At 1 a.m. the next day, Germain switched shifts with Ging and crawled into his warm sleeping bag.
Thanks to his exceptional "Physique," Germain's mental state was still strong, capable of withstanding an entire day's fatigue and drowsiness.
Perhaps his clarity of mind was also influenced by Ging's heartfelt words earlier.
Germain hadn't immediately agreed to anything. Instead, he promised to think it over carefully. He disliked making promises lightly—promises entailed responsibility, especially when they involved the future direction of Greed Island.
However, he couldn't let himself be consumed by this matter and forgo sleep altogether. Tomorrow would undoubtedly be another arduous day, and he needed adequate rest.
So, lying flat in his sleeping bag with his eyes closed, Germain skillfully circulated his Nen through his body, allowing it to flow freely, gradually relaxing his mind and body.
Eventually, at some indeterminate moment, he drifted into a hazy dream.
In the dream, he saw a pitch-black night sky, a chaotic array of wooden huts and tents, and raggedly dressed people huddled around a campfire.
For some reason, even though no one told him, he knew this place was Meteor City.
Slowly, he felt something and looked down. At some point, a black swamp had appeared beneath his feet, bubbling ominously.
A bony hand reached out from the swamp, grabbing his foot and pulling him deeper.
Yet he remained eerily calm—so calm that he didn't react at all, allowing the hand to do as it pleased...
"Germain..."
He heard someone calling him from far away.
"Germain!" His shoulder was shaken, snapping him awake. On instinct, he materialized his butcher's knife.
In the dimly lit room, a shadowy figure blocked his view. One hand pressed against the blade of Germain's Cleaver, while the other was raised to their lips in a silencing gesture.
The figure shifted slightly to one side, letting the light from a lamp and the moon illuminate Ging's face. It looked unnaturally pale—perhaps because of the lighting.
"There's movement outside," Ging whispered.
Germain first turned to look at Bisky and Shizuku, their heads close together as they slept soundly, undisturbed.
Then he rolled out of his sleeping bag, swiftly and silently, joining Ging by the stone door. Together, they peered outside through a small gap.
At this moment, the grayish crescent moon had shifted just enough for them to see it from their angle.
"Look up," Ging pointed toward a distant rectangular stone pillar. "Don't use En—it might expose us."
Following Ging's direction, Germain's gaze traced up the stone pillar to its peak.
A strange and formidable creature floated before them.
It was truly floating—making no contact with the stone pillar's top. Instead, it circled the pillar repeatedly, like a predator sniffing out its prey.
From its silhouette alone, it resembled a large great white shark, though its entire body emitted black smoke. Wisps of this smoke dispersed outward, spreading like blood in seawater.
Its massive maw, filled with jagged interlocking teeth, was large enough to bite off and swallow the entire top of the cubic stone pillar.
"That's a 'Night Stalker,'" Ging whispered. "It's recorded in the Journey to the New World: Eastern Fragment. These creatures are known to appear frequently in the night, hunting prey—they're incredibly troublesome 'beasts.'"
Don Freecss, in his Journey to the New World: Eastern Fragment, had classified all life forms he encountered into broad categories:
- First, Humans, most of whom inhabited the Six Continents.
- Second, Beasts, a broad and inclusive term encompassing animals, plants, microorganisms, magical creatures, and demi-humans—essentially all living things apart from humans.
- Third, Abominations, eerie beings that came into existence when humans or beasts died and were somehow "revived" under mysterious circumstances.
- Finally, Eldritch Entities, inexplicable life forms that should not exist in this world.
The "Night Stalker," as Ging referred to it, was documented as a subcategory of "beasts" in the Chronicles.
"Many beasts hunt at night, but these are specifically categorized as 'Night Stalkers' for a reason," Ging said gravely.
"Don Freecss described them as 'troublesome.' We should be extra careful."
Germain nodded. As he observed the "Night Stalker Shark," his mind quickly recalled a previous encounter with the "Panther of Shadows." He noticed certain similarities between the two creatures.
Perhaps, they were both "Night Stalkers."
The two held their breath, silently observing from beside the stone door, waiting to see the creature's next move. Avoiding a fight would be the best outcome.
However, the "Night Stalker Shark" lingered near the stone pillar for a long time without leaving.
It floated in the air, sometimes veering left, other times right, sometimes ascending, and other times diving.
It seemed aimless, but Germain and Ging remained extremely cautious, maintaining Zetsu to blend seamlessly into the darkness and stillness of the night.
After a while, the "Night Stalker Shark" finally swished its tail and flew off in the opposite direction from where Germain and Ging were hiding.
The two exchanged a glance and exhaled in relief.
This way, they could finally get some rest for the night.
They both needed to recover their energy.
********
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