Hunter x Hunter : Germain Joins The Hunt

"He might discover traces related to us. Maybe he'll keep his distance, or perhaps he'll try to contact us. There are many possibilities…"

Ging's feelings toward Don Freecss weren't blind worship, but genuine admiration for his incredible achievements. Ging wanted to accomplish similar feats himself.

The thought of meeting the legendary Don Freecss in person, obtaining the Journey to the New World: West Edition, and learning the reasons behind his two- or three-hundred-year disappearance filled Ging with excitement.

It was known that someone suspected to be Don Freecss had recently defeated the "Disease Spreader." That person was unlikely to return to the "Wasteland" anytime soon.

This meant there was a chance—though slim—that Don Freecss might be in the "Labyrinth."

Germain understood what Ging meant. He said, "Then let's head back to the 'Labyrinth.' Besides, we've already accomplished our goal here in the 'Wasteland.'"

On their way back, Germain returned the inverted cross necklace to Shizuku.

"Did it help?" Shizuku asked, blinking her big eyes as she took it back.

Germain wanted to say it was useless, but looking into her wide eyes, he couldn't help but change his answer. "A little. It made me feel calmer somehow."

Shizuku smiled at him—something she rarely did. "Let me tell you a secret: I don't really understand the doctrines either. I just treat it as a charm the old priest gave me."

"If it helps, then that's its purpose. If not, then it's just an accessory that reminds me of my life in the church."

After they returned, Shizuku shared many stories with Germain. She talked about how she couldn't remember the scriptures but could still pretend to be the most devout believer in the church.

By the afternoon, Germain's team had left the "Wasteland" and returned to the "Labyrinth."

Because he used the "Cooldown-Free Teleport Lantern," Germain gained a new negative trait: "Bloodthirsty."

As the name suggests, he became more obsessed with blood and violence. Seeing bleeding wounds gave him a deep sense of satisfaction, making him more inclined to use torture devices on others—or even himself.

As for his "stress," thanks to the "Champion Aura" and the "Rune: Great Lake," it only increased by 3 points, reaching a total of 162.

Ging quickly went to the balcony of the tower to look outside, trying to spot Don Freecss. After several minutes, he came back disappointed.

"There's no one outside," Ging said, frowning, though he wasn't ready to give up. "I'll take a walk around and check out the 'safe houses inside the cubic stone towers.'"

With that, he set off right away.

The others stayed in the tower.

That night, Bisky used "Magical Beautician Miss Cookie" to help Germain and Menchi—who had recently experienced near-death states—relieve some of their stress.

Ging returned not long after but admitted that he found nothing. There were no signs of human activity in any of the nearby safe zones.

Even so, the next morning, he set out again, determined to explore farther. No one tried to stop him.

Meanwhile, the group began experimenting with the "Alchemy Plants."

Bisky tried to attach the power of the "Alchemy Plants" to her fists, but she failed.

The elemental Nen of the "Alchemy Plants" quickly dissipated when applied to her fists.

However, when the "Alchemy Plants" were attached to Germain's weapon, Shizuku's conjured items, and Menchi's dual knives, they produced some enchantment effects.

Menchi watched as her dual knives briefly became surrounded by flames, making them look like torches. However, the flames died out after a few minutes.

"The element's Nen is too unstable and depletes too quickly," Menchi said, both excited and frustrated. "Looks like we'll have to take it back for Dwun, List, and the others to study."

Her reasoning made sense. Dwun, List, and the rest of the Greed Island team were experts at sealing Nen abilities into cards and using it effectively.

If they could manage such feats with Nen, they could likely do something similar with the elemental Nen from the "Alchemy Plants."

Germain and Bisky both agreed with her plan.

Ging set out early in the morning and didn't return until evening. He still hadn't found any trace of Don Freecss or anyone else, which left him feeling a bit disappointed.

So, they continued their daily routine at the tower, waiting for the "Teleport Lantern" to fully cool down.

Every morning, Ging would explore the "Labyrinth," sometimes with the others accompanying him. They always returned before evening.

Menchi took charge of meals for the group, setting up a large iron pot on the top floor of the tower.

Bisky, on the other hand, provided stress-relief treatments for Germain and the others every day.

Each session involved two people—Germain was always one of them, as his stress levels were the highest. The second person changed regularly.

By October 15th, thanks to Bisky's massages and Menchi's meals, Germain's stress levels had completely disappeared.

Ging, by this point, had given up hope of finding Don Freecss. He continued exploring the "Labyrinth," but mostly to complete the map.

On October 18th, Germain's "Teleport Lantern" was fully cooled, meaning they could now return to Greed Island.

However, Ging refused to leave. He wanted to stay in the "Labyrinth."

"I've already found a safe path out of the Labyrinth," Ging said. "Once I finish mapping it, I plan to explore beyond the Labyrinth."

His passion for exploration seemed endless.

Surprisingly, Ging wasn't the only one who decided to stay—Bisky chose to remain as well.

She told Ging, "Since I took your 'Blue Planet,' I can't just leave without contributing something. There's not much I can help with on Greed Island, but there's plenty I can do here."

"Apart from helping Ging, I can also continue practicing Shingen-ryu in the 'Labyrinth.' If possible, I want to break through my own limits, just like the old man did."

Isaac Netero was a role model for many, including his student, Bisky.

Then, she turned to Germain.

"And also... the 'Labyrinth' is actually a good place. It has safe spots like the tower and a relatively enclosed environment. Maybe this really can become our base."

"Ging and I will stay here. Next time, you can bring more people. This place will eventually attract more and more people. Turning the 'Labyrinth' into our base is a real possibility."

"If that's the goal..." After a moment of hesitation, even Menchi agreed. "I'll stay too. That frees up another teleport slot. Plus, this place needs a chef to improve the quality of life."

Making such a decision required preparation. It was clear that both Bisky and Menchi had thought about this carefully and not just decided on a whim.

Ging nodded. "That does make sense."

During his time alone in the 'Labyrinth,' Ging had only eaten simple things like biscuits, bread, and canned food. Cooking wasn't something he could manage.

With Menchi deciding to stay, it was certain that he and Bisky would enjoy much better meals.

And so, Ging, Bisky, and Menchi stayed in the 'Labyrinth,' while Germain and Shizuku returned to Greed Island with the 'Alchemy Plant.'

These decisions were finalized.

On October 19th, Germain and Shizuku set out, teleporting back to Greed Island.

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