Husum Explains

Husum brought two bottles of wine, along with some spices and food.

Knowing Lucky had not eaten yet, he had come to entertain him.

The two drank wine and ate roasted meat.

Husum also began explaining the Blood Orchid to Lucky.

"Since you found the Blood Orchid, you must have also discovered the Blood Orchid inside the Blood Jade Bee hive, right?"

Lucky nodded.

The Blood Orchid had always been a legend of these mountains. Every year, people entered in search of it, including professional Hunters.

"But none of them ever came back."

According to Husum, the Blood Orchid had been discovered in old books, which recorded its effects.

It was a special plant that could extend one's lifespan and preserve youth.

Could it really extend one's lifespan?

If so, then Longevity Rice did not seem all that impressive.

No, Longevity Rice was probably far more terrifying. Lucky thought of Don Freecss, who might still be alive and "writing books."

If that person truly had not died, then he had genuinely lived for several centuries.

The Blood Orchid's effects surely could not compare to that.

Besides that, the Blood Orchid could also allow living creatures to "evolve."

That was Husum's speculation.

There had been no related research. After all, to this day, no one who knew of the Blood Orchid's existence had managed to obtain one.

"No one? Not even V5?" Lucky did not believe it. With the power of a nation, it was impossible that no one could obtain it.

"Ha, how could we let V5 know? Even if it is here." The Bremen Mountains lay within the Kukanju Kingdom.

Not many people knew the Blood Orchid existed, and even fewer knew it existed in the Bremen Mountains.

Those who learned of such news generally would not casually tell others.

It was an immense fortune. How could anyone simply hand it over?

As far as Husum knew, only several large companies knew about it, along with a few related people he knew.

That was also why the Bremen Mountains had remained undisturbed.

Do not underestimate humanity's power. No matter how many terrifying creatures lived in the Bremen Mountains, they would be unable to stop indiscriminate artillery bombardment.

Husum continued his explanation.

After discussing the Blood Orchid's effects, he brought up the Blood Jade Bees.

Husum believed that all the Blood Jade Bees' changes had been caused by the Blood Orchid. Perhaps they had originally been ordinary bees.

It was through the Blood Orchid that they had evolved.

Husum had initially discovered the Blood Orchid within a Blood Jade Bee hive. After observing the Blood Jade Bees and exploring the mountains, he had learned more.

He came to understand some of the conditions within the mountains.

He and his companions had expended tremendous effort to learn about the Blood Orchids in the mountains.

But they could only observe them from afar. They simply could not break in and pick even one Blood Orchid.

As for why they did not seize them from the Blood Jade Bees—

They had actually tried. The Blood Orchids in the hives were still Blood Orchids, but they had already degenerated.

Moreover, as time passed, they would continue to degenerate, either withering away—

Or becoming "Blood Jade Orchids."

Their effects were greatly reduced.

Husum continued describing the Blood Jade Bees.

The situation with the Blood Jade Bees in the forest was unclear.

What was unclear was why they built hives in the forest. It felt like some kind of selection process for the Blood Jade Bees from the mountains.

The "Blood Jade Orchids" cultivated in the forest also produced seeds.

There were also Blood Jade Orchids planted throughout the forest.

But as soon as flowers bloomed and their fragrance spread, it would not be long before creatures drawn by the scent ate them.

None could be preserved.

That was why there had never been any "Blood Orchids" in the forest, aside from those in the hives.

Even so, the Blood Orchids in the hives were not safe. Some powerful beasts could break open the hives and devour both the hive and the Blood Orchids whole.

Only then did Lucky understand that the Brown Bear's true target had probably not been honey, but the "Blood Jade Orchids" inside the hive.

What Husum did not mention was that he cultivated quite a few Blood Jade Orchids at his residence, along with many Blood Jade Bees.

He was the forest ranger here, as well as a beekeeper.

But he had never cultivated a Blood Orchid. That was why he had been so excited when he saw Lucky pick one.

Even the Hunter Association did not know about the Blood Orchid.

As a loose organization, Hunters would not report such matters upward.

Only if news emerged one day that Blood Jade Bees in the Bremen Mountains had eaten or injured people and were expanding outward might it be reported.

In other words, the Blood Jade Bees' danger rating was extremely high.

Husum said, "Not necessarily. We do not know much about the Blood Jade Bees in the mountains, but the ones in the forest are actually like ordinary bees. They do not actively attack humans."

Lucky gained a great deal that night.

Or rather, he had gained a great deal ever since he took the Hunter Exam.

Everything he had learned from these three tests interested Lucky, and much of it was helpful to his plans.

The examiners for these three tests each excelled in their respective fields.

They could not be judged purely by strength.

Would there be another test next, or would they proceed directly to the final exam?

It was also time for the Heavenly Arena to begin developing its intelligence network.

Over the following days, Lucky remained outside the forest with nothing to do.

But Phoenix had actually been flying through the mountains, conducting reconnaissance the entire time.

These mountains were vast and extremely dangerous. Ferocious birds could be seen everywhere. Trying to enter from the air would only invite all manner of attacks. It was an absolute no-fly zone.

Within the mountains, there were all kinds of unknown giant beasts.

Lucky even discovered some special beings who had mastered Nen. It truly opened his eyes.

Likewise, Lucky discovered some buildings in the mountains.

They seemed to be ancient ruins, proving that people had once lived here.

It seemed this was also a place few had explored.

There were still many places in the human world of the Hunter World that humanity had never explored, and this was not the only one.

During the exam, candidates gradually began passing.

Some candidates chose to give up. Covered in injuries, they could no longer continue. Rather than lose their lives here, they chose to withdraw and wait for another chance.

Sometimes, making a choice was extremely important.

By the final moment of the seventh day, only thirty-seven candidates had passed.

More than fifty candidates had either given up or failed.

Half the candidates had died in this forest.

That was the danger of the Hunter Exam. Participating without sufficient strength was nothing more than seeking death.

Candidates who failed could only leave on their own.

The Hunter Association's airship would take the candidates who passed to the location of the next test.

They were also informed that the next test would be the final exam.