The next morning, Gelman woke beneath the soft velvet bedding. He went straight to the bathroom to wash up, then stepped out onto the balcony and let the refreshing sea breeze wash over him.
In last night's battle, Grudge bestowal had earned him another Stat Point, and he had been forced to add one point to Spiritual Vision Pressure.
He continued putting his Stat Points into Vitality Constitution.
Vitality Constitution: 12 Stamina Aura: 12 Spiritual Vision Pressure: 13
Gelman was quite pleased that he could see his changes and progress in certain areas through the numbers.
"Knock, knock, knock."
A rhythmic tapping came from the door.
Reluctantly tearing himself away from his peaceful solitude, Gelman ambled over to open it. As expected, Biscuit was standing outside.
Biscuit reached out her white-gloved right hand and smiled. "Join me for a meal."
"Sure."
Thanks to Biscuit, Gelman had been able to stay in this ocean-view suite and enjoy a lavish breakfast for free. He had no reason to refuse her small request.
He took Biscuit's hand, and the two of them headed for the restaurant in the Luxury Hotel.
Hand in hand, they entered the opulent restaurant. Quite a few people were already there, and they looked curiously at the handsome pair of siblings.
Biscuit had meant to present herself to others with the air of a gentleman and a lady, but in practice, they looked more like a taciturn older brother dining with his clingy little sister.
Breakfast was served soon after.
Last night, Gelman had taken down four assassins with a Blunderbuss in one hand and a Meat Saw in the other. Now, it was hard to believe he was cutting bread with a fork in one hand and a knife in the other.
Biscuit took a small sip of coffee before opening the conversation.
"Sleep well last night?"
"Yeah. Thanks. I slept well," Gelman replied honestly.
"Good." Biscuit rested her hands together on the table, looking the picture of obedience. "To be honest, I'm finding that you're more and more different from what the intelligence reports and rumors say."
Gelman speared a cherry tomato with his fork and popped it into his mouth. "I just want to change."
"Change?" Biscuit rested her chin in her hands, curious as a little girl listening to a story. "Why change? What do you want to change?"
"My brief life as an assassin taught me something," Gelman explained. "There are limits to an assassin's life. I can't live just to kill people. It's too boring."
"Boring?" Biscuit took another small sip of coffee.
"Killing people for its own sake has become less and less satisfying." Gelman spoke with a mixture of truth and falsehood. "It's just a job. You can't live for work alone."
Biscuit nodded. "That makes sense. What next?"
"I thought joining the Phantom Troupe might be different. But after meeting them that night, I could tell they lived only for Meteor City. That seemed just as boring."
Only a few people knew the Phantom Troupe's history. Biscuit had never gone out of her way to investigate them, so this was the first time she'd learned that they came from Meteor City. Still, she wasn't particularly surprised.
Admiring the handsome face across the table, Biscuit began to understand what Gelman meant.
"You're looking for something new and exciting, something that can also meet your needs, and you don't want to be tied down by an organization or a group of people. Is that right?"
Gelman finished his last strip of bacon, wiped the corner of his mouth with a napkin, and looked up. "You summed it up well."
Biscuit smiled. "Then I know exactly what you're looking for."
She reached into her clothes and rummaged around for a moment before pulling out a stiff card and handing it to Gelman. "This is a Hunter License. It's obvious that this is what you want."
Gelman saw the Hunter Association's double-X mark on it.
Biscuit put the Hunter License away.
She paused, then continued. "What kind of Hunter you want to become is another matter. But a Hunter License will give you a great deal of the freedom you need."
"A Hunter License will get you the highest level of privileges. Wealth, fame, status, freedom, and all sorts of other things."
"Most importantly, no matter who you were before, that won't stop you from getting a Hunter License. And once you have one, it can't be taken away for any reason."
Gelman already knew all that.
Shalnark and Hisoka of the Phantom Troupe, as well as Illumi and Killua of the Zoldyck Family—all people from the Dark World—had obtained Hunter Licenses.
No one investigated their identities in advance and barred them from taking the exam, nor were their Hunter Licenses revoked because of who they were.
That was because Hunter Ten Commandments III clearly stated:
"A Hunter License shall not be invalidated for any reason, and no replacement license shall ever be issued for any reason."
However, the Hunter Association wouldn't let Hunters use their licenses to run amok, either. That was why there was also Hunter Ten Commandments IV.
"Hunters must not treat their fellow Hunters as prey. However, Hunters who commit heinous crimes are not protected by this rule."
There were a few other minor regulations outside the Hunter Ten Commandments, but there was no need to go through them all here.
Gelman had seen Biscuit use her Hunter License to obtain intelligence, communications, and lodging, as well as to handle the aftermath of the four assassins. He had wanted to get one for himself for a while.
He was also very interested in the Hunter Exam organized by the Hunter Association.
The format of the Hunter Exam looked remarkably similar to the Guide and Gatekeeper system for entering the Dark Continent.
Humanity had left the Dark Continent and settled in the world they now knew, but had never entirely given up on returning. They had merely put that ambition aside for the time being, for various reasons.
Did the Hunter Exam's format mean the Hunter Association was trying to give every applicant a rehearsal of the Guide and Gatekeeper system for entering the Dark Continent?
"Next year's exam is on January 7. The registration deadline is December 31 this year."
Biscuit blinked her big eyes at Gelman, who was clearly tempted.
"If you want to take it, I can help you. The exam location changes every year, but I can find out where it'll be held in advance and take you straight there."
Gelman asked in confusion, "Isn't that cheating? Won't it cause trouble for you?"
"Of course not." Biscuit smiled brightly. "It just means I'm acting as a Guide for a while and taking a promising applicant to the exam site. Do you think the Hunter Association is made up of a bunch of rigid people?"
"You're very skilled with your Nen ability, and you're good at adapting to combat on the spot. As long as you don't break the rules yourself, you should have no problem passing the Hunter Exam."
"With a Hunter License, you'll gain access to more information and resources. That'll fill in the gaps you have right now and let you act without holding back."
Gelman pondered for a moment, then looked at the blonde girl with twin tails across from him and asked again, "Why?"
"Why what?" Biscuit tilted her head, feigning confusion.
"Why are you urging me to take the Hunter Exam? Aren't you worried I'll use the Hunter License to do whatever I want?"
Biscuit shook her head and answered:
"First, you were bound to take the Hunter Exam sooner or later. Second, 'Hunter' is a neutral word. It has nothing to do with good or evil, right or wrong. Lastly..."
"Didn't you say it yourself? 'I can't live just to kill people. It's too boring.' Once you've had that thought, you can never go back to the life you used to live."
Gelman thought about it. He had to admit she was right. Once he had a Lantern that could take him back and forth to the Dark Continent at will, it would be hard to keep his sights confined to the world and life he knew.
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