Hunter x Hunter : Germain Joins The Hunt

September 17th—eight days left until the planned departure.

The afternoon sky suddenly turned dark, followed by heavy rain pouring relentlessly onto the land.

Soon after, the weather cleared up, and the sun shone brightly. The downpour vanished as quickly as it had come, like a passing breeze.

In reality, this rainstorm was not a coincidence; it was arranged by the Greed Island management team.

It was clear that the island's climate was under their control.

The harsh cold and heat, the four seasons outside—none could easily affect this protected island.

Germain, Ging, Bisky, and Shizuku walked out of the freshly washed Limeiro Castle together.

They stepped onto the wet grass, their footsteps making a squelching sound as if treading on a soft green carpet.

With the team members confirmed for the upcoming mission, the four decided to engage in daily training sessions. These exercises would help them familiarize themselves with each other's Nen abilities and develop combat synergy.

Germain was the first to announce his Nen abilities and current state.

His ability was "Conjuration Type: Hunter's Emblem / Four Attribute Nen Tank."

Both his "Physique" and "Endurance" had increased by 1 point each over the past month, reaching 88 and 94 points, respectively. His "En" radius had also expanded from 60 meters to 65 meters during training.

However, among those present, the longest En exploration radius belonged to Ging, who ranked among the top five Nen users in the Six Continent.

Germain currently had 10 types of conjured artifacts, weapons, and armor at his disposal. The most recent addition was the "Tachi: Thousand Shadows," which he acquired after participating in the battle that killed Nobunaga.

Next were his traits: 7 positive traits and 1 negative trait.

He had neither "pressure" nor "illness."

"How do your traits activate?" Ging asked curiously, hands in the pockets of his worn-out coat. "Are they triggered actively or passively?"

Germain raised his hands to show his palms as he explained.

"Both. For example, my 'Kleptomania' trait. As long as I remain aware of it and stay on guard, it won't activate."

Ging nodded in understanding. "So, in other words, if you focus on something else and forget to guard against 'Kleptomania,' there's a chance it will trigger."

Germain nodded.

He then walked toward Ging, gathering Nen in his right index and middle fingers, shaping it to resemble a dagger.

He thrust it swiftly toward Ging but stopped about half a meter away from Ging's chest.

Ging raised an eyebrow slightly but did not adopt a defensive stance; he didn't even take his hands out of his pockets.

Germain lowered his right arm.

"Most of the objects I conjured can be seen by everyone, but the 'Hunter Badge' and the projection of the 'Teleportation Lantern' can only be seen by me."

"When I had the intent to attack you just now, in the 'projection' that only I could see, among the eight types of 'traits,' only 'Warrior of Light,' 'Human Slayer,' and 'Resilient' were highlighted, while the others were dim."

"When there is ample light, 'Warrior of Light' grants me a boost. When attacking humans, 'Human Slayer' enhances my power. Regardless of the situation, 'Resilient' grants me resistance to various diseases, making me less susceptible to infections."

"Similarly, when I attack beasts, 'Beast Hunter' is highlighted. When receiving healing related to life force, 'Genius' lights up, and during psychological treatment, 'Tough' is activated."

"When light is suppressed below a certain threshold, 'Warrior of Light' dims, and 'Night Owl' takes over, enhancing my speed."

"In simple terms, these traits are 'passive' abilities, but I can manipulate conditions to make them 'active.'"

"I see. No further questions," Ging nodded. "Now, it's my turn to explain my Nen ability."

"It's called 'Hardcore Game Strategy,' and it belongs to the Enhancement type. 'Hardcore Game Strategy' enhances my learning, understanding, and use of Nen." Ging extended a finger, and the aura at its tip formed a small sphere before quickly morphing into the English name "Germain."

"That's the first part. The second is 'Game Strategy Analysis.'"

"Simply put, when you attack me, I gain 'experience points,' which I can use to 'analyze' your 'skills' and learn their principles."

"Theoretically, I can analyze the principles of the other five types of Nen abilities, except for Specialization. The simpler and more direct an 'offensive' technique is, the quicker I can learn it."

"Since my main type is Enhancement, with secondary types being Emission and Transmutation, I'm naturally more aligned with direct 'offensive' techniques."

Germain roughly understood. Ging was somewhat similar to other Enhancers like Palm and Komugi, especially the latter.

Note: Komugi is the girl who played military chess and defeated the Ant King while sniffling.

Bisky crossed her arms, blinked her big eyes, and after thinking for a moment, asked, "If I use Shingen-ryu martial arts to attack you, would you be able to analyze my Magical Beautician Miss Cookie ability?"

"I can't. I can only understand the principles of 'Shingen-ryu Martial Arts' and use them for myself," Ging replied.

"What about when Shizuku hits you with her 'Blinky'?" Bisky pointed at the short-haired young woman nearby, then at Germain. "Or if Germain slashes you with his 'Cleaver'?"

Ging shook his head.

"They're both Conjurers, which are separated from Enhancers by the Manipulation type."

"After analyzing them, I can use my nen to conjure 'Cleaver' and 'Blinky,' but they would only look real and not have much practical use. At most, they could confuse an enemy."

"So, Specialists are the hardest for you to analyze?" Bisky asked again.

Ging nodded. "Yes. As everyone knows, Specialists can't be directly categorized under the other five main types of 'nen abilities.'"

"For example, Sheila's 'Accumulated Good Fortune'—even if she attacked me, I couldn't analyze her 'nen ability' because it's too abstract."

Germain couldn't help but think of three other Specialist nen users: Chrollo, Pakunoda, and Alluka Zoldyck.

Note: Alluka Zoldyck is confirmed to be a Specialist in Togashi's character notes, likely due to her connection with Nanika.

Chrollo steals abilities, Pakunoda requires touch, and Alluka grants wishes—none of them involve direct attacks, so Ging's 'Hardcore Game Strategy' can't analyze them.

Specialists are truly the furthest from Enhancers, almost like natural enemies.

On the other hand, for Enhancers like Chairman Netero, Emitters like Zeno, and Transmuters like Hisoka, Ging's 'Hardcore Game Strategy' works perfectly. It's almost like being at home.

"But..." Ging suddenly changed the topic. "I think there's one situation where I could perfectly replicate another's nen ability, no matter the type, without any flaws."

Everyone looked at him curiously.

He took his hands out of his pockets, crossed them behind his head, and flashed a mischievous smile.

"As long as I die under someone's nen attack, with enough resentment, I could fully analyze their ability."

Germain and Bisky exchanged glances and dismissed the idea.

But Shizuku, after thinking seriously for a moment, asked, "So, how would you come back to life?"

Ging was taken aback. He only mentioned the possibility as a joke and didn't expect someone to take it so seriously, leaving him momentarily speechless.

"Shizuku, he's joking," Bisky said with a laugh.

"Oh, I see. I thought he might have an extra life like in a game." Shizuku shook her head, looking a bit disappointed.

Ging shook his head and said with a playful tone, "Sorry, but I don't have an extra life."

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