Chapter 12 : Another Journey to the Dark Continent!!

Bisky gave Germain her contact information and helped him register for the Hunter Exam, which would take place in January 1998. She also promised to let him know when she found out the exact location of the exam site.

After checking out at noon, they parted ways.

"You must become a Hunter," Bisky said as she waved goodbye to Germain, then turned and walked away.

Germain watched the small figure disappear into the distance, then changed Bisky's contact name to "Little Granny" in his phone.

From that moment, Germain decided to build his own network of connections.

- December 25, 1997 -

It was Christmas in some parts of the world, and the streets were filled with festive cheer, but Germain had little time for celebration. 

The month since his encounters with the Phantom Troupe on November 21st, and meeting Bisky on the 22nd and 23rd, had been a whirlwind of assassins, hunters, and various deadly confrontations.

On his busiest days, Germain faced up to four separate assassination attempts, and at least one on quieter days. It was a dangerous time, but he managed to survive each encounter.

After adjusting to the physical abilities of his body and Nen, and with the help of the "Gift of Resentment" ability of his Hunter Badge, Germain started to view each kill as a reward for his survival skills.

Germain actually cherished this time. He figured that the first one or two months would be the most intense for attacks on him, a new member of the Phantom Troupe. After that, he expected things to calm down.

More people would realize that he wasn't an easy target, not even among the Phantom Troupe.

His assumption turned out to be correct. Over the month, Germain accumulated "attribute points" and other items from his defeated enemies. His "spiritual pressure" also grew steadily.

As of today, Germain had 13 additional "attribute points" and 13 extra points in "spiritual pressure," was added and the points seemed to come and go within seconds.

His vital stats had improved:

- Vitality: 20

- Endurance: 17

- Spiritual pressure: 26

If his body was compared to an army, then Germain had reached the point of equipping it with powerful firearms—his Nen abilities.

When it comes to "physical strength" and "stamina," these attributes can be seen as the logistical backbone of his. 

It's something most people wouldn't notice, but they're key factors in any battle's outcome. Germain feels his strength growing steadily, and he's finding it easier to use his "Nen" to face opponents.

Maybe it's because he hasn't crossed paths with deadly assassins like the Zoldyck family or experienced hunters like Biscuit Krueger.

In any case, over the past month, Germain has adjusted to life in the Hunter x Hunter World while making it clear that he's not to be underestimated. He's sharpened his skills, revealing a few of his fangs when necessary.

Now, after a month of preparation, it's time for him to challenge the Dark Continent again.

One quiet night, he ventured to a remote suburb and found an abandoned mine. He set up a basic trap nearby and then materialized a lantern in the pitch-dark cave.

Suddenly, the cave was bathed in a deep, eerie purple glow, casting reflections like a shimmering lake.

Four messenger ghosts hovered around the lantern, clinging to its base and post. They looked at Germain with mournful eyes, their faint sobs suggesting they had been left in solitude for the past month.

"I know, I know," Germain nodded at the ghosts, acknowledging their hunger.

He didn't really distinguish between the different ghosts, nor did he care. He just casually extended his pinky finger toward one of them.

"I'll pick you this time," he said.

The chosen ghost shrieked with delight and eagerly grasped Germain's pinky, while the other three howled in disappointment.

The lantern revealed two lines of text:

- "Lantern location: Dark Continent - Dry Valley"

- "Cooldown time: 2 minutes (already cooled down)"

After a chaotic whirl, Germain and the kid holding his little finger vanished into the mine, along with the lantern. The mine returned to its usual dimness.

In the blink of an eye, Germain found himself in the dry river valley, breathing in the fresh air. He remarked to himself, "This is the second time..."

It was nighttime in the mine, but here, it was broad daylight. Germain quickly glanced down at the lantern by his feet. It was surrounded by four ghostly messengers, and the lantern displayed two new lines of text, slightly different from the previous ones:

- "Lantern location: Lake Mobius - Central Islands - Abandoned Mine"

- "Cooldown time: 4 minutes (countdown: 3:59)"

The Central Islands on Lake Mobius were easily recognizable. They were the area where most humans lived, a significant change from the Dark Continent, which was much larger by comparison. 

Known World can only be said to be an archipelago compared to the Dark Continent.

Germain used this to determine the pattern for the lantern's teleportation cooldown times. It was simple: the cooldown time doubled with each use. The first time was instant, then 1 minute, then 2 minutes, now 4 minutes. Next, it would likely be 8 minutes.

The cooldown times were only going to get longer.

"So, are the bugs from last time still around?" Germain wondered aloud, recalling the previous journey's unexpected encounters.

Germain scanned the area and quickly sensed that something was off.

Rather than encountering the flesh-sucking bugs he had seen on his previous visit, he spotted a massive creature in the distance.

From its appearance, it looked like a centipede—but its size was staggering, about the length of a 22-car train.

Its numerous legs supported a slender, twisted body. It swung its antennae as it crawled toward the edge of a small dirt mound not far away.

"A centipede this time?" Germain thought to himself.

The creature shuddered, sending dark smoke wafting from its limbs into the air before it lightly settled on the dry valley ground.

After a while, the "mounds" and "rock formations" that had seemed ordinary gradually shed their disguises, revealing a bright red hue and their true nature.

It was a swarm of the same bugs Germain had seen last time.

Tentrioids, who had been full of energy earlier that day, trembled and then collapsed, unable to move after the centipede's black mist swept over them.

The centipede wasted no time. It crawled onto one of the red bugs, its tiny hook-like legs digging into the bug's fleshy shell. Its jaws bit into its head, tearing open the skin to feast on the flesh inside.

"The toxin is potent enough to stun the stink bugs and soften their shells," Germain muttered, analyzing the situation. "The poisonous fog centipede and the flesh-sucking stink bugs are part of the local food chain."

He was exploring the Dark Continent to gather more information, and to do so safely, he had brought a backpack filled with essential items, though he planned to stay only briefly.

His gear included compasses, remote-controlled bombs, medicine, compressed biscuits, drinking water, and other essentials.

Germain also carried a few bottles of emergency antidote, though he wasn't sure if it would be effective against the poisonous fog centipede's toxin.

He stepped cautiously in the direction of the centipede, unsure of what he'd find but knowing he needed to proceed carefully.

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