Biscayne Forest Preserve.
Ever since Kevin Carpenberg agreed to stay behind to assist Bergel, Bergel finally had time to continue tracking that dragon-like monster.
"I thought you lured these Charge Armor here on purpose."
Kevin said with a smile, holding the incense burner in his hand.
The incense burner drifted, and a faint scent wafted out from within; it was said to be made by grinding the Charge Armor's favorite food into powder and burning it.
Previously, Bergel had hoped Kevin would stay at the base to assist the soldiers in blocking the Charge Armor flooding toward the base.
This way, he could free up his hands to accomplish what needed to be done.
This was not a difficult task for Kevin; it was just right for him to do.
Bergel himself planned to take two partners deep into the forest to track that monster for an extended period.
This time, he would be extra careful and go all out to find the monster's lair.
He had been careless before and missed a good opportunity, which resulted in wasting quite a bit of time.
Upon hearing Kevin's words, Bergel said.
"That's not quite how to put it, but it's close. After all, these Charge Armor have been modified, and their aggression is far stronger than ordinary Charge Armor."
"Their massive size certainly doesn't give them a gentle temperament; just look at the spikes on their carapaces."
"If they were allowed to run wild, they might run to the edge of the city and charge into towns or urban areas, which would be terrible."
"Instead of letting them cause trouble uncontrollably, it's better to lure them here."
Given the cunning of that dragon monster, when it hunts Charge Armor for food, it would only choose those located deep in the forest.
Knowing it is being tracked, it would certainly try its best to avoid going to places with many people.
This was Bergel's plan, and because of this, he hadn't been able to leave the base rashly before.
Since missing the tracking opportunity last time, he had no chance to go deep into the dense forest to search for clues about that monster.
Large numbers of Charge Armor were crashing around, forcing him to remain at the base.
Kevin's arrival happened to solve this problem, giving him enough time to carry out his operations.
After all, that monster was the real target.
"Alright, then hurry back. I'll handle things at the base for now."
Kevin said directly.
Bergel nodded and left with White Tree and the other person.
Not long after they left, a soldier came to report that another Charge Armor was heading this way.
Facing the incoming Charge Armor, Kevin went up and delivered a "Ticket".
Easily making these Charge Armor stop obediently.
After obtaining the materials he wanted, Kevin returned to the camp, lay on a chair, holding a book in his hand, and rested quietly.
To be honest, this was easier than he had expected.
Mainly because, for Kevin, Charge Armor was really easy prey to deal with.
It was right up his alley.
A few days passed, and the time came to early May.
Bergel and his group, who had been deep in the dense forest for many days, returned to the camp, travel-worn.
Upon returning, Bergel saw the square densely packed with Charge Armor carapaces.
There weren't this many when he left.
"You're quite efficient, my friend."
Seeing Kevin walking over, Bergel said with a smile.
"Just a punch."
Kevin waved his fist and responded with a smile.
"What about you guys? How did it go? Did you find the tracks of that monster?"
Bergel nodded and pulled Kevin into the conference room.
"We found definite tracks. We can basically confirm that the monster is in the area we locked onto."
"To avoid alerting it, we didn't continue tracking deep into that area."
As he spoke, Bergel took out a map from the side and drew a circle around an area.
Kevin looked at it; the area was not small, but Bergel being so cautious meant that the monster was very sharp and should not be underestimated.
"So, when do you plan to take action?"
"In the next few days. I need to make some preparations. It's best to clear out the nearby Charge Armor first."
Although the number of nearby Charge Armor isn't high, if there are more than three or four, it could pose a significant danger.
Bergel was accustomed to handling various hidden dangers before taking action.
Kevin nodded, thought about it, and said: "If you don't mind, let's wait for someone. He's here to deliver a package."
"A package? Is it those two potions I ordered earlier?"
Bergel asked, thinking of something.
Kevin nodded.
