Chapter 118: In right hands

Arriving at the Hunter’s Association in a sleek black car while dressed in a crisp suit was certainly not something Kai could have imagined himself doing just three weeks ago.

And yet, here he was, an invited guest of the man who probably wielded the greatest authority in the entire nation.

"Nice car," remarked the man waiting for him at the entrance.

Unfortunately, much to Kai’s disappointment, it wasn’t Adam who had come to receive him, but his junior, Dave.

"Convenient," Kai replied, glancing back at his recent purchase. It was his first car, after all, and he couldn’t help feeling a little proud of it.

With the funds in his account, further increased by the reward he had received for his bravery, Kai could have bought practically any car in the world.

However, rather than splurging on something extravagant, he had eventually settled on a sedan after lengthy discussions with Jean and the agent assigned to assist him.

It was a four-seater equipped with state-of-the-art braking and security systems, along with airbags, bulletproof windshields, and an automatic preservation mode that enhanced its protective capabilities whenever the vehicle sustained damage beyond a certain threshold.

It came with several other advanced features as well, making it far more than an ordinary luxury car.

After all, it was a vehicle designed specifically for hunters. Even a wealthy businessman would think twice before spending two hundred and fifty million on a car, but for someone whose life could depend on reaching a destination safely, such an investment made perfect sense.

"Let’s get going. The Chairman is waiting for you," Dave said, pulling Kai out of his thoughts.

Kai hummed before glancing at his watch.

"I arrived three minutes early, though."

He was supposed to meet the Chairman at ten, and there were still a few minutes left. How, exactly, was he making the man wait?

"I don’t have all the answers," Dave replied, his tone carrying a hint of irritation, "but the Chairman had nothing scheduled this morning because he had a meeting with you."

Kai gave him a wry smile.

It was a strange arrangement, certainly, but what caught his attention even more was how disgruntled Dave sounded while explaining it.

He really doesn’t like me that much.

Shaking his head, Kai followed him into the building. After passing through a few quick security checks, he was escorted to the elevator.

As Dave pressed the button for the twenty-first floor, he suddenly brought up another matter.

"So, that armament from back then actually belonged to you?"

Kai hummed in confusion for a moment before the realization dawned on him.

"Well, yeah. But I’d still say I acquired it by chance rather than actually buying it. So there’s no need to waste your time trying to trace its seller."

He was doing the young man a favor by saving him from a pointless investigation into the origins of Frozen Tooth. After all, the truth behind the weapon’s acquisition was far beyond anything the Hunter’s Association could hope to uncover.

"I wasn’t going to investigate it," Dave muttered. "I’m just glad that such a wonderful weapon is in the hands of the right person."

Kai was momentarily surprised by the unexpected response. He had assumed Dave would be more interested in uncovering the weapon’s origins, but apparently, the young man simply appreciated seeing it in capable hands.

Before Kai could think of an appropriate reply, the elevator doors slid open.

"Please follow me," Dave said.

Kai nodded wordlessly and followed him down the corridor.

There were only two offices on the twenty-first floor, and the one they were heading toward was directly across from the elevator.

"You may go in," Dave said when they arrived, turning to face Kai.

Apparently, he wasn’t permitted to accompany him inside.

Kai nodded before silently addressing the system.

Mind inspecting the room for me?

By the time his hand reached to knock the door, the system had already finished scanning the room beyond the door.

[There are no traps inside, Host. Just two cameras and a couple of microphones.]

That was to be expected.

Kai didn’t dwell on the matter for long. Instead, he raised his hand and knocked twice on the door.

Knock! Knock!

Click!

The door opened automatically. Kai glanced back at Dave, who responded with an encouraging nod.

Taking a deep breath, Kai finally stepped inside.

The office was surprisingly ordinary, lacking the grandeur he might have expected from someone of such immense authority. It was a simple yet pleasant room, with long sofas positioned along either side and a wooden table placed between them. A few potted plants added a touch of greenery, while wooden cabinets lined the walls, their shelves filled with books.

At the far end of the room, behind a spacious wooden desk, sat the man who owned the office.

The man who stood at the pinnacle of the Hunter’s Association, wielding more authority than anyone else in the nation.

The Association Chief, Gillion Coradyn.

As Kai approached him, he immediately noticed two things. The first was the man’s completely blank eyes, devoid of any discernible feature. The second was his presence, or rather, the peculiar absence of it.

Even the weakest warrior radiated a certain amount of mana. It was an unavoidable consequence of being awakened, and an experienced hunter could usually sense it without much effort.

Yet Gillion seemed to radiate nothing at all.

Of course, that didn’t mean he was a non-awakened individual. Given his position, such an assumption would be downright foolish.

Then that means... his self-control is absurdly high.

Suppressing one’s mana to such an extent that even its faintest traces became undetectable was no simple feat. It required an extraordinary degree of control, the kind that couldn’t be achieved through ordinary training alone.

Kai continued toward the desk, keeping his pace measured. The room was spacious enough that he had a little time to spare, and he decided to make use of it.

It was time to put a certain ability he had recently become accustomed to into practice.

’System, assess him.’

Kai was curious to see the status of the man who commanded the respect of countless hunters across the nation. More importantly, this was the very individual who, according to what he had heard, could pose a threat even to the Scarlette family patriarch.

Naturally, Kai wanted to know just how formidable the man sitting before him truly was.

However, much to his shock,

[Host, the Sage’s Eye is blocked. The certain target couldn’t be assessed.]

"!!"

Kai nearly paused in his tracks seeing that.

What the fuck?!

°°°

A/N:- I have an explanation to this exception which wouldn’t happen often. Trust me, it would be understandable once it’s revealed.