A Seed that fed on flesh and blood...
After hearing Law's explanation, Ging and Linne had very different reactions.
Regardless of whether the information was true or not, how had Law known about this Seed in the first place?
Linne's attention was entirely focused on the Seed, while Ging's thoughts ran deeper, including the information about the Void. It was as if Law had access to some kind of special intelligence network.
However, Ging wouldn't pry into Law's secrets, and those were just his own speculations, with no concrete evidence to back them up.
In order to confirm whether the Seed was 'dead' or 'alive', Law went outside to buy a pound of pork and threw it into the stone box.
At first, the Seed did not react when it touched the bloody pork. But after a while, though the Seed itself didn't move, the pork began shrinking at a noticeable rate.
'The Seed was still alive...'
In less than twenty seconds, the entire pound of pork had been devoured, not a single drop of blood remained.
The pork had been several times larger than the Seed, but after being consumed, the Seed's size hadn't changed at all.
During the entire feeding process, the Seed did not move at all. It was as if the Seed had dissolved the meat with some kind of invisible digestive fluid, absorbing it without any visible movement.
There is no doubt that this Seed is definitely a product of the Dark Continent and cannot be explained by common sense at all.
Since Law couldn't use Nen, he wasn't willing to risk touching the Seed, but Ging had no such reservations. After confirming that the Seed was still alive, he stretched out his hand, which is covered with Aura, and pressed it against the Seed's surface.
The moment he made contact, he felt a strange warmth, and the texture was like rough, uneven metal.
The touch lasted only two seconds before Ging yanked his hand back, as the Seed was actually absorbing his Aura.
Law was unable to use Nen, so he didn't know why Ging had reacted so sharply, but Linne, who was using Gyo at the side, saw it clearly. She saw that part of the Aura covering Ging's hand was absorbed by the Seed.
"It absorbs Nen."
Ging rubbed his chin, his interest in the Seed growing exponentially.
After hearing Ging's words, Law felt that he could not touch the Seed easily before his Nen were unsealed.
Just studying it felt like an impossible task.
For the next few days, Ging stayed in the association, which was uncharacteristic of him, waiting for the Paleograph Hunter he contacted to arrive.
Netero had heard about this matter, but he had been busy during this period and had no free time.
Law did not leave either. His spoil, the Surprise Box, was still with Netero. He was determined to take the Surprise Box away before leaving, but he was not sure when Netero would finally be free.
During this time, Ging treated the seed like a pet, feeding it all kinds of meat.
Law approached Jin many times to discuss the ownership of the Seed. After many conversations, Ging agreed to give the Seed to Law, but did not allow Law to take the seeds to Greed Island.
After discovering that the Seed had the ability to absorb Nen, one of the things Ging thought of was the threat the Seed posed to Greed Island, which was almost at the level of a nuclear bomb.
Law would definitely agree to Ging's conditions.
Two days later, the Paleograph Hunter hired by Ging finally arrived at the Association.
Combat prowess was a basic requirement for Hunters, no matter their specialization. However, among Pro Hunters, those who relied on strength, such as Blacklist Hunters, are the most common, while those like Gourmet Hunters were relatively rare.
However, among the professions with the smallest number of Pro Hunters, Paleograph Hunters stood out.
As far as Ging knew, there seems to be only one Paleograph Hunter in the association, and the one he hired is this one.
The meeting place was in Law's room. Linne didn't join this time, choosing to sit quietly in her own room.
Law and Ging sat on the sofa in the living room, with a pile of A4-sized photos placed on the coffee table.
These photos were all taken at an underground ruin site and are related to ancient texts. As for the stone carvings, there's no need to bring those out.
Knock, knock.
A knocking sound came from the door.
Hearing this, Law said, "The door's unlocked. Come in."
When the person outside heard this, they opened the door and stepped inside.
The other party turned out to be a young girl who appeared to be no older than eighteen, dressed fashionably in a crop top and hot pants.
Law studied the girl, who looked barely eighteen, wondering if this Paleograph Hunter Ging had brought in was actually reliable.
In his impression, Paleograph Hunters were supposed to have deep ties to archaeologists, and they are usually well-learned middle-aged men. But gender is not the key, age is.
This girl had short orange hair that barely covered her ears, lively wine-red eyes, a slightly upturned mouth, and an outfit that radiated youthful energy. There wasn't a trace of scholarly demeanor about her.
"Who is Ging?"
The girl walked quickly up to the two men and cut straight to the point.
"Me." Ging raised his hand. He already had done some preliminary research before hiring the girl.
The girl immediately turned to Ging, pulled out a pen and paper from her crossbody bag, and slapped them onto the coffee table with a grin, "The reward you offer is very tempting, but we still got to follow the procedure."
Ging picked up the paper and skimmed through it. It was a two-copy contract. Clearly, the girl wanted insurance, so she drafted this contract.
After a quick read, he found this contract was essentially a guarantee. So without hesitation, Ging picked up the pen and signed his name, making the contract effective immediately.
The girl reached out and snatched the contract back, looked at the name signed by Ging, and suddenly let out an excited squeal, hopping in place like she'd already secured the payment.
"Is she... reliable?" Law tilted his head and looked at Ging.
"Her name's Pyon. She's the only Paleograph Hunter in the Association."
Ging shrugged at Law, then raised his finger and tapped the coffee table. Looking at Pyon, who was so excited that she seemed to forget her job, he said seriously, "Aren't you celebrating a bit too early? You won't get the full payment unless you translate all the ancient texts."
According to the contract, Ging was offering a hefty reward, and all Pyon had to do was translate the ancient texts.
If she could only translate half, she'd only get 50% of the payment. If she translated less than a fifth, she'd get nothing. And if she translates the whole thing, she can get the whole reward.
Pyon stopped spinning, raised her little face, and said confidently, "That reward is as good as mine."
As she spoke, she picked up the photo on the coffee table and started looking at it.
After a moment, she muttered to herself, "It's Selbo script."
"Is it difficult?" Ging asked.
Pyon looked up at Ging and said, "It is definitely difficult, and it takes a lot of time. But since you didn't set a deadline, I'm taking these photos with me. As for how long it will take to translate them, I have no idea, so you just need to wait patiently."
As soon as she finished speaking, she picked up all the photos and walked towards the door with great vigor.
Law and Ging stared at Pyon as she rushed out the door.
After a while, Law asked again, "…Is she reliable?"
"I think so..." Ging scratched his head.
Law looked somewhat speechless. He always felt that the girl named Pyon was unreliable.
If it took too long, he would not wait any longer and would directly fulfill the conditions agreed with Linne and leave the Hunter Association's Headquarters.
…
The night is as dark as ink, and the July evening breeze contains a hint of heat.
On a mountainside stood a brightly lit mansion with sprawling grounds.
At this time, the courtyard was littered with bodies clad in black suits, with blood pooling beneath them.
The air was filled with the pungent smell of blood.
Inside the mansion's antique-style study, Chrollo stood quietly, gazing at the collection of ancient books lining the shelves.
That night, the Phantom Troupe had massacred the household of a top-tier tycoon. They had been planning this for nearly twenty days for this operation.
It was a real bloodbath, and not a single one was left alive.
Some things will never change from the very beginning. The Phantom Troupe is still the same Phantom Troupe. Their attitude towards outsiders is always cold enough, and they have no respect for life.
In front of the bookshelf, Chrollo suddenly took out his phone from his pocket, and began typing a reply to Law's message.
He had received Law's text message more than 20 days ago, and he replied more than 20 days later.
The content is very short, just three words: "I don't know."