Chapter Summaries

Chairman Netero briefed Gelman on the V6’s growing presence in the fortress and the cover story for their discoveries. Gelman reviewed the fighters Kite and Izunabi had brought back, including Basho and Feitan.

• Gelman told Chairman Netero that Ging and Gon had reconciled and that their friends had stood up for Gon.
• Chairman Netero explained that the V6 controlled most of the fortress and wanted to meet Gelman about the All-Curing Herb and Greed Dragon Crystal.
• Chairman Netero told Gelman to coordinate his account with Biscuit and Morel before speaking with the V6 representative.
• Chairman Netero showed Gelman profiles of the fighters Kite and Izunabi had brought back.
• Gelman recognized Basho and Feitan and recalled that they had once served the Nostra Family in another timeline.

Chairman Netero, Gelman, Shizuku, Biscuit, and Morel attended a V6 gala that celebrated the return of the Coastal Fortress’s wealthy elite and reaffirmed their status. Shutaner arrived and confronted the astonishing reality that Gelman and the others had brought back the All-Curing Herb and the Greed Dragon Crystal.

• Chairman Netero presented V6 soldiers with the gala invitation, and he and the others passed three rounds of inspections before entering.
• Morel complained that the inspections were ineffective against strong Nen users, while Biscuit explained that V6 was trying to reassure the wealthy.
• Chairman Netero and his companions entered the gala and saw nobles and wealthy guests reclaiming their former confidence under V6 rule.
• Biscuit remarked that the upper-class guests were choosing sides, and Chairman Netero said he had never sought their support.
• Shutaner greeted the group, marveled at Gelman and the others for bringing back the All-Curing Herb and the Greed Dragon Crystal, and realized he did not understand the changing world of Nen users.

At a banquet celebrating the arrival of General Mike’s fleet, Gelman heard Mike’s private thoughts and realized he intended to claim credit for others’ work. After Mike asked whether Gelman was stronger than Netero, he said he wanted to see Gelman’s abilities for himself.

• Shutaner introduced Gelman and the others to General Mike, Princess Oito, and the other guests at the banquet.
• Gelman and his companions left Mike’s circle to eat and talk, and Netero explained that he planned to avoid unnecessary action while continuing his duties.
• After the banquet, Mike brought Gelman and the others to his office and praised their efforts while promising to report their achievements to V6.
• Gelman heard Mike’s thoughts and learned that Mike planned to exaggerate his own role and take credit for Netero’s work and the recovery of “Hope.”
• Mike asked Netero whether Gelman had resolved the Great Chaos and retrieved “Hope,” then said he wanted to see Gelman’s strength for himself.

Gelman fought Morton in a military test arranged by General Mike and overwhelmed him with a terrifying surge of Nen, leaving most of the soldiers unconscious. He spared Morton and declared victory after counting down.

• General Mike introduced Morton as Gelman's opponent and set the rules for the fight.
• Netero told Gelman to injure Morton severely without killing him, while Biscuit urged him to teach Morton a lesson.
• Morton taunted Gelman and hurled his flail at him, but Gelman smashed its iron ball with a casual punch.
• Gelman unleashed overwhelming malice that paralyzed Morton and caused most of the soldiers to collapse.
• Gelman summoned a Meat Saw and struck Morton's helmet, then counted down as Morton fell and lost the fight.

General Mike and his soldiers returned to the fortress shaken by Gelman’s overwhelming Nen, while Gelman’s companions laughed about the encounter. Back at the Hunter Association’s section, Gelman showed Biscuit the finished Greed Dragon Crystal and considered when to use it with Shizuku.

• General Mike recalled how Gelman had overwhelmed the soldiers, then angrily threw down his trembling hand’s corncob pipe.
• Biscuit, Morel, Netero, Gelman, and the others laughed repeatedly on their ride back, while Shutaner admitted that fear had made his legs shake and decided to remain neutral.
• The group returned to the Coastal Fortress, said goodbye to General Mike and Shutaner, and went their separate ways inside the Hunter Association’s section.
• Biscuit privately asked Gelman about the Greed Dragon Crystal, and he showed her the finished item made by Doon and the others.
• Biscuit praised the crystal and asked when Gelman planned to use it; Gelman looked toward Shizuku and said he felt he could do it anytime.

