Hunter x Hunter : Germain Joins The Hunt

Zeno and Silva approached Germain.

"We've heard about the situation from Chairman Netero. How are you planning to handle the pressure and torment?"

Germain already had a plan in mind.

He reached into his black robe, unzipped it, and pulled out a box. Inside, there was a stack of sturdy cards marked with the English words "Greed Island."

"Before coming here, my companions prepared some things for me," he explained.

He took out the cards one by one.

"These cards can conjure certain items or produce specific effects when used. Some offer food from Gourmet Hunters, while others directly reduce stress. I plan to use them."

Zeno chuckled softly.

"It seems you're not giving up on this fight so easily... Very well, we wish you luck."

Half an hour later, the Dark Crown and the torment status had indeed disappeared, though that wasn't the main focus.

That evening, Germain used the Greed Island cards to unlock dishes prepared earlier by Menchi and Buhara. He served them at the dinner table, but only for himself.

Next, he used another card to summon a Fragrance Maiden, who emitted a soothing scent to relieve stress continuously.

He also experimented with prototype cards created by Dwun and List, modeled after Bisky's Magical Beautician Miss Cookie.

Since they were experimental, the effects weren't as strong as the real Magical Beautician Miss Cookie, but they were better than nothing.

Thanks to his resilience trait, all of Germain's stress-relief methods were amplified in effectiveness.

By the time the battle resumed the next day, he had managed to keep his stress under the torment threshold of 100 points.

That day, he initially tried fighting without using Chaos Roar. However, Netero's Hundred-Type Guanyin left him suffocating under its crushing power.

In the end, he had no choice but to unleash Chaos Roar once again.

The moment the Chaos Roar appeared, the situation changed drastically.

Even Netero's Hundred-Type Guanyin couldn't fully suppress Germain, who was dodging more and more of the attacks.

However, the strain from Chaos Roar reaching the torture threshold started to wear Germain down. He wouldn't be able to hold on for much longer.

If Netero dragged the fight into a prolonged battle, victory would be his for sure.

That day, Germain managed to land a critical hit, but it was just one, and it didn't reduce the pressure by much.

The torment was unbearable for him, especially as the pressure value edged closer to the breaking point of 200.

But Germain had a way to deal with this impending collapse—he brought along the card "Breath of the Archangel."

Since "Breath of the Archangel" is incredibly hard to obtain, Germain only had three cards with him.

One was an old card he'd held onto for a long time, while the other two were more recent acquisitions.

Still, three were enough for him. Normally, each person could only use one card anyway.

If he used the "Breath of the Archangel" just before reaching his breaking point, he could clear all the pressure at once and return to peak condition.

If it became absolutely necessary, Germain would have to use one of the three cards he had.

That night, Germain heard from Netero about new developments involving Morel, Knov, and their group.

"Knov used his Nen ability, '4th-Dimensional Mansion,' to create entry and exit points around the palace occupied by the Chimera Ants. These will be key for the infiltration at midnight on the 23rd."

"During this process, Knov was almost discovered by the Royal Guards but managed to escape just in time."

"Additionally, his disciple, Palm, had to use her surveillance-type Nen ability, 'Merman Clairvoyance.' To do so, she needed to see the Ant King and the Royal Guards with her own eyes."

"She infiltrated the palace for this purpose, but her whereabouts are now unknown."

"There's a high chance she's been captured by the Royal Guards—either becoming food for the Ant King or a subject for their experiments."

Netero's tone was cold.

"Experiencing the terrifying aura of the Royal Guards firsthand and being powerless to save his disciple broke Knov's spirit. His hair turned white overnight."

"He likely won't be able to participate in the final battle and can only provide limited support at most."

Chimera Ants have a particular liking for eating humans, especially those with Nen abilities.

Nen users are the most delicious among humans, and once an Ant tastes one, they can never forget the flavor.

Palm had been captured. If she were eaten, she would most likely end up on the King's dining table.

If she were being transformed, the process had probably already started.

Germain had met Knov and Palm briefly once before.

He still remembered Knov, calm and polite with his glasses, and Palm, disheveled and full of resentment.

Since they had joined the fight against the Chimera Ants, they needed to make their contributions. Otherwise, they might as well quit immediately.

Their abilities were perfect for the role of scouts.

But during a war, scouts had an extremely high mortality rate.

Because of this, Germain did not mock or belittle Knov for breaking down.

Knov's mental collapse only happened after he had completed all of his tasks. He didn't delay the final battle—in fact, he played a crucial role.

Not just any Nen user could stay calm and achieve their mission in such dire circumstances.

It was like throwing an ordinary person into the asylum from Outlast and expecting them to escape on their own—helpless and hopeless.

After saying this, Netero added one more thing.

"No matter what Knov ultimately decides, the time for the final battle won't change. Everything will proceed as planned."

Taking inspiration from Knov and Palm's situation, Germain decided to shift his strategy.

He would still try to lower his stress below the 100-point threshold first. Then, he would deliberately take actions to increase his stress.

Slayer, Terrible Gambler, Blood's Intoxication...

Germain intended to push his stress past the 100-point threshold on purpose, using it to reset his state.

Under extreme stress control, he would face two outcomes: torment or virtue.

If it was torment, Germain would use Chaos Roar. The torment wouldn't stack further.

However, using Chaos Roar in this state came with a higher price, as it required enduring torment with specific traits.

Additionally, the sequence of activating Chaos Roar and torment would reverse.

If it was virtue, Germain's stress would be forcibly reduced by more than half.

Using Chaos Roar with virtue would prevent the formation of torment, meaning his stress couldn't forcibly rise to 100 points.

At the same time, virtue would increase Germain's critical hit rate, giving him more opportunities to relieve stress through critical hits.

Although the chances of virtue were lower than torment, it was worth a try.

Germain decided to use this approach to gradually master Chaos Roar. Then, he would continue his battle against Netero's 100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva.

Over the next several days, Germain cycled between the purgatory of torment and the paradise of virtue, never once stopping his efforts.

In these frequent attempts, Germain succeeded only four times, while the rest were pure torment.

Even so, Germain persisted.

Even veterans like Netero, Zeno, and Silva couldn't help but feel their eyelids twitch as they watched Germain torture himself, trying to find a path of hope in the madness.

His body endured the relentless blows of Netero's 100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva, protected by his unique constitution and the Great Lake Rune.

Mentally, however, his only defense was his sheer rationality.

Knowing it was a nightmare, knowing the pain would keep him awake, he still pressed on. He cleverly devised a way to use the "Sleeping Maiden" card to substitute for his sleep, avoiding yet another side effect.

Germain's resilience left a deep impression on Netero, Zeno, and Silva.

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