It has been nearly a year and a half since I inexplicably transmigrated into this current body.
This period of time is not long, but it cannot be considered short either; at least Kevin has gradually become accustomed to this world.
As time passed, Kevin's understanding in the field of potion-making became increasingly profound.
At the same time, his own strength and Nen Volume also grew stronger day by day.
Relying on his Nen Ability.
Based on this, the grade of the potion he could create also rose accordingly.
However, Kevin was currently stuck in a bottleneck.
It has already been a year and a half since he transmigrated into this world. Although this body originally had a certain foundation, one must admit that its baseline was actually not outstanding.
This, of course, has to do with the personality of the original body.
This body brought Kevin an additional Nen Ability, as well as an absolute control over Nen, which resulted from the accidental circumstances when the original owner died and he transmigrated.
Both of these are extremely powerful "cheats."
Kevin's own Nen Ability type is Enhancer, but the original body was Specialization System. From the perspective of physical conditions, this body is not compatible with Enhancer.
After all, the soul has been swapped, so various problems will naturally occur.
The characteristic of having a good physique that Enhancers possess is completely unmanifested in this body.
Therefore, Kevin used potions, combined with high-intensity training, to significantly improve his physical strength, even reaching the current limit.
This is the high-intensity change brought about by the potion.
At this stage, one should dig into the potential within the body to stimulate more Nen Volume.
But the problem is, this also encountered a bottleneck.
If one spends a lot of time training slowly, strength will certainly continue to improve, but if one wants to achieve a rapid breakthrough in strength in the short term, that is basically impossible.
This is also a problem brought about by transmigration.
Although Kevin has a certain amount of talent, such talent is limited under certain circumstances.
Without the support of potions, his training in Nen Ability, including the excavation of Nen, can only be described as just okay.
At this moment, the potions currently in Kevin's hands can no longer fundamentally improve his strength.
『Strength Potion』 has become ineffective for Nen improvement; after all, it is only a C-grade potion.
『Digestion Potion』 is even more useless, because the key to limiting Kevin's strength improvement lies in the limit of his body.
Moreover, the food he can eat now is limited after all; even if he switches entirely to high-energy food, what he can ingest into his stomach is still limited.
Under these circumstances, it is necessary to change his train of thought.
Initially, when Kevin brewed potions, he could only reasonably combine them based on the "materials" available at hand.
After all, the materials he could obtain at that time were extremely limited, and he could only make full use of these scarce resources to strengthen himself.
Therefore, the effectiveness of the produced potion depended on the combination of materials in his hands, rather than his own subjective wishes and ideas.
It was truly a helpless move; there were only so many materials.
But now, Kevin is no longer lacking in materials.
A wide variety of complex materials have piled up; although these materials may not necessarily be high-grade, they can all trigger the desire in his heart.
Moreover, he has now become a Professional Hunter, and his strength should not be underestimated; it is time to take the initiative.
He should shift from deciding potions based on materials to determining the required potions and then searching for the corresponding materials.
So, what kind of potion does he currently need?
"One that can achieve bursts, increase, or restore Nen."
This is the type of potion he needs, a conclusion drawn based on his experience using the 『Strength Potion』.
During its use, his 『Blank Meteor』 can achieve growth at a basic level through the memory of the potion's effects.
But the premise is that the potion used must possess this capability, and it must be of a higher grade than the 『Strength Potion』.
Otherwise, it might not be able to achieve the expected effect.
After clarifying this goal, Kevin began to think about which materials were needed.
After brewing potions many times and gaining an in-depth understanding of various medicinal materials, Kevin was confident he could find some leads.
And he did indeed take action.
Hard work pays off; he finally found a clue.
『Chicken that lays golden eggs』
Doesn't that sound strange, as if it were something from some fable?
However, unlike his former world, in this world full of extraordinary power, Magic Beasts, Phantom Beasts, and Rare Beasts do exist in the wild.
Through various information recorded in Hunter channels, Kevin was surprised to discover that this kind of chicken really exists; it is a type of 『Rare Beast』.
Although the specific information is not yet detailed, someone has indeed discovered it, and there are relevant records and clues.