General Mike announced plans to return some passengers to Bu You Island, build settlements, recruit mercenaries, and conquer the New Continent island, while Gelman and Shizuku shared a quiet dinner. Gelman proposed marriage to Shizuku, who was left holding Evil Tenderfoot as he presented her with two rings.

• General Mike announced plans to send a fleet to Bu You Island, build towns and roads, recruit civilian mercenaries, and conquer the New Continent island.
• Princess Oito chose to remain with the people on the New Continent rather than return to the Kakin Empire.
• The fleet departed the Coastal Fortress, secretly carrying Hope toward Bu You Island.
• Gelman and Shizuku ate dinner alone in the cafeteria, and Shizuku wondered if everyone had gone to a different cafeteria.
• The lights went out, and Gelman knelt before Shizuku with a pair of rings and asked her to marry him.

Gelman proposed to Shizuku with Greed Dragon Crystal rings, and she accepted. They celebrated with friends and agreed to discuss marrying on August 6, 2000, the Qixi Festival.

• Gelman offered Shizuku a ring, and she accepted as he placed it on her finger and wore its matching ring.
• The Greed Dragon Crystal rings glowed when brought together, revealing that they contained paired Promise Rubies.
• Biscuit and the Hunter Association members came out of hiding and congratulated Gelman and Shizuku.
• Gon, Killua, Leorio, and Kurapika celebrated the engagement with confetti cannons.
• Gelman told Chairman Netero that he and Shizuku were considering August 6, 2000, for their wedding.

General Mike’s campaign to conquer the New Continent bogged down against the Magic Beasts, while the Hunter Association pursued cooperation rather than extermination. As Mike sought help from the rear, Gelman and Shizuku married on August 6.

• V6 praised General Mike and the Hunter Association’s achievements, approved Mike’s plans, and promised reinforcements for his New Continent campaign.
• General Mike’s army advanced from the Coastal Fortress but suffered casualties and supply problems as Magic Beasts resisted and harried its camps.
• The Hunter Association focused on building settlements and transport links and cooperating with Magic Beast tribes, while Netero refused to support indiscriminate extermination.
• Gelman secretly trained with the Hunter Association’s core members and collected six Teleport Lanterns after the Calamities revived.
• In early August, General Mike called the rear headquarters for help but learned Netero had gone to a wedding; after hearing Gelman and Shizuku were marrying, he sent his congratulations.
• Gelman and Shizuku married on August 6, with major Hunter Association figures attending and offering their blessings.

Gelman learned that a curse had incapacitated General Mike and other officers, leaving the front line in chaos after a coordinated Magic Beast attack. As BW2 arrived with the V6’s second wave of reinforcements, Gelman agreed to target the Magic Beast responsible for the curse while Chairman Netero worked to regroup the army.

• Chairman Netero told Gelman that General Mike had been found unconscious on a stretcher with no visible injuries.
• Chairman Netero explained that a curse had put General Mike and other officers into comas, allowing the Magic Beasts to rout the army and divide the front line.
• Gelman agreed to subdue or kill the Magic Beast with the curse-type Nen ability.
• Gelman and Chairman Netero spotted BW2 arriving with a fleet of airships and more than fifty thousand reinforcements.
• Chairman Netero planned to negotiate with BW2’s officers and regroup the remnants while Gelman’s team went ahead to target the enemy leaders.

General Mike awoke after Nen Exorcist Maclenn sacrificed his life to lift the curse, then learned that his frontline army had collapsed and his remaining forces were stranded. With Magic Beasts closing in and Gelman Squad still somewhere on its way, Mike ordered his soldiers to break through.

• General Mike woke in a cave and learned that Maclenn had died removing the curse that nearly killed him.
• A staff officer told Mike that the cursed deaths of key commanders had plunged the frontline army into chaos, leaving Mike and a handful of survivors isolated.
• Mike learned that the birds controlled by Koukou had been killed, though one had carried a message saying Gelman Squad was on its way.
• Magic Beasts surrounded the cave, and Mike ordered his remaining soldiers to break through.

General Mike’s forces were overrun in the cave, and despairing, he nearly killed himself before Gelman arrived and rescued him. Outside, Gelman’s overwhelming malice broke the mental defenses of every living thing nearby, leaving them tormented and marked with Dark Crowns.

