In fifteen minutes, under the cool night breeze, Germain succinctly recounted everything that had happened in Greed Island since his return on September 28.
Following the timeline like a string of prayer beads, events unfolded like a painting: the conflicts in the meeting hall, the secret negotiations with Chairman Netero, and Granny Linne's arrival.
"This isn't bad," Ging said. His worn-out hat had been lost earlier in the Ancient Labyrinth, and his black hair, unkempt for days, was greasy. "Having Granny Linne on our side is a good thing."
"Even though she's getting on in years, just having her hold the fort on Greed Island will stabilize morale. At least for now, we don't need to worry about our rear line."
He had plenty of water to wash his hair—like using the Designated Card: Jug of Spring Water, which could produce 1,440 liters of water daily.
But he didn't wash up simply because he was too lazy to bathe.
The smell clinging to Ging sparked internal complaints from Bisky and Menchi. They dragged Shizuku to sit with them in a far corner at the top of the labyrinth's tower, thoroughly repulsed.
From their corner, they could still clearly hear the two men talking and could join the conversation if necessary.
"Germain," Ging said, stroking his chin. Naturally, his stubble had gone unshaved and was starting to grow into a short beard. "Granny Linne deliberately revealed Chairman Netero's situation to us, didn't she?"
"Does she want us to take action?"
First came negotiations with Beyond, then discussions with Bisky. Most of the Zodiac Twelve members had already left the Hunter Association, and now the last few were being sent away as well.
It was obvious something was brewing, and it had Chairman Netero's tacit approval.
Germain sat with his back against the wall, one leg bent and the other stretched out. The dim light illuminated only half his face, giving him an unreadable expression.
"Whatever Granny Linne's intentions are, I will respect Chairman Netero's wishes. If he wants someone to interfere in his 'game,' he'll speak up."
"If he asks, forget the Zodiac Twelve. Over half the Hunter Association's members would gladly drop everything to help him. That's Isaac Netero's influence."
"In other words, if he doesn't want interference, us meddling would only ruin his plans and sour his mood. He wouldn't thank us for it."
Ging pressed his lips together, then nodded, resting his hands behind his head. "You've got a point. If that's the way Chairman Netero wants to 'burn out,' I'll respect his choice."
"That old man..." Bisky, her short hair slightly tousled, sat on a blanket with her arms hugging her knees. She pursed her lips, looking a little wistful.
"He's always telling us not to go to the Dark Continent on our own, yet he was the first to venture there."
"And he advises us to always stay focused and rational as Hunters, not to push our limits too far. But in reality, he's the one who constantly throws himself into danger, challenging his limits."
"There's just no reasoning with him..." Bisky sighed heavily in the end.
People like him, who walk the solitary path of invincibility, often share such peculiar habits.
In the original timeline during the Chimera Ant invasion, this master and disciple pair didn't even meet one last time. Bisky had been nearby, helping Gon and Killua improve their skills.
Later, during the decapitation operation against King Meruem, Bisky didn't participate.
On one hand, this was Bisky's own choice—she had no compelling reason to get involved in the operation. On the other hand, she also understood Chairman Netero's intent.
At that time, Chairman Netero didn't summon her. Instead, he chose Morel and Knov because he didn't want her dragged into the mission.
From the moment the decapitation plan was formed, Chairman Netero's sole aim was to engage King Meruem one-on-one and lure him to a specific location.
No matter the method, King Meruem's death was inevitable.
Adding more members to the operation would only result in unnecessary casualties.
Looking back at that operation, it's incredible that only Chairman Netero lost his life, while everyone else survived. It was nothing short of a miracle.
In that terrifying situation, the other team members almost lost their lives to the Royal Guards. One of them even experienced a form of "rebirth."
After these words, silence descended on the ruined tower's peak.
Sensing the heavy atmosphere, Bisky decided to change the subject. "Ging, surely you haven't spent all this time lazing around in the tower, have you?"
"As if..." Ging rolled his eyes. "I've already scouted out areas that Don Freecss never ventured into, and I've even mapped them."
He straightened his posture, sitting upright. "I made up my mind long ago... I'll fill in the gaps of the East Edition Fragment from Journey to the New World."
"Of course, I won't stop at just supplementing Don Freecss's work. Someday, I'll write something even better—a complete Guide to the Dark Continent."
"Or perhaps an Encyclopedia of the Dark Continent," Bisky said with a playful grin, as if the melancholy from earlier had never belonged to her at all.
"Great writer, huh..." Menchi, who had been observing the unfamiliar tower, couldn't help but complain, "A great writer shouldn't have such greasy hair. The oil from your hair could be used for cooking."
