Early the next morning, when Kevin Carpenberg woke up, Jin Freecss was already gone, having packed up and left.
They had talked late into the night about various topics.
"You're awake?"
Outside the tent stood someone Kevin had met twice before—Begel.
His outfit hadn't changed; he still looked like a battlefield soldier, leaning against a jeep and smoking.
"You here to see me off? Sorry to keep you waiting," Kevin said as he began to quickly pack his things.
Begel didn't seem in a rush. Watching Kevin pack, he casually asked, "I heard you're really into unusual flora and fauna?"
Kevin didn't mind the small talk. As he washed up, he replied, "Yeah, I've got a big interest in those. If it's rare beasts, exotic creatures, magical beasts, or mythical ones—that's right up my alley."
In truth, Kevin was also thinking about how badly he wanted the special materials that came from them.
"You're not a licensed Hunter yet, right?" Begel asked.
Kevin shook his head. "Nope. I just submitted my application recently."
"Ah, then there's still a few months before the Hunter Exam," Begel said as he flicked his cigarette to the ground and crushed it underfoot. "Interested in apprenticing with me for a while?"
"Apprentice?" Kevin paused what he was doing and looked at him in surprise.
Begel nodded. "Let me reintroduce myself—Begel Raghholt. One-Star Conservation Hunter, and also a disciple of Jin Freecss."
A One-Star Hunter? And a student of Jin Freecss?
That made sense—Kevin had seen Jin's profile on the Hunter Association's official website. Jin was a Two-Star Hunter. Kevin had also looked into the Hunter Ten Commandments and knew what the stars meant.
A One-Star Hunter is someone who has made exceptional contributions in a specific field. A Two-Star Hunter is promoted from One-Star once a disciple they've trained also earns a star. A Three-Star Hunter must have made legendary achievements across multiple domains.
Kevin remembered Biscuit was also a Two-Star Hunter. Every One-Star Hunter was essentially a master in their area of expertise.
While Kevin was processing all this, Begel continued, "You caught Jin's eye, so I'm guessing you've got some real talent.
"And since you're interested in special flora and fauna, that's even better. I'm stationed here at a nature reserve, doing conservation work for endangered species. I also explore and document new species for cataloging."
Kevin hadn't expected this military-looking guy to actually work in animal conservation.
"Right now, my team and I have a mission to explore and collect new species in the Shimele Wetlands and carry out conservation on the endangered ones there."
Kevin recognized the name.
He had read a bit about it online—it was part of the same nature reserve as the forest park he was in, just next to it.
While researching the forest park, he'd glanced at info about the Shimele Wetlands, a designated danger zone forbidden to enter. It was said to be full of creatures capable of easily killing humans.
Every year, thrill-seeking explorers entered and were never seen again.
That definitely piqued Kevin's curiosity.
"So what would the apprenticeship involve?"
"There aren't many people who can use Nen, and Nen experts are even rarer.
"My team's made up mostly of regular folks—honestly, most of them couldn't fight their way out of a paper bag. You'd act as their bodyguard for now. Of course, I'd also assign you some relatively dangerous tasks—but dangerous only to normal people.
"We've got a research base set up there with full living facilities and various labs. And as for payment… I heard you're interested in rare materials from animals and plants?"
Kevin was definitely tempted.
The Hunter Exam was still two or three months away, and most of the places he wanted to explore were restricted zones. The information online was severely limited.
Only after getting a Hunter License would he have access to more intel and legal entry to those zones.
And Begel being a student of Jin Freecss gave them a natural bond of trust.
Kevin thought for a moment, then nodded.
After packing up, he got into the jeep.
"Can you tell me more about the Shimele Wetlands?" Kevin asked. He only had some basic info and knew it was dangerous.
Begel nodded as he drove. "The Shimele Wetlands are also called the 'Nest of Deceivers.' The flora and fauna there use deception to hunt. The entire ecosystem is built around trickery."
That alone amazed Kevin. What kind of environment could create such a bizarre system?
"Because of this, most species in the wetlands are endemic—you won't find them anywhere else. There are loads of unique organisms."
This unusual environment meant many endangered species lived there.
As they chatted on the road, they soon arrived at their destination.
It was a building by a dirt road, looking like a warehouse, with several sheds around it.
Probably due to poor transportation access, a small airship was parked in the open square nearby.
At first glance, the place looked better than Kevin expected.
Begel parked the jeep in the square and led Kevin inside.
The main building was more cramped than Kevin imagined.
Inside the research lab were all kinds of unfamiliar equipment, with individual rooms sectioned off—each housing various greenhouses and potted specimens.
There weren't many people working there—after a quick look, Kevin guessed maybe a dozen or two.
"Yo, boss, you're back," said a woman in basic protective gear and glasses. She had a healthy, tanned complexion.
Begel suited up in one of the spare protective outfits, and Kevin followed.
"How's the research going, Moagu?"
Moagu nodded. "Just about done. Everything that needs recording has been archived. We've released the others, except the ones still under observation."
Kevin quietly observed.
In one corner of the room, a transparent glass enclosure mimicked the outside environment, complete with soil and plants.
Kevin stared for quite a while before spotting movement.
It was a long, black, soft-bodied insect, about ten centimeters in length.
If it hadn't just moved, he wouldn't have seen it at all—its shadowy form hidden beneath the leaves.
It looked like a shadow that could crawl.
Begel handed Kevin a file after glancing at it.
Kevin read curiously:
Name: Shadow Parasite
Code: K-B-112
Legend: "The Living Shadow"
Composition: Semi-material nematode cluster
Activity Area: Shimele Wetlands – C-12-5 – Near the Acid Pools
Description: Parasitizes moist shadows and can manipulate shadows to act independently. When a human follows the "living shadow," thinking it leads to an exit, they are actually being lured toward the highly corrosive acid pools. The main body always stays in the victim's blind spot.
patreon.com/HRT862 for 20 chaters ahead