Hunter x Hunter : Germain Joins The Hunt

Machi went to the bathroom to wash her hands. When she returned, her hair was tied up in a ponytail, and she took a seat on the single-seater sofa beside Germain.

She crossed her right leg over her left, adjusting her purple bubble socks, then gave Germain a critical look.

"What's the deal?" she asked with an edge of curiosity, but her tone was still icy.

Germain had just had his wounds expertly stitched up. It was a decent job, but it didn't come cheap. He replied, but in a way that suggested he didn't want to go into details.

"I had an unexpected fight, but I won in the end."

That was all he said.

Machi could tell he wasn't in the mood to talk, so she just shrugged. "Right. So, do you still need more stitches in the next few days?"

"I don't think so," Germain replied.

Machi nodded and then held out her hand, palm up, to Germain. "That'll be 20 million Jenny, after the discount."

Twenty million Jenny...

Germain remembered that when Machi had to sew up Hisoka's severed arm, it cost a total of 70 million Jenny. 

Stitching a broken arm was a lot harder than just sewing up a wound, so with a discount, it was reasonable for her to charge 20 million Jenny for his injuries.

But he'd spent a lot over the past couple of months, and with another 20 million Jenny expense, his bank account would be running on fumes.

Thinking about this, he sat up and his expression grew cold. "Send me your account number. I'll transfer the money tomorrow."

Machi didn't care much about when the money came, just as long as it did. She nodded. "Fine."

"I'm outta here," Germain said as he stood up, grabbing the hunter's robe off the floor and tossing it over his shoulder as he headed for the door.

But before he left, he stopped and turned back.

Machi gave him a puzzled look. "Forget something?"

"Yeah," Germain said, pointing to the red-stained sofa and floor. "Sorry about the mess."

"Huh?" Machi frowned, not getting what he meant.

Germain nodded to her, then turned and left for good.

That was it? No "sorry for the trouble"? Just an apology for making a mess? He really was gone, leaving Machi with nothing but a bloody sofa to clean.

In the quiet hall, Machi's voice could be heard as a low murmur after a long pause.

"You're such a hypocrite... If you're really sorry, you should clean up before you leave," she said. "Whatever. I'll call room service tomorrow. It's all on his tab anyway."

Germain returned to his room and sank into a bathtub full of hot water, taking a moment to reflect on the events of the day. The heat didn't worry him, even with the wounds he'd sustained. 

Machi's "Nen Stitches" ability had already closed up his injuries, leaving them as nothing more than superficial scrapes.

As the bathroom filled with steam, the "Hunter's Badge" transformed into a set of words visible only to Germain.

First, there were the attribute points to consider. By taking down the Lord of Crows, he gained an impressive 5 points at once. 

Adding that to the points he'd accumulated from various other minor beasts, his total came to 7 points. He decided to allocate them by boosting his "Physique" from 20 to 26 and his "Vitality" from 19 to 20, prioritizing physical strength and energy reserves.

Next came his Pressure. Hunting the Lord of Crows and critical hits decreased his Pressure, but hunting beasts and his journey back from the Dark Continent increased it. 

With these fluctuations, his "pressure" now stood at 60 points. The steady increase made him uneasy.

"Critical Pressure Reduction" was proving too inconsistent. It had only happened once in over two months. Germain knew he needed to find a more reliable method to lower his Pressure.

At this point, he realized that his "Hunter's Badge" was a unique ability blending elements of "Bloodborne Curse" and "Dark Dungeon." 

He had some ideas on how to manage the Pressure, but it would take time to test them.

Additionally, Germain had a beneficial trait: "Genius," which helped him recover more quickly after treatment. With Machi's "Nen Stitches" and his enhanced physique now at 26 points, his healing rate was bound to be remarkable.

Fortunately, there were no new negative traits this time, but he did come across a new condition: "Disease Narcolepsy." As the name suggests, this meant he'd need a lot more sleep than usual.

He received two new items, 'Gift of Resentment' : a "lantern" and the "Shield of the Lord of Crows." 

With a new lantern, Germain could continue his journey to the Dark Continent, exploring further into the unknown. 

The "Shield of the Lord of Crows" was a black winged shield that he could summon at will. It was strong and resilient, offering him additional protection.

After inspecting his gains from this latest trip, Germain climbed out of the now-cold bathtub and dried off with a soft towel. As he touched his old and new wounds, each scar seemed to bring back memories of how he got them. 

Despite the early hour, none of these wounds turned into nightmares for Germain. In fact, they helped him sleep soundly, maybe thanks to a touch of narcolepsy. 

He slept until 11:40 a.m., much longer than usual, and even his alarm clock couldn't wake him up. 

Shaking off his drowsiness, Germain scratched his messy black hair and got out of bed. He stepped onto the balcony to stretch in the warm sunlight, feeling his muscles loosen as he rolled his neck and shoulders. His injuries didn't seem to restrict his movements at all.

"It seems your wounds healed quickly," came a cool voice from the neighboring balcony. It was Machi, lounging on a chair and soaking up the sun. She had a thick book open in front of her, seemingly engrossed in its contents, her legs crossed in bubble socks.

"Yeah," Germain replied, pausing for a moment before adding, "Have you had breakfast yet?"

Machi finally tore her eyes away from the medical book in her hand, raising her head to glance at Germain. She seemed a bit surprised to see him there.

"I... haven't had lunch yet," she said.

Germain nodded, a hint of concern in his expression. "Those with Nen abilities are healthier than ordinary people, but it's still important to eat regularly and keep to a routine." 

He turned away and walked back into the hallway, leaving Machi behind on the balcony. She stared at where he had disappeared, her eyebrows furrowing with mild annoyance. Then she returned to her medical book, trying to focus.

After a short while, Machi felt herself growing restless. She placed the book on her lap, grabbed the glass beside her, and took small sips of orange juice through a straw.

Germain returned to the hall, called room service for a late lunch, cleaned up, and then left the hotel room. He stepped outside, heading to a local postal service that specifically catered to Hunters through the Hunter website. 

He mailed the "Color-Changing Stone," using the address that Bisky had given him.

By the time Germain got back to the Opera Hotel, it was already past 2 p.m. The front desk clerk greeted him with enthusiasm and informed him that Machi had checked out and left earlier than planned. She hadn't stayed until the scheduled 15th as expected.

Germain pulled out his phone and saw a text message from Machi sent about 20 minutes earlier: "I'm leaving. Here's my account: XXXXXX. Contact me if anything comes up."

He replied with a simple, "Okay."

After tucking his phone back into his pocket, Germain took the receipt for Machi's room from the front desk clerk. He went quiet as he looked at the list of services and the final bill. The number at the bottom was higher than he'd expected.

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