More importantly, there have been auctions of golden eggs produced by this kind of chicken, and there are specimens made from its carcass.
According to intelligence, the source of the golden egg and the specimen is the same person.
Of course, this person is not Bergel.
Kevin could not find clues about who took the chicken specimen, nor did he obtain relevant intelligence.
However, he did find clues about that "golden egg."
Two years ago, this golden egg was won at auction by Bergel.
Precisely because of this, Kevin came here.
And incidentally, to expand his client base.
At this moment, Bergel listened to Kevin explaining his purpose and stared at him quietly,
"I won't hide it from you; when I bid for this golden egg, it was mainly because I sensed that it contained vitality."
"I am a Conservation Hunter, so you should be able to understand my purpose for doing so."
Hearing this, Kevin nodded. In fact, when he found this news, he had already guessed this point.
It is highly likely that Bergel wanted to hatch a Golden Rooster from this golden egg, which fits perfectly with his professional characteristics as a Conservation Hunter, and the facts are indeed so.
However, Bergel shook his head with a look of regret and said, "I still underestimated this kind of Rare Beast. Although this golden egg has vitality, essentially it is like the difference between a normal egg and a fertilized egg."
Kevin nodded in understanding; such an explanation was simple and straightforward, very easy to understand.
Most eggs eaten in daily life are not fertilized, so even if they are taken to be hatched, chicks cannot be hatched.
This golden egg might be a similar situation.
After speaking, Bergel stood up.
"Fine, considering you sold me so many potions, I will take it out for you to see."
After all, Kevin could be considered a pretty good friend, and plus, the golden egg to him, to some extent, was not considered such a precious collection, so he agreed after a slight thought.
As he spoke, he carried the suitcase and walked out, and when he reached the door, he turned his head and glanced at Kevin, who was preparing to stand up.
"You are not allowed to follow; just sit here, and I will bring it to you."
Looking at the slightly guarded look in Bergel's eyes, Kevin rolled his eyes helplessly.
"Could I possibly rob you? Honestly, you have no trust in me at all; I am someone who has been recognized by the Double-Headed Wolf."
"That still won't do."
Bergel refused firmly.
He also participated in the conservation work of the Double-Headed Wolf, so he naturally knew some characteristics of the Double-Headed Wolf, but no means no.
This has nothing to do with kindness; kind people also have their own preferences.
He had now roughly figured out some of the rules of Kevin's Nen Ability, at least he understood the extent of the other party's desire for materials.
He knew clearly in his heart what kind of treasures were stored in his treasure vault.
If he let Kevin in, wouldn't that be like putting a mouse into a rice jar?
Absolutely not; once inside, Kevin would definitely covet them.
By then, Kevin would definitely try every possible way to trade those treasures from his hands, which would be too much trouble.
Kevin definitely wouldn't use underhanded methods, but precisely because of that, that's where his trouble lies.
The other party would definitely use conditions for trade, and he wasn't sure that he wouldn't want to make the trade.
So he simply wouldn't let Kevin go in to see.
Thinking this, he walked out and closed the door behind him.
Kevin pouted helplessly and had to sit back down in his seat.
In his heart, he really wanted to follow and investigate.
One must know that Bergel is Ging's disciple; recalling the small gift that Ging gave him before.
That was the material with the highest energy intensity in Kevin's hands, reaching the top level of B-grade.
As Ging's disciple, Bergel must have worked with Ging before, and perhaps he was even one of the members of Ging's team.
Kevin did not believe that his little treasure vault did not have B-grade materials.
It's a pity; no chance to see it this time.
But there's no need to rush; there will be plenty of opportunities in the future.
Kevin had already secretly kept this matter in mind.
Not long after, Bergel walked in again, holding a small box covered with a cloth in both hands.
He placed the box on the table and then slowly lifted the covering cloth.
In an instant, golden light bloomed.
"It actually glows? I previously thought it was special effects in the photo, or an angle issue."
Inside the transparent circular box, the golden egg emitted a dazzling golden light.
After Kevin adapted to the golden light, he began to observe carefully.
Just looking at the appearance, this golden egg was like an egg forged from gold; both in shape and size, it was no different from a normal egg.
