Kevin accessed the Hunter website and learned detailed information about the [Village of Food], understanding why it became a [Mystic Realm]. After all, it was a Hunter website, so there was no need to hide information about Nen abilities; the website explained everything frankly.
Within this Mystic Realm, there was a village inhabited by a tribe. Everyone in the tribe was a Nen user and possessed a relatively complete inheritance of Nen ability. Surprisingly, the Nen ability they inherited was used for processing ingredients and making delicious food. In ancient times, these people, called [Traveling Chefs], would journey across continents and around the world, solely to hunt for more ingredients and discover more recipes. Many of the ancestors of these people were the prototypes for various legends about chefs around the world.
However, later a problem occurred in this village, causing them to be cursed and unable to leave the place ever since. Furthermore, this curse was somewhat harmful, which was why they were confined to this area. However, unless they were descendants with bloodline inheritance within the village, they would not be affected by the curse.
Originally, various ferocious beasts that could be used as ingredients, brought back and raised by their ancestors in ancient times, were left unattended after the village's problem occurred. They then survived and reproduced in the surrounding area, making this region full of threats. With multiple problems accumulating, this place eventually became a [Mystic Realm] and was sealed by the Hunter Association hundreds of years ago.
The website also listed some dangerous creatures inside. At first glance, the content seemed normal. But scrolling down further, the page somehow entered a 'Gourmet Channel'. It began listing in detail which parts of these dangerous creatures were delicious and how to prepare them to become rare delicacies. Furthermore, there were even detailed breeding and hunting seasons, stating that Hunters entering must be reviewed to determine the number of prey they could obtain. Of course, this was aimed at weaker creatures; some creatures were both weak and delicious. It was truly difficult to resist the human appetite.
Heh, so this is what being a Hunter is like. However, Kevin was indeed quite interested in this place and thought he could go take a look.
Just then, Kevin's phone rang. "Hello?"
"Boss, there are two people claiming to be hired at the manor gate."
"Hired? I understand."
After hanging up, Kevin looked at his phone and thought: They're quite fast.
He went all the way to the manor gate. A car was parked at the entrance, and two men were standing there, seemingly talking to each other. Interestingly, one of the men had two dogs with him.
Seeing Kevin come out, the bodyguard standing at the gate immediately nodded respectfully. The two men who claimed to be hired also turned their gaze toward Kevin. Kevin was also sizing them up.
One of the men had a somewhat dark complexion, almost brown, with a black dot between his eyebrows, dressed like a Buddha. He was accompanied by two large dogs, who were currently quietly squatting beside him. The other man had hair standing up like a hedgehog, a stern expression, and prominent tear lines on his face. From his face alone, you could tell this guy was somewhat fierce; just looking at his appearance, you knew he wasn't easy to mess with.
Kevin could tell that both men were Nen users, but judging solely by the aura they displayed outwardly, their strength wasn't very high. Especially the one with the dogs—he could even be described as 'weak'; he looked like he came from an unconventional background. It felt like a flick of a finger would be unbearable for the other party.
While Kevin was observing them, the two men were also observing Kevin. In their eyes, Kevin looked ordinary, not like a Nen user. However, since he specifically hired Nen users, he likely understood Nen ability.
"Come in." Kevin waved his hand and led the two men into the manor. In any case, they were at least Nen users.
As they walked, Kevin asked, "What are your names? If you're hired, I'll be your boss. My name is Kevin."
The man with the dogs nodded. "My name is Squala. I don't have a hunter license."
The other man said, "Dazarn, Professional Hunter." For those working in special industries like them, a hunter license could be considered proof of their worth.
It seemed that Squala was likely the person Kevin had requested—someone with a Nen ability capable of influencing and controlling animals. And Dazarn was actually a Professional Hunter; Kevin guessed he was the bodyguard candidate he was looking for. After all, someone who could pass the Professional Hunter Exam shouldn't be too lacking in various abilities.
Kevin led the two men to the training ground. As soon as they entered, they saw Neon training inside. Kevin couldn't help raising his eyebrows, thinking: It's rare that Neon is actually training while I'm here.
However, the pupils of the two men brought by Kevin contracted. Because, including them, there were suddenly five Nen users here. Besides Kurapika and the other two, Menchi and Buhara were also beside the training ground. Squala might not necessarily be able to sense it, but Dazarn could feel that these guys all seemed difficult to mess with.
Seeing Kevin enter, everyone's gaze turned toward him. Especially noticing the two strangers following Kevin, Kurapika asked curiously, "Are they Uncle's friends?" Pairo shook his head; he wasn't sure either.
Kevin waved his hand, signaling for the others to rest first, and then led the two men to the center of the training ground.
Kevin looked at Squala and the two dogs beside him and asked, "Let's talk about you first. You're here for an interview, so you should meet the requirement I mentioned—a Nen user capable of influencing animals, right?"
Squala nodded and explained straightforwardly, "I am a Manipulation System user. My Nen ability can influence animals." There was really no need to hide information about his Nen ability. He made a living with this. Saying this, he waved his hand toward the two dogs beside him. The two dogs immediately became lively, as if they were performing, but in reality, Squala hadn't given any specific commands—he had merely waved his hand. This was completely different from normal dog training methods. Moreover, these two hounds were indeed very intelligent and agile, not just simply being manipulated and trained.
