The next morning, Germain woke up wrapped in a soft velvet blanket. He went straight to the bathroom to wash up and then stepped onto the balcony to enjoy the fresh ocean breeze.
Last night's battle granted him a "Gift of Resentment," which let him earn an additional "attribute point." He used it to increase his "spiritual pressure" by one point.
He continued to focus on increasing his "vital constitution."
"Vitality: 12"
"Endurance: 12"
"Spiritual pressure: 13"
Germain felt satisfied with seeing measurable progress and improvement in his stats.
A rhythmic knock echoed through the room.
Germain sighed and reluctantly stepped away from his quiet moment. When he opened the door, he saw Bisky standing outside with her characteristic warm smile.
Bisky extended her gloved right hand and said, "Would you like to join me for breakfast?"
"Sure."
Germain had the chance to stay in this luxurious ocean-view room thanks to Bisky. He couldn't turn down the opportunity for a free hearty breakfast.
He took Bisky's hand and walked with her to the hotel restaurant, a grand and elegant space. As they entered, curious eyes followed them—the charming young man and the striking young woman.
Bisky wanted to project a dignified, sophisticated image, but to onlookers, it might have looked more like a subdued brother walking with his flamboyant sister.
Soon, breakfast was served.
The night before, Germain had taken down four assassins, wielding a Firearm in one hand and a Cleaver in the other. Now he was calmly slicing bread with a fork and knife. It was quite a contrast.
Bisky took a sip of her coffee and decided to start a conversation.
"Did you sleep well last night?"
"Yeah. Thank you. I slept well," Germain replied honestly.
"That's good to hear." Bisky placed her hands neatly on the table and said, "To be honest, you're not quite what I expected based on the rumors and reports."
Germain casually stabbed a fork into a small tomato and tossed it into his mouth, speaking with a calm demeanor. "I just feel like making a change," he said.
"Change?" Bisky propped her chin on her hands, looking like a curious child about to hear a story. "Why do you want to change? What kind of change are you talking about?"
"The years I spent as an assassin taught me one thing," Germain replied. "Being an assassin has its limitations. I can't spend my whole life just murdering people. It gets...boring."
"Bor-ing?" Bisky took another sip of her coffee.
"Yeah," Germain said, half-jokingly. "It's harder and harder to get any thrill from just killing people. At some point, it becomes a job, and you can't live just for work."
Bisky nodded thoughtfully. "Makes sense. So, what's the new plan?"
"I thought joining the Phantom Troupe would be different, but after meeting them, I realized they're just all about Meteor City. It's like they live only for that place. It's boring too."
Bisky didn't know much about the Phantom Troupe's origins, but she'd heard enough to know they came from Meteor City. She wasn't overly surprised by Germain's revelation.
Admiring the handsome face across the table, Bisky began to piece together what he was saying.
"So, you're looking for something new and exciting, something that fulfills your needs but doesn't tie you down to a group or an organization, right?"
Germain finished the last piece of bacon and dabbed his lips with a napkin. "Yeah, you summed it up pretty well."
Bisky grinned. "I think I know exactly what you're looking for."
She reached into her jacket pocket and rummaged around for a moment before pulling out a hard card. She handed it to Germain. "Here's a hunter's license. I think this might be just what you need."
Germain took a closer look at the card, noticing the distinctive "Double X" mark of the Hunter Association.
Bisky then tucked the hunter's license back into her pocket, leaving Germain with something to think about.
She paused, then continued, "Let's not focus on what type of hunter you want to become. But in life, a hunter's license can offer you immense convenience."
"A hunter's license grants you the best privileges. Wealth, fame, status, freedom—just to name a few."
"The most important thing is that it doesn't matter who you were before. Your past won't stop you from getting a hunter's license or lead to it being taken away."
Germain knew this very well.
The Phantom Troupe, Hisoka, people from the underworld and Illumi and Killua from the Zoldyck family all managed to get their hunter licenses.
No one checks your identity beforehand or stops you from taking the exam because of it, and once you have a hunter's license, it won't be revoked due to your background.
That's because "Hunter's Rule Three" clearly states:
"Any person holding a hunter's license cannot have it invalidated for any reason, and the license cannot be reissued for any reason."
However, the Hunter Association doesn't allow hunters with licenses to do whatever they please, which is why there's "Hunter's Rule Four."
"Hunters must not regard fellow hunters as prey, but hunters who commit heinous crimes are not protected by this article."
There are also smaller details in addition to the "Ten Rules for Hunters," but Germain didn't dive into those.
Germain had seen Bisky use her hunter's license to obtain intelligence, communicate with others, secure accommodation, and even handle follow-up work involving four assassins. He'd long wanted a hunter's license of his own.
He was also very intrigued by the Hunter Examination organized by the Hunter Association.
Because this exam format closely resembles the leader and gatekeeper model for entering the Dark Continent.
Humanity came to live in this current world from the Dark Continent, but it never completely abandoned the idea of returning to the Dark Continent; they just put it on hold for various reasons.
Does this hunter exam model represent the Hunter Association's attempt to give each candidate a taste of the leader and gatekeeper approach for entering the Dark Continent?
"Next year's exam is set for January 7th, and the registration deadline is December 31st of this year."
Bisky blinked her big eyes as she looked at Germain, who seemed intrigued.
"If you're interested in taking part in the Hunter Exam, I can help you out. The location changes every year, but I can find out ahead of time and take you straight to the exam site."
Germain seemed uncertain. "Wouldn't that be cheating? Wouldn't it affect you?"
"Not at all," Bisky replied with a smile. "I'm just a guide. I help potential candidates get to the exam location. You think the Hunter Association is a super-strict organization? It's not that rigid."
"Your skills in Nen are impressive, and you adapt quickly to new situations. As long as you don't break the rules, passing the Hunter Exam shouldn't be a problem for you."
"With a Hunter license, you'll have access to more information and resources, which can help fill in the gaps in your current skillset and let you operate more freely."
Germain paused, then asked the blonde, twin-tailed girl, "Why are you offering to help? What's in it for you?"
Bisky tilted her head as if confused. "Why would I need a reason?"
"No, really," Germain pressed. "Why encourage me to take the Hunter Exam? Aren't you worried that I might use the license for, you know, evil purposes?"
Bisky shook her head and said, "First, you're bound to take the Hunter Exam eventually. Second, the word 'Hunter' is neutral—it doesn't inherently mean good or bad, right or wrong. And finally..."
"You said it yourself, didn't you? 'Living just to kill is too dull.' You don't want to go back to your old life."
Germain thought about it for a moment, and he had to admit that she was right.
Once he gained a license with the power to explore the Dark Continent at will, it would be hard to limit himself to a more conventional life.
********
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