Chapter 6 : One-minute in Dark Continent!!

**Why?**

It had been about half a minute since Germain teleported to this location with the lantern. By now, any nearby creatures should have noticed him. But they hadn't attacked or retreated; instead, a heavy silence hung in the air. 

Were they... observing him?

Humans rarely ventured into the Dark Continent, which might explain why he couldn't read the signs around him. 

However, the creatures here were sizing him up, sniffing his scent, analyzing his appearance and behavior to determine where he fit into the ecosystem's food chain.

Survival in this harsh landscape required such skills.

But the calm wouldn't last long—sooner or later, the surest way for them to decide would be to take a bite and see how he tasted.

Suddenly, the quiet was shattered by a burst of flying mud. Several creatures, previously camouflaged with the surrounding terrain, suddenly lit up in a bright red glow and darted toward Germain on six long, slender legs.

They resembled stink bugs, but each one was as large as a small car. Clearly, these weren't your average insects.

Their straw-like mouthparts quivered menacingly, making it clear to Germain that his stay here was about to end. He glanced at the lantern's timer—it read "0:03," indicating he was nearly ready to teleport again.

He was not concerned about these enormous bugs, but more about the other creatures lurking, watching from the shadows, waiting to see how he would handle the threat. 

In the Dark Continent, there's always a bigger predator—the mantis catches the cicada, but the oriole is always watching from behind.

The scarlet bugs closed in on him, but Germain had already stretched out his little finger to touch one of the messenger imps. 

A buzzing noise, like the popping of a soap bubble in the sun, filled the air as Germain, along with the lantern, vanished. All that remained were his footprints in the dirt.

After decades, humans once again set foot on the Dark Continent, leaving their mark on this treacherous land.

"Bang!"

A creature known as "Tentrioid" stumbled, failing to stop its momentum. Its small head and powerful body collided in a series of clumsy crashes.

Having missed its prey, Tentrioid extended the long tentacles on its head, flailing aimlessly as it tried to detect any movement in the surrounding wilderness.

A burst of flashing light illuminated the area, and Germain reappeared in the dense night forest. He bent down to pick up a lantern, noting the four messenger imps lying at his feet. 

The cooldown timer for the lantern had changed again, now reading "Cooldown Countdown: 1:59."

Germain glanced at the status panel projected by his hunter's badge, noticing that his psychic pressure had increased from 2 to 12. Additionally, he now had a strange new trait—Kleptomania.

It was clear now what the cost of using the lantern to teleport was. Every time he used the lantern, the cooldown time increased: first it was instantaneous, then 1 minute, and now it was 2 minutes.

Not only that, but every time he returned from the Dark Continent, his psychic pressure would forcibly increase by 10 points, and he might gain an additional negative trait. 

His current kleptomania trait compelled him to steal anything that caught his eye, without regard for the consequences.

This meant that Germain had to be very careful and plan meticulously before using the lantern, as the risks grew more significant with each use. The further he went, the more pronounced the side effects became.

Nevertheless, using the lantern to travel to and from the Dark Continent was still far safer and more convenient than dealing with the gatekeepers and the calamities they could unleash.

Germain flexed his fingers and christened the fixed lantern stationed on the Dark Continent "Dark Continent Dry Valley."

Germain grabbed the hunter's badge hanging around his neck, retrieving his saw knife, fire blunderbuss, and lantern. The eerie purple light that had filled the dense forest vanished, replaced by the gentle glow of moonlight filtering through the branches above.

He rubbed the hunter badge, and the materialized fragment faded away. This experiment proved that Germain could harness the power of the Hunter Badge, allowing him to strengthen his combat abilities over time.

It signified that soon he would no longer fear the threat posed by the Phantom Troupe; it was just a matter of time before he was ready to face them.

His ties to Meteor City and his role as a member of the Phantom Troupe would no longer hold him back. 

Germain would be truly free to pursue his ultimate goal: exploring the Dark Continent, surpassing Don Freecss, the author of "Journey to the New World," and achieving feats that no one else had.

With the ability to teleport, Germain felt the stirrings of possibility. However, after spending just a minute on the Dark Continent, he realized he needed much more than raw power—he needed life-saving techniques, a team, and countless other resources. 

Without proper preparation, teleporting to the Dark Continent could mean instant death.

He resolved to gather strength in secret until he was ready.

Germain returned to the bell tower where he had been staying. He tore off a large curtain, shook off the dust, and wrapped it around himself, curling up in a corner for the night. It wasn't much, but it sheltered him from the elements.

The first light of dawn filtered through the glass, stinging his eyes. Germain rubbed them groggily, reminding himself that he wasn't in a comfortable bedroom but in a dusty bell tower. 

He shook off the curtain, stretched, and patted the dust from his clothes before grabbing his hat from the ground. It was time to move.

He walked quickly out of the bell tower and headed towards a clear lake in the mountains. Stripping off his clothes, he waded into the cold water for a bath. 

He scrubbed off the grime from his body and rinsed the bloodstains from his clothes. His control over Nen helped remove stubborn stains and dry his clothes quickly.

A quarter of an hour later, Germain, fully dressed, was walking down the mountain trail, occasionally pushing aside overgrown weeds. 

As his stomach grumbled, he couldn't help but smirk. He picked up the pace, knowing that finding food was his next priority.

An hour later, Germain arrived at a small town called Cross at the foot of the mountain. He found a modest restaurant specializing in noodles, ordered a bowl, and took a seat to wait.

When the steaming noodles were brought to him, it was the restaurant's proprietress who delivered them personally.

"Enjoy your meal," she said with a warm smile, placing the bowl and chopsticks in front of him. As she did so, her fingers lightly brushed the back of his hand, seemingly by accident.

Germain looked up at her, surprised by the touch, only to find her winking at him. The landlady then turned and sauntered back to the kitchen, her hips swaying with each step.

For a moment, Germain was taken aback, then remembered that he had been told his skin was particularly attractive. The touch felt like a subtle hint.

"If you're interested, follow me..." he thought, but quickly shrugged it off. He picked up the chopsticks and began eating his noodles, savoring the warmth and flavor.

Suddenly, he felt someone watching him. He turned around, expecting to see the landlady again, but instead, he found a young girl with blonde twin tails at a nearby table, quietly eating her noodles.

The girl glanced at Germain and, when their eyes met, she quickly looked away, blushing as she focused on her food. Her shyness was evident, her cheeks turning pink.

Germain returned to his meal, but a moment later, he paused, his eyes widening in surprise. Blonde twin tails? A red Lolita dress?

Could it be...?