The one delivering the package was naturally Locke; according to the previous contract, he should be bringing the potions Bergel wanted soon.
Moreover, with Locke's Nen Ability, it would be perfect for reconnaissance and tracking now.
In addition, Kevin had entrusted Locke to bring the materials he needed.
At this moment, he had the golden egg and the unknown growth organ in his hands; both materials were top-tier for him.
He needed a top-tier Fusion Agent to combine these two materials and create a new potion.
Suddenly, Kevin seemed to sense something and looked at the sky outside the window.
The sky was pitch black at this time, but that faint, elusive feeling of being watched was still captured by Kevin.
"Looks like he's here."
Sure enough, a cargo drone flew to the window.
Kevin opened the window.
The drone placed the small box it was carrying onto the table and then flew away.
Kevin ignored it and waved at the darkness, signaling the other party to come over.
Before long, a figure snuck into the research base.
Bergel looked at this stranger.
Locke also looked at Bergel.
Finally, both of them cast their gaze toward Kevin.
Kevin smiled, briefly introduced the two, and then said:
"This is Locke. His Nen Ability should be very helpful for our upcoming operation. But he is not my subordinate, so you have to convince him to participate in the operation yourself."
Hearing this, Locke turned to look at Bergel.
Through the introduction just now, he roughly understood the current situation.
He naturally didn't mind earning some extra money, but it also depended on how much the reward was.
And if it was too dangerous, he wouldn't be very willing to stay.
Bergel looked at Locke, pondered for a moment, and said: "This matter has a certain level of danger, but we will bear the main risks. If you truly have reconnaissance abilities, you just need to be responsible for reconnaissance from a safe place."
"So, the reward is 1 billion. If you need to participate in combat, an additional 500 million will be added."
"If you make a contribution during the battle, I will add another 500 million, and I will pay for the potions needed for recovery if you get injured."
Bergel was very generous, offering a very generous price right away.
After all, the other party could be considered Kevin's friend, and he didn't want to haggle over these meaningless things.
Hearing this price, Locke had almost no reason to hesitate and asked: "About how long will it take?"
"No more than a week at most."
This was the time Bergel estimated it would take; based on his experience, it basically wouldn't exceed this time.
Locke thought for a moment and then nodded: "Deal."
Kevin had already opened the box and handed the 『Repair potion』 brought by Locke to Bergel.
"The goods you wanted."
Afterward, he took out a small sealed jar from the box, which contained a few pink petals.
"I'd like to take a day off tomorrow to prepare for the upcoming operation. Is that okay?"
Kevin asked.
Bergel nodded: "No problem. I also need some time to prepare."
Then he looked at Locke: "Let me explain the upcoming mission to you in detail."
"As a basis for cooperation and trust, I will first tell you about the general situation of my Nen Ability so it's easier for us to coordinate."
Although Nen Users usually keep their Nen Ability reserved, if they are to cooperate in an operation, necessary introductions are indispensable.
Otherwise, unnecessary trouble and problems might arise during the cooperation process.
Of course, generally speaking, such introductions are rough; approximate details and various restrictions will still be hidden.
If you want to try to set someone up relying on such a simple understanding, those hidden details might cost you your life.
Locke nodded, indicating no objection.
His Nen Ability also needed to be disclosed to some extent so that his teammates could coordinate.
Kevin also stayed behind because he didn't know what Bergel's Nen Ability was either.
"I am from the Conjuration System, and this is my Nen Ability."
As he spoke, Bergel took out the revolver that never left his side from his waist and placed it on the table.
This was a revolver with a heavy style; the thick, long barrel highlighted its formidable power.
Although Bergel said so, Kevin could tell that this handgun was not a product of Nen Ability manifestation, but a real, solid firearm.
Of course, there might be other mysteries; that would depend on the specific characteristics of Bergel's Nen Ability.
Bergel didn't offer too much explanation, merely beginning to demonstrate.
