Neferpitou was killed by Germain?
Youpi was killed by Germain?
Pouf was killed by Germain?
Meruem was also killed by Germain?
Palm was transformed into a Chimera Ant, but the human consciousness was recovered?
In this decisive battle, no one from the Chimera Ant extermination team was killed?
This... this is not just a victory, it's a complete triumph.
They actually achieved a total victory against the Chimera Ants, these monsters?
Shoot wondered if he had misheard, or if he was still dreaming. It wasn't until Netero, Morel, and Knov confirmed it that he realized this was the truth.
They couldn't possibly have come together to make this up, right?
Then, he turned to Germain, the one who had made this miracle happen.
Shoot hesitated for a moment, not knowing what to say.
When he remembered his despair when facing Youpi, and the unwillingness from being looked down upon by Youpi, he couldn't help but shed tears.
Those were tears of joy.
"Germain... I... I don't know what to say... I..."
The doctor, both out of duty and to help Shoot avoid any awkwardness, spoke up.
"Alright, everyone, please leave. Visiting hours are over. Let's let Shoot rest properly."
The doctor urged everyone to leave the room, giving Shoot a peaceful environment to recover.
Even though Shoot was a Nen user and much stronger than ordinary people, he had been injured by a monster like Youpi, so it was better for him to rest for a while.
Everyone understood and began to say their goodbyes, leaving the room one by one.
Late at night, Netero took the initiative to call Germain, and they headed to the deck of the airship.
There was no one around, and it was eerily quiet, completely swallowed by the darkness of the night.
At this time, Netero had changed into his usual robe, the wide sleeves fluttering in the night breeze.
Germain also changed into simple clothes, finally no longer having to walk around shirtless.
Netero, wearing wooden sandals, walked with a rhythmic clackclackclack to the edge of the deck, with the thick clouds above him, so close it seemed like he could touch them by just reaching out.
"Germain, do you know why I specifically asked you to stay behind?"
Germain had a pretty good guess.
"It must be about the Dark Continent, right? You've mentioned everything else, but this is the one thing you haven't brought up."
Netero smiled and nodded, stroking his beard.
"On the day the Hunter Exam ended this year, we were also on the airship. I had a strange feeling back then, like something was off with you."
"After that, I started investigating you, Bisky, and Wing. Slowly, I gathered many clues, and pieced them together to reach a shocking conclusion."
"Because of this conclusion, I was caught in a dilemma."
"I set the rule in the Hunter Association: no exploration of the Dark Continent. As the Chairman, I should deal with you."
"However, the fact that you could casually travel back and forth to the Dark Continent—this unimaginable thing—made me hesitate."
"Could this be humanity's opportunity to obtain 'hope'?"
"Later on, my son Beyond also noticed your presence. I knew he wouldn't be able to control you, so he would act recklessly, and that's when I gave Ging a hint."
"However, I ended up facilitating the gathering of you bold and reckless individuals. Ging was the final piece of your puzzle."
"I can't quite explain it—I don't know if it was unintentional or if I was hoping for something."
"Then, what I didn't expect was that, at the end of September, Bisky came to me with the 'Herb for All-illnesses,' wanting to take credit for it."
Netero stood with his back to Germain, looking up at the starry sky.
"You actually succeeded in this task, something only Don Freecss had achieved."
"Of course, your team's strength and experience were crucial, but so was your ability—there's no denying that."
"Bisky described your teleportation ability to me. It's truly incredible... 'Teleportation Lantern'—it greatly lowered the difficulty of obtaining 'hope.'"
"However, very soon, I realized that the ability you used, 'Teleporting Lantern,' although it requires a certain price, was clearly not enough."
"Then, either you have already paid a huge price, or something else has paid it for you."
Germain could tell that Netero seemed to have his own theories about this, and perhaps that was one of the reasons he never challenged the Dark Continent again.
Netero didn't keep them in suspense.
"The Dark Continent is a vast and boundless land. No one knows what is deep within it. All we know is that it doesn't belong to us."
"Humans were once part of the Dark Continent, but were eventually forced to migrate to the Six Continents in the center of Mobius Lake, where we were able to survive and multiply."
"But compared to the Dark Continent, the Six Continents are too small—pitifully small."
"In other words, most of the continents in the world are regions humans cannot step foot in."
"But this is not the only limitation humans face."
"You've probably noticed that Mobius Lake, or rather the sea we see, also largely doesn't belong to humans."
"Outside the Six Continents, after sailing for months, you'll encounter a clear boundary. Beyond this boundary is the Dark Sea."
"The ocean beyond that belongs to the Dark Continent and is a place humans cannot sail through."
"And this is still not the end."
Netero turned around, his eyes fixed on Germain, his hand raised as he pointed to the starry sky.
"In the sky, most of the space is also not an area we can fly in."
Germain pressed his lips together, deep in thought.
Netero lowered his hand and pointed to the airship they were standing on.
"Most of humanity's air transport tools are airships. Even bombs are dropped using airships."
"But actually, we've had the technology to develop faster, higher, and further flying vehicles, similar to airships, for a long time."
"We even once had a design called 'satellite.'"
"However, we never fully implemented it, because someone else had already done it, and it was proven to be pointless in the end."
"It would be shot down, ruthlessly shattered."
Germain frowned.
"What shot it down and shattered it?"
Netero shook his head.
"We don't know... It is precisely because we don't know what it was that we found it terrifying. In the end, humanity gave up on air transport tools other than airships and abandoned satellites."
"Even the dragon-bird monsters of the Zoldyck family don't dare fly too high, too far, or too fast. They always fall from the clouds very quickly."
"Did you notice, Germain?"
"The whole world seems like a box, trapping the six continents and humanity inside. There are walls everywhere, walls that cannot be crossed, walls that must not be defiled."
"To cross the deep sea, you might end up in the stomach of a fish. To go to the Dark Continent, you might contract 'disasters.'"
"To go into the sky, or even higher, you will be shattered like a martyr, completely disappearing."
"So, Germain, what gave you the power to travel back and forth to the Dark Continent, and what do they want you to do?"
"Knowing all of this, will you still continue?"
Germain remained silent for a long time.
"I want to continue."
"Why?"
"Just a feeling."
Netero chuckled silently.
"A feeling? Can you guarantee that this feeling belongs to you?"
Germain gazed at the starry sky, and the sky gazed back at him.
"I'm not sure... but my feeling tells me that I must continue, or it will be too late."
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