Kakin Empire, Capital.
Night fell, and the city was immersed in a dazzling display of lights and revelry.
Every time Kevin saw a night scene like this, reminiscent of his former world, he couldn't help but feel a little tense.
This world had clearly entered modern society, yet it always managed to throw in some medieval elements in the most peculiar places.
It was truly baffling.
At this moment.
Kevin, Menchi, and Hakkahalla, dressed in formal attire, arrived in front of a skyscraper.
As they had discussed earlier, during their leisure time, they heard about a large-scale auction and decided to investigate.
Of course, it was mainly because Menchi had nothing to do and couldn't sit still.
Kevin was also very interested in auctions, as he had never been to such a place in his previous life, nor had he ever properly participated in one like this.
It sounded like a pretty good experience.
"Logically, an auction like this should require an invitation, right? We're just walking in so boldly, how are we going to get in?"
Kevin asked with a puzzled expression, not having seen Menchi prepare any invitation.
Typically, such large-scale auctions would vet the qualifications of bidders, with the simplest method being to verify assets.
Otherwise, if anyone could just enter freely, wouldn't the auction be disrupted?
This was a basic measure adopted by almost all high-end, large-scale auctions to prevent strange disruptors from lowering the auction's prestige.
For these wealthy and influential individuals, prestige was very important.
Menchi looked at Kevin, a triumphant smile on her face: "Hmph, you've just become a Hunter, so you probably don't fully understand the true privileges that a hunter license and the identity of a Hunter bring."
Saying this, she took out her hunter license, held it between two fingers, and wiggled it.
"This will do. Remember? With a hunter license, you can freely enter most areas, except for a very few special places.
"This doesn't just refer to closed countries; auctions like this are no exception. And you know, a large portion of the rich list consists of Hunters.
"In this situation, a genuine hunter license is the best invitation."
Listening to Menchi, Kevin suddenly understood.
So that was it. Perhaps because he had only recently obtained his hunter license, he wasn't yet accustomed to the feeling of unimpeded travel it provided.
This thing was the best pass.
Buhara smiled and patted Kevin's shoulder, pulling out his own hunter license and saying, "Everyone takes some getting used to at first. I was the same initially, but later I found it much more convenient. With a hunter license, many things become much easier."
After all, enjoying privileges still required some time to adapt.
At this moment, Menchi had already walked into the building.
The security personnel responsible for checking became serious immediately upon seeing the hunter license she presented.
The security personnel took out a scanning device and checked it. After confirming the hunter license was genuine, their attitude became even more respectful.
To be fair, that thing looked a bit like a credit card swiper.
He gestured, and a service attendant led Menchi inside.
Ordinary businessmen holding invitations did not receive such treatment.
Menchi, who had walked into the building, turned her head and winked at Kevin, signaling him to follow.
"This hunter license is really useful, even more powerful than I imagined."
The three of them presented their hunter licenses together, immediately earning the respect of the staff.
It truly added luster.
It wasn't an annual auction, just a quarterly mid-sized auction, and it was already quite surprising to attract several Hunters.
Hunters were always big buyers at auction houses.
They were directly escorted to a private room at the auction, enjoying meticulous service.
"How is it? Pretty good, right?"
Menchi said with a smile, sitting on a soft sofa that felt like it could swallow you whole.
Kevin nodded; this privilege was indeed impressive.
At this time, the auction was still in the warm-up phase of admission.
A nearby attendant picked up a brochure detailing the current auction and handed it to the three.
The three took the booklet.
Menchi flipped through it while picking up a red wine glass from the nearby table and taking a small sip.
"Moonlit Manor, 1877?"
"I didn't expect you to be such a wine connoisseur, that's truly impressive."
The attendant nearby responded with a smile, deliberately raising his voice with a perfectly nuanced hint of surprise.
"You know about wine tasting?" Kevin also took a sip, but couldn't taste anything special.
It felt no different from what was outside.
Menchi rolled her eyes at him: "I'm a Gourmet Hunter; basic wine tasting skills are a given."
