Chapter 187 : Please Give Me a Face!!

Muherr steadied himself, realizing that achieving "long-distance forced teleportation" wouldn't be that simple. He glanced at Beyond for confirmation.

Beyond nodded with a knowing smile on his lips.

With that, Muherr shouted to the mercenaries, who had just grasped the situation, "Open fire on them!"

The mercenaries in white uniforms, trained to follow orders without question, reacted immediately. Without a second thought, they conjured assault rifles and aimed at Germain, who was crouched on the ground, and opened fire with a series of rapid shots.

Their "Nen bullets" sprayed toward him.

Germain stepped back, and both his "Teleportation Lantern" and "Messenger Ghosts" dissolved into particles of purple light under his command.

Just then, a jeep shot through the air, crashing down on the group of mercenaries like a boulder with a loud *bang*.

The jeep blocked most of the bullets and forced the mercenaries to retreat.

Of course, the one who threw the jeep was Bisky.

She had already understood from her brief eye contact with Germain that he was about to make a move—they had that much mutual understanding.

Well-prepared, Bisky had seized a nearby jeep as soon as she saw Beyond, Saiyu, and Muherr forced to retreat by the "Messenger Ghosts." She threw it at them right away.

The jeep rolled forward, kicking up dust and briefly obstructing everyone's view.

"Are we making a run for it?" Shizuku asked.

Before anyone could answer—

Beyond's piercing voice rang out clearly.

"In the end, you've chosen the one option I can't tolerate. How disappointing. Why can't you give up on the weak and choose to work with those who have real strength?"

"If you can't make peace with sacrificing the weak to pave the way forward, you'll never go far. You're far too naive. It seems I'll have to forcibly correct your views…"

*Boom!*

A powerful aura surged into the sky like a towering building. In an instant, this overwhelming presence transformed into the phantom of a giant, swaying in the fierce wind.

This giant also had a long beard and wore a flowing robe, but he held a large, broad-bladed Guan Dao, exuding an impressive and intimidating aura!

With a sharp crack, the jeep was split in two before anyone could even see what happened, then exploded into flames, sending thick smoke billowing into the sky.

Beyond leapt into the air, positioning his right hand like a knife, pointing at an angle. The phantom of the giant in the sky mirrored him, angling its Guan Dao.

Bisky watched in shock, clearly surprised.

Beyond's current state looked very similar to Chairman Netero's "Hyakushiki Kannon" (100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva).

This wasn't a "Nen Beast" but an aura projection based on "Enhancement" and supported by "Emission," symbolizing both "terrifying Nen capacity and seasoned experience."

An Enhancer doesn't need to use a "Nen Beast."

Germain observed the giant holding the Guan Dao and murmured, "They really are father and son. Not only do they look and act alike, but even their 'Nen abilities' have similarities."

He paused and then raised his voice, saying, "Bisky."

"Hm?" Bisky was already in a "Shingen-Ryu" stance, her "Nen" vibrating. "What is it?"

"I'll hold Beyond off in a moment," Germain said. "He still doesn't know the Vows and Limitations of the 'Teleport Lantern.' I'll use it to stall him for three minutes."

Bisky pressed her lips together. "So, I have to deal with Saiyu within those three minutes..."

That was a pretty tough task; Saiyu wasn't just any weakling.

"I'll help you." Shizuku adjusted her black-rimmed glasses and chimed in.

Kurapika swung his "chains," saying, "Leave the rest to Sheila and me."

Sheila wanted to say, "Don't count on me, I'm unreliable," but at a moment like this, it didn't seem right to say it out loud.

Once again, she silently prayed in her heart.

"My 'stored-up good luck,' please, no matter what happens, bring us a breakthrough soon."

At that moment, a strange, roaring sound echoed from the distance.

Germain and Beyond's groups stood on opposite sides of the fiery wreckage of a jeep, locked in a tense standoff. Yet, they couldn't resist glancing toward the source of the noise.

At the far end of the road, a small black dot appeared.

This black dot emitted a fierce roar as it gradually grew larger. As it approached, everyone could finally make out that it was an old, beat-up car.

The rumbling came from its engine, which seemed to be struggling under some unbearable weight.

With a loud screech, the car came to a halt not far from the gathered crowd. Two men stepped out, one from each side, their figures emerging from the dust swirling in the desert air.

They were both men.

One of them wore a worn-out hat and looked like a grizzled fisherman, with a scruffy beard and hands stuffed in his pockets, strolling forward without a care.

The other man looked far cleaner and more composed, with a blue hat and long, silvery-white hair that fell to his waist. His face and figure were thin and gaunt, giving him a rather grim appearance.

