On the morning of May 14, Sanbica arrived at the mansion as planned.
However, she went straight into the "Research Institute" as soon as she got there, so it was Bisky who informed everyone of her arrival.
Germain, Bisky, Wing, and the others could sense Sanbica's presence, but Kurapika and Zushi hadn't noticed that there was an extra person nearby.
By late night on May 14, with less than 10 minutes until midnight, Germain, Bisky, Menchi, and Buhara gathered on a flat area under the moonlight, separated from the mansion by a sparkling lake.
Wing smiled and stood with his hands behind his back as he saw them off: "Shizuku, Kurapika and Zushi have already gone to their rooms to sleep. Sanbica is still in the 'Research Institute.'"
"Sanbica is too shy. Kurapika and Zushi aren't informed..." Bisky said as she re-tied her twin ponytails into a more practical single ponytail. "Why is Shizuku asleep too? She didn't even come to see us off?"
"That's not necessary," Germain replied. "We'll be back tomorrow afternoon."
"Heh, you two always seem to be on the same wavelength with things like this..." Bisky sighed, holding her forehead. "Forget it, forget it, it's about time, right?"
Germain checked his pocket watch and said, "Five minutes left. I'm going to set down the lantern."
He first conjured the "Hunter Badge" and then used it to place a lantern emitting a light purple glow in the center of the group.
Four small ghosts emerged from the lamp holder, wailing in the dark and blending with the sound of the cold wind.
Since the outcome was unpredictable, Germain usually didn't conjure the "lantern" when not teleporting, so it was the first time Menchi and Buhara had seen the "lantern" and the "messenger ghosts" up close.
Although Bisky had taken several photos before, seeing it in person was even more alarming.
"Can they really take us back and forth to the Dark Continent?" Menchi asked, looking worriedly at the four small ghosts.
"Not them," Bisky said with a smile, pointing at Germain. "He's our only hope for traveling to and from the Dark Continent."
Menchi glanced at Germain's serious and focused profile and nodded in agreement.
"Indeed, if he died on the journey, our fate would probably be the same as those previous exploration teams that were wiped out."
At this moment, Germain was staring at the "Lantern" text projection.
"Lantern Location: Six Continents"
"Cooling time: 8 hours (already cooled)"
He reminded everyone again: "After we reach the 'Dry Valley of the Dark Continent,' we need to stay there for at least 16 hours before we can return here. Is everyone clear on this?"
"I know," Menchi said, rolling his eyes. "The doubling rule of the 'Lantern Cooling'... Don't worry, we all know it. We're not new to being 'professional hunters.'"
"Good."
Germain nodded and used the remaining time to check his current condition. He had improved during this period.
The "projected text" was visible only to him.
"Physique" had risen to 54 points, "Endurance" to 62 points, and "Pressure" was reset to zero.
The improvement in "physique and endurance" was due to the elimination of criminals on the airship, earning him the "gift of resentment," and his daily practice without slackening.
He always remembered Bisky's words. Although his practice wasn't the exact "Nen of the Flame," it was very close in essence.
Germain was diligent in his martial arts training, his basic skills, and his Nen, which had a significant impact on Kurapika.
With such a teacher, Kurapika felt more motivated and was making rapid progress despite the pressure.
The "pressure" was reduced to zero thanks to Bisky's "Magical Beautician Miss Cookie."
In addition to his basic attributes of "physique," "endurance," and "pressure," he also had several special "characteristics."
The "positive traits" included "Beast Hunter," "Genius," "Warrior of Light," "Tough," "Sturdy," and "Human Slayer."
These traits covered attributes such as "precision," "critical hit," "damage," "life treatment received," "stress treatment received," "disease resistance," and more.
The "negative traits" are "kleptomania," "greed for money," and "stress-induced bulimia."
As the name suggests, it covers quirks related to "theft," "greed for money," and "gluttony."
However, the first two traits won't be affected much when Germain focuses, and the last trait is negligible as long as he keeps "pressure" under 50 points.
Additionally, Germain's "En" has expanded to 30 meters, getting closer to Kite's 45–50 meters.
In this state, he can easily return from where he first entered the "Dark Continent."
Germain's "En" is growing at an incredible rate.
After Bisky learned this, she felt more convinced that meeting Germain and guiding him onto the "Hunter's Path" was the right decision.
If Germain were an enemy, he would be a very troublesome opponent, almost impossible to defeat without significant cost.
It would be even scarier if he picked up bad habits from the Phantom Troupe, potentially becoming a dangerous terrorist.
Just as any mentor would think, if their students turn bad, it must be due to outside corruption.
"Phantom Troupe," bad! Germain, good!
Thinking about this, Bisky felt very proud, believing his guidance might have inadvertently saved the world.
The time finally passed midnight and reached May 15th.
Germain and Bisky skillfully held the thin hands of the little kids, and Menchi and Buhara hesitated before also reaching out their hands.
"Bon voyage," Wing waved at them. "In 16 hours, Shizuku and Sanbica will be here early to wait, and I'll send Kurapika and Zushi away."
Everyone nodded, and then they heard Germain say, "Let's go."
The scene changed, and the world spun around. To everyone, Wing seemed to twist and compress into a ball, followed by a dizzying, nauseous feeling.
Buzz——
In an instant, the four of them arrived at a wide, dry river valley, and Wing had already disappeared.
The sun was rising, and it took a while for everyone to adjust to the changing light before they could open their eyes and look around.
Germain looked down at the "lantern" surrounded by four small ghosts and saw that the next cooldown would be in 16 hours.
He reached out and covered it, making the "lantern" and the little ghosts disappear. However, they remained in place and he couldn't retrieve them.
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