The next morning, when Kevin woke up, Ging had already packed and left.
The two had chatted late into the night about various topics.
"You're awake?"
Outside the tent was Begel, whom Kevin had met twice before.
His attire was no different from before, still looking like a field soldier, leaning against a Jeep SUV and smoking.
"Are you here to see me off? Sorry to have kept you waiting." Kevin said, beginning to pack his luggage simply.
Begel was not in a hurry. Watching Kevin pack, he slowly asked, "I heard you're very interested in peculiar animals and plants?"
Kevin wasn't averse to such small talk. While washing up, he replied, "That's right, I am indeed very interested in these things. If I encounter rare beasts, strange beasts, magic beasts, or Phantom Beasts, I'd be even more interested."
Actually, Kevin was also thinking that he wasn't just interested; he had long coveted the special materials from them.
"You're not a Hunter yet, are you?" Begel asked again.
Kevin shook his head, "No, I just submitted my application not long ago."
"Oh, then there are still a few months until the Hunter Exam." Begel said, throwing his cigarette butt on the ground and stepping on it to extinguish it. "Are you interested in interning with me for a period?"
"Interning?" Kevin stopped what he was doing and looked at him in confusion.
Begel nodded, "Let me reintroduce myself. My name is Begel Ragholt, a One-Star Conservation Hunter, and also Ging's disciple."
A One-Star Hunter? And Ging's disciple?
Right, Ging is a Two-Star Hunter, it seems. Kevin had browsed related introductions on the Hunter Association's official website, including the Hunter's Ten Commandments, and understood the meaning of star-ranked Hunters.
A One-Star Hunter is a Hunter who has made outstanding achievements in a specific field and is awarded the One-Star title; a Two-Star Hunter is promoted based on being a One-Star Hunter when a junior they have mentored receives a star-ranked honor; a Three-Star Hunter needs to achieve immortal merits in multiple fields on top of being a Two-Star Hunter.
Kevin remembered that Bisky was also a Two-Star Hunter. Every One-Star Hunter is undoubtedly a master-level existence in their respective fields.
As Kevin pondered, Begel continued, "Since you've earned Ging's appreciation, you must have exceptional qualities, and your strength must be extraordinary.
And you're interested in special animals and plants, which is perfect. I am currently stationed long-term in this nature reserve, engaged in the conservation of endangered species, and also exploring and collecting information on new species, compiling and recording them."
Unexpectedly, this man, who looked like a retired soldier from the battlefield, was engaged in animal protection work.
"Recently, my team and I received a mission to explore and collect new species in the Lost Meller Wetland and to carry out conservation efforts for the endangered species there."
Lost Meller Wetland, Kevin knew this place.
He had looked up some related information online. It belonged to the same nature reserve as the Forest Park where Kevin was, right next to the Forest Park.
When Kevin previously searched for information on the Forest Park, he had glimpsed it once; it was a clearly forbidden and dangerous area, said to be full of dangerous species that could easily endanger human lives.
Every year, disobedient explorers would enter, only to disappear without a trace.
This couldn't help but pique Kevin's interest.
"If I intern, what exactly will I be doing?"
"There aren't many people with Nen Ability, and Nen Ability masters are even rarer.
Most of my team are ordinary people, even powerless, one might say. You can temporarily act as their bodyguard, and of course, you'll also be assigned some relatively dangerous tasks, though the danger here is relative to ordinary people.
We have a research base there, with complete living facilities and various experimental sites. As for compensation... I heard you're interested in some precious and rare materials from animals and plants?"
To be honest, Kevin was tempted.
After all, there were only two or three months left until the Hunter Exam, and most of the places he wanted to go were restricted areas, with very limited information available online.
Only after obtaining a Hunter license could he get more information and enter those restricted areas. Moreover, Begel was Ging's disciple, and based on this relationship, there was a natural trust between them.
After a moment of thought, Kevin nodded.
Once packed, he got into the Jeep.
"Can you tell me about this Lost Meller Wetland?" Kevin's previously collected information was limited; he only knew it was very dangerous.
Begel, who was driving, nodded, "The Lost Meller Wetland is also known as the 'Trickster's Nest.' Most of the animals and plants there hunt by deception, and the entire ecosystem is built around 'deception.'"
Just hearing this description, Kevin found it incredible. What kind of environment could foster such a unique ecosystem?
"Precisely because of this special ecosystem, many species in the Lost Meller Wetland exist almost exclusively in this wetland; there's a large number of unique organisms."
Such a special environment leads to countless endangered species here.
The two chatted as they drove, and it wasn't long before they reached their destination.
It was a building located next to a simple road, looking like a warehouse at first glance, with many smaller sheds around it.
Perhaps due to inconvenient transportation, a small airship was also parked in the spacious plaza.
At a glance, the conditions here were better than Kevin had expected.
Begel parked the car in the plaza and led Kevin inside.
Entering the largest main building, it was much more crowded inside than Kevin had imagined.
The research lab was filled with various equipment Kevin didn't understand, and individual cubicles were partitioned off, containing various greenhouses and potted plants.
There weren't many researchers moving about inside; Kevin took a quick look around and estimated there were probably only fifteen to twenty people.
"Yo, Boss, you're back." A woman wearing glasses and a simple protective suit greeted Begel. This woman had a healthy, tanned complexion.
Begel immediately put on a spare simple protective suit nearby and walked into the room, and Kevin followed suit.
"How's the research progressing, Mo AGu?"
Mo AGu nodded, "It's almost done. Everything that needed to be recorded has been organized and archived. Except for the necessary individuals kept for continued observation, the rest have been released."
Kevin quietly observed from the side.
In a corner of this cubicle, against the wall, there was a breeding nest made entirely of transparent glass, simulating the external natural environment with soil and plants.
Kevin observed for a long while before finally spotting something moving.
It was a long, black, soft-bodied insect, only about ten centimeters long.
If it hadn't just moved, hidden by the shadows of the grass blades, Kevin wouldn't have noticed it at all. In a way, it looked like a moving shadow.
Begel briefly flipped through the file and then handed it to Kevin.
Kevin looked at it curiously. It read:
Name: Shadow Larva
Number: K-B-112
Related Legend: Living Shadow
Individual Composition: Semi-materialized nematode swarm
Activity Area: Lost Meller Wetland - C-12-5 - Around the Acid Pool
Description: Specializes in parasitizing in damp shadows, capable of controlling shadows to perform independent actions. When humans follow the "living shadow" trying to find a way out, they are actually being lured towards the most corrosive acid pool. Its true body always operates hidden in the victim's visual blind spot.