Fish Scale X Intelligence

Kevin opened the box.

Inside lay scales that had been peeled off one by one.

Under the light, the scales faintly reflected dazzling rainbow-like colors.

Each scale was just the right size. Counting carefully, there were a full twenty-three of them.

"Are these fish scales?" Kevin asked.

Biscuit nodded.

"They came from a harmful creature. That strange fish eats nothing but gemstones and lives near an underwater Lulu Gem Mine.

"No one knows how many beautiful gems it has ruined. It really is a harmful creature through and through!"

As she spoke, Biscuit angrily waved her fist and shouted, clearly furious with the creature.

Eating gemstones... for someone like you, that really does make it a harmful creature. Kevin silently reached out and touched them.

In an instant, a feeling of yearning surged through him. It was only slightly weaker than what he had felt when touching the Two-headed Wolf's Shedding Horn.

But compared to that short, hollow horn, there were twenty-three scales here.

Kevin abruptly shut the box, stared wide-eyed at Biscuit, then pounced on her without hesitation and hugged her leg.

"Thank you, Master! You're practically someone who could be my mother! I'll definitely honor you properly from now on!"

Kevin was a considerate child, and Biscuit was quite pleased inwardly.

But his words implied that she was old, and that was unforgivable.

Biscuit promptly kicked Kevin away. He slammed heavily into the wall.

A masterful technique.

It looked impressive but did not hurt. After taking a beating, he had learned something again.

"I'm an eighteen-year-old beautiful girl! I have no intention of becoming a good mother!"

Their little exchange made cold sweat bead across Yungu's forehead.

After their brief horseplay, Biscuit asked, "You can tell what use a material has for you just by touching it?"

Kevin nodded. "The higher the grade of the material and the better the potion it can make, the stronger the yearning I feel when I touch it."

"Yearning?!" Biscuit's expression became somewhat serious. "Are you sure it isn't some other emotion?"

Kevin nodded firmly again. "It's yearning. The feeling is very clear."

"Is that so..."

Biscuit seemed to have noticed something, yet she could not put it into words for the moment.

In the end, they used the laptop in the room to search for relevant information based on Kevin's needs.

This time, Biscuit did not need to operate it herself.

Yungu adjusted his glasses, took out his Hunter License, and began searching for information on the database website.

"You're a Hunter?" Kevin asked in surprise.

"I got it at the beginning of this year."

"Damn it. I was planning to take the exam next year and wanted to ask you to come with me. I didn't expect you'd already gotten yours."

"I only learned Nen because I got my Hunter License..." Yungu said in a faint voice.

"Hm? After becoming a Hunter, do you get a dedicated teacher?" Kevin asked curiously.

Biscuit flipped through a magazine beside them and nodded.

"That's right. Every Hunter who passes the assessment successfully receives guidance from an experienced Hunter.

"Not every Hunter is as skilled at teaching as I am, but at least it ensures that these new Hunters won't end up learning some wild, unorthodox methods."

"So does that mean Nen users with Hunter Licenses are all very strong?"

"Idiot!" Biscuit rolled up her magazine and lightly tapped Kevin on the head.

"Hunters are not necessarily good at fighting. They are simply experts in their respective fields!

"Don't spend all day thinking about combat. Fighting is only a means of protecting yourself, not the ultimate goal of life."

As she spoke, Biscuit stared seriously at Kevin. "Don't become a slave to your desire to fight."

Kevin nodded seriously and offered a small defense of himself. "I just lack a sense of safety. I'm not actually that interested in fighting."

"That's good. At least I can trust the two of you on that point."

One was sloppy yet rigid, while the other was clever but somewhat unreliable.

Kevin turned his attention back to the computer screen.

Soon, he found some key information.

"Wait, what are these [Secret Realm] and [Demonic Realm]? Why do they sound like something from a game setting?"

He had never come across those two terms while gathering information online before.

"This is an internal channel of the Hunter Information Network. These materials are not public.

"Although Hunters are a civilian organization, they cooperate closely with V5. As an organization that gathers top talent, Hunters can access classified information that ordinary people and even some countries have no way of knowing."

"They're that impressive?" Kevin was genuinely surprised this time.

He had already looked up information about the Hunter Association online and had been deeply amazed by the organization's existence then. He had not expected reality to be even more impressive than he had imagined.

"Otherwise, why do you think so many people are desperate to join?" Yungu said with a smile.

Kevin nodded admiringly. "Hearing you say that makes me look forward to the Hunter Exam even more."

As Yungu continued gathering information, he gave a brief introduction.

"A [Secret Realm] is a hidden region that usually contains one or more rare resources.

"Those resources are either extremely difficult to collect or require harsh conditions to obtain, and they are often accompanied by a certain degree of danger.

"Rare Beast Hunters, Treasure Hunters, Ruin Hunters, Secret Realm Hunters, and other types of Professional Hunters are all interested in such places. They also accept commissions to enter them for exploration or to collect items."

"Oh! That sounds really interesting!" Kevin's eyes lit up with excitement.

Biscuit chimed in from the side. "Those fish scales just now were actually obtained from a Secret Realm in a certain sea area. That strange fish seemed to be a mutant of its original species."

That made Kevin even more interested.

Yungu continued, "A [Demonic Realm], on the other hand, is completely different.

"Most Demonic Realms are regions that have been Blockaded for one reason or another, and they are filled with danger.

"There may be dangerous species, harsh environments, mysterious Ruins, or even hazardous products of Nen abilities.

"The work of Professional Hunters such as Monster Hunters, Ruin Hunters, Troubleshooter Hunters, and Toxin Hunters may involve Demonic Realms."

It certainly sounded dangerous, but it also seemed to have a unique kind of appeal.

"Can you enter those places freely as long as you have a Hunter License?"

Yungu nodded. "Of course. In fact, most places of both types are designated by the Hunter Association.

"Also, licensed Hunters can travel unimpeded through basically all Nature Reserves. You really should take the Hunter Exam."

Afterward, Kevin stood behind Yungu and watched him search for all sorts of information related to rare materials.

After browsing through it all, Kevin had gained a glimpse of even more secretive information about the wilderness.

There were monsters that looked like dinosaurs, and some people even claimed to have seen gigantic creatures as majestic and towering as mountains.

All kinds of bizarre creatures emerged before his eyes, as though they belonged only in fantasy stories.

There were even giant birds living in trees seventeen hundred meters tall, with bodies more than ten times the size of humans.

Wait!

A tree seventeen hundred meters tall? What kind of concept was that?

Sigh, forget it.

This was already another world. He should have gotten used to strange things long ago.

After reading through the information, Kevin noted down several things that interested him and could not help sighing. "This world is truly incredible. There are unknown regions beyond the Outer Sea. Just how big is this world?"

"Beyond the world?" Yungu subconsciously touched his chin as well. Exploring the unknown world had always been the dream of many Exploration Hunters.

Watching the two young men voice such sentiments, Biscuit, seated behind them, had a thoughtful look in her eyes.

Sure enough, most Hunters ultimately found it difficult to suppress their curiosity about the Dark Continent.