Hunter really did have that 'I'm off on an adventure' type of air about him and his choice of clothing made him look a lot like an explorer to boot, selling the whole vibe. He was, give or take, a little over six feet tall, seemingly always wore a dull greenish beige hat, had some shades tucked halfway into his shorts' pocket on the left side, and his skin was heavily tanned, likely due to the all the time he spent baking in the sun when stalking prey. No environment too extreme for this huntsman, no sir! Of course he did vary up his clothing depending on the location of his hunt as wearing shorts in the Isasz region was practically asking for frostbite even if he was a transition realm cultivator. There were some things you just couldn't do or shrug off even with a higher cultivation and disregarding body temperature was one of them. Sure cultivation made it harder for extreme temperatures to affect your body temperature as readily but, once the body reached a certain point, everything else became irrelevant. Cultivation could help prevent your body from changing but the second you became an icicle there was no going back without external aid.
Hunter was on the sunny Federation, though, so his current getup was fine and no jacket of any kind was needed. One of his jackets was hanging up on the wall behind the counter both to make it available at any given notice but also to show off somewhat as the furs on it looked to be from some kind of exotic creature even if Ares didn't know which one specifically. Hunter walked behind the counter with a stretch while Nibbler trailed after him, marching along with a wide grin after having played with his owner for a bit. Nibbler wasn't particularly needy but he did crave attention every now and then, especially if he'd chomped on flesh as of late as his energy levels rose a fair bit as a result and he could do with expending that energy via playtime. When he wasn't on a high, Nibbler just sort of wobbled around after Hunter and watched him get up to whatever it was he was doing. He was a cute little mascot for the shop but Ares had a gut feeling the sweet sharkdog had some fight in him if it needed to defend itself. Something about the pup's general aura gave Ares the impression it wasn't just a cute puppy.
Anyway, Hunter was here now so it was time to talk business! Ares had no idea what any of the stuff in here was but he had no intention of leaving without buying anything as he was certain there would be some useful stuff in here if he looked around properly with some guidance from the creator himself. He didn't need any weapons of mass destruction or anything but maybe some trapping gadgets or defensive barriers could come in handy? These were the two areas in which his own capabilities were somewhat lacking so he wasn't opposed to seeking aid in this form as a temporary measure until he worked out something more concrete. Even with just a quick glance around the shop, Ares could tell that gadgets of all kinds were present here and that, provided he gave a rough explanation of what he was after, Hunter here would be able to point him in the right direction and give him an offer for a product that would be worthwhile so, without further ado, Ares opened his mouth to speak... But was beaten to the punch by Hunter who went full salesman before Ares could get a word in edgewise.
"Welcome..." Hunter a certain kind of infectious pep in his voice and was capable of expertly using inflections to have a listener hang onto his every word. Even though he'd spoken no more than two syllables it was apparent to Ares this guy had a fair bit of charisma tucked away under that hat and inside his brain. He kind of reminded Ares of a clever Julio, in a way, but was more like an adult overall and less like a childish, impetuous elf with no self-restraint. "... To Hunter's Tools Of The Trade. You need it, we've probably got it. We don't got it? We'll make it... And by we, I mean me. Nibbler here is mostly just moral support, he's not great with tech..."
Bark
Nibbler nodded along to Hunter's explanation as the pup was very aware of its own shortcomings when it came to aiding in gadgetry creation. His paws couldn't hold stuff and his teeth were too sharp so he frequently bit through metal whenever he tried lending his owner a hand. Truly unfortunate!
"Of course, that's just what you can buy off our shelves. You got a monstrous problem that needs taking care of? Provided the Federation is going to stop off at your country within the next month or two, you can book my services and I'll go and fight the beasty causing a ruckus. Guaranteed success or your money back, no questions asked... Sooooo, with all that in mind, what can I do for ya?" Hunter rhythmically tapped his fingers across the counter and crescendoed into a clap before leaning on his elbow and waiting for Ares to say what he was after.
"I don't really need monster hunting services but, before I get into what kind of gadgets I'm looking for, would you mind telling me what's up with Nibbler? I've never heard of or seen anything quite like him. He's a special little fella, I take it?"