He held a pistol, flicked his wrist, and the cylinder popped out.
The cylinder was completely empty.
Bergel reached out, Nen surged forth, and he rotated it over the cylinder.
With a rattling sound, bullets appeared one by one in the previously empty cylinder.
So that's how it is.
It wasn't the pistol that was conjured, but the bullets.
"This is my Nen Ability. I can conjure different types of bullets, and the effect of each bullet fired can be set according to my will."
"Some can produce healing effects, some have extremely strong penetration, some have explosive effects, and so on."
This was his Nen Ability: 『Special Ammunition Box』.
After a brief introduction, he didn't say anything more, feeling that letting everyone know the gist was enough.
Locke nodded and also stated his own Nen Ability.
He briefly introduced the effects of three types of drones, as well as some usage restrictions.
After hearing Locke's introduction of his Nen Ability, Bergel couldn't help but nod.
To say nothing else, the 『Reconnaissance Drone』 alone could help them very well in tracking that monster's trail.
After all, that monster was huge, and it should be very easy to spot from high altitude.
After a simple exchange, Bergel took Locke to handle the registration procedures.
After all, this place was already under military control, and since Locke was not a Professional Hunter, the necessary registration could not be skipped.
Otherwise, if a misunderstanding or error were to occur, it would be troublesome.
Kevin, meanwhile, returned to his room and locked the door.
He took the medicine jar and sat at the table.
『golden egg』 『Growth Organ』 『Golden Pattern Petal』
The three materials had been gathered.
The golden egg was undoubtedly a B-rank material, though its energy craving level had barely reached the B-rank standard.
The other two were top-tier C-rank materials.
With these three materials combined, making a B-rank beginner potion should be no problem.
With Kevin's Nen Volume of over twenty thousand, it was enough to fuse them and refine a new potion.
Unless the compatibility between these potions was extremely high, capable of achieving a so-called perfect fusion, allowing the quality of the potion to directly exceed the materials.
Only in that situation would Kevin's Nen Volume possibly be insufficient.
However, based on Kevin's experience, these materials couldn't reach that effect.
After confirming these conditions were feasible, the next step was to adjust the dosage and ratio method.
This was the most time-consuming part.
Kevin directly conjured his Pharmaceutical Table.
First, the most basic operation was to place the three materials on their corresponding scales.
The Pharmaceutical Table gave feedback.
『Potential Nen recovery speed increased.』
This meant the three materials were compatible, and the effects brought by their attributes were exactly what Kevin wanted.
A smile appeared on Kevin's face.
Next was adjusting the proportions of the three to achieve a perfect balance.
Unexpectedly, this step, which was originally the most time-consuming, didn't take up too much of Kevin's energy.
Because there was only one 『golden egg』 as the main material, Kevin didn't dare to rashly crack it open and extract the egg liquid for experiments.
After all, there was only this one for now.
So he used the whole egg as the main ingredient and placed it on top.
After some adjustments, Kevin found that for the 『Unknown Growth Organ』, of which he had a relatively large quantity on hand, taking half of a whole one was enough for the potion.
Using the whole main material and half of the fresh auxiliary material would lead to success.
Perhaps it was because the compatibility of these two materials was good, that it easily reached the ideal effect.
『Gold Scale: golden egg (whole - 60 grams)』
『Silver Scale: Growth Organ (fresh - 50 grams)』
『copper scale: Golden Pattern Petal (dried - 10 grams)』
『Result: aop and Potential Nen increased, Potential Nen recovery speed improved.』
The effect was very direct; this was exactly what Kevin wanted.
There was nothing to hesitate about; he started the production directly.
Actually, Kevin hadn't originally planned to produce it, as he didn't expect to be able to concoct the finished product so quickly.
Moreover, even if he produced it, it wouldn't be of much use in the short term because there was only one golden egg.
If he couldn't find a stable way to obtain golden eggs, this potion wouldn't have much significance.