• General Mike recognized the one-eyed giant as a Magic Beast that had cursed him during an earlier raid, while its beasts killed his soldiers and aide.
• General Mike put a pistol in his mouth, but Gelman cleaved the giant in half and stopped him from committing suicide.
• Gelman led the sole surviving General Mike out of the cave as Magic Beasts gathered to attack them.
• Gelman unleashed and immediately suppressed his malice, terrifying the Magic Beasts and General Mike.
• Dark Crowns appeared above every living thing present as Gelman’s malice shattered their mental defenses and plunged them into torment.

Gelman’s squad rescued General Mike and returned him to human territory, leaving Chairman Netero and Vice Admiral Pier to manage the aftermath of the failed campaign. As the humans and Magic Beasts both sought an end to the war, negotiations began over a withdrawal and the recovery of human casualties.

• Melody played her flute to stabilize General Mike, whose Dark Crown and mental exhaustion left him unconscious.
• Pam located Chairman Netero’s reinforcements, and Gelman’s squad left the front after completing its rescue mission.
• Chairman Netero ordered Gelman’s squad to escort General Mike to the Coastal Fortress while he and Vice Admiral Pier stayed to gather the scattered troops.
• Gelman’s squad brought General Mike to the Coastal Fortress, where V6 doctors continued his treatment.
• Piyou compiled language data, allowing Chairman Netero and Vice Admiral Pier to ask the Magic Beasts for safe passage to recover human dead and wounded as humans withdrew to their settlements.

Gelman learned that Shizuku was pregnant, and the news brought a stream of visitors to the Coastal Fortress. Ging then shared that Doon and List were close to completing a teleportation connection between the Six Continents and the New Continent.

• Gelman found Shizuku vomiting and suspected she was pregnant, so he carried her to the medical center.
• Shubika confirmed that Shizuku was a little over a month pregnant, and news spread through the Coastal Fortress.
• Biscuit and many other acquaintances visited Shizuku, while Kurapika, Killua, Gon, and Leorio screened visitors in the corridor.
• Vice Admiral Pier and Chairman Netero continued managing affairs as General Mike withdrew from public duties, while efforts to ease tensions between humans and Magic Beasts continued.
• Ging visited Gelman and Shizuku and reported that Doon and List were preparing to connect Bu You Island with the New Continent, enabling more stable teleportation between the Six Continents and the New Continent.

List successfully tested a teleportation connection by sending an apple that returned with Doon's message, while Gelman agreed to lead V6's expedition to the Ancient Labyrinth. After training and preparing their base, the V6 Joint Exploration Team departed from the New Continent in mid-November.

• List sent an apple through the energy sphere, and it returned intact with Doon's message, “W→D.”
• Chairman Netero told Gelman that V6 had ordered an expedition to occupy the Ancient Labyrinth, and Gelman agreed to lead it while Shizuku stayed behind.
• Chairman Netero said Shutaner and Hunter Association members would join the expedition, while he remained on the New Continent.
• Gelman and the Hunter Association's core members trained with the Teleport Lanterns, gained six more lanterns, and gathered fresh “Hopes.”
• Gelman and the others disguised the Ancient Labyrinth Castle by removing modern equipment.
• The fully prepared V6 Joint Exploration Team set out from the New Continent in mid-November.

Gelman and the V6 joint exploration team traveled aboard the Ferry Ghost Ship toward Lake Möbius, where they discovered an ancient city sunk beneath the sea. Gelman gained a new Teleportation Point, Deep Sea City, while the expedition continued toward the Ancient Labyrinth.

• Gelman woke from a dream of Shizuku and learned it was January 2001, then realized he was aboard the Ferry Ghost Ship with the V6 joint exploration team.
• Gelman found Shutaner struggling with fear about the Dark Continent and reassured Kurapika, who hoped to contribute to the expedition.
• Gelman and Kurapika spotted a vast, ancient city on the ocean floor through a porthole, its strange structures illuminated by glowing sea beasts.
• Gelman identified the submerged ruins as Deep Sea City and gained it as a new special Teleportation Point.
• Ging and Morel wished they could stop the ship and explore the city, but they lacked the means to dive safely.

The exploration team landed on the Dark Continent after the Ferry Ghost Ship brought them ashore, and Gelman’s group began organizing their expedition. The team encountered the continent’s dense Nen Energy and immense wildlife before reaching its first campsite.

