Under pressure, the Poisonous Mist Centipede released its final burst of toxic mist, curling its long legs around the body of the Storm Ripple Moth.
The Storm Ripple Moth frantically flapped its scale-covered wings, attempting to take off, but with the weight of the centipede dragging it down, it only managed to hover a few meters above the ground before crashing back down with a heavy thud.
The intense pain spurred the dying centipede into a frenzy. It bit and clawed at the soft underbelly of the Storm Ripple Moth, piercing through its fragile skin. A thick white substance, resembling pus, oozed from the puncture wounds.
The Storm Ripple Moth suffered silently; without vocal cords, it couldn't cry out. Instead, it retaliated by jabbing its proboscis into the open wounds on the centipede, sucking out its flesh and blood like a spear driving into its enemy.
The two massive beasts were locked in a death struggle, rolling and twisting across the dry valley floor, their movements becoming slower and weaker with each passing moment.
Germain, seeing that the battle was almost over, leaped onto the centipede's limbs and blew off part of its head with a blast from his Firearm.
Then he used Cleaver to slice through the Storm Ripple Moth's sucking proboscis. Aiming the Firearm at the moth's head, he pulled the trigger, turning it into a shredded mess.
"Bang!"
The centipede's once-bulging upper body collapsed onto the hard valley floor, its countless legs falling limp and motionless.
Next, the Storm Ripple Moth landed on the lifeless centipede, its wings spreading across the ground as if embracing its former foe in a final act of submission. Dust rose as the wings settled over the scene.
Suddenly, the belly of the Storm Ripple Moth began to swell like a balloon. With a series of muffled pops, several white eggs covered in mucus shot out from its rear, stacking into a small tower.
Germain leaped down from the carcass of the giant beast, examining it thoughtfully.
"Do they lay eggs after they die?" he mused, finding it hard to believe. "Creatures in the Dark Continent truly defy logic," he added, his eyes tracking the intricate patterns on the dead monster.
"No, to be fair," he continued, "all creatures in the hunter x hunter world are pretty amazing."
He lifted his Cleaver, blood dripping from its teeth like a fine thread, and felt the lingering resentment seeping from the beast's corpse.
Today's hunt had brought more rewards than usual. He'd gained two "Attribute Points" and two "Spiritual Pressure" points. But that wasn't all.
To his surprise, he also collected two "Gift of Resentment": a new Lantern and a Flamethrower. Germain hadn't found any new Gift of Resentment in over a month, so this was quite the haul.
Without hesitation, he allocated his Attribute Points to endurance.
"Vitality: 20"
"Endurance: 19"
"Spiritual Pressure: 28"
The list of Gift of Resentment now read: "Cleaver, Firearm, Flamethrower, 3 Lanterns (with a 4-minute cooldown time)."
Another lantern meant Germain could broaden his exploration range and choose a new area for the next teleportation.
The flamethrower, as expected, could shoot a torrent of fire with lethal efficiency.
However, Germain wasn't entirely satisfied with this. If these new tools were the only gains from this expedition, he would have felt disappointed.
He glanced back at the enormous corpse in the dry valley, a hint of determination in his eyes. He gripped his Cleaver and strode toward it, ready to delve deeper into his hunt.
Germain began by cutting off a piece of the Storm Ripple Moth's wing with his cleaver. Though it was just a corner, it was as large as a bed sheet.
The heavy scales shimmered with a faint iridescence, each one resembling the complex design of a stained-glass window. It was clear that he had more work to do.
He rolled up the corners of his scaled wings and secured them with a climbing rope.
Next, he approached the poisonous mist centipede, took out a syringe from his backpack, and drew out a sizable amount of venom from its venomous mandibles. He then tossed the syringe into a large jar and sealed it tightly.
With Cleaver, he sliced open the shell of the flesh-sucking bug. Amidst the confusing jumble of organs and tissues, he found a vermilion stone about the size of his head.
Initially, he thought it was just a typical stink bug stone and didn't give it much thought.
However, when he casually lifted it, he noticed it started to change color, slowly becoming a hue that matched his arm.
"It seems like something valuable. Better take it with me," he remarked.
He had planned to retrieve an egg from the Storm Ripple Moth after it died, but the slimy mucus coating the shell made him change his mind.
Germain made the Firearm and Cleaver he had conjured disappear, then tucked the jar containing the venom-filled syringe into his backpack.
Holding the scaled wings of the Storm Ripple Moth in his left hand and the color-changing stone of the Tentrioid in his right, he approached the lantern.
This was all he could carry.
The lantern could only transport what Germain could physically hold, apart from himself.
Germain extended his little finger toward one of the messenger imps (ghosts).
The imp jumped up joyfully, clinging to his finger with both hands. With a "buzz," the imp vanished like a phantom.
After a long period of dead silence, small mounds appeared in the dry valley as more Tentrioid began to emerge from the ground, one by one.
They crawled toward the eggs of the Storm Ripple Moth, using their tentacles to confirm they had found the right spot. With a swift motion, they cracked open one corner of the egg, then inserted their straw-like mouthparts through the broken section.
With a "glug, glug," they began to suck deeply.
Meanwhile, Germain had successfully returned to the human world, back to the dark mine shaft he knew so well. Since returning from the Dark Continent, his "Spiritual Pressure" had jumped by 10 points, now sitting at 38.
The purple glow from a lantern lit up his face as he examined the new traits he'd picked up during his journey. These were displayed on the hunter badge he carried with him.
"Beast Hunter"
"Gluttony"
"Beast Hunter" was a positive trait, giving Germain bonuses when facing beasts. But "Gluttony" was a downside; it made him constantly crave food more than before.
This was on top of the "Kleptomania" he had previously obtained, bringing his tally to one positive and two negative traits.
He glanced back at the lantern, noticing that the text on its side had changed again.
"Lantern Location: Dark Continent, Dry Valley"
"Cooling Time: 8 minutes (Countdown 6:45)"
It seemed he had correctly figured out the cooling pattern for the lantern.
Germain stacked the spoils he'd brought back from the Dark Continent in a corner of the mine. He stepped outside to ensure that the traps were still set and there were no signs of intruders before he returned to his resting place.
Sitting in the corner of the mine shaft, he entered "Zetsu" state, falling asleep like that and waking with dawn on the 26th.
Germain threw away most of what he had collected, keeping only the venom syringe—it was the easiest thing to carry. He headed to the nearby town to find the underground black market.
Currently, his best option was to deal with black market merchants.
When the black marketeer saw that Germain was trying to sell a syringe of venom, he initially dismissed it as nothing special.
But after inspecting it closely, taking samples, and confirming its unique properties, his attitude shifted. This was a venom unlike any he had seen before.
"How much do you want for it?" he asked, unable to hide his curiosity.
Germain wasn't about to reveal his secrets to the black marketeer. He simply asked the man to name a price.
The black marketeer hesitated, then named a number.
Germain scoffed, picked up the syringe, and turned to leave.
"Hey, wait, let's talk about this!" The black marketeer quickly called after him, hoping to salvage the deal.
Germain paused, slowly turning back to negotiate.
********
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