Moreover, the surface of the golden egg was not smooth and flat, but like a normal egg, it had a fine-grained matte texture.
After observing for a while, Kevin looked at Bergel.
Bergel rolled their eyes helplessly, carefully opened the lid, and placed the golden egg on the black base.
Kevin rubbed his hands together excitedly.
"Go wash your hands first!"
"Fine, fine."
Kevin had no choice but to go wash his hands again. After drying the water off his hands, he carefully extended a single finger.
He gently touched the eggshell.
A strange metallic texture came through, but at the same time, he could feel the warmth radiating from within.
It gave one a feeling full of vitality.
After touching it for a moment, Kevin withdrew his finger, his expression blank.
"Isn't this what you wanted?"
Bergel asked, looking full of confusion, their expression appearing both somewhat relieved and tinged with regret.
They had seen Kevin's expression before when he touched those collections they didn't care much for; his face would reveal a look of longing.
It wasn't as calm as it was now.
Of course, they didn't know that Kevin had grown a lot over the past six months and would no longer easily reveal his emotions due to a craving for materials.
Kevin shook his head: "No, this is exactly what I wanted. The longing in my heart is almost drowning me."
The longing Kevin felt for this golden egg ranked third among all his current cravings.
The first was the Mung Bean Person, and the second was the Jade Bone.
Without a doubt, this golden egg was a B-rank material.
The smile on Bergel's face vanished instantly.
Looking at Kevin, they shook their head helplessly.
See? It really had been targeted.
"Fine, fine. This golden egg is not a fertilized egg, so it's actually of no use to me anymore."
"But the reason you came looking for me must be because you know that, at least within the currently searchable information, this one in my possession is the only one."
Kevin nodded. Seeing the other party's stance, they were likely willing to trade, just with conditions attached.
Regardless of what the conditions were, as long as there was an intention to trade, it was a good thing.
"I saw that in your potion list, there is a custom potion service?"
Oh, so they wanted a custom potion.
Kevin nodded in response: "Yes, that service does exist. But what kind of potion do you want to customize? Don't think of anything too outrageous, and I can't guarantee the time required for research."
This was a condition that had to be stated in advance.
Bergel nodded: "I won't make things difficult for you. What I want is veterinary medicine—more specifically, medicine that can provide high-quality nutrition for animals."
"Animal nutritional supplements?" Kevin looked at the other party.
"Exactly."
This really fit their identity as a Conservation Hunter.
However, this kind of customization request was truly something Kevin had not anticipated at all.
"Is it customized for a specific animal, or is it a general-purpose type for the masses?"
"I want a general-purpose one with broad adaptability. Furthermore, I need you to help me customize two types: one for carnivorous animals and one for herbivorous animals."
Kevin pondered for a moment and asked again: "Then you must have quite a few high-energy materials for making relevant feed here, right? You should have both high-grade and low-grade ones?"
These materials were indispensable; even if they couldn't be used directly in potion making, they were very important as references.
Bergel nodded.
The two of them tacitly began to discuss the specific details.
In the end, both parties reached an agreement.
Bergel reluctantly pushed the golden egg toward Kevin, then asked curiously: "Since you need to touch it to confirm if it's what you want..."
"...then why were you so sure from the very beginning that the golden egg was what you needed?"
From the beginning, Kevin's words and actions showed that he was certain the golden egg was what he wanted, rather than determining it only after touching it; there was a difference.
They felt they probably hadn't misread him.
Kevin just smiled slightly without offering an explanation.
Was he supposed to tell them that he had asked Neon to cast a fortune for him using her Nen Ability?
This could also be considered an interesting application of Neon's Nen Ability.
When Kevin found the information about the golden egg and determined its specific location, the idea of coming here was born.
Thus, he asked Neon to perform a divination.
The information obtained showed that this operation would go very smoothly, and perhaps he might even obtain additional information he wanted.
Therefore, he came here.
"How many days do you plan to stay here?"
Seeing that Kevin didn't answer, Bergel didn't mind and turned to ask about other matters.