Kevin didn't respond, continuing to silently flip through the auction catalog in his hand.
He turned page after page.
Suddenly, his movements stopped.
"What's wrong?" Buhara, who was nearby, keenly noticed Kevin's emotional change and asked with concern.
Menchi also curiously leaned over to look.
On the page Kevin had turned to, there was a picture of a storage jar containing Scarlet Eyes.
"One of the World's Seven Great Beauties—Scarlet Eyes?" Menchi read the description softly.
Her voice carried a hint of confusion.
This thing looked exactly like real eyeballs; it wasn't a field she would typically explore.
At this point, the nearby staff member spoke up at the opportune moment, providing a brief introduction: "These are the eyeballs of the Kurutas. It is said that when people of this minority ethnic group are angry or emotionally agitated, their eyeballs turn a pure scarlet color.
"If the eyeballs are removed and properly preserved at that time, their color will remain this pure scarlet, hence they are hailed as one of the World's Seven Great Beauties.
1?
After the staff member's brief explanation, he lowered his voice, as if revealing a secret, saying: "It is said that two months ago, the reclusive Kurutas were tragically annihilated. This means that the number of Scarlet Eyes on the market at this stage is limited."
This auction item was placed in a later position in the entire auction process, which showed its preciousness.
Kevin stared at the photo and asked, "Have these Scarlet Eyes auction items been appearing frequently recently?"
To Kevin's question, the staff member replied, "About five days ago, a pair of such eyes appeared at the Brukata Auction House. The starting bid at that time was 1.5 billion jenny, and the final Sold Price reached 15 billion.
"Many human body collectors are eager for such collectibles. It is foreseeable that the transaction price of such auction items will become higher and higher in the future, and the earlier one bids, the more it highlights the collector's foresight."
Kevin ignored the hint in the staff member's words, merely nodding slightly.
Menchi and Hakkahalla exchanged glances, both clearly sensing that these eyes held special significance for Kevin.
"Do you want to bid on these Scarlet Eyes?" Menchi asked.
Kevin didn't answer immediately. After a moment of thought, he said, "I don't know. I'll decide based on the situation then."
Soon, the auction officially began.
All sorts of auction items appeared one after another, most of them bizarre collectibles.
Calligraphy, famous paintings, sculptures, and even human body parts.
These human body part collectibles were openly displayed on the stage for everyone below to bid on.
Until the auction item Kevin was interested in made its appearance.
The auctioneer first displayed the Scarlet Eyes on the screen, then specifically mentioned the annihilation of the Kurutas. "That's truly heinous, to wipe out an entire ethnic group just for these eyes."
Faced with this situation, Menchi said with a look of disgust.
Buhara also shook his head with revulsion: "This is the endless desire of humanity."
Anyone with a bit of conscience would feel uncomfortable hearing about such things.
Kevin, however, quietly watched everything, observing the pair of eyes displayed on the platform from their well-positioned private room.
"Starting bid—1.9 billion."
Indeed, the price had directly increased compared to the last auction, and it was clear that many human body collectors had come specifically for this item.
Many people were already eager, ready to make their move and acquire this precious collectible.
Soon, the price was driven up to 18 billion, already exceeding the final transaction price of the last auction.
Eventually, the price climbed to a stage where Kevin could no longer participate; he simply didn't have that much money.
Even if he wanted to allocate funds from the Nostra Family now, it would be unlikely, as almost all liquid capital had been invested in the operation of the new company.
Menchi suddenly said from the side, "If you urgently need this money, we can lend it to you."
Buhara also nodded in agreement.
Both had been Hunters for some time; Hakkahalla had been a Hunter for three years, and Menchi had just completed two full years.
In this situation, their financial reserves were already quite substantial.
Out of support for their partner, and given that they were already considered friends, such assistance was not difficult for them.
Faced with this proposal, Kevin thought for a moment, then shook his head.
At this time, the transaction price was already approaching twenty billion.
Ultimately, the Scarlet Eyes were sold for a transaction price of twenty billion.