• Jin asked the Ferry Ghost Ship’s captain about reaching the underwater city called “God’s Dwelling,” and the captain warned that only the Gatekeeper could enter and leave it freely.
• The Ferry Ghost Ship brought the exploration team to the Dark Continent, where its captain gave Gelman an empty conch shell before departing.
• Gido briefed the team on staying together, and Shutaner explained that he would observe the expedition without interfering in professional work.
• Shubika found that dense Nen Energy was making some team members feel unwell, so they rested in Nobunaga’s “Four-Dimensional Apartment” while others continued ahead.
• Hunters including Koukou, Geru, Shubika, Menchi, Knuckle, Shoto, and Kite began collecting specimens and surveying the continent’s creatures and plants.
• The team reached its first campsite in the forest at 2:56 p.m. on January 17, 2001.

Gelman’s expedition discovered that the tribes they expected to visit had been destroyed, and he used his Hunter Badge to inspect the Ancient Labyrinth. There he saw Don and the gathered Demi-humans preparing for a massive invasion of Flesh Monsters, leaving him to understand the labyrinth’s role in the ancient war against the God of Flesh.

• Gelman’s expedition spent a night in the forest, recovered from the Nen Energy, and continued toward the Ancient Labyrinth with no deaths.
• Gelman and the others found the first tribe’s settlement ruined and its Demi-human residents gone.
• Gelman told Ging that the Flesh Monsters had invaded and assimilated the settlement’s inhabitants.
• Gelman used his Hunter Badge to see Don Freecss atop the Ancient Labyrinth Tower, and Don pointed out the Demi-humans gathered below.
• Gelman saw the Flesh Monsters attacking the Plant Weapon Gold Silver Ingot around the blood sea and watched the sea dissolve any monsters that fell into it.
• Gelman realized the Ancient Labyrinth had been built as a trap and natural enemy for the Flesh Monsters, and understood why Don and the Demi-humans had gathered there.

East Don recorded that his curse was worsening as Scylla warned him that the besieged Demi-humans were running out of supplies and losing trust. Don revealed that a Prophet and two powerful monsters were behind the danger, but before the person he awaited arrived, four enemies launched an assault on the Ancient Labyrinth Castle.

• East Don wrote that his curse was consuming more of his time and that he was waiting for someone before his mission would be complete.
• Scylla told Don that the Moose Centaur Tribe had been destroyed, supplies were dwindling, and a faction of Demi-humans wanted to break out of the siege.
• Scylla reported that a Patrol Team had been influenced by an enemy and allowed Flesh Monsters to build a stone path across the sea of blood.
• Don confirmed that a Prophet and two companions stronger than the Painful Bloodthirsty Apostle were in the Ancient Labyrinth, and said he was waiting for someone.
• Four enemies arrived and began an all-out assault, using stone pillars to make a bridge as Flesh Monsters surged toward the castle.

Dong defended the Demi-humans at the Ancient Labyrinth Castle as the Lord of the Undead, the Prophet of Lies, the Old Witch, and the Sixteen Pound Cannon attacked. After rescuing Scylla and drawing the four Greater Species’ attention, Dong looked toward a black speck racing across the horizon.

• Mshihah and Chichol fought Flesh Monsters and blue-glowing undead until Dong identified them as Evil Spirit Undead that their weapons could not harm.
• The Lord of the Undead summoned more undead and overwhelmed the Demi-humans with fear, but Dong countered his pressure and wrote the undead into scattered bones.
• The Prophet of Lies drove Demi-humans to attack their comrades and sent stone pillars crashing toward Dong, who destroyed them with his ancient book.
• The Old Witch threw Scylla into a boiling pot, while the Sixteen Pound Cannon blasted through the castle wall and buried Chichol and Mshihah; Dong pulled Scylla free.
• The four Greater Species surrounded Dong, who spotted a black speck hurtling toward them from the horizon.

Gelman arrived during the battle and overwhelmed the Greater Species monsters with his weapons and summoned dragon. He defeated the Lord of the Undead, while the Prophet of Lies prepared an attack.

• Gelman destroyed the Sixteen Pound Cannon and received the Hunter Badge and Gu Yuan Badge rewards.
• Gelman cut off the Old Witch's hand and sent the Remains of the Dragon of the Flame Demon to attack her.
• Dong realized Gelman had become far stronger since their last meeting and saw him confront the Greater Species monsters.
• The Lord of the Undead blocked Gelman and attacked him with a tombstone and blue undead, but Gelman destroyed them with the Sacred Moonlight Sword.
• Gelman burned away the Lord of the Undead's hands and cut him in two with the Sacred Moonlight Sword.