May 13th.
The bravest warrior of the "Moose Centaur Tribe"—Scela—personally delivered an important message to the "Ancient Labyrinth Castle" along with the tribe's traveling merchants.
Everyone was eager to travel with the "Moose Centaur Tribe," so they gathered in the conference hall to discuss who would represent them.
"I'll go."
Ging, as usual, looked relaxed. He leaned back against the creaking chair, hands resting behind his head, his chin covered in the ever-present stubble he never bothered to shave.
"It's better if I take the lead this time."
Everyone turned to him, waiting for his explanation.
"If the rules of the 'Ancient Labyrinth' and the 'Gray Wasteland' also apply to the 'Steep Mountain Range,' then the 'Fissure of Ecstasy' and the 'Tongue of Theft'—which perished in March—will be reborn next month."
Bisky furrowed her brows, immediately understanding what Ging meant.
"That would likely coincide with the timing of the 'Subhuman Alliance Pact'... If we don't eliminate them at their weakest point when they revive, they'll only become harder to defeat later."
"Exactly. I believe the best people for this expedition to the 'Steep Mountain Range' are Germain, Bisky, Morel, and Shizuku."
Everyone had witnessed how much it had cost Germain to transport so many people to the 'Steep Mountain Range' and back multiple times.
Not to mention, the repeated use of the 'Special Teleportation Lantern' could drag him into the 'Dark Space' again—something no one wanted to risk.
Given the circumstances, a four-person elite squad was the most practical choice.
So when Ging quietly suggested keeping the "Exploration Team" to just four members this time, everyone silently agreed—no objections were raised.
Meanwhile, Knuckle, Menchi, Buhara, and Sanbica volunteered to stay behind as the "Outpost Squad" stationed at the 'Ancient Labyrinth Castle.'
Germain looked at Ging. Once again, Ging had taken on the role of the bad guy for him.
Ging simply met Germain's gaze with a smirk, then continued speaking—
"Based on this process of elimination, I'm the best candidate to attend the 'Subhuman Alliance Pact Conference.'"
"As far as I know, many of the 'small Subhuman' races are unhappy with our sudden arrival and how we've firmly established ourselves here."
"Especially those 'Lizardmen' who keep trying to raid our trade routes. We've taken down quite a few of their members alongside the Moose Centaurs."
"The 'Lizardmen' have clearly violated the 'Subhuman Alliance Pact,' yet they haven't faced any consequences. That just proves how corrupt the Alliance has become."
Ging clenched his fist. "I think I can make them wake up a little. This will also make it easier for us to expand our influence in the Dark Continent."
He had just recently advanced to 'Champion-Level Nen User' and was looking for the perfect target to test his intimidation power.
Of course, that wasn't his only goal.
"At the same time, I can try to connect with more 'small Subhuman' races and obtain more texts in the 'Dark Continent's native languages' from them."
"Besides that... I have my own reasons. Maybe I can even gather some information about Don Freecss from them."
"In that case," a rough voice suddenly cut in. "Ging, let me go with you."
"You?" Ging looked at Knuckle in surprise.
Knuckle, sporting his signature pompadour, sat up straight and explained:
"You need a partner, and staying here in the 'Ancient Labyrinth Castle' isn't much use to me. I might as well go with you."
He had played a major role in building the 'Ancient Labyrinth Castle,' working from dawn till dusk, hauling massive stones and logs with his bare hands.
But now that the castle was complete, Knuckle had nothing to do. Most of his time was spent wandering the forests outside the 'Ancient Labyrinth,' interacting with the wild beasts nearby.
Believe it or not, Knuckle's personality made him great friends with many gentle-natured beasts.
In this regard, he set a good example, and everyone agreed—it was better not to be surrounded by enemies in the future.
If Knuckle could identify which beasts were highly aggressive—true "ferocious types"—which ones would leave them alone if unprovoked, and which were timid and docile, it would be a huge advantage for their future activities.
In short, even in the "Ancient Labyrinth Castle," he wasn't useless. At the very least, he could document and expand the "Beast Chapter" of the New World Chronicles.
Now, however, he had an opportunity to travel far, encountering all sorts of strange and unique creatures along the way—something he was more than happy to do.
Teaming up with Ging and the centaur warrior would also be a valuable experience, helping him grow stronger.
Morel nodded approvingly. "If that's the case, I support you."
Hearing his teacher's support made Knuckle genuinely happy.
For now, he had no intention of leaving the "Dark Continent." His goal was to train himself and fulfill the duty of a Beast Hunter.
But Morel was different.
After another hunt to eliminate the two "Champion-class Mutants" in the Steep Mountain Range, he planned to return to Greed Island with Germain.
As for Knuckle and Ging, after attending the Small Subhuman Alliance Pact Conference, they likely wouldn't return to the Ancient Labyrinth until sometime between early and mid-July.
Meanwhile, Germain, Shizuku, and Morel would head back to the Ancient Labyrinth around mid-to-late June, before teleporting back to Greed Island.
This time, they were well-prepared. They had already studied the weaknesses and attack patterns of the Fissure of Ecstasy and the Tongue of Theft.
Not to mention, these creatures had only just resurrected, meaning they were at their weakest right now. The battle wouldn't take long at all.
If everything went smoothly, chances were they'd miss each other entirely.
Morel could have suggested waiting in the "Ancient Labyrinth" until Ging and Knuckle returned, meeting them once before teleporting back to "Greed Island."
However, there were two issues. First, no one knew exactly when Ging and Knuckle would return. Second, men didn't need to be so sentimental.
Even so, when they thought about it, both master and disciple felt a bit sad.
This farewell meant they wouldn't see each other again for a long time.
Because of that, Morel was even more determined to let Knuckle go. He believed his disciple was capable enough to stand on his own.
Thus, the representatives from the "Ancient Labyrinth Castle" were confirmed to be Ging and Knuckle.
The two of them followed Scela back to the Moose Centaur Tribe and would soon set off eastward.
The "Subhuman Alliance Pact" was scheduled for early June and would end by mid-June. The conference location was still quite far from here.
They needed to cross mountains and rivers to reach it, so it was best to leave as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, Germain and the others would wait quietly until early June. Then, he, Bisky, Morel, and Shizuku would form an "exploration team" and head back to the "Steep Mountain Range."
While their enemies were weak, they would strike to finish them off.
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