"Hmmm." Hunter's lips pursed to the side and his cheek raised a bit, making it look like he was making a pretty tough decision here that he really didn't want to. "I don't really want any trouble... He's a rare sharkdog, that's for sure, and I worry that some people might not have the best intentions regarding him and his safety. A couple nobles already tried to steal him away some time ago and that was without even really understanding his true value. I don't want stories about my friend here getting to see the light of day because there are some pretty evil folk out there who would love to sell him off for the right price. It's not that I don't trust you or anything; I'm just not going to trust any random stranger with that kind of info. You played with the little guy earlier, I can see the bite marks, so I think you're ok... But I'm not going to risk it, sorry."
Ares casually waved his hand as he understood the reasoning. It's not like he would do things any differently if he was in his shoes. Hell, the Primordial Blade was a perfect example. He'd hidden it up until he no longer could so he understood VERY well why he was doing it this way. "Think nothing of it, I get the secrecy and would never cause trouble for anyone with ties to Onno anyway."
"Oh?" hunter's appearance shifted somewhat at the mention of his brother and he looked a bit more lively overall and had a brighter complexion. The smile on his face seemed a bit less businessman-like and more honest. More honest and less Honesty Merchant Trading Group, as it were. Even though Hunter had the least ties to his family, he was still a successful businessman at the end of the day and some sales tactics were pretty universal. Service with a smile was basic and even someone with a more laid back, non-standard business, like this one, couldn't escape the expectation. He must have noticed an uptick in returning customers after flashing them a winsome smile... Although that would probably be more effective on the ladies.
Hunter was an above average looking fellow and Ares didn't doubt some of the more bored women on this floating country would waste stardust on meaningless purchases just to see Hunter again and again. Not every rich lady on these boats was married and Hunter was definitely not in any kind of relationship either so he was the perfect target! Not dirt poor, had status, was a bit of a rebel, was good looking. He was as 'wild' as the rich-blooded ladies on this Federation could handle without venturing off too far into untamed territory. A perfect mix of danger and adventure while also being classy and capable of minding his manners when he needed to. It was almost like he was tailor designed to be scandalous in all the right ways for upper class ladies looking for a thrill. Unfortunately for them, Hunter kept them on tenterhooks because he wasn't really interested in their lifestyle and felt it would clash with his own. He was frequently gone for long periods of time and that would inevitably lead to complaints about his disappearances from any long term partner. That didn't mean he wasn't willing to play around with some women in his spare time though as life was short and, at the rate he was sprinting through it, he would waste all his time working and never relax with a lady friend ever again! Taking some time off his gadgets to have quick and dirty, off the record dates with those who pined after him wasn't out of the cards and he'd been considering opening the floodgates in that regard for time now. Maybe after he returned from some work he was being hired to do in Xasca he would let loose for a while and relax, living the high life in the lap of luxury like a rental gigolo. He'd already created a ton of the gadgets he'd been working overtime on for the Federation so a month or two of just chilling with Nibbler wouldn't be so bad. Getting back on topic, about Onno's name cropping up, Hunter had the following to ask and say...
"You know Onno?"
Ares nodded and gave a brief explanation about how he was his neighbour, had done a few small spots of business with him, and was going to become the sect master and enable him with some pretty major business opportunities regarding Red Sun' future.
"Yeah, yeah. I think I'm remembering you now... Ares? Is it? Onno did mention he had a friend of sorts aboard the Federation this time and that you might be showing up. Actually, now that I think about it, I remember seeing your name all over the news recently! You won the international and have been lending a helping hand to the Federation right? Killed Fin, exposed the Firestarters, dealt with the gulls, and warned in advance for the twisted. Yeah, yeah, that's you?" Ares nodded and Hunter kept talking. "Well why didn't you say so earlier?! Onno's a good kid with sound judgement and a great head on his shoulders. If he trusts you then I can too and I really don't mind telling you about Nibbler."
