"Is it okay to kill these?"
In the swamp, three massive monstrous pigs were knocked to the ground by Kevin.
These monstrous pigs were as huge as two or three adults combined, and their skin had a camouflage-like color, which allowed them to cleverly conceal themselves in the swamp.
Two long tusks protruded from their mouths, making their charges extremely threatening.
Professor Belut, who had been protected, stood up with the help of his assistant. The three giant pigs had suddenly charged out of the bushes, truly startling him.
The Professor patted his backside, waved his hand, and said, "These are Charging Boars. Don't let their wild, fierce appearance and massive size fool you; they are actually at the bottom of the food chain in this area."
"Really?" Kevin was a bit surprised.
"That's right. They are one of the few non-endangered species here, reproduce quickly, and are omnivores. They are often lured into traps by various plants and animals, becoming food for other creatures," Belut said, even listing several creatures that specifically prey on these wild boars.
"As long as there isn't deliberate large-scale hunting, their numbers generally won't go extinct."
"This is largely thanks to them living in this dangerous area. It's said their meat is firm and delicious, with no strange smell, making it a rare and expensive ingredient outside. It's just that this area is too dangerous, so few people risk coming in to hunt." Toby provided a brief explanation from the side.
Even if they were at the bottom of the food chain here, it was better than the endless hunting driven by the greed of humans in the outside world.
Hearing this, Kevin selected a wild boar that looked to be of good quality, hoisted it onto his shoulder, and planned to take it back to eat.
It was just in time, as he could continue using the Digestive Potion again soon.
Everyone followed Belut deeper into the swamp.
The journey was filled with continuous battles, with various strange, bizarre, and dangerous creatures appearing one after another.
There were even one or two creatures that had never been seen before, which kept Belut busy taking photos and collecting samples.
Kevin finally witnessed how terrifying the 'Trickster's Nest', known as a forbidden zone, was for ordinary people.
Every creature here was worthy of being recorded in a fantasy bestiary.
In Kevin's opinion, this bizarre world was simply a fantasy world disguised with a modern world view.
"We're here, just ahead."
Hearing this, Kevin looked up and could feel a faint warmth emanating from the distance, and the surrounding mist was noticeably thinner compared to other areas.
After walking a few more steps, Kevin glimpsed signs of movement in the shadows of the plants.
These plant shadows began to move, gathering in front of everyone, forming humanoid outlines that slowly moved forward.
"Shadow Larva?"
"You know about these?" Belut looked at Kevin with some surprise.
Kevin nodded, "I saw them in the lab before and reviewed their archived records."
"That's good. During the day, their danger is relatively low. Only when dusk approaches night do the shadows they form possess a certain degree of deceptiveness."
Moreover, unless one gets lost in the forest for too long and their consciousness is already blurred, it is actually very difficult to be lured.
Everyone continued forward and finally reached their destination—the sulfuric acid pool where the Shadow Larva lived.
On the bank, a lot of movement could be seen continuously in the shadows of the plants, with shadow-like protrusions occasionally extending out. Lush, reed-like plants, up to two meters tall, grew all around.
In the center of the reed bed was the sulfuric acid pool, which looked like an ordinary small pond, with some resilient plants still growing in it.
The liquid in the pond was light green and translucent, and through this translucent liquid, one could even clearly see fish-like creatures in the water.
"Acid Snakefish, an endangered species, currently only found in this sulfuric acid pond, with a population of no more than one hundred pairs," Belut squatted by the bank and introduced.
Haka also explained to Kevin, "These are our research subjects. We need to study the ecological environment of these fish to see if we can help them reproduce more offspring."
"The scales of these fish have extremely potent anti-corrosion effects, making them top-tier biological materials. If artificial breeding could be successful…" Toby, standing nearby, didn't finish his sentence, but his meaning was clear.
Belut took out an item he had been carrying on his back, which unfolded into a large specialized water tank.
"I need to collect a tank of acid from here to change the living environment for some of my research subjects in the lab."
After the three of them took safety precautions, they began to get busy.
Kevin activated his 'Enclosure' and walked around the pond.
There were so many Shadow Larva here, densely packed like ants. Within the Perception range of the 'Enclosure', these creatures were clearly discernible.
Shadow Larva are creatures that utilize Qi, or rather, Qi itself is part of their instinct.
Their flat bodies are extremely fragile, and Qi forms a shadow-like structure on them, almost becoming part of their bodies.
In the absence of any offensive capabilities, they are therefore almost immune to harm. It is extremely difficult for ordinary people to capture them, especially amidst the dense plant shadows.
Kevin pulled out a few empty reagent tubes, opened the caps, and vigorously flung them out.
With a few 'whoosh' sounds as the reagent tubes cut through the air, several Shadow Larva were captured. The transparent reagent tubes plunged straight into the muddy ground, and the captured Shadow Larva struggled inside like worms.
"Sure enough, you can catch them too," Belut said, turning his head upon hearing the commotion.
In Begel's team, there were only three people who could use Qi: Begel himself and two amateur Hunters.
Although these two could use Qi, they didn't have Hunter licenses, and in Kevin's opinion, their talent was average, and their control over Qi was weak.
Many creatures that were difficult to sample were usually captured by them.
Normally, they, like Kevin, were responsible for leading and protecting these researchers. Moreover, these two were also experts in their respective fields.
Kevin's purpose in capturing these Shadow Larva was simple: he wanted to use them in medicine.
He had already learned that these Shadow Larva had almost no natural predators and their population reproduced stably. As long as there wasn't deliberate destructive capture, it would basically not affect their ecology.
After all, Shadow Larva were creatures that could evoke a faint craving in him.
Kevin also collected a few tubes of acid with test tubes.
This substance, which seemed to be usable in medicine, was worth studying thoroughly.
After all, the acid in this acid pool was not a chemically synthesized substance but a true natural product, and it should also meet the 'Material' standard.
He also scooped up an Acid Snakefish, but feeling no craving, he released the fish back into the pond.
After all, the Acid Snakefish were truly rare, and there were also predators that preyed on them, so a slight carelessness could lead to their extinction.
Afterward, Kevin carried the wild boar and returned along the original path.
On the way back, they encountered another large creature that actively attacked them—the 'Tree Boa'.
The reason it was called that was because this thing was truly as thick as a large tree. Kevin punched it, and it scurried away.
Kevin also picked up an egg, an egg that could evoke a certain craving in him.
However, he couldn't tell whether it was a snake egg, a bird egg, or an egg from some other creature.