"We need to reduce the number of people in the exploration team."
Surprisingly, before Germain could say it, Ging spoke up first. He even winked at Germain.
It was as if he was saying, "Let me be the bad guy here."
Everyone turned to look at Ging.
He raised an eyebrow.
"We have two injured people, and Sanbica needs to stay behind to take care of them."
Knuckle, who had barely recovered some of his energy, quickly sat up, trying to appear strong.
"Ging, my injuries are nothing."
"Knuckle!"
Morel patted Knuckle's shoulder.
"Don't make unrealistic choices. It's irresponsible to everyone."
Knuckle half-opened his mouth, but in the end, he didn't say anything and lowered his head.
He was frustrated, but with his current strength and physical condition, he truly couldn't do anything.
This same situation has occurred twice now.
On the final night of the Chimera Ant Extermination, he had been just as powerless.
Faced with the overwhelming Youpi, he couldn't even regain his dignity for Shoot.
Humiliated and unwilling, he threw a punch at the ground.
He hit it hard, and blood started to seep through the bandages again.
I have to get stronger, stronger than ever. Only then will I be worthy of fighting alongside my teacher, and with Germain...
Knuckle had silently decided to stay in the Dark Continent and train.
Morel looked at him, seeing the genuine emotion in his eyes — a dissatisfaction with the status quo. He couldn't help but feel a bit relieved.
At least it proved that Knuckle's experience wasn't in vain. It made him face reality more clearly and push forward.
Morel spoke again:
"Also, staying close to Menchi and Sanbica is just as important. You need to protect them until we return. That's your task."
After hearing this, Knuckle's eyes slightly lit up, and then he looked up, his expression growing more determined.
"Teacher, don't worry. Even if I have to die standing, I won't let Sanbica or Menchi get hurt!"
Morel immediately hammered his fist onto Knuckle's head.
"Don't say such unlucky things!"
Menchi also chimed in disapprovingly:
"Knuckle, don't think of me and Sanbica as weak, helpless women. My knife is very sharp."
"As a 'Manipulator,' even if I'm handicapped, I can still remotely kill enemies!"
Knuckle scratched the back of his head, feeling a bit embarrassed.
"I... I didn't mean it like that…"
"Then what did you mean?"
Knuckle, facing Menchi's questioning, stammered and couldn't say a word for a while.
At that moment, Sanbica approached him.
No one had any objections to Knuckle's punch earlier, except for Sanbica, who shot him a reproachful glare.
"Let me see the wound…"
Knuckle, feeling ashamed, extended his hand, allowing Sanbica to remove the bandage and take another look at the split wound.
"Take care of yourself."
Sanbica glanced at the wound a few more times, then gave him a reminder before starting to tend to it.
At this point, Bisky turned the conversation back.
"So, the rest of us will head to the underground cave, then?"
Germain didn't think much before speaking his mind.
"Yes… Ging and I are definitely going."
"Your 'Magical Beautician Miss Cookie' is an important stress-relief Nen ability."
"Shizuku's 'Blinky' might be able to counteract Pap's Nen ability."
"Morel also has a very adaptable 'Deep Purple.'"
Each time Germain mentioned a name, he turned his head to look at the person, meeting their gaze to confirm their thoughts.
He didn't see any fear or hesitation in their eyes.
They still steadfastly chose to follow him, continuing to challenge "Disasters and Hopes."
However, some thoughts had already quietly been planted in Germain's mind at this moment.
The original eight-person team was now split into two groups. Germain led the five-man team toward the underground caves, while the remaining three stayed in the relatively safe cavern.
They spent another two days at this temporary base, allowing everyone enough time to rest, before the exploration team geared up to depart.
Knuckle, Menchi, and Sanbica remained at the base, waving goodbye to the departing team.
The team members dashed and leaped between the trees, quickly disappearing from sight.
An hour later, with his strong memory and Hunter tracking skills, Ging found the entrance to the Pap's nest again.
It was located atop a towering peak.
At the summit, there was a large, dark cave opening, resembling the crater of a dormant volcano.
Germain, Ging, Bisky, Morel, and Shizuku hid separately in the nearby treetops, bushes, and rocks, quietly observing for a while.
They saw many thin and emaciated Paps dragging semi-conscious small creatures back into the cave.
More wild animals followed the Paps willingly, coming here to indulge in a life of intoxication.
Some even helped the Paps drag wild beasts they couldn't move into the nest.
The ecosystem here was truly strange.
At least on the surface, it wasn't the strongest who led, but rather those who could provide pleasure who took control.
Apart from the Paps entering and exiting the mountain cave, none of the creatures that entered ever came back out.
Most of them were probably drugged out of their minds or had become dried corpses.
The "New World Chronicles, Eastern Edition" had mostly lost detailed records of the "Pap," "Gaseous Lifeform Ai," and "Two-Tailed Serpent Hell Bell."
They weren't sure what else they would encounter after entering the cave, aside from the creature known as Pap, so they cautiously observed for a while.
However, it was impossible to unveil the mist of the perilous mountain cave from the outer layers, and they quickly decided to enter.
Standing at the mountain peak, looking down, all they could see was an endless expanse of darkness.
What they heard was the mix of wind whistling and the monstrous growls and clashes.
Since any electric devices couldn't be used, Germain and the others couldn't rely on lighting equipment.
In the end, Germain had to lead the way with the Sacred Moonlight Sword, while the others each held a burning torch.
The light illuminated their path, revealing a slope covered with loose rocks and gravel leading downward.
Several skeletons, some from medium-sized monsters and others from smaller ones, were abandoned here, their bones twisted and grotesque.
Bisky and Morel, holding their torches, walked past the sharp fangs and claws, and couldn't help but feel a sense of dread.
Many of the creatures here were of immense size. It had been tough fighting them, but now they had all turned into scattered white bones.
The mountain cave seemed like a massive bloodthirsty mouth, devouring too many lives.
Soon enough, they reached a flatter area after descending the slope.
At the same time, the unsettling growls grew louder, echoing between the stone walls.
"There's something."
Germain, leading the group, suddenly raised a hand in caution, signaling the others to be careful.
"Medium-sized species, above us."
"En," informed him, giving a rough outline of the creature, while the others could clearly see the monster hanging upside down on the rock wall.
********
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