Ares looked around as he could have sworn the other two plain looking guys were still in here but they must have left at some point without Ares realising. Either they were secretly incredibly stealthy or they were just so not on Ares' radar that he hadn't even noticed them depart. It was probably the latter because their presence was seriously lacking and Ares wouldn't think of them as anything other than uncannily ordinary people had they not acknowledged him with a wave earlier. Hell Ares might have even been gaslighting himself into believing they were something special when really they weren't, that was just how non-descript these two guys were... And yet...
"Oh, were you checking to make sure those other two left already? Thanks but Onno knows them too and has given his seal of approval. I thought you might have known them as well but guess not?"
Ares shook his head as he seriously didn't recognise them at all. Maybe they were some business partners of Onno's or something? Was Hunter assuming Onno had introduced them to Ares at some point? Either way, it would explain why they waved at him as they technically had an indirect throughline leading to one another via Onno. They were cordial, at least, but why did they expect Ares to know about them? Surely they must be aware how confusing it would be to wave to a complete stranger like this? They must have expected Onno to mention their names to him for whatever reason so maybe they had something to do with whatever it was Onno was planning for his business in Red Sun going forward? Maybe Onno hadn't solidified the details yet so he wasn't bringing up names or ideas in case the plan fell through and changed... That was Ares' best guess and, though it was completely wrong, he believed it or now as there was no way he could have guessed the truth behind this matter as of right now. "Not as far as I'm aware... Anyway, you have my word that whatever you say about Nibbler will be taken to the grave!" Ares gave a thumbs up and some reassurance because, really, how could he have it in him to betray the trust of such a cute little sharkdoggy? Ares' weakness for adorableness was showing again but that just made him all the more trustworthy when it came to stuff like this and so Hunter gave a quick rundown.
"About a year ago, there was a pretty crazy development regarding a wild animal learning to cultivate. Some shark off the coast of Bhorashka had gained sentience and reached sensory enhancement but it was still kinda animalistic at its core. It succumbed to base instincts and used its cultivation to terrorise animals and humans alike. Things got pretty bad when the shark discovered its affiliation for the earth pillar and it soon learnt a magic that allowed it to swim directly through the ground like a kind of land shark. It's hunting grounds were no longer limited to water and so it took to the forests of Bhorashka and, for lack of a better term, went on a shagging spree. It unleashed its carnal desires on weaker animals while becoming one of the kings of the jungle.
This was roughly when I was contacted and contracted to go and kill the thing but the Federation was still out at sea for a while and so the shark had time to cultivate a bit longer. That small detail doesn't matter much regarding having to kill it but it did change something else about its physiology. See, animals usually can't mate and create crossbreeds due to genetic instability and incompatibility. Some monsters, like orcs, aren't as restricted in that regard but plain old sharks? Sharks definitely can't create children with other animals, it's normally never going to happen... Normally... Cultivation, when it reaches a certain point, can change that and enable cross-breeding. This can lead to some pretty whacky results depending on the monster or animals that mate together, by choice or otherwise. Anyway, had I been able to hunt the shark down immediately, its cultivation might not have had a chance to rise to the point that it's chances of procreating were substantial. As it took me a while to arrive, the shark did manage to impregnate one animal before I got to him. That would be where Nibbler comes in as he was the by-product between that sentient landshark and a dog that had been abducted from a nearby, remote village in the jungle.
When the Federation docked, I'd heard that the shark was starting to get a little too big for its britches and had begun invading local villages and even some smaller towns so I went to go deal with it immediately. I didn't want it's cultivation to improve further and have it turn into a real issue just because of my laziness so I tracked it down and killed it quickly. The person who hired me was pleased but not because they gave a damn about Bhorashka. See, the Bhorashkans were trying to deal with the shark but they were hiring mercenaries and sect disciples primarily, not me. My services can be a little expensive and also somewhat niche so not many people choose me or even really know about what I do. My name is known in some circles but I'm hardly internationally famous and on the tip of everyone's tongue. No. The people that know my name and treat it like gospel, typically, are collectors who want trophies to hang up on their walls and so on. Basically they hire me to help provide them with a showcase for all their elite friends in high society. That's fine, though, because it points me in the direction of rare creatures without having to keep my ear to the ground twenty four seven. They have the information network, I enjoy the hunt, they enjoy the reward, and I get paid.
