Sufficient Sleep

When Machi returned from the bathroom after washing her hands, her hair was tied back in a ponytail. She sat down on the single-seat sofa beside Gelman.

She crossed her right leg over her left, purple bubble socks stacked together, and scrutinized Gelman.

"What happened?"

Machi couldn't help her curiosity and asked, though her tone remained icy.

Machi had just perfectly stitched up the wounds on Gelman's body. It had been a transaction they'd agreed on, but it didn't feel right to dismiss her immediately, so he gave her a perfunctory answer.

"I fought an unexpected enemy, but I won in the end."

Gelman said nothing more.

Seeing this, Machi realized he didn't want to talk about it. She shrugged and didn't press him. "What now? Do you still need Nen Thread Stitching over the next few days?"

"I shouldn't need it for now," Gelman replied.

Machi nodded and held out her palm to Gelman. "Then pay up. Twenty million Jenny after the discount."

Twenty million Jenny...

Gelman remembered that Machi had charged Hisoka seventy million Jenny in total to stitch his severed arms back on.

Stitching severed arms was on an entirely different level of difficulty from stitching up wounds. With the discount, twenty million Jenny was a reasonable price.

Still, after all his major expenses over the past two months and now another twenty million Jenny, Gelman's bank account would be nearly empty.

At the thought, he sat up straight, his expression turning cool. "Send me your account number. I'll transfer the money tomorrow."

Machi didn't mind. As long as she got paid, that was all that mattered, so she nodded.

"I'm leaving."

Gelman stood up, picked up the Hunter Robe from the floor, draped it over his shoulder, and headed for the door.

Just before reaching it, he suddenly stopped and walked back.

Machi looked at him, puzzled. "Did you forget something?"

"