It wasn't that Kevin didn't want them; he just felt that if the price was so exorbitant, it wouldn't be worth it.
After all, he didn't have a deep emotional connection with the Kurutas themselves; his interest in the tribe was solely due to his relationship with Mito and his current friendship with Kurapika and his two companions.
However, in Kevin's opinion, there was no need to rush this matter.
It was clear that these Scarlet Eyes were extremely valuable, far exceeding the worth of a human life.
This indirectly reflected their preciousness, and anyone who acquired them would surely guard them carefully.
Moreover, in Kevin's heart, collecting the Scarlet Eyes was more suitable for the three Kurutas; as an outsider, he shouldn't take over.
During their tragic moments before, he had heard that besides seeking revenge, they also wanted to retrieve the Scarlet Eyes of their former tribesmen, one by one.
This could also become their motivation to move forward.
"Will it be difficult to investigate the information of the person who bought this item using a hunter license afterward?" Kevin asked.
Menchi pondered for a moment and said, "The difficulty depends on the buyer's specific identity. Some people have extremely high confidentiality, and even using the internal intelligence network of a hunter license to inquire would be very tricky.
"However, this kind of thing can be entrusted to an Information Hunter, but it will cost more money.
"The more precious the identity and the higher the confidentiality level, the more money it costs. It can be said that there is no upper limit."
Having been a Hunter for two years, Menchi was quite familiar with the intricacies of this area and shared her experience with Kevin.
Kevin nodded. As long as there was a way to solve the problem by spending money, then it was no problem.
Before long, another peculiar auction item caught Kevin's attention.
His attention had been focused on the Scarlet Eyes earlier, and he hadn't noticed this item.
"Next, we will be auctioning the legendary phantom game, said to have only a hundred copies ever released, a special game designed exclusively for Hunters—Greed Island."
"A game console?"
Hearing about this auction item, Kevin was momentarily puzzled.
He hadn't expected a game console to be auctioned at such a high-level auction house.
Not only Kevin but also Hakkahalla and Menchi were very surprised.
"A game specifically made for Hunters? That's really novel. If there are only a hundred copies, what's its significance?"
Menchi asked, full of doubt.
She couldn't immediately understand why such a game would appear here.
Soon, a detailed introduction of the auction item appeared on the large screen.
Only then did the three of them get a general understanding of the game called "Greed Island" and also heard about the urban legends associated with it.
"I see, is this some kind of Nen Ability product? No wonder it's specifically noted as a game made for Hunters," Hakkahalla exclaimed.
Since entering the world of Nen Ability, they often encountered various strange and bizarre things.
Kevin was even more surprised. Although he wasn't clear about the specific structure of such a Nen Ability game, the fact that it could fetch such a high price was enough to prove its value was not exaggerated.
This must be something certified by a Nen User.
"What kind of game would be made with Nen Ability?" Kevin couldn't help but feel curious.
After all, in his previous world, he was also considered a gaming enthusiast.
Ultimately, the final bid for this game console reached 11.3 billion jenny.
It was truly astonishing.
Soon, the auction concluded.
Menchi successfully bid on a highly collectible chef's knife, said to be a famous blade once used by a master chef from the Kakin Empire.
Afterward, the three returned to the hotel.
Back in his room, Kevin immediately took out his hunter license.
Following the method Menchi had mentioned earlier, he found a specialized Hunter intelligence website—[Hunter Bar].
On a rather clunky-looking computer, Kevin saw a pixelated but clear screen. After entering the website, it was a scene similar to a game bar.
It actually looked quite authentic.
He had to admit, it was quite creative.
Then, he saw a speech bubble appear above the bartender's head.
[What information do you want to know?]
After Kevin clicked with the mouse, a dense list appeared, roughly categorizing all the information and further subdividing it.
"These Hunters are truly creative. I just wonder if the information is comprehensive enough. I hope their services are also top-notch."
Although the computer's appearance was similar to the old, bulky models of the same era in his former world, the software aspect far surpassed the level of that time.