I don't necessarily like all my clients but they're somewhat integral to my job and we tolerate each other. I mention this because, after killing the shark, I tracked down the animal's lair and it was there that I found a sleepy and hungry Nibbler. I had originally considered leaving him be in the wild but he got up and rubbed his head against my leg so I felt immense guilt killing his papa and just leaving him, probably to die, so I brought him along with me. Nature has it's bearings on animals, sure, but nurture can too and so, after introducing Nibbler to humans, he grew to like them. He wasn't too fussed about the whole killing his father incident because he was clever enough to recognise that his papa was frequently killing innocent humans, the very friends Nibbler had come to enjoy the presence of. Humans kept him regularly fed and played with him instead of running off to go force themselves onto other animals. He's been with me ever since... So why am I paranoid and what does all that have to do with my client? You can probably take a wild guess but, people like the man who hired me... They like to collect the 'whole set', if you catch my drift. If they learnt that the shark they have hung up on their fancy walls had a child... They'd want it to be stuffed and hung up directly underneath it too. I don't want that for Nibbler because I just find it wrong. I know I kill for sport but I tend to stick to dangerous wildlife. Even I have limits and a helpless creature like Nibbler? That's too far for even me so I don't want word about him to spread as the original client might come knocking and make demands that I really don't want to entertain... Though, honestly, Nibbler's not as innocent as he looks! The little guy packs some serious firepower when he gets angry and can transform into something that closely resembles what his father had become after cultivating. In fact, Nibbler here can cultivate and he's been doing it quite diligently for a while now, haven't ya little guy?"
Bark Bark!
Hunter chuckled as Nibbler nuzzled his leg... Although Hunter did have to lift his leg to dodge a quick chomp from the sly sharkdog who was feeling feisty! "But yeah, knowing he's rare is one thing and I can kinda fend off the people who are interested. If it came out that he was the son of that sentient shark, however, then his value would skyrocket and people would be trying to steal him and sell to the original contractor that hired me. His worth is already pretty high but it shoots to the moon when that piece of information is revealed and that's why I'm reluctant to talk about it. People have already tried taking Nibbler once and I don't want them to have any other reasons to try again. Thankfully, Nibbler made a name for himself and singlehandedly took down all his attackers that day so people have been incredibly wary of going after him since. Things are looking peaceful and I've got a bunch of traps laid out for anyone foolish enough to break in at night so I feel like he's safe as is and can live a good life here with me."
Ares got the gist of things... Nature was incredible, basically! The sentient shark had only barely managed to cultivate to the point where it could start interspecies breeding before Hunter wiped it out... Ares was now imagining all the various crossbreeds that could have spawned as a result of the shark's lust and some of them were pretty funny looking whereas some practically screamed danger. A sharkdeer would be pretty neat but a sharkbear sounded horrible! How strong would a sharkbear even become if left alone for a few years?! Ares wondered about all of this because he would inevitably see a lot of crossbreeds after leaving the Primordial barrier. The cultivation requirement for interspecies breeding wasn't actually that high in the grand scheme of things and some animals could even reach that level of cultivation as babies in the higher domains! The wacky combinations must have been roaming about everywhere and Ares was determined to find the cutest amongst them! Right now, that title belonged to the sharkdog, however, as he was a happy munchkin... Actually, now that Ares thought about it, Dominus was probably technically a crossbreed right? The logical assumption, which also happened to be the correct one, was that the revenant race was born from the endeavours of a phoenix and a wolf. Ares was curious about what happened there but Dominus could explain that to him some other time, namely when he was actually capable of forming complete sentences consistently without fading out half way through. The guy ought to become clearer when Ares reached bloodline awakening and so Ares would be patient until then. "Ha, I had a gut feeling Nibbler could defend himself if need be. He's more than meets the eye... Way more..." Ares stared at the cute, and somewhat dumb and derpy looking, animal who was taking great joy in just sort of meandering about near his owner. "Well, interesting and cute though he is, he's not really why I'm here. I was hoping to find some gadgets for sale now that I've come into possession of some stardust what with all the Federation stuff that's been happening lately."