Kevin thought for a moment and said: "No. Once I understand the potion you need and the related supporting materials, that will be enough. This topic of animal nutritional supplements is actually quite interesting."
It wouldn't take too long to obtain the relevant information from Bergel, and learning the production methods for the feed wasn't difficult either.
He had already obtained the golden egg and couldn't wait to go back and try making the new potion.
Looking at Kevin's appearance, Bergel smiled and suddenly said: "I have an interesting piece of news here; I bet you'll definitely be interested."
Kevin narrowed his eyes slightly; he remembered Neon's prophecy before he left.
Under normal circumstances, Kevin wouldn't go to Neon for a prophecy, but if something came up, he didn't mind getting a prophecy to guard against any accidents.
It was already the end of April.
The content of Neon's prophecy was actually just one sentence.
Besides the operation going smoothly, he would also obtain additional information, and this information was exactly what he wanted.
He looked at Bergel, quietly waiting for them to speak.
"You guy, don't tell me you've already guessed what I'm going to say?" Bergel stared intently at Kevin, their eyes filled with surprise and suspicion.
They were a bit confused about Kevin's information channels.
Kevin didn't speak, just glanced at the golden egg.
If he hadn't been sure what the additional information was before coming, after seeing that the golden egg was exactly what he needed, he could roughly guess it.
He didn't believe that Bergel hadn't explored information regarding the Golden Rooster and the golden egg.
Since it was confirmed that the Golden Rooster really existed and the golden egg was tangible, given Bergel's identity as a Conservation Hunter, they must have tried to obtain information in this regard.
"Fine, just as you thought. Hmm, facing a rare beast like the Golden Rooster, I did indeed spend quite a bit of time searching for relevant information."
After speaking, Bergel extended a finger and said with a serious and solemn expression: "I even found their habitat."
"Really?"
Without a doubt, this news was exactly what Kevin dreamed of.
Because this meant it was possible to find a channel for the stable supply of B-rank materials; its importance was self-evident.
"Don't get excited just yet."
An extremely regretful expression appeared on Bergel's face again. "Things are not as simple as you imagine. The Golden Rooster's habitat is very hidden; by the time I arrived there, it was already too late."
"I don't know how many Golden Roosters there were originally, but the number definitely wasn't high. The key is that they are all gone. Judging from the traces left at the time, someone got there first."
Kevin didn't speak, quietly waiting for Bergel to continue.
"Later, I found the provider of the Golden Rooster and the golden egg. Based on the information they provided, it can be confirmed that this Golden Rooster had escaped."
"It is very likely that it escaped when they encountered another group of people at their habitat."
"Unfortunately, when that guy saw the Golden Rooster, he thought it was some novel animal and used force to capture it, but ended up accidentally killing the Golden Rooster."
In other words, these Golden Roosters were very fragile.
Kevin frowned, pondered for a moment, and asked: "Then doesn't the trail end here?"
Bergel nodded: "That's right, so I didn't continue the investigation. If the golden egg is very important to you, you can continue to investigate based on the information I provided, so you don't waste more time; otherwise, you'll have to come running to find me again."
"Thanks a lot, this information is very critical."
It was mainly because Kevin wasn't currently sure if the golden egg could be used to make the potion he wanted.
If it could really be made into the required potion, then a stable material supply channel would be crucial.
Reasonably and emotionally, he had to follow the clues to see if he could find more useful information.
However, thinking of Neon's prophecy, then the golden egg could basically be confirmed as the material he wanted.
Just at this moment, a roaring sound came from outside.
It sounded like the sound of some kind of explosive detonation.
Kevin frowned slightly.
Bergel didn't explain, but instead looked at Kevin and said: "In the past six months, your strength has improved quite a bit."
"Hmm, I am quite satisfied with my growth speed during this period," Kevin responded.
"Then, do you want to participate in this matter? I am in need of a powerful combatant to assist."
Kevin had never asked about the aftermath of that matter from six months ago, but from the surrounding circumstances, he could guess that the follow-up situation was not very optimistic.
Actually, he never intended to get involved in this matter, so he never asked.
But now it seemed that Bergel intended to invite him to participate.
Kevin thought for a moment and asked: "Tell me, what has happened here?"