"Seems like having a living, breathing body isn't such a bad thing after all."
Ickshonpe's eyes darted wildly in all directions, like he was having a seizure. Only after saying this did his eyeballs finally stop rolling.
"But the virtual network world is still better... One day, I'll be able to do the same thing—jump instantly from the network of the Six Continents to the one set up on the Dark Continent."
Dwun was smoking off to the side and laughed, "Hahaha, your damn competitiveness. You used to be obsessed with beating Ging, and now you're going head-to-head with Germain."
"Don't you believe in the power of internet speed?"
"Of course I do," Dwun said, taking the cigarette away from his mouth. "In the future, the net will be even faster, cover more ground, and be even more useful..."
"But for all that to happen, we have to find a way to take control of the seas, land, and sky first."
"You're absolutely right," Ickshonpe nodded in agreement.
Meanwhile, a ripple in space brought Germain and Shizuku back to the "Ancient Labyrinth Outpost."
After ringing the bronze bell with a series of loud dong dong dong, they walked down the tall tower and quickly reunited with the team members stationed nearby.
Everyone welcomed Germain and Shizuku back with great enthusiasm.
That night, Menchi and Buhara even went all out for dinner, adding the rare "Herb for All-illnesses" into the meal. The result was a medicinal feast that was both delicious and nourishing.
While everyone was gathered, Germain began sharing all the major events that had happened since February. The most exciting, of course, was the colonial expedition.
"So you're saying..." Bisky's twin pigtails bounced with excitement, "those old guys are already on their way here?!"
Ever since she decided to stay on the Dark Continent last October, Bisky hadn't seen any familiar faces from the Six Continents for almost a year.
Now, she actually found herself missing that old man who used to tease her all the time.
"Faster than I expected," even Ging was surprised at how quickly the expedition was moving—not to mention everyone else.
Germain took out the map that Chairman Netero had given him and showed it to the group.
This was the route the Hunter Association's expedition team would take after landing, to meet up with the "Stagecoach Group."
Ging now had a full beard on his chin, making him look a lot more mature and composed. He stared at the map for a while before speaking.
"We could show this to the demi-human tribes. Maybe some of these routes pass through their territory. If so, the expedition team could have a few safe resting spots."
Besides the colonization voyage, another thing worth watching closely was, of course, the Zoldyck siblings: Alluka and Nanika.
"Even though there are rules for 'Wish and Whim,' Killua is almost completely unrestricted. He can call out Nanika to grant wishes anytime."
"Looking on the bright side, maybe Nanika really sees Killua as her brother, so she gives him the special right to 'command' her."
"But since Silva or Milluki are always watching, and the room is under constant surveillance, I told Killua not to reveal the existence of the 'command.'"
Most members of the Zoldyck family are still wary of the power inside Alluka — a power strong enough to bring ruin to the whole family. That's why they support Germain.
If they found out Killua could control Alluka through 'commands' — and since so far, no harm has come from using them — it could spark internal conflict.
Germain doesn't plan on gambling with that. So he told Killua to keep the 'command' ability a secret. Anyway, he has no intention of using it to achieve anything.
The more convenient the 'command' is, the more terrifying it becomes.
In the Ancient Labyrinth's conference hall, a vertical air conditioner hummed away, just like the refrigerator placed against the wall in the living room, sweeping through the stifling heat of August.
Both of these items were human-made products brought here from Greedy Island by Shizuku using the "Blinky," and their power naturally came from the electricity of the "Unmanned Rock."
Refreshing cool air, colorful shaved ice, ice cream, popsicles, sodas in different flavors...
The people staying in the Ancient Labyrinth were finally able to experience the conveniences of human society once again.
The residents of the Dark Continent also had their own ways to get through the heat.
But, their bodies were structured differently from humans, and they had different ways of dissipating heat. In the end, they could not truly understand each other.
Germain and Shizuku had returned two days ago.
Since then, the once calm and peaceful rhythm of life in the Ancient Labyrinth had been disrupted, and the station team was once again on high alert.
Today, everyone gathered in the conference hall, where Germain began the discussion.
"The 'Disasters and Hopes' still have two categories left, and the colonization fleet is approaching the Dark Continent. The situation ahead may become quite complicated, and we can't afford to wait idly."
Germain placed his triangular hat on the edge of the round table.
"Now, we need to confirm two things before we can challenge the next 'Disaster and Hope.'"
The other members of the meeting were Ging, Bisky, Shizuku, Knuckle, Menchi, Sanbica, and Buhara.
Except for Gon, who was sitting with his arms crossed, staring down at the patterns on the table, everyone else turned their gaze toward Germain.
"The first thing: the number of members for the exploration team to challenge the next target will be reduced to four people. The other four will remain behind in the Ancient Labyrinth."
Germain's "first thing" was not surprising.
Since their journey through the dSteep Mountain Range, they had expected this outcome.
The increase in members at that time had not yielded significant results.
Knuckle, Menchi, and Sanbica were all forced to leave the team before they reached the underground cave, staying behind at the temporary base.
And the way Germain brought back the team members could expose him to too many "negative traits" or "diseases," and it could also result in everyone being dragged into the "Dark Space."
So far, the only known way to escape the "Dark Space" is for everyone to wear the "Torture's Dark Crown."
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