Hunter Website

After spending the last two days together, observing his words and actions, Netero confirmed that Biscuit's judgment was likely correct.

"As expected of a Jewel Hunter, you have once again unearthed a raw gem buried deep in the mud. Perhaps, with careful carving, he will make an extraordinary contribution in certain fields in the future."

He stroked his beard, yet he still felt uneasy, as if he had caught a familiar scent on Gelman—a scent that had no business being here.

Netero had been to the Dark Continent twice and returned alive. He was already a legend, and his Dark Continent Journey only added to the awe he inspired.

But how could this be?

Almost all intelligence and routes regarding the Dark Continent were held by the V5 nations. Even the Hunter Association was constrained by them and could not leak information at will.

Ging, and even Netero's own son, had racked their brains and still could not return there... though, of course, aside from the V5 nations, there was also Netero's own deliberate obstruction.

For the young Hunters of today, it was still too early to head to the Dark Continent. Not only would it result in heavy casualties, but it might also bring back devastating "calamities."

The problem lay right there: Gelman was all alone. How could he possibly bypass all of them to achieve this?

January 10th, afternoon.

Gelman boarded a massive public airship, which slowly ascended from the Sofa City airport, skimming over the retro-styled city.

He presented his Hunter License, and as expected, the cost of his trip was waived.

After several hours of travel through the air, the airship landed at the SW City airport after nightfall.

Carrying an old travel backpack and wearing a gray-black Hunter outfit, Gelman walked slowly out of the airport amidst the echoing announcements, standing on a street lined with taxis.

He tapped on the window of one of the taxis. A tall man in the driver's seat immediately stepped out and walked toward him with a beaming smile.

The burly, hairy-armed driver opened the back door for him and asked, "Sir, where to?"

"Opera Hotel." Gelman had already decided on his next stop while on the airship.

"No problem, I'll have you there in twenty minutes."

The driver did not lie; the taxi arrived at the Opera Hotel exactly twenty minutes later.

Gelman paid the fare, got out, and looked up into the cold night breeze.

Although the hotel was named the Opera Hotel, it was not an opera house itself; it was simply built near the opera house and had borrowed the name of the landmark.

It was tall and brightly lit. Several young men dressed as attendants stood before the red carpet at the entrance, welcoming Gelman with great enthusiasm.

Fifteen minutes later, Gelman reached his room. Through the bright floor-to-ceiling windows, he looked down at the opera house, which was surrounded by lights like a cluster of stars.

The soundproofing was excellent. Gelman could not hear the music from the opera house, yet he felt as if he could.

After enjoying a decent dinner at the dining table, Gelman sent a text message to Biscuit.

"Have you eaten?"

"Send me the Hunter exclusive website."

Even after passing the Hunter Exam, the Hunter Association does not directly provide the URL for the Hunter exclusive website to those who pass; they are expected to find it themselves.

Gelman didn't know many people, so he thought of Biscuit immediately.

It took a long while for Biscuit to reply.

"Hey, hey, hey, don't think you can just throw in a casual greeting and call it a 'successful conversation,' how perfunctory (helpless face)..."

"It seems you've passed the Hunter Exam and obtained your Hunter License. That was even faster than I imagined (surprised face). I thought the exam would take at least a week or more."

"Wing has already mailed the Chameleon Stone to me. I just received it and I love it. If I could know where it came from, I'd probably be in an even better mood (expectant face)."

Biscuit's hint was obvious.

It wasn't that Gelman didn't understand social nuances; in fact, he understood them well. He just sometimes found them too troublesome to bother with. But he couldn't do that now, as he needed a favor from Biscuit.

"I can't tell you the source." Gelman refused decisively, then proposed another trade, "I'll manage to acquire another Chameleon Stone in exchange for the Hunter website URL."

The difficulty of acquiring a Chameleon Stone wasn't very high, and since he had already planned to head to the Dark Continent again, it would be a simple matter to pick one up.

"Deal." Biscuit replied instantly. It seemed she had anticipated that Gelman wouldn't talk. "Sending you the URL."

A few seconds later, a URL was sent over, followed by two messages from Biscuit.

"I heard from Chairman Netero that you're heading toward the field of Beast Hunters. Beasts, huh... I think I have an idea of where the Chameleon Stone came from..."

"If you obtain any other types of 'gems,' remember to contact me immediately. My offer won't disappoint you. Remember, remember!"

Gelman replied with a simple "Got it" and ended the text conversation.

The next day, Gelman found an internet cafe in SW City and used a public computer to log into the website Biscuit had sent.

The website's homepage looked like the interior of a bar, and the person providing information was a bartender depicted on the screen.

There were two ways to log into the Hunter exclusive website: one was the standard browsing method, and the other was an immersive experience, as if one were truly standing inside the bar shown on the site.

Gelman chose the first option.

He first searched for information related to the "Dark Continent," but the results only showed things that were common knowledge to the public.

Deeper intelligence, such as "Gatekeepers," "Guides," "Calamities," and the like, were all hidden. This was information that couldn't be obtained no matter how much money one spent.

He then searched for terms like "V5," "Hunter Association," "World Mafia," "Kakin Empire," and "Zoldyck Family."

Their information was far more extensive than that of the Dark Continent. However, the more classified the information, the higher the Jenny fee required, and some even came with additional conditions.

Next, Gelman searched for the Phantom Troupe.

The results were mostly things Gelman already knew; in fact, the database knew even less than he did. The names, appearances, and Nen abilities of the members were all vague and ambiguous.

Even Gelman himself was only labeled as a "suspected Phantom Troupe member," though that was already enough for others to hunt him down.

He fed a potato chip into his mouth with his left hand while clicking the mouse with his right, looking at the bounties offered for Phantom Troupe intelligence.

The bounty was so high that he almost wanted to post his own information online.

Finally, he began searching for Hunters in relevant fields, or rather, buyers.

Medicine, pharmacology, biology, botany, gemstones, gourmet food, viruses, and more—it was all-encompassing. Gelman did not contact them immediately, choosing instead to commit their names to memory first.