On the gray floor of the ancient labyrinth's tower top, purple patterns emerged. The lines converged at the center, where a lantern slowly conjured.
Buzz—
The scene twisted like a vortex for a brief moment. Then, four figures were flung out, each holding hands with a thin, ghostly messenger.
Germain let go of the messenger's hand and looked down at the projection on his Hunter Badge.
"Lantern Location: Ancient Labyrinth"
"Cooldown Time: 160 days"
160 days—more than five months. If they waited for the teleportation lantern's cooldown to end naturally, they wouldn't be able to return until August or September.
However, with the Hunter Badge – Silver-White Triangle, Germain was confident they could return earlier.
Now, it was just a matter of when he could collect three more unused teleportation lanterns.
Both Germain and Shizuku had traveled between the Ancient Labyrinth and Limeiro Castle before, so they remained calm and composed.
But for Morel and Knuckle, it was a different story. The master and disciple duo curiously scanned their surroundings.
"So, this is the Dark Continent? The Ancient Labyrinth?"
Germain stowed away the teleportation lantern, causing the four ghostly messengers to vanish.
When he turned around, he saw Morel and Knuckle already standing on the balcony, gazing into the distance.
Meanwhile, Shizuku pointed at a massive, ancient bronze clock that had clearly been installed on top of the tower after their last visit. It hung there, ominous and unmoving.
"Germain, that clock wasn't here last time, right?"
"No, it wasn't."
Shizuku let out a relieved sigh and patted her chest.
"Good. I thought I was remembering things wrong again."
…Was that really the most important thing to focus on?
Germain moved behind the large bronze bell and found a hanging iron rod. He grabbed it with both hands.
"I think this must have been Ging or Bisky's idea. They probably wanted us to ring the bell when we returned so they'd know right away."
Shizuku nodded. "Oh, so that's what it's for."
Germain lifted the iron rod and struck the suspended bell. A loud clang echoed through the tower, spreading far and wide.
Shizuku plugged her ears with her pinkies and watched intently as Germain rang the bell a few more times before letting go of the rod.
A moment later, Knuckle's excited voice called out from the balcony.
"Germain! Sensei! Shizuku! I think I see Ging and Bisky!"
He waved both arms eagerly in their direction, like a sailor reunited with old friends after months at sea.
Germain and Shizuku walked over to Morel and Knuckle. The first thing that caught their eyes was the newly built, two-story castle.
The castle's design was inspired by Limeiro Castle.
What made it special was that all the mansions and towers surrounded the tallest structure—the Ancient Labyrinth Tower.
From the top of the Ancient Labyrinth Tower, one could overlook the entire castle.
Germain also spotted Ging, Bisky, and the others in the courtyard. They had clearly heard the bell and had gathered there.
As they looked up, their eyes met with Germain and the others atop the tower.
Among them, Buhara, the big and burly man, waved his arms just like Knuckle.
Moments later, everyone was reunited at the top of the Ancient Labyrinth Tower.
With nine people there, it was a little crowded, but the atmosphere was filled with excitement and joy.
"How did you guys get back so fast?!" Bisky shook Shizuku in shock. "Didn't you say the lantern teleportation couldn't be used again for another 80 days?"
She and the others who stayed behind had mentally prepared themselves to wait nearly three months to see Germain and Shizuku again.
But they had returned so soon—it was unbelievable!
Shizuku shook her head a little, then pointed at Germain with her left hand.
Everyone staying behind in the Dark Continent turned their attention to Germain.
So, Germain explained the ability of the "Hunter Badge: Silver-White Triangle."
Only then did everyone understand.
Ging smiled and said, "If that's the case, things will be much easier for us from now on. The only problem is gathering three teleport lanterns—it's hard to say how long that will take."
"No matter how long it takes, it'll be shorter than five months," Bisky said, crossing her arms.
"It's just a shame that we're forced to choose between two options. If we could both instantly reset the teleport lantern's cooldown and increase the number of people it transports, that would be perfect."
"The world isn't that kind," Ging countered. "Most of the time, it's annoying restrictions like Pariston's forced choices."
"Yeah, yeah, I know." Bisky rolled her eyes, as if saying, Do you think I don't get that?
It seemed their relationship was still as steady as ever.
Germain asked, "Let's not worry about the teleport lantern for now. Tell us—what's happened here in the past two weeks while we were gone?"
"As you can see," Bisky gestured toward the castle outside the tower. "The castle has reached its second level. Next comes the third and fourth levels."
"Other than that… the 'Botanical Weapon Brion' from the ancient labyrinth have started moving again. They appear in the Blood Sea from time to time, sacrificing themselves."
"Aside from that, we've also established trade with the moose-centaur tribe. It happens about once a week."
Bisky then pointed at Morel and Knuckle, who weren't originally part of the plan. "And now, you should explain why they are here."
"Alright." Germain gave Ging a meaningful look. "I'll start from the beginning and keep it brief."
Ging looked a little confused, unsure why Germain was looking at him, but he still sat cross-legged on the floor, listening carefully.
And so, Germain recounted everything major that had happened over the past two weeks, following the timeline and locations—
From Greed Island to Meteor City, then to Kukuroo Mountain, followed by Heaven's Arena, and finally back to Greed Island.
Morel and Knuckle being here—everyone understood why.
For Germain, securing the cooperation of the Zoldyck family and Meteor City was an unexpected surprise.
However, what truly shocked everyone was that Germain had run into Ging's son—Gon.
Now, Ging finally understood the look Germain had given him earlier.
"I have a recent photo of him." Germain rummaged through his hunter's cloak and pulled out a picture. "It's a group photo, though."
The picture showed four vibrant teenagers standing together. From left to right, they were Kurapika, Killua, Gon, and Leorio.
All four of them were making a V-sign toward the camera, smiling.
Gon and Leorio's smiles were the brightest.
Germain pointed at the spiky-haired boy in the photo. "This is Gon. He looks a lot like you."
Ging didn't take the picture. He just glanced at it dismissively and scoffed, "Oh? Is that so?"
"Let me see!" Bisky snatched the photo and examined it closely. "Yeah, he really does look like you."
Curious, Menchi, Buhara, and Sanbica gathered behind her to get a look.
Everyone was intrigued to see what kind of son, Ging, the ever-arrogant man, would have.
After looking at the picture, they all felt that Gon seemed well-behaved—completely unlike his annoying father.
For some reason, Shizuku also squeezed in to look, even though she had seen both Gon in person and in photos before.
"He's already got his Hunter License," Germain said. "He's got great potential. I left him with Wing to learn the basics of Nen."
Bisky nodded approvingly. "Wing, huh? Ging, you can relax. My disciple teaching your son Nen—he'll be in good hands."
"Well… if he can't even learn Nen, it's better if he doesn't come looking for me." Ging scoffed.
"Hah! Are you embarrassed?" Bisky stared at Ging like she had just discovered a new continent. "Ging, embarrassed? That's rare! Is it because you know your son is doing well?"
"What nonsense are you talking about?!" Ging pulled down his hat, covering the upper half of his face, muttering something under his breath.
Bisky chuckled. "That's more like it. But seriously, you're in your late thirties or forties—why act like some deadbeat who abandoned his kid?"
Ging couldn't be bothered to argue with her.
Germain continued, "I'd say it'll take them less than half a year to reach the 200th floor of Heavens Arena, win three matches, and meet my minimum requirement."
"After that, they'll start looking for clues about 'Greed Island.'"
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