Chapter 429: Chapter 301: The Origin of "The Void," a Clue to the Puzzle (Part 2)

He lowered his head slightly, his tone earnest. "Getting injured is part of being a Hunter. One wound isn’t going to be seared into my memory forever."

"May I ask why you two sirs are inquiring about the origin of that extract? It was just a vial of a Tier 1 Dung Eater’s extract, nothing special."

Su Ze believed Draco probably didn’t know what was so special about that Dung Eater extract. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have sold it to Mr. Ya for slightly less than market price.

However, the fact that he was being deliberately evasive meant he was definitely trying to hide something.

Su Ze bore Draco no ill will, especially since he was from the same hometown as Mr. Ya. So, he didn’t resort to any harsh interrogation methods. Instead, he changed the subject and asked,

"You’ve done well for yourself these past few years. I heard you failed your second evolution back in the day and were seriously injured. How did you manage to heal and even successfully complete it?"

’What’s it to you...’ Draco wanted to snap back, but he didn’t dare. He could only say, "I got lucky some years ago. I made a small fortune and bought medicine that could heal my injuries."

Su Ze glanced back at Mr. Ya.

Mr. Ya gave a slight nod.

’Since Draco won’t talk, I’ll have to resort to other measures.’

A fan appeared in Su Ze’s hand. It was a spoil of war from when he killed Amida, called the Charming Fox Tail—a Tier 4 Mind Control artifact.

Su Ze hadn’t had much chance to use the artifact since he’d gotten it, but now was the perfect time.

The Charming Fox Tail worked by creating illusions to control its targets.

He fanned it gently toward Draco. Draco’s eyes instantly lost focus. A moment later, a look of terror spread across his face.

Su Ze felt his Spiritual Power being continuously drained by the Charming Fox Tail. This created a link with the artifact, allowing him to see the illusion Draco was experiencing.

The Charming Fox Tail automatically generated illusions based on the target’s subconscious memories. Thus, the illusion came from deep within Draco’s own mind, not from something Su Ze had fabricated.

Appearing before Draco now was a short black man!

Most black men were tall and well-built; one this short was a rare sight.

The man looked to be in his forties. Though short, he had a powerful presence. Clearly, in Draco’s mind, he was a man of great power and authority.

"Sir," Draco said, terrified. "I kept my promise. I didn’t tell anyone about our transaction."

Under Su Ze’s control, the illusion of the black man spoke. "You’re definitely still hiding something from me!"

"Absolutely not! I swear on the name of the God of Evolution!" Draco said hastily.

Su Ze thought for a moment, then had the illusion continue, "What about that Dung Eater extract?"

He didn’t know what Draco’s deal with the man had been, so he could only steer the conversation toward the Tier 1 Dung Eater extract. Ordinarily, this line of questioning would seem illogical and strange.

But Draco was under the mental influence of the Charming Fox Tail, in a semi-conscious state, so he wouldn’t question the logic of the conversation.

Draco swallowed hard. "That was just a common Tier 1 Dung Eater I hunted near the corpse. I was certain it had nothing to do with the body. Besides, by the time you found me, I’d already sold the extract. That’s why I didn’t mention it to you... because I didn’t think it was important."

’A corpse?’

His eyes flickered. He had the illusion say, "Tell me everything that happened that day again, from start to finish."

"Yes, sir!" Draco nodded quickly. "That day, like usual, I went hunting in the Lianshui Rainforest with a party. We hadn’t caught anything for several days, and disagreements broke out. Some people suggested hunting deeper in the rainforest, while others felt it was too risky and decided to back out.

"I originally planned to risk it and go deeper into the rainforest with the party, but I got cold feet when we neared the Mystical Mushroom Forest. I’d already failed my second evolution; my path was cut short. Why should I take such a risk? Wouldn’t it be better to just stay alive?

"So I backed out then and there. I didn’t continue on with the party and started heading back alone. I hadn’t gone far when I ran into a Tier 1 Dung Eater.

"Seeing as I hadn’t caught anything on the trip, and I was completely confident I could take on a Tier 1 Dung Eater, which aren’t skilled fighters, I decided to hunt it myself. But while Dung Eaters are weak in combat, they’re excellent at escaping.

"I tracked it all the way to the edge of the Mystical Mushroom Forest. By then, the Dung Eater was critically injured and on the verge of death. I couldn’t bear to give up, so I gritted my teeth and chased it in.

"Eventually, I managed to kill the Dung Eater and collect its extract. I was terrified. The Mystical Mushroom Forest is far too dangerous for someone at the Pupa Stage like me. As I was frantically trying to find my way out, I was affected by some kind of Mutated Fungus in the forest and lost my way.

"I didn’t realize I was lost until I stumbled upon a half-rotten corpse. I worked up my courage, searched the body for anything valuable, and found only a single ring. But to my surprise, it was a Storage Ring! Inside were all kinds of treasures I couldn’t even identify!

"I told myself then and there, ’I have to get out of here alive. If I can just make it out of the Mystical Mushroom Forest, get back to the city, and sell the treasures in this ring, I’ll be set for life!’"