Conservation Hunter X Shadow Larva

The next morning, when Kevin woke up, Jin had already packed up and left.

The two had talked late into the night about various topics.

"You're awake?"

Outside the tent stood Begel, whom Kevin had met twice before.

He was dressed much the same as before, still looking like a field soldier, leaning against a Jeep and smoking.

"Did you come to take me out? Sorry to have kept you waiting." As Kevin spoke, he began packing his luggage.

Begel was in no hurry. Watching Kevin pack, he leisurely asked, "I heard you're interested in unusual flora and fauna?"

Kevin had no objection to this sort of small talk. While washing up, he replied, "That's right. I'm indeed very interested in that kind of thing. If I come across Rare Beasts, Exotic Beasts, Demonic Beasts, Phantom Beasts, or anything like that, I'd be even more interested."

What Kevin was really thinking was that he was interested in far more than that—he had long coveted the special materials on their bodies.

"You're not a Hunter yet, are you?" Begel asked again.

Kevin shook his head. "No. I only submitted my application not long ago."

"Oh, then there are still a few months until the Hunter Exam." Begel tossed the cigarette from his mouth to the ground and crushed it beneath his foot. "Interested in interning with me for a while?"

"Interning?" Kevin stopped what he was doing and looked at him in confusion.

Begel nodded. "Let me introduce myself properly. My name is Beagle Raghor, a One-star Conservation Hunter and also Jin's disciple."

A One-star Hunter? And Jin's disciple?

Right, Jin seemed to be a Two-star Hunter. Kevin had browsed the Hunter Association's official website before, reading about such matters, including the Hunter's Tenets, and he understood what Star Rank Hunters represented.

One-star Hunters were Hunters who had achieved outstanding accomplishments in a particular field and were awarded a one-star title. Two-star Hunters were promoted from one-star Hunters once the juniors they had trained earned Star Rank honors. Three-star Hunters had to build immortal achievements in multiple fields on top of being Two-star Hunters.

Kevin remembered that Biscuit was also a Two-star Hunter. Every One-star Hunter was undoubtedly a master in their respective field.

As Kevin pondered this, Begel continued, "Since you've earned Jin's approval, you must have something exceptional about you. Your strength is surely no ordinary thing.

"And since you're interested in unusual flora and fauna, that couldn't be better. I'm currently stationed at this Nature Reserve long-term, carrying out conservation work for certain endangered species. At the same time, I explore, collect data on new species, and compile records for them."

Who would have thought that this man, who looked like a soldier retired from the battlefield, was actually engaged in animal conservation work?

"Recently, my team and I received a mission to explore Smiler Wetland, collect data on its new species, and carry out conservation efforts for its endangered species."

Kevin knew of Smiler Wetland.

He had looked up some related information online. It belonged to the same Nature Reserve as the Forest Park where Kevin was staying and lay right beside it.

When Kevin had previously searched for information on the Forest Park, he had caught a glimpse of it. It was a dangerous area explicitly forbidden to enter, said to be filled with dangerous species capable of easily threatening human lives.

Every year, disobedient explorers entered it, never to leave even their bones behind.

This piqued Kevin's interest.

"If I intern, what exactly would I have to do?"

"Not many people can use Nen ability, and Nen Ability Masters are rarer still.

"Most of my team are ordinary people. You could even say they lack the strength to truss a chicken. You can temporarily serve as their Bodyguard. Of course, you'll also be assigned some relatively dangerous tasks, though the danger I'm talking about is only dangerous to ordinary people.

"We have a research base over there with every living facility you could need, along with all kinds of experimental areas. As for payment... I heard you're interested in certain precious and rare materials found on plants and animals?"

Honestly, Kevin was tempted.

There were only two or three months left before the Hunter Exam. Most of the places he wanted to visit were off-limits, and the information he could gather online was extremely limited.

Only after obtaining a Hunter License could he acquire more intelligence and enter those Forbidden Zones. Besides, Begel was Jin's disciple. That connection naturally gave the two a measure of trust.

After thinking it over for a moment, Kevin nodded.

Once he had finished packing, he got into the Jeep.

"Could you tell me about Smiler Wetland?" The information Kevin had gathered before was limited; he only knew that the place was extremely dangerous.

Begel, who was driving, nodded. "Smiler Wetland is also known as the Cheater's Nest. Most of the plants and animals there prey through deception. The entire ecosystem is built around 'deception.'"

Just hearing that description, Kevin found it unbelievable. What kind of environment could nurture such a unique ecosystem?

"It is precisely because of this special ecosystem that many species in Smiler Wetland exist almost nowhere but this wetland. There are a great number of unique lifeforms."

Such a special environment had resulted in countless endangered species.

The two chatted as they drove, and before long, they arrived at their destination.

It was a building beside a crude road. At first glance, it looked like a warehouse, with quite a few sheds of various sizes around it.

Perhaps because transportation was inconvenient, a small Airship was parked in the spacious Plaza as well.

At a glance, the conditions here were somewhat better than Kevin had expected.

Begel parked the car in the Plaza and led Kevin inside.

Upon entering the largest main building, Kevin found it far more crowded than he had imagined.

The laboratory was filled with all kinds of equipment Kevin couldn't understand. Individual compartments had been partitioned off one after another, containing various greenhouses and potted plants.

There were not many Researchers moving about inside. After taking a quick look around, Kevin estimated there were only around ten to twenty people.

"Yo, boss, you're back." A woman wearing glasses and a simple protective suit greeted Begel. She had healthy dark skin.

Begel directly put on a spare simple protective suit from nearby and walked inside. Kevin followed suit.

"How's the research coming along, Moagu?"

Moagu nodded. "More or less done. Everything that needed recording has been sorted and filed away. Aside from the necessary specimens left for continued observation, the rest have all been released."

Kevin quietly observed from the side.

Against the wall of this compartment stood a breeding nest built entirely from transparent glass. It simulated the natural environment outside, with soil and plants within.

Kevin watched for quite a while before finally spotting something moving.

It was a long, black, soft-bodied insect, only about ten centimeters long.

If it had not moved just then, Kevin would never have noticed it beneath the shadows cast by the Grass Leaves. In a sense, it looked like a moving shadow.

Begel briefly flipped through the files, then handed them to Kevin.

Kevin looked at them curiously. They read:

[Name: Shadow Larva]

[ID: K - B - 112]

[Related Legend: A Living Shadow]

[Individual Composition: A cluster of semi-material nematodes]

[Habitat: Smiler Wetland - C - 12 - 5, near the acid pool]

[Description: Specialized in parasitizing damp shadows, it can control shadows and make them move independently. When humans follow a "living shadow" in an attempt to find a way out, they are actually being guided toward the most corrosive acid pools. Its true body always remains hidden in the victim's visual blind spot.]