However, thinking that the operation was in two days.
In a situation where it was unclear how strong that monster really was, having an extra backup measure was always good.
Kevin closed his eyes and injected Nen into the Pharmaceutical Table.
As the production began, time unknowingly exceeded an hour.
It wasn't until an hour later that the Pharmaceutical Table slowly stopped operating.
Kevin exhaled tiredly, slumped in his chair, and reached out to wipe the sweat from his face.
At this moment, only one-fifth of his Nen remained, meaning that producing this bottle of potion had consumed a full twenty thousand of his Nen Volume.
After resting for a good while, he stood up, took out the potion, and examined it carefully.
The entire bottle of potion emitted a faint golden light, and the liquid inside was also golden, flowing slowly with the light.
It looked like it was worth a fortune.
It seemed that after reaching B-rank, potions might emit some light.
"Now, I have to find a way to find the Golden Rooster, if it hasn't gone extinct yet."
But the current matter was also very critical.
After all, the other auxiliary material was taken from the body of a Charge Armor, and it could be determined that this Growth Organ was the reason the Charge Armor could grow to such a huge size, not an organ that the Charge Armor naturally possessed.
In other words, this organ used for modification must have come from the biological organization behind it.
The contribution Kevin made by participating in this matter would at least allow him to receive corresponding rewards when the time came.
For example, finding the source of the organ, or simply raising some Charge Armor, should be no problem, right?
He was rich now and could afford to raise them.
Moreover, Charge Armor were omnivores and didn't have high requirements for food.
As long as he controlled the quantity well and didn't let them run wild, there wouldn't be any problems.
"Golden Rooster, now the clues are all broken, where should I go to find it?"
Kevin sighed; the golden egg was the key.
He had also roughly figured out the material attributes of the golden egg.
If nothing unexpected happened, it should be an eruption of life energy.
Materials with this attribute were very important; whether used as a main ingredient or an auxiliary ingredient, they were very easy to combine.
Was this the value of 『Rare Beasts』?
"If I really wanted to find the Golden Rooster, would asking Neon for a fortune-telling at this time give me some hints?"
Previously, Kevin wasn't sure, but after this prophecy, he felt he might be able to get some help.
The fortune-telling wouldn't give a specific location, but it would give a very vague direction, which was still better than stumbling around blindly.
He would handle the things at hand first, and when the time came, he would ask Neon to verify it, and he would know.
Nostrade Family manor.
Inside the manor hall.
Light and a few others gathered here.
Today was May 1st, and a new month had arrived.
But everyone present knew that this new month hid crises, and wanting to pass through it safely would not be easy.
Moreover, with Kevin, the backbone, not present, the affairs of the family were left to them; this was the time to prove their abilities, and they didn't want to lose face at this time.
The help Kevin had given was too great; they couldn't always live under Kevin's protection.
They had to provide their own assistance to this "home" as well, so they had to remain highly vigilant.
They looked at each other.
Neon sat down directly in front of the coffee table.
"So, who wants their fortune told first?"
It was originally agreed that Neon would perform a fortune-telling for everyone once, to determine the dangers they might encounter.
But in the end, Kurapika rejected this decision.
Because fortune-telling for everyone, while it could more comprehensively sort out the context of the whole matter, was not safe enough.
They had to treat this matter cautiously.
So after discussion, they decided to do it one by one.
They would be deeply involved in this matter, so each person's future prophecy would be an important guide.
If everyone was prophesied on the first day, after changing certain actions later, it would be difficult to judge the changes in the prophecy.
So they would do it one by one, with time intervals in between.
First, through the future information of one person, determine the potential dangers, make preparations, and set traps, then have another person perform the fortune-telling to see if the changed future was developing in the direction they expected.
In this way, they could maximize the effect of Neon's prophecy this month.
The poem for prophesying the future was indeed powerful.
So no matter how it was used, they could get the desired results.