Squala ultimately stayed. For no other reason than the benefits Kevin offered were simply too enticing. Though he was a Nen user, don't assume every Nen user was necessarily wealthy. For the vast majority of Nen users, Nen ability was merely a means to earn money more effectively, but even so, their income was still limited. Real society wasn't about whoever had the biggest fist having the most money. Ordinary Nen users were only slightly better physically than ordinary people, and the mafia could easily take their lives. A handgun was enough. Especially Nen users like Squala who didn't even count as Hunters.
To become a Hunter, besides needing a certain amount of luck, one also had to possess many basic abilities, such as eyesight, thinking ability, combat skills, and basic knowledge. These were the necessary qualities for a professional Hunter; for people like Squala, even with Nen ability, it was extremely difficult to obtain a Hunter license. This was actually the general situation for most amateur Hunters. They seemed stronger than ordinary people, but only to a limited extent. Under the thermal weapons of modern society, unless they were powerful Nen users, they were still like lambs to the slaughter.
When Kevin offered the generous condition of an annual salary of 100 million, Squala immediately signed the contract without hesitation on the spot. Don't underestimate this 100 million; for professional Hunters like Kevin and Menchi, this amount might not be much, but for Squala, this was definitely an astronomical annual salary he never dared to dream of. Thus, Kevin directly signed an initial five-year contract with him. The contract stipulated that if Squala performed well at work and his own strength improved within these five years, then after five years, his salary would be further increased.
Next was Dazarn. Dazarn was, after all, a professional Hunter, and he was doing quite well in the bodyguard industry. His work involved the entire security system; whether dealing with petty thugs or handling ordinary people, he was completely at ease. He knew how to arrange manpower, recruit suitable personnel, build a complete security system, and even flexibly plan and arrange protection missions based on the protected target's various itineraries at any time. These fully demonstrated his professional capabilities. However, in terms of his own strength, he wasn't particularly outstanding.
Given this, Kevin also signed a contract with Dazarn. But unlike Squala, Dazarn's Nen ability did not have the same clear functional significance for Kevin and the others as Squala's did. Therefore, Kevin signed a two-year contract with him, with an annual salary of around 200 million. For Dazarn, this was a relatively reasonable price. In addition, Kevin also promised to provide guidance and training for Dazarn's Nen ability during these two years. If Dazarn's personal strength improved, then when the contract was renewed later, his salary would certainly increase accordingly.
Kevin's initial intention in recruiting him was to have a Nen user responsible for protecting Light. For Nen users like Dazarn who possessed certain combat abilities, assassinations by ordinary people could basically be ruled out. But if they encountered assassination attempts by Nen users, then it depended on the strength of the assassin. Just like if someone from the Zoldyck Family came to assassinate Light—let alone Dazarn, even Kevin couldn't guarantee his complete safety. After all, the opponent was a professional assassin, and Kevin couldn't provide round-the-clock, comprehensive protection for Light.
Just like that, two new Nen users joined Nostra Manor. Dazarn quickly took over the security system within the manor and began to re-plan and arrange the entire system. It must be said that compared to the previously mediocre security personnel, the security system arranged by him was indeed much more complete.
On this day, Kevin came to the training ground as usual for training. Surprisingly, he found that Menchi and Buhara were also training at the training ground. To be honest, Kevin rarely saw Menchi and Buhara specifically engage in strength training on a regular basis; they were more of the practical combat type.
"You're actually training?" Kevin walked over and asked in surprise.
Hearing this, Menchi rolled her eyes. "What's so surprising about that? We also need to improve our combat power to ensure our own safety."
"You are all so diligent, it makes us feel guilty just resting." Buhara said with a chuckle from the side. This was no joke. Kevin went without saying; though he didn't specifically engage in high-intensity basic physical training, he still focused on training his body's flexibility, agility, and balance. His basic physical qualities were good, but other aspects still needed to be further improved through training. Of course, he put more energy into the exploration of "Nen." Though the number of Nen training sessions each month wasn't many, each time was supplemented by potions, so the progress was very significant. He did this mainly to raise his Nen output to the standard level as quickly as possible in order to create new potions.
In the eyes of Menchi and Buhara, Kevin was already considered very diligent. Because Kevin was either buried in books researching pharmacy or engaged in various types of training. Kurapika and Pairo were even more so; in the eyes of Menchi and Buhara, these two youngsters were simply "Kings of Effort." They persisted in training every day and occasionally used potions to aid their improvement. Not only that, but the two also sparred with each other to hone their skills, and even frequently sought out Menchi and Buhara for practical combat practice. To be honest, without using Nen ability, these two youngsters were indeed not easy to deal with. Moreover, as time passed, you could clearly feel that they were constantly growing—truly astonishing. This feeling of being chased made Menchi and Buhara feel a sense of urgency to some extent.
It's one thing to not be able to beat Kevin, but to not even be able to beat two children—that was really too embarrassing.
"I really don't understand, why is everyone here like a martial artist?" Menchi said helplessly, rolling her eyes again. Because even Rosana would undergo basic training to gain more Nen output.