Hardware and software should complement each other.
Never mind, he didn't understand such problems anyway.
Soon, Kevin figured out how to use the website.
And found the information he wanted to inquire about.
However, the inquiry prices ranged from 10 million to 100 million jenny, payable via online banking.
Kevin pondered his remaining funds and inquired about two pieces of information: [Scarlet Eye Sales] and [The buyer of the Scarlet Eyes at tonight's auction in the Kakin Empire capital].
Although they were two different pieces of information, because there was commonality between them, buying them together even got him a discount.
Soon, the reply came, also through this game-like webpage.
Before the Kurutas were annihilated, information regarding the sale of Scarlet Eyes was relatively clear.
Every few years, there would be instances of Scarlet Eyes being sold, and there were also records of some former collectors selling them.
After the news of the Kurutas' annihilation spread, the value of Scarlet Eyes increased significantly.
And about a month and a half later, Scarlet Eyes began to appear at various major auctions.
As of today, six pairs have appeared.
Subsequently, the date and location of each auction were detailed.
The dates were random, and the auction locations were scattered all over the world.
Indeed, it was not easy to find the Genei Ryodan, who provided the auction items, through such simple intelligence.
Thinking of the Genei Ryodan, which had thirteen members, Kevin temporarily abandoned the idea of pursuing them.
At present, he truly couldn't afford to provoke this organization.
Having many people is indeed formidable.
He wondered if he could find an opportunity to catch one of them alone.
However, the information about these people was very secret. Because they belonged to Meteor City, there were no traces of their activities to be found.
The second piece of information also provided a reply. It must be said that Hunters are indeed skilled in intelligence gathering. Information like this, less than two hours old, could already be queried.
According to the intelligence, the buyer's identity was confidential, but it was speculated that he was likely a prince of the Kakin Empire.
Two pairs of Scarlet Eyes had previously fallen into this prince's hands, which was confirmed through cross-verification of information.
This prince was most likely the Fourth Prince: Tserriednich Hui Guo Rou.
Kevin spent a small amount of money to purchase an additional service.
He learned that while this prince appeared to be infinitely glorious on the surface, he seemed to have some unknown perverse hobbies behind the scenes, though there was no conclusive evidence for this point.
Information indicated that his subordinates were involved in many disappearance cases.
However, his Hobbiesfor collecting human body parts seemed to be confirmed.
This was not the first time he had purchased and collected human body parts.
"Why is this surname so strange?" Kevin suppressed the urge to complain and closed the website. He had already obtained the information he wanted to know.
Afterward, information about the Scarlet Eyes would be directly handed over to Kurapika and his companions to pursue on their own.
This was also the responsibility they hoped to bear.
This was also the path of revenge, redemption, and seeking inner peace.
"These people are truly perverted, they actually like to collect human organs, it's simply incomprehensible," Kevin cursed with disgust.
Subsequently, he seemed to have thought of something, and a cold smile appeared on his face: "You guys who like Scarlet Eyes, I hope you all stay 'healthy' under the resentment of these Scarlet Eyes."
He had observed from afar at the auction earlier.
As they were in a private room with a good view, Kevin clearly saw a faint black resentment attached to the eyeballs.
It was confirmed that, seemingly due to Mito's resentment and the special circumstances at the time, all the Scarlet Eyes were entangled with a certain amount of resentment.
These Scarlet Eyes had all become products of Post-mortem Nen. Although it was unclear what specific troubles they would bring,
There was no doubt that they were aggressive and not benevolent.
After all, everything the Kurutas suffered was inherently full of hardship.
Discrimination, hiding, slaughter.
These pains converged, making it difficult for the resentment not to be aggressive.
It was certain that these Scarlet Eyes would bring bad things to those who collected them.
As for whether it would be bad luck, damage to physical health, or simply harm to their minds, that remained unknown.
This could also be considered a punishment for their perverse hobbies.
At such a time, one sentence could accurately summarize it.
No buying or selling, no killing.