"Sure, no problemo. Pick your poison."
Ares was tempted to tell Hunter that that phrase was in reference to alcohol specifically but he stopped himself because this guy almost definitely had poisonous traps and, well, just general poison lying about in here. The poison for sale here was much realer than the 'poison' at a local bar so, if anything, he was the one with the right to say it and not them! "I guess I'm looking for two different types of gadgets, either or would be fine though I do have a preference for the latter. First of all, if possible, gadgets that can trap small to medium sized animals and maybe double as human cages for when I want to keep a troublemaker alive and deliver them somewhere for safekeeping. I know that the human part might complicate it so I'm not really very fussed if that's an impossible ask. I'd still take anything that can meet the first half of the criteria just to experiment with out of curiosity. I have a bloodline that let's me talk with animals if I want to so maybe I can give taming a go? That's the plan, anyway..." Ares was about to carry on but Hunter heard something that caught his interest!
"Waitwaitwaitwait! You can talk to animals!?"
"Hm? Yeah, and monsters too. I even had a chat with a phoenix, or a simulation of one anyway, a while back inside the pressurised pagoda."
"Yeah, I heard about that travelling treasure... But you can really talk to animals and monsters?! That's so cool! I'm big jealous... Say, can you translate what Nibbler says when he barks? He'll learn to speak if he keeps cultivating but I'm curious now and wanna know what kinda stuff he talks about!"
Ares looked down at Nibbler who tilted his head up towards Hunter and gave off two quick barks.
Barkbark!
Ares chuckled and couldn't help but smile warmly as he conveyed the message. "He says, and I quote, 'I love you papa."
"Ha..." Hunter held the hat on his head down low as he shed a tear and picked up his little friend, giving it a big old hug and stroking its fin as it grumbled a low purr sort of sound that expressed its contentment. "Ah, now you've gone and made me embarrass myself..." Hunter coughed to himself and turned back to Ares while still keeping Nibbler held in his arms. "Ok, so that's request one. I think I can manage something that ought to meet your requirements. What's the second thing you're after?"
"A defensive gadget. Kind of like a reactive barrier, maybe? Not for physical attacks, I can deflect those or avoid them to begin with. Not for magic either because I can just disintegrate those if they get too troublesome. I was thinking something for preventing / blocking mental attacks as that's kinda a real problem for me... Or maybe environmental stuff? Like something that can negate turbulent winds or extremely hot temperatures? I already have a way of dealing with the cold though, a treasure, so not that, again if possible."
Hunter thought to himself for a second while Nibbler licked his cheek. Eventually, he slowly nodded his head and looked in Ares' direction once more. "Yeah, you know what? I think you're in luck. I've been experimenting with a kind of mental-attack-resisting gadget that might be precisely what you're looking for. Come, I'll show you the more experimental stuff in the basement." Ares hadn't expected to be led downstairs but he was looking forward to it nonetheless as this would inevitably be where the cooler stuff was hiding! Ares just had a gut feeling this would work out well so he followed Hunter and looked on as Nibbler leant over his shoulder and barked at Ares a couple of times.
'I love you too, new friend! Thanks for telling papa what I said... He used to get very sad thinking I might be upset at him for killing the big sharky... Big sharky never treated me well like papa though!'
After saying his piece, or, more accurately, barking it, Nibbler turned back around and cuddled up in Hunter's chest. Ares was happy to help and, honestly, Nibbler kind of reminded him of Appa in a way. It was a weird, non-human child of sorts and was generally a very upbeat existence who's major goal in life was just to get closer to their parental figure. Very sweet! It was worth coming here just to see Nibbler for sure! Still, that wasn't the only benefit and Ares was about to get his hands on some new tech that could maybe help him cover for his inability to do certain things easily. He was willing to spend a small fortune here if the items he was about to be shown were good enough and he had an instinctual feeling they would be. Hunter definitely looked like the kinda guy who didn't do 'half-measures' and so his gadgets were bound to be effective, Ares believed in that wholeheartedly as he was led downstairs. Though he'd gotten side-tracked with the Nibbler side story, now it was REALLY time to go shopping!