Near the Heavens Arena, at a barbecue restaurant.
Piled high on the table were mountains of skewers and several bottles of beer.
Having been deep in thought about why Kevin wanted to meet him, Mito couldn't help but feel caught off guard by the sight.
Kevin walked straight over, sat down on the bench beside him, and gestured with his hand.
"Sit, no need to be polite."
"This isn't about being polite or not," Mito replied as he sat down, visibly bewildered.
The skewers on the table were stacked like a mountain of meat.
He never thought his appetite was that big. If this wasn't for him, then all that food must be for Kevin.
Could he really eat all this?
Following the logic of "eat more, train more, grow more," Mito felt like he finally understood why Kevin's physical strength was so outrageous.
If he could actually digest all this food, that is.
"Before eating, can you tell me what you wanted to see me for? Before the match, I don't recall ever meeting you."
Hard to eat without settling the matter first.
Kevin tore into a skewer, swallowing the meat before speaking.
"Don't worry, it's something pretty ordinary."
He didn't hide anything, directly saying, "During our battle, I noticed something on you… hmm, like medicinal herbs?"
"Medicinal herbs? On me?"
Mito had considered many reasons why Kevin would seek him out, but this wasn't on the list.
Pointing to himself, then shaking his head, Mito replied, "When we fought, I wasn't injured, so I didn't use any medicine.
Aside from this stick and the clothes I'm wearing, I didn't have anything else on me."
That was exactly why Kevin had approached him.
Each fight involved a basic body check to prevent hidden weapons that broke the rules.
In matches without Nen, firearms could be extremely dangerous.
"I thought the same, which is why I'm guessing the material I need might be in your clothes?"
Even Kevin wasn't sure.
Mito looked confused, but he didn't make a fuss. He immediately took off his cloak.
The outer garment was full of ethnic flair—not really a robe, more like a decorative drape.
"This is just a regular piece of clothing. But if it can help you…"
Kevin took it. "Thanks."
He ran his hand over the fabric slowly, searching.
When his hand passed over the chest area, that subtle sensation returned—faint, nearly imperceptible. If Kevin hadn't been focused at the time, he never would've noticed.
"It's right here."
Hearing that, Mito looked at the garment curiously. He'd never noticed anything unusual about it himself.
The cloak was mostly blue, with orange and yellow patterns along the edges and down the center.
It exuded a strong ethnic vibe, though exactly what culture it belonged to was unclear.
"This button… it's just this one button."
Kevin turned toward Mito, holding it.
Mito nodded. "No problem, just take it off. It's nothing valuable."
It was handmade, sure, but not worth much.
"Thank you," Kevin said again and removed the button.
Upon closer inspection, he saw the button had a special layered structure, giving it an elegant look.
If not for the material he sensed inside, it would've just been a finely made button.
He pried it open, revealing what looked like tiny dried flower petals.
"There was something like this inside?" Mito was surprised too.
Kevin looked at the button, then asked, "Do you know where to find more of these petals? Or do you have any left?"
Every material that sparked Kevin's desire was extremely rare.
Mito shook his head. "I don't know. This cloak was made by a granny from our tribe. The button might've been made by someone else. I'd have to go back and ask to find out."
He added, "But don't get your hopes up. When this was made, we weren't even on this continent anymore."
"Huh?" Kevin was confused.
Mito explained, "I come from a nomadic tribe. Well, that's not quite right, but we do migrate regularly."
Migration, sure—but to another continent? That seemed off.
"Besides, I'm out on a journey now, and I don't want to head home so soon."
"Really? That's a shame," Kevin said, clearly disappointed, though he wasn't one to force the issue.
He thought for a moment, then scribbled something on a piece of paper.
"This is my number. If you get any information, please let me know. It's very important to me.
I'll give you something in return—or, if there's anything you need and I can help, I will."
Mito took the note, reading the number. He looked a little hesitant.
"Is this a big hassle? If it is, forget it," Kevin added quickly.
Mito looked at him. Kevin's sincerity was clear.
After thinking it over, Mito came up with a plan. "How about this? I'll contact you later and tell you which town or region to go to.
Wait there, and after a while, I'll bring you any info I find. If there are any leftovers, I'll bring them too."
Kevin didn't fully understand, but he nodded without hesitation.
"Thank you, I really appreciate it."
He was already thinking about what kind of reward would be fitting.
"Well, now that that's settled, let's eat. I ordered all this—no fun eating barbecue alone."
Kevin passed him a bottle of beer.
Mito took it, thought for a moment, then smiled and clinked bottles.
The meal went well into the night. With enough money, the owner agreed to keep the place open all night.
"You're insane. You actually finished it all. Is your stomach some kind of magic pouch?"
A tipsy Mito laughed heartily, clapping Kevin on the shoulder.
"Haha, that was nothing."
"By the way, with your strength, why did it take you months to reach the 160th floor?"
Mito had made it there in just half a month. His goal was to hit the 200th floor straight through.
"This is also a kind of training. Drink!"
"Alright! Cheers!"
They chatted, ate, and drank into the night.
Only when the moon hung high overhead did they finally part ways.
Despite all the drinking, Kevin wasn't drunk. He looked at the tiny flower petal scraps in the button.
"Not sure if this much will be enough."
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