Kevin glanced and nodded. When he heard the other party was a Manipulation System user, he already roughly believed it in his heart. After all, a Nen user of this system was more in line with Kevin's requirements. But if this Nen ability could only affect dogs, it would undoubtedly be useless—at least that's how Kevin saw it. This wasn't what he wanted.
So he asked, "Can it only affect dogs?"
Hearing this, Squala was stunned for a moment, then shook his head. "Not at all. It's just that dogs are animals that humans have long domesticated; manipulating them is easier, there are many of them, and they are more loyal and intelligent. More importantly, hounds of various breeds and specialties can be bought on the market, and the cost and time required for training them are not too long."
After listening, Kevin understood the reason and nodded. "So, your Nen ability isn't mandatory control, but semi-mandatory? It's more about guidance than absolute control, right?"
"Uh—" Squala was a bit awkward; he didn't fully understand Kevin's words, but he roughly grasped the meaning. There were some Nen ability technical terms. He nodded slightly. "You could say that. The smarter the creature, the easier it is for me to guide. If I continuously apply guidance during the raising process, these animals will understand my words and commands more easily."
So that's how it was. The creature's loyalty, intelligence level, and the time and process of raising them were all conditions for this Nen ability to work. It seemed he could forcefully control animals, but the number he could forcefully control was limited and not very significant. It was more about training and raising them through his Manipulation System Nen ability and then achieving control. This meant it required some time. And from this point, it could be seen that this guy was likely the type who truly loved animals, or rather, loved dogs. Having a Nen ability to manipulate dogs was too simple, but his Nen ability was more about guidance and training. Though this Nen ability wasn't powerful, it wasn't very weak either, and there was a lot of room for growth. However, for Kevin's requirements, it was completely sufficient. After all, Kevin just needed a caretaker.
"Provisionally qualified. Please wait on the side for a moment." Squala breathed a sigh of relief.
After speaking, Kevin turned his gaze toward Dazarn. Compared to Squala, Kevin had higher requirements for Dazarn, hoping he could meet certain standards in all aspects.
"Introduce yourself first."
Dazarn nodded. "I am a bodyguard Hunter. Before becoming a Hunter, I was—" He gave a brief self-introduction. The general content was that he had always worked as a bodyguard, and before becoming a Hunter, he was a private bodyguard for some wealthy individuals and had very rich experience in the bodyguard industry.
After hearing his introduction, Kevin nodded slightly. As for his resume, he was quite satisfied.
"Now, let's do a test."
"What?" Dazarn was stunned for a moment, looking confused.
Kevin smiled, didn't explain further, waved toward the resting area, and then pointed at Kurapika. Kurapika nodded and trotted over.
"Now, assume he is the target you need to protect." Kevin said, looking at Dazarn and pointing at Kurapika. Dazarn looked at Kurapika, nodded in confusion, not quite understanding how the test would be conducted here. What could be tested?
Kevin jumped back, creating a distance of twenty meters, and his voice came over. "Now, what will you do?"
Boom! A powerful Nen instantly erupted. The malice released by Kevin swept toward them like a raging tsunami. Almost instinctively, Menchi and Buhara, who were sitting nearby, immediately assumed a cautious fighting stance.
Only after instinctively taking this stance did the two react. Though the Nen's malice wasn't aimed at them, they still sensed it. And facing the overwhelming surge of malice, Dazarn was stunned, as expected. The suffocating feeling brought by this malice made him feel like he was about to die. It was like a giant hand was tightly squeezing him, leaving him powerless to resist, like an ant.
No, I can't freeze up now! He sharply turned his head to look at Kurapika beside him, reached out to shield him, and then desperately jumped back. He reacted almost instinctively.
Just then, the surging malice instantly vanished. And Kevin himself also disappeared from his spot, appearing beside Dazarn. At this moment, Dazarn hadn't reacted at all. It wasn't until Kevin punched him in the stomach that he snapped back to reality, his eyes wide with disbelief, not expecting Kevin to appear beside him instantly.
Kurapika steadied himself and quickly helped Dazarn. Though this malice wasn't aimed at Kurapika, so he wasn't greatly affected, he knew this was immense psychological pressure for Dazarn. After Dazarn steadied himself, he first touched his stomach. He felt Kevin's punch was incredibly powerful, as if it could pierce his stomach, but it actually caused no damage.
"Eyesight is unqualified, reaction gets points deducted, judgment and will are acceptable." Kevin gave his evaluation with a smile.
He said eyesight was unqualified because the other party didn't notice that he had actually hidden his identity as a Nen user. Furthermore, throughout the entire process, the other party didn't use [Gyo]. Kevin was constantly releasing Nen, with the words "I am a Nen user" floating above his head—extremely exaggerated, very obvious. Not using [Gyo] earlier was somewhat understandable, but when Kevin's surging malice came over, he still didn't realize he needed to use [Gyo]. Either he couldn't use it, or he had difficulty using it. If it was just because he didn't have the habit, then as a bodyguard, that was truly unacceptable—at least in Kevin's opinion. This technique should be an essential ability for the bodyguard profession, to be used as instinctively as breathing. Not having such awareness and not having such ability were completely different things.
