"You say... what should we name our child?"
Shizuku lay nestled in Germain's arms, her voice soft.
Her hand gently stroked her belly, even though it had yet to show.
Germain thought for a moment and said, "If it's a boy, not Ludwig. If it's a girl, not Maria. Anything else is fine."
"Huh? Why? Aren't those names really pretty?"
Germain merely smiled and didn't explain further.
And truthfully, Shizuku didn't press the question either.
She simply tilted her head in that familiar way, quietly chatting with Germain, savoring these final moments of warmth before their farewell.
Now, Germain's dream had ended.
In that dream, he was still in November of the year 2000.
But once he awoke, it was already January 2001.
Germain opened his eyes and sat up in bed, only to realize he was neither on the New Continent, nor on the Transfer Base Island, and certainly not among the Gate of Limits archipelago.
Yes — the Gate of Limits was surrounded by numerous smaller islands.
One could easily call it an archipelago.
Right now, Germain was aboard the Ghost Ferry ship.
Their V6 Joint Expedition Team had left behind 800 members on the Transfer Base (Refill) Island.
Those people would completely renovate the island into a hub for future voyages to and from the Dark Continent.
The remaining members of the V6 Expedition Team had entered the Gate of Limits — and passed the trial of the Gatekeepers.
Only this time, during the final trial, the Gatekeepers didn't intervene personally.
Germain and Bisky, who had passed the test once before, were exempt from repeating it.
This time, it was Ging and Morel who took the challenge.
They did not disappoint.
A 200-member team successfully boarded the ghost ferry ship, sailing toward the shores of Mobius Lake.
They planned to disembark at the coastline nearest the ancient labyrinth.
Although they had taken a different route this time, the eccentric captain of the ghost ferry claimed the journey would still take only a single day and night.
Germain dressed himself and began pacing through the dim yet unusually spacious cabin.
The rest of the team members were either staying inside the ship's cabin or resting in the "4D Apartment."
Since Shizuku couldn't come, Knov was the most suitable Nen user for transporting supplies. Knov was the best choice, and he had willingly taken on the responsibility.
As Germain walked past the many bunk beds in the ship's cabin, he spotted Steiner tossing and turning in bed, glasses off, unable to fall asleep.
Germain understood his anxiety.
Even Bisky had used her "Magical Spa Services" ability on him several times to help him relax both physically and mentally.
But the effect was always temporary.
Soon after, Steiner would again be consumed by even greater pressure.
As an ordinary human, even with so many powerful Nen users around him, he still couldn't shake off the fear of their destination.
The Dark Continent.
He had seen too many terrifying images in books, photos, and videos—too many dangers that defied logic or prediction.
His thoughts were in conflict.
As an official from the International Permit Agency, he wanted to take part in this historic expedition.
But deep down, he was afraid.
He needed more time to overcome that fear.
Everyone was a bit worried, but they believed he would eventually adapt.
When Germain reached the edge of the cabin, he saw his disciple—Kurapika.
Thanks to his outstanding contributions in the past, Kurapika had earned a place in the V6 United Exploration Team.
Killua, Gon, and Leorio were all extremely envious.
They too had wanted to join the mission.
But Chairman Netero had ultimately rejected them.
Knov, once a mentor figure to Killua and Gon during their time on Greed Island, gave them a heartfelt pep talk filled with encouragement.
In other words, he painted a beautiful picture of the future—just enough to convince them to stay obediently on the New Continent.
"Teacher."
Kurapika had been bending over, peering through the porthole at the glowing sea beasts in the deep ocean.
Noticing Germain approaching, he straightened up.
"Nervous?"
Germain, rarely the sentimental type, asked with a rare tone of concern for his student.
When it came to caring for his disciples—Kurapika and his ward, Killua—Germain wasn't exactly a shining example, but he still did better than Ging.
So this small gesture meant a lot.
"A little."
Kurapika answered honestly.
"Now that I've been chosen as a member of the V6 Joint Exploration Team, I just hope I can be useful."
"You will be useful."
"You don't have to put too much pressure on yourself. Just focus on doing your part well. We have plenty of professional Hunters on this team—believe in the group."
Besides Steiner, the hundred-plus soldiers, researchers, and medical staff, the rest of the team were all professional Hunters recognized by the Hunter Association—each with their own specialty.
Germain, Ging, Bisky, Morel, Cheadle, Knov, Palm, Sanbica, Ginta, Menchi, Melody, Knuckle, Shoot, Kite, and of course—Kurapika.
This relatively young team already covered every aspect needed for the expedition.
Most importantly, with Germain acting as their anchor—a calm presence amid the chaos—everyone could carry out their duties with confidence and freedom.
Kurapika couldn't help but smile when he heard Germain's words of affirmation.
He had worked so hard all this time—passing the Hunter Exam, boarding the Black Whale No.1, earning the rank of One-Star Hunter.
One of his biggest motivations had always been earning Germain's recognition.
Now that he had it, it felt like the greatest reward.
Germain opened his mouth to say something more——but suddenly paused, as if sensing something.
His expression froze.
Then, without a word, he stepped up to the porthole and looked out.
Kurapika, curious at his teacher's serious expression, walked over to look as well.
Through the narrow angle of the porthole, they gazed into the depths of the ocean——and saw glowing sea beasts, flickering with light, silently swimming through the deep blue.
A sea beast with translucent skin and glowing organs lit up a small portion of the surrounding darkness.
Its eerie glow revealed strange protrusions in the deep.
Sharp spikes.
Towering, bizarre statues.
Twisted pathways.
A layout of space that defied logic.
And a massive, sprawling area far beyond the scale of any coastal fortress.
Beneath the sea, something enormous was sleeping.
"Sensei, that's not an underwater mountain range, right?" Kurapika asked in astonishment.
"No," Germain replied. "That should be... a massive city sunken beneath the sea."
"A deep-sea city lost to time—when the stars align, it shall awaken, rise to the surface, and herald the final chapter."
Germain had not only acquired this knowledge, but also unlocked a new special teleportation point—The Sunken City of the Deep Sea.
Soon, more and more people were drawn by the commotion and gathered at various portholes, peering out at the ancient, half-concealed city below.
Of them all, the most captivated were naturally the "Ruin Hunter" Ging and the "Ocean Hunter" Morel.
Ging couldn't help but marvel aloud.
"If I went to the captain right now and asked him to stop the ship... to give us a chance to explore that city... do you think we'd sound completely insane?"
"Not insane," Morel agreed with deep resonance. "The only pity is—we don't have the diving gear. Even if we did, the deep-sea pressure here would crush us."
"You're right," Ging sighed. "What a shame... What a damn shame."
*******
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