"Menchi!" Bisky nudged the shoulder of the young woman with five tied-up hair strands. "Don't say such gross and nauseating things!"
"Isn't this Ging's fault though? Fine, fine, my bad, my bad," Menchi conceded under Bisky's glare.
Ging touched his hair, rubbed his fingers together, and, realizing the truth in her words, admitted, "Alright, alright, I'll take a bath first thing tomorrow morning."
"Shouldn't you just bathe now?" Bisky asked in disbelief.
Ging scratched his ear and replied, "Why would I bathe now? If I bathe now, it'll still be greasy when I wake up tomorrow. That'd be a waste!"
"Men, especially men with kids…" Bisky narrowed her eyes, clicking her tongue in disapproval. "Tsk, tsk, tsk..."
"Tsk, tsk, tsk…" Menchi and Shizuku joined in with the same disdainful sound.
As they continued chatting, drowsiness crept in. Since no one insisted that Ging bathe that night, the five exchanged goodnights, crawled into their sleeping bags, and drifted into sleep.
Germain's dreams in the early hours before dawn were still restless.
This time, he didn't dream of any horrifying, distorted creatures. Instead, the same eleven interconnected lanterns kept appearing over and over.
He couldn't shake off the lanterns in his dream. They hovered annoyingly around him, circling like persistent flies he couldn't swat away.
Still, this night was better than the last. At least Germain managed to wake up on his own in the morning.
One by one, everyone got up. Menchi, using Shizuku's "Blinky" ability, unsealed a variety of ingredients from a card and prepared a delicious, fragrant breakfast for everyone.
At last, they didn't have to eat pre-made meals. While convenient, pre-made dishes lacked the freshness, unique flavors, and wok-fried essence that real cooking provided.
As a "Gourmet Hunter," Menchi's cooking naturally satisfied everyone.
"It's just a shame it's still not as good as Granny Linne's," Bisky lamented. "Her cooking is both a blessing and a curse—you just can't stop yourself from wanting another bite."
"Sorry I can't compare to Granny Linne," Menchi rolled her eyes. "When we get back, let her cook more for you. Let's see if you don't end up as a chubby lady."
"No way—" Bisky grinned mischievously, like a shameless playboy. "Menchi, you're already amazing!"
"Tch." Menchi laughed.
Afterwards, Bisky, Shizuku, and Menchi decided to bathe at the top of the tower, so they drove Germain and Ging to the bottom of the tower.
Germain and Ging bathed at the bottom of the tower as well.
The two of them, dressed and refreshed, leaned against the large door of the tower, gazing at the blood sea not far away.
"You said last night, 'The "Ancient Labyrinth" has lost its previous aggressiveness during this period.' What did that mean?" Germain asked.
When he said "last night," he actually meant early this morning.
Ging raised his arm and pointed ahead. "See for yourself."
Germain's "En" sensed several large, powerful creatures approaching the blood sea. Ging was pointing at them.
These creatures resembled giant mantises, twisted braids, and beasts with their skins peeled off. The only thing they had in common was that they all had parasitic spheres on them.
They ignored Germain and Ging at the base of the tower. If this had been during the earlier fights, the distance would have been enough for them to detect the two.
The tower was still the unbeatable safe haven.
The "Parasitic Brions" silently waded into the blood sea, slowly soaking their bodies in it, then dissolving like ice melting into water.
"As long as they are outside the 'Tower,' their aggression towards me still exists, and it's even stronger. However, as you can see, they're busy heading towards their death, and their numbers are getting fewer."
"Maybe that's why their numbers are only rated as C... But they're doing this to let the 'Bloodthirsty Apostle' be reborn."
"Once that giant beast is reborn, the number of 'Parasitic Brions' will start to increase again, and only when they reach a certain limit will they stop, with breeding abilities reaching B-2, even A-level."
"Isn't there a legend in the Six Continents? During the plague of the Black Death, a doctor with a bird-like beak rose to fame, claiming 'bloodletting can cure all diseases.' So, he used bloodletting to treat the Black Death."
"I think the origin of this bizarre bloodletting method lies in the 'Ancient Labyrinth.'"
"This kind of ecosystem gave birth to the 'Bloodthirsty Apostle of Pain,' 'Parasitic Botanical Weapons Brion,' and 'Herb for All-illnesses.'"
"When the bird-beak doctor faced the desperate situation of the Black Death, he turned to ancient texts and found records of the 'Ancient Labyrinth' from some ancient history."
"So, with only a partial understanding, they introduced bloodletting treatment."
"Human history is truly twisted. Right, Germain?"
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