He said reaction got points deducted because under the impact of that powerful, surging malice, Dazarn froze for a moment, wasting precious time before reacting. This was a situation that should not occur for a bodyguard. However, his judgment to directly escape with Kurapika—and seemingly even knock him out if necessary—was correct. At least in this critical situation, he didn't forget his duty and didn't run away alone, but evacuated with his protected target.
Actually, this wasn't Kevin looking down on the other party. He possessed the ability to add good and evil. The malice he released was integrated into his Nen, and it was no joke—it was a power that could truly bring immense pressure and psychological fear to the other party. What's more, Kevin's strength was far greater than his. In Kevin's opinion, Dazarn might not even be able to defeat Pairo—no, he definitely couldn't defeat Pairo. He might even become like a puppet, toyed with by Pairo.
"Did you already possess Nen ability before becoming a Hunter, or did you acquire it after becoming a Hunter?" Kevin suddenly asked.
Dazarn came back to his senses and replied, "After becoming a Hunter."
Is that so. Kevin thought. It seemed the person who taught Dazarn Nen ability was a bit perfunctory. However, this was also common in the Hunter community. Most instructors only helped new Hunters activate their Nen ability and then told them how to focus it; they rarely inquired about other aspects. After all, not everyone was suited to be a teacher, and not everyone had the ability to become an excellent teacher. Coupled with differences in talent and individual ideas, even within the Hunter Association, the strength of Nen users varied greatly.
"Now, let me see your abilities in other areas." Saying this, Kevin led him outside, and also waved at Squala, indicating for him to follow along.
Menchi and Buhara, who were sitting in the resting area, exchanged glances.
"Just how strong is this guy?" Menchi couldn't help murmuring. The strength Kevin had just displayed truly stimulated them.
"Without a doubt, he's a combat type." Buhara said. Though Kevin always claimed to hate fighting, conflict, and trouble, he never relaxed his efforts to improve his own strength.
"Damn it, I can't fall behind. Quick, let's both go train." Saying this, the two actually jumped into the training ground first, and under the confused gaze of Kurapika and the other two, began training seriously.
Outside the manor, Kevin continued the interview with the two. This time, he mainly asked Dazarn about the terrain of the manor and the various problems and loopholes in the current defenses. When the conversation reached this point, Dazarn seemed to enter his comfort zone. In this area, his professional ability was fully guaranteed. He began walking and talking throughout the manor, speaking fluently, commenting on the defense arrangements in various directions, and occasionally complaining that the manor's security and patrol situation was truly worrying. He pointed out many defensive weak points, stating frankly how easy it would be for someone to enter the manor and cause destruction.
These weren't things only a Nen user could accomplish. Kevin had to admit that without considering Nen ability, passing the Hunter Exam was enough to prove that these Hunters indeed possessed extremely high professional skills in certain areas.
The group walked all the way to the breeding farm. Just then, a piercing scream sounded again, this time with a hint of sorrow. It turned out the two roosters often fought on a daily basis, but after discovering one companion was missing, they couldn't help feeling sorrowful.
"Golden Chicken?" Squala looked at the Golden Chicken flying overhead and was stunned for a moment. He was sure he wasn't mistaken—under the sunlight, this chicken indeed shimmered with golden light.
However, immediately after, a splash of chicken droppings landed on Squala's head. It was so fast he had no time to dodge.
"Ah!" Squala was extremely embarrassed. He was here for an interview today, and in front of his future boss, no less. This was too humiliating.
"Catch it!" Squala ordered, and two hounds immediately rushed out. He was somewhat mortified and angry.
Kevin didn't stop them but watched the show from the side with great interest. The two hounds tried to chase the Golden Chicken but were completely toyed with by it, even getting pecked on the head, making the two hounds whine pitifully from the pain. But even in this situation, the two hounds still followed orders and persisted in the chase, not running away. This showed that Squala's Nen ability was indeed somewhat effective in animal training.
Dazarn's eyes widened slightly as he carefully observed this scene. Actually, he knew in his heart that even if it were him, he might not be able to catch this chicken.
Squala also realized this and reluctantly called the dogs back.
"Your strength is really too poor. It's obvious you've never properly trained your Nen ability. This is a point deduction. You need to work hard in the future, otherwise it's too embarrassing if you can't even handle a chicken here, isn't it?" Kevin said with a smile from the side.
Just then, a rumbling sound came from the ground.
"What's that sound?" This commotion wasn't small. The two looked toward the forest direction and saw dust flying. A giant beetle, exaggerated like the front of a truck, was charging toward them at the speed of a car.
"Didn't you see? There was a danger warning sign just now." Of course, they saw it, but because Kevin was leading them, they didn't pay too much attention.
"This will be one of the creatures you'll raise from now on." Kevin said, looking at Squala.
"What?!" Squala couldn't help yelling out. He was starting to have second thoughts. Could he raise this? High-paying jobs really did have problems!
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