Chapter 312 : Exorcism!!

Knock, knock, knock—

The urgent knocking on the door jolted Germain awake from his sleep.

In his arms, Shizuku stirred slightly, shifting closer to him, but she didn't open her eyes.

Germain turned to look at the nightstand. The digital clock read 8:34 AM.

It's this late already?

He had to admit—he'd been slacking off a bit lately.

Back then, he would've already been up by now, starting his daily training.

But now, the moment he so much as moved, trying to get out of bed, Shizuku would latch onto him like an octopus, pulling him back into the warmth of the blankets, gradually eroding his will to wake up.

Seriously, there's no way out of this.

Knock, knock, knock—

The urgent knocking came again.

Germain could tell—the person outside was knocking on the door across the hall from his own, not Shizuku's room.

Which meant—whoever it was had come looking for him.

Sure enough, a familiar voice mumbled from outside.

"Germain's not in his room? Weird… I haven't been able to find him in the mornings lately."

That was Knuckle's voice. He sounded puzzled.

"Maybe he got up early to train somewhere in Greed Island."

The one answering him—without a doubt—was his now-recovered partner, Shoot.

"If he was training, why wouldn't he call me along? We could learn from each other… I also wanted to ask him a few things about the Dark Continent."

"Training in Nen is a personal matter. We shouldn't interrupt him. Don't forget—Germain is the one most likely to surpass Chairman Netero. Even wasting a second of his time would be a crime."

They still didn't realize that Germain had already surpassed Chairman Netero in terms of strength.

But even if they knew, Shoot's words weren't wrong.

After all, when it came to reputation, connections, and experience, Germain was no match for Netero, who had accumulated decades of history.

"Alright, alright. But once the training is over, I need him to answer a few questions. Honestly, just looking at those documents makes me itch to explore the 'Dark Continent'..."

"No need to rush. Germain said that Ging and Bisky have already established a base over there. We'll probably all have a chance to go in the future."

"Speaking of which, Shoot, do you even dare to go?"

"Of course I... probably do?"

"Hahaha..."

As Knuckle and Shoot chatted, they walked further away. Soon, their footsteps faded into the corridor.

Germain couldn't help but show a hint of embarrassment.

Sorry… The man you all have high hopes for is still lying in bed—not in his own room, though.

But when he lowered his head and saw Shizuku sleeping soundly, he felt it was worth it.

There are always some people who make it worth pausing for a moment.

Still, after lingering this long, it was probably time to get up.

He sat up, but the movement seemed to annoy Shizuku.

She furrowed her brows, narrowed her eyes, and held onto Germain even tighter—intentionally or not, she even applied a joint lock.

Germain whispered softly in her ear, offering a few words of comfort. Only then did her expression relax slightly.

He made a few more promises to her, and finally, Shizuku loosened her grip, allowing him to slip out of the covers.

After washing up, Germain stepped out of the bathroom to find that Shizuku had also gotten out of bed.

She sat on the edge of the bed, completely bare, rubbing her sleepy eyes. Her bare feet rested lazily on the soft carpet, crossed casually.

Like a flawless gemstone, she seemed almost translucent, or like a woman stepping out of an oil painting—elegant yet alluring.

Shizuku opened one eye and, noticing Germain's presence, finally became aware of her own state. A faint shyness surfaced as she lightly covered herself with her hands.

But her hands barely covered anything, making the moment even more suggestive.

Realizing this, she seemed to give up, stretching out her arms instead.

"Come hold me..."

She spoke like a spoiled child, reaching for Germain's embrace.

Germain whispered in her ear again, his voice soft and coaxing.

"We need to get up. I promise, I'll spend more time with you tonight."

"Mm..."

Shizuku closed her eyes again, whether as an agreement or just a sleepy murmur—she simply basked in the warmth of the moment.

At last, with her permission, Germain left the room and leisurely made his way downstairs.

Today, he had two things to do, and these two things were deeply intertwined.

First, he needed to find two "Exorcists"—Abengane and "Bunny Girl" Hina—to remove a curse from himself.

No mistakes were allowed—everything had to be done precisely.

This step actually went smoothly. Both Exorcists were willing—at least, on the surface, they seemed willing.

The number of "Exorcists" was extremely small, and they were also very good at hiding themselves. This was why even the Hunter Association only had one officially registered "Exorcist."

Note: In Chapter 325 of the manga ("Joining the Battle"), it's mentioned that the Hunter Association has only one Exorcist. This refers to the officially registered one and does not include Abengane.

Because of various concerns, "Exorcists" were always very cautious when using Nen, doing their best to avoid exposing themselves to prevent potential danger.

If not for his "Third Eye," Germain wouldn't have been able to locate the hidden Abengane so quickly.

But in any case, both of these summoned "Exorcists" were willing to help Germain remove his curse. That was all that mattered.

The process went smoothly, and the results were excellent.

Abengane was in top form today, performing beyond expectations once again.

His ability, Spirit of the Forest, removed two negative traits from Germain—"Shoulder Injury" and "Perfectionism."

Abengane was delighted by this. He felt that he had finally grasped the key to improving his ability.

Germain was quite pleased as well. Without his "Shoulder Injury," Shizuku would have to face him at full strength tonight.

Hina removed Germain's "Passionatee," but there was a price. Because of her ability, she would have to maintain a "pregnant" state for a while.

Germain granted her what could be considered "maternity leave," with full salary, benefits, and bonuses included.

Abengane had been busier than usual during this time since no one could take over his shift.

After completing the "Exorcism," Germain moved on to his second task.

He found Melody, and at that moment, both Kurapika and Komugi happened to be there as well.

Komugi had been feeling down ever since arriving on "Greed Island" because she had lost her best chess partner.

This continued until the appearance of beta testers, which brought her some relief.

To complete a side quest, players had no choice but to play a tense and exciting game of "Gungi" against the blind girl.

The goal of the quest wasn't to defeat the "world champion" but simply to last as long as possible without being instantly wiped out.

The more moves a player managed to make, the better the rewards they received at the end.

Over time, some players started challenging her not for the quest but simply to try and surpass her, often playing for an entire day.

Komugi was grateful for this, but no one could ever replace the "Supreme Leader Diego." No one could surpass a dead man.

Melody, using her ability to hear emotions, sensed Komugi's pure-hearted sorrow and would occasionally visit to play a flute solo, soothing her heart.

Since Kurapika and Melody were both companions and friends, he would naturally accompany her during these visits.

Komugi was deeply touched by their kindness.

When Germain arrived, Melody had just finished her flute solo.

Kurapika clapped softly, while Komugi clapped enthusiastically.

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