Kevin just smiled and then sat down beside them. Recently, through contact with Squala and Dazarn, Kevin had made some new discoveries. Squala's strength was surprisingly weak—arguably in the lowest tier among Nen users. And Dazarn, despite being a professional Hunter, also had limited strength. To be honest, Dazarn was one of the weaker professional Hunters Kevin had encountered. However, after talking with Menchi, Kevin was surprised to find that Dazarn's strength was actually considered average within the entire professional Hunter circle.
This discovery made Kevin start thinking. Thinking about it carefully, it was indeed the case. The professional Hunters Kevin had encountered so far were all extraordinary individuals. In fact, if you thought about it seriously, they might be among the top tier. Either the Twelve Zodiacs, or disciples of the Twelve Zodiacs, or Nen users who could act together with them.
He then realized that these Nen users seemed to generally lack a strong desire for power. The reason they were called Hunters was that they each had various goals, and most of these goals were not directly related to power; power was merely used as a means of defense by them. A large number of Hunters had nothing to do with martial arts and were not even enthusiastic about fighting.
Though this world was somewhat flawed, it must be acknowledged that it was a modern society. Nen users were a tiny minority among the population. For these Nen users, in a society primarily composed of ordinary people, they were already like supermen. Most Nen users might not encounter many other Nen users throughout their lives, let alone engage in combat with them. Therefore, they lacked the motivation to enhance their strength.
Modern society was ultimately stable, and the Nen users living in it were almost all living in peace. Moreover, if they didn't have a preference or desire for combat, then the motivation to enhance their strength was even more meager. For them, Nen ability, while novel, was not something difficult to understand. The basic physique of people in this world was generally higher than in his previous world. Though in daily life people rarely saw supernatural phenomena, because Nen users did exist in this world, and various related legends had never ceased, everyone had long been accustomed to it. After seeing a strange manifestation of Nen ability, people were often just surprised for a moment, and then they accepted the setting. For them, Nen ability was not rare, and it was not enough to make them fanatical about it.
This was where Kevin differed from them. He came from a real world without the extraordinary, and where people's physiques were even very ordinary—unlike this world, where a little training could reach the level of top athletes in his former world. Only at this moment did Kevin finally understand what Bisky had said before. He had a virtue: he was full of fondness and fanaticism for Nen ability. At the time, he didn't understand why this could be considered a virtue—after all, who wouldn't want extraordinary power? Now he deeply understood that this was indeed a virtue.
Coupled with the fact that Kevin himself was a transmigrator, he lacked a fundamental sense of security in this world. The influence of the country he once belonged to, combined with the entertainment works he had seen, led him to form a certain belief. "Even if you don't like fighting, you must master power." "You don't have to be aggressive, but you can't be ignorant of martial arts." This meant that even if he couldn't be considered a pure martial arts enthusiast, he never resisted acquiring power and was even extremely passionate about it. This was the biggest difference between him and others.
"You guys rarely train specifically, right? Your strength grows naturally during your work?" Kevin, sitting nearby, suddenly asked.
Hearing this, Menchi nodded while continuing her training. "Training is so boring. I think I'm more of a practical fighter." After all, Menchi and Buhara often performed missions in the wilderness, had many opportunities to use their Nen abilities, and frequently encountered battles, requiring them to use various Nen ability techniques to aid their actions. In such practical combat, their Nen abilities would naturally and gradually improve. The strength growth of most Nen users actually followed this pattern. Due to factors like talent and physique, those who diligently trained to improve their Nen abilities appeared somewhat different. Generally speaking, only Enhancement Nen users were more inclined to improve their strength through training, as doing so indeed yielded significant benefits for them.
"How many Nen users do you think there are in the entire human world?" Kevin suddenly threw out another question.
"That's not an easy question to answer, is it?" Menchi said with some confusion.
Buhara, on the other hand, thought seriously for a moment. "The Hunter Association has six hundred Hunters, each country has its own Nen ability troops, plus the hidden amateur Hunters around the world—the number must be quite large. But I don't think the number would exceed ten thousand, perhaps not even five thousand."
Kevin nodded slightly.
The number sounded like quite a bit, but when viewed against the vast base of the entire human population, it was simply negligible.
Just then, Menchi's gaze fell on Kevin's waist, and she keenly noticed something unusual. "You're not here to test a new medicine, are you?"
Hearing this, Kevin smiled slightly, took two vials from his medicine bag, and shook them in his hand. "That's right." Kevin's medicines could be distinguished by the liquid inside. One vial was silver, with faint black pigments flowing up and down in the middle. The other vial was pure blood-red, and the entire liquid seemed to be gently swirling.
The first vial was made after Kevin's Nen amount exceeded thirty thousand; it was a B-grade medicine, and the main ingredient was Dragon Tongue. The second vial was the second type of dragon-based medicine he had formulated during his training breaks. Though this medicine only reached the peak of C-grade, its effects were very significant.
The medicine formula showed:
[Gold Scale: Dragon Heart (Dried - 100 grams)]
[Silver Scale: Blood Vessel (Whole - 150 grams)]
[Bronze Scale: Dragon Blood (Liquid - 50 grams)]
[Effect: During the use of the medicine, it strengthens the user's heart, accelerates heart pumping, and promotes blood flow.]
Though it was only a medicine at the peak of C-grade, such an effect was undoubtedly quite good. Kevin mainly wanted to see if this kind of ability stimulation could be memorized by the body. If not, he would use it as a regular strengthening medicine; if it could, then he would have another unique ability. And there was no doubt that the effect of this medicine belonged to the Enhancement type, which was a perfect fit for Kevin's needs.
Perhaps it was just a feeling, but Kevin found that the various abilities achieved through the medicines were almost all Enhancement types or extensions of Enhancement. Perhaps it was because the existence of medicine in this form was essentially a type of enhancement. But that didn't matter; as long as it suited him, it was fine.
"It is indeed a new medicine, but due to the materials, it might not be sold publicly." The possibility of the first medicine, with Dragon Tongue as the main ingredient, being sold publicly was almost zero. The possibility of the second medicine being sold publicly was relatively higher because Kevin discovered that its main ingredient could be replaced. As long as the material was a strong heart, this medicine could be made. This meant that though obtaining the heart of a powerful creature was not easy, powerful creatures were not exactly scarce in this world. Therefore, it did not possess "uniqueness."
Menchi pursed her lips. Then, she cleared the training area and went to the nearby resting spot to observe carefully.
After clearing the space, Kevin began to relax his body and quickly got into the zone. He first relaxed and meditated, then injected himself with a dose of the medicine. As the silver liquid slowly surged into his body, the medicine's effects quickly took hold.
Kevin carefully observed the changes in his body. This time, the change was very gentle, with a feeling of subtle nourishment. The Nen that had been completely relaxed was once again controlled by Kevin, wrapping around his body.
The feeling came. Kevin bounced up and down twice, then lunged to the left, sharply turned to the right, and then performed an emergency stop. In the state of [En], with Nen enveloping his body, did his speed really increase? What if he used more Nen to strengthen himself?
A large amount of Nen began to surge into his legs, and Kevin pushed off forcefully.
"Whoosh!" His speed was so fast that it created a gust of wind pressure that blew sideways. Menchi, who had been staring intently at Kevin, stood up in surprise, frowned, and tried hard to see what was happening. Though her eyes could see, her body's reaction speed was far from keeping up. To be precise, she absolutely couldn't react in time.
Kevin stopped with an emergency brake, leaving a long mark on the ground. This was the mark left by excessive speed, and the mark was very straight.
So that's how it was. This medicine could enhance speed, but just like the attack of the dragon-snake, it could only be used for straight-line movements. By wrapping his legs with Nen, he could enhance his speed, but this enhanced speed could only be effective when running in a straight line.
Kevin then gathered Nen into his fists and thrust them forward rapidly. "Whoosh whoosh whoosh!"
His punching speed was extremely fast, breaking the stillness of the air and making whooshing sounds. In the blink of an eye, a sky full of fist shadows appeared before him. Due to the excessive punching speed, it was as if large and small phantom fists appeared in the air, just as if Kevin had suddenly grown many hands.
As expected, any action similar to a thrust would be greatly strengthened. This meant that as long as Kevin imitated the attack form of the dragon tongue when using this power, he would achieve the most perfect enhancement effect. Just like the straight punch he just performed, it was the best proof.
"Why does it feel like Xing Yi Quan?" Kevin couldn't help complaining.
As soon as the words left his mouth, he suddenly froze. "Xing Yi... Xing Yi... Could it be—"
His train of thought was suddenly opened.
That's right, why hadn't he realized this all along? Most of the ingredients for the medicine were biological materials, especially the main ingredients, which came from various creatures. The parts that could become main ingredients were the essence retained by these creatures during their long evolutionary process in nature, representing the results of their struggle in nature. Though it was a bit mystical to say that these materials retained the will of the creatures, there was absolutely no problem in saying that they retained a concentrated microcosm of the species' struggle in nature.
Nen was a very abstract concept; will, soul, thought, body—all could be seen as the source of Qi and Nen production. Kevin's Nen ability was essentially concentrating and fusing these materials to make medicine, which was actually a product of Qi.
"If that's the case—" Kevin suddenly struck a strange pose and lunged forward abruptly. His right arm was extended forward in a thrusting posture, his entire body like a dragon tongue suddenly shooting out, and his arm itself was precisely like the extended dragon tongue.
"I can't see him!" Menchi, who had been watching from the side, widened her eyes. Kevin's figure instantly vanished before her. This wasn't fighting Kevin, but simply watching from the side—a bystander's perspective. But even so, in this state, she actually lost sight of Kevin.
"Bang!" A loud bang.
Kevin instantly appeared in the sandbag area dozens of meters away. Several sandbags and human-shaped dummies were placed there, and Kevin's hand had successfully pierced through the giant sandbag in front of him. His entire hand was inserted into the sandbag, and a round hole appeared on the back, with sand slowly flowing out. Behind the sandbag, a round hole had also been punched in the head of the human-shaped dummy—the hole was so smooth it looked as if it had been meticulously cut. Keep in mind, this was a metal dummy.
Through this experiment, Kevin demonstrated astonishing speed, immense power, and terrifying penetration ability.
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