Chapter 139 The rates and arrival

Jean and Elara were feeling much better that morning, so Kai decided to drop Mark and Mia off at their house on his way to the Association.

He would have stayed with them but Jean assured him that they were fine. And since Kai had to find out anything about the engraving he chose to visit the Association.

"Really, you didn’t have to drop us." Mia said with a shake of her head.

Kai shrugged. "It’s okay. Not like I am being late to be somewhere."

It wasn’t exactly convenient, considering their neighbourhood lay almost in the opposite direction, but Kai wasn’t in any particular hurry. Besides, he had something to discuss with Mark.

"Have you made any contacts?" Kai asked, deliberately keeping his words vague. He wasn’t sure whether Mia needed to know about their dealings.

However, Mark’s response quickly put those concerns to rest.

"I’ve already made a few calls to my contacts in the black market. They say good-quality monster materials can fetch at least a quarter grand per kilo."

Kai hummed thoughtfully. "And what exactly qualifies as good quality?"

"Anything that isn’t goblin material?" Mark joked before getting to the point. "Truthfully, I’ll need to visit the market myself to get a proper understanding of the current prices. When you’re not keeping up with the market, the first thing your old acquaintances do is try to rip you off."

Kai nodded. "Fair enough. Are you planning to visit today?"

"I am. But Kai, you do realise they don’t usually deal in small quantities, right?"

Doing business with the underworld meant bringing something substantial to the table. Otherwise, there was little reason for anyone to take him seriously.

Kai grinned. "Don’t worry. I promise I’ll bring you enough to make you spend money on renting an entire truck."

Mark chuckled as he turned his gaze towards the window. The wind swept through his hair, and he couldn’t help muttering under his breath.

’If that happens, I won’t have to worry about anything anymore.’

...

They soon arrived at their destination, and Mark and Mia stepped out of the car.

"Next time, let’s go somewhere together," Kai suggested, getting out as well.

Mia immediately chimed in. "Yes! I’d love to spend more time with my dear niece and Jean."

Mark chuckled. "We just got back from a trip. Don’t you think you should focus on your salon for a while?"

Mia gave him a sheepish smile and playfully nudged him with her shoulder.

Mark then turned towards Kai. "If you need anything, just give me a call. Now that I know where you live, it won’t take me more than half an hour to get there."

Kai could only smile at the man’s sincerity. It was a pleasant feeling to have someone he could genuinely rely on.

He gave Mark a grateful nod before returning to his car.

...

As Kai drove towards the Association, his thoughts drifted to Jean and the excitement she had shown earlier about testing her newly acquired abilities.

Considering how long she had waited for this moment, her excitement was hardly surprising. If anything, Kai would have expected her to be even more eager.

However, there was one thing that continued to bother him.

Jean hadn’t awakened her unique skill yet.

In nearly every case, or to be precise, in 99% of all awakenings, a person would discover their unique skill within the first hour. Yet, despite having awakened, Jean could only manipulate basic mana to enhance her physical strength and senses.

[The host needs to be patient.]

Kai nodded in agreement. Jean was an anomaly in every sense of the word. She had somehow awakened despite being well past the usual age, and the mysterious marking on her arm only added another layer to the mystery surrounding her supernatural abilities.

There was no point in jumping to conclusions just yet. He would give her some time and see how things unfolded.

SCREECH!

The car came to a halt outside a branch of the Hunter Association, situated along the eastern edge of the city.

Kai understood why he had been asked to come here. He had specifically requested that his training remain discreet, and this branch was probably the most suitable place for that arrangement.

Still, as he looked at the enormous structure before him, he couldn’t help but question the choice.

"Isn’t this building a little excessive for a private training session?"

A wry smile crept onto his face as he gazed up at the towering structure. The building stretched nearly fifty storeys into the sky, its sheer scale making it look more like a corporate headquarters than a training facility.

A familiar man was waiting near the entrance.

Kai approached him and began, "Is it alright if I park the car... Huh?"

He turned just in time to see his vehicle being swallowed by the ground.

For a brief moment, his instincts took over, and he almost lunged forward. Before he could do anything reckless, however, Adam placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"It’s perfectly fine, Hunter. Anyone with permission to enter this facility is provided access to a special underground parking area. Your car will be completely safe down there."

Kai felt a little embarrassed by his reaction. He truly had very little understanding of modern technology, especially the kind of conveniences available to the wealthy and influential.

He turned towards the man and offered an explanation. "It’s my first car, so I’m a little protective of it."

Adam smiled with the indulgence of an elder watching a child’s amusing antics.

"That’s perfectly understandable."

Kai groaned at the man’s expression before changing the subject.

"Has he arrived?"

Adam hummed. "Who? Oh, Sir Daniel?" He nodded. "Yes, he has. However, there’s someone else here as well. She insisted on being present today."

Kai massaged his temples.

"Mr. Adam, I explicitly agreed to train here because you guaranteed me complete privacy."

Adam remained unperturbed, seemingly having anticipated this reaction. "This person assured me that she would leave once she had expressed her gratitude. She has been clearly told to not stay and watch you train."

Kai raised an eyebrow. "And who exactly is this person?"

Adam’s answer came as they entered the building.

"You’ve met her before. Hunter Hannah, Balendhall’s newest S-rank Hunter."

"..."

Wasn’t she the same person he nearly killed during the incident?

Was she actually here for revenge?