, and have her act as our bodyguard."

"Haha, no problem, I'll go communicate." Melusina chuckled twice and jumped down from the Tree House.

Before long, Melusina had returned, and the smallest Resentful Eater Snake came over for a visit again.

The little snake that had previously provided the two with testing data has since taken to coming over and hanging around them.

Perhaps in her eyes, the smaller Melusina was more suitable as a playmate of the same age.

Even on the surface, Melusina seems to be in her Growth Stage.

"Melusina isn't here, come back later." Kevin waved his hand, somewhat disdainfully.

The Resentful Eater Snake very intelligent, with an IQ no lower than that of humans; they just cannot communicate under normal circumstances.

He didn't care at all about Kevin's disdain.

After climbing up, it swayed left and right, and after confirming that Melusina was not there, it looked at Kevin and moved closer.

What are you doing? You don't mean to eat me, do you?

Having lived here for several days, he had grown accustomed to the Resentment here. Through his Nen ability, he could now discern the snakes' goodwill and malice by peeling back the layers of Resentment.

So far, no malice other than Resentment has been detected in this snake.

"Hiss~ Hiss~"

"I don't understand," Kevin said, acting as if he hadn't grasped the other person's meaning.

The snake wouldn't give up; it stretched out its tail and wrapped it around Kevin's hand, dragging it back and forth.

"Throat, it's so annoying."

Helpless, Kevin raised his right hand, and his Nen Aura began to gather, with the surrounding Resentment slightly converging within the ball of energy in his hand.

The Nen ability begins to activate.

The Resentment began to intensify and purify, quickly transforming into a dark red ball of energy, roughly the size of a palm.

After finishing, he threw the bullet-shaped Nen Aura over.

The Resentful Eater Snake, like a dog, raised its body into the air, caught it, and swallowed it whole.

That's right, this is the result of Kevin's time living here.

Here's a little tip that I'm not sure if it's useful.

Putting everything else aside, at least we've subdued this little snake.

The problem is that this thing is quite troublesome; it's like Kevin is using his Nen Aura to make meatballs and feeding them to the other person.

"Consider it a way of getting closer to you. Stop looking, there's none, just one a day."