Their sudden arrival as a third party immediately shifted the balance of the scene, freezing what was moments before a battlefield on the brink of explosion.

Germain blinked as he observed the two newcomers and guessed their identities, surprised to encounter them here.

He turned to look at Sheila. Perhaps it was Sheila's "accumulated good luck" that, after drawing Beyond's group to them, had now brought these two men as well—using "good fortune" to counterbalance the looming "misfortune."

"Yo." The bearded man raised his right hand and greeted "Monkey" Saiyu first, saying, "Saiyu, long time no see."

Saiyu stared at him silently, wondering how on earth he'd run into him here.

Without hesitation, he informed Beyond and Muherr of the two men's identities.

But he didn't really need to; Beyond and Muherr had already recognized them.

The man then turned to Bisky and chuckled. "Biscuit, I can't recall if we've met before. But I've heard your name often, and I bet you've heard mine just as much."

Bisky looked visibly surprised by the man's sudden appearance.

But before she could respond, he shifted his attention to Germain.

"You must be Germain... Seems I came to the right place."

"I'm Ging Freecss." He scratched his cheek, looking a bit sheepish. "I can see you all look ready to throw down, so I won't waste your time. Let's keep this quick."

"Let me get straight to the point... I've heard you have a rather convenient method for traveling to and from the 'Dark Continent.'"

He pointed to himself. "Any chance your 'method' could help me get to the 'Dark Continent' too?"

The man spoke rapidly, without holding anything back—he wasn't one for beating around the bush in situations like this.

This man, who had suddenly appeared, was *Ging Freecss*, a member of the Twelve Zodiacs known as the *Boar* and a peer to the *Monkey* (Saiyu). 

Standing behind him was his disciple, *Kite*, a professional Hunter who, under the sponsorship of the Kakin Empire, was currently supposed to be in the forest studying creatures like the *Camping Tiger*.

It took only a moment of thought for Germain to realize the best choice for his side.

He replied, "Alright, but only if you ensure our safe passage out of here."

"Deal." Ging smiled and readily agreed. "We'll discuss the details later."

Unlike the prolonged back-and-forth negotiations between Germain and Beyond, it took less than five seconds for Germain and Ging to establish a "contract."

The speed of the agreement caught most people off guard.

Turning around, Ging looked at Beyond.

"So, you're Beyond, huh?" he said, scratching his stubbled chin. "I've heard of you."

"It seems your discussions with Germain didn't go well. Otherwise, he and I wouldn't have struck a deal so quickly."

"That's the situation. I suggest we call it even, shake hands, and go our separate ways. How does that sound?"

Beyond stroked his long beard, looking at Ging with an unwavering gaze.

"Ging Freecss… I know you want to reach the *Dark Continent*, which is why I once extended an invitation to you…"

"No chance." Ging waved dismissively. "As long as Chairman Netero is alive, you'll have to stay put. I'm not interested in following a tortoise's lead."

"I know you've been scheming various moves against Chairman Netero, and honestly, while a lot of people consider me 'troublesome,' I'd never lay a finger on him."

"If Netero dies, maybe we could work together. But as long as he's alive, involving me in any of your plans against him is a hard pass."

"Besides, now there's a better, more convenient option on the table, which places you much lower in priority."

Ging scratched his head, as if deep in thought. 

"Although a 'Nen ability battle' isn't as simple as comparing card numbers, there are some things you and I can both foresee."

"Next, Germain and I will handle you. Bisky will take care of Saiyu."

"Kite will go up against your elf-like guy, and Germain's team of three will take on the remaining mercenaries."

"As the fight goes on, your losses will be greater than ours. You might end up defeated, and Germain and I could take you down."

"In your lifetime, you've been under Chairman Netero's shadow for most of it. Now, just when you're close to seeing the light, you'd die here. Doesn't seem worth it, does it?"

"But if you choose to leave now, and we both keep quiet about today's events, there's still a chance for cooperation in the future."

"After all, while our approaches and philosophies differ, our goals are aligned. Eventually, if you find a way to the 'Dark Continent,' our paths are bound to cross."

"So, how about giving me a bit of face here?"

Beyond listened and chuckled a bit.

"But I have to let you all go ahead of me first, right?"

Ging spread his hands.

"One way or another, we're going ahead. You'll have to accept that."

"Don't forget, your biggest hurdle has always been Netero, not us as competitors. Since you can't go right now, just wait patiently."

Beyond's expression darkened as he listened. He glanced from Ging to Germain, Bisky, Kite, and the others.

Finally, he let out a cold snort and withdrew the giant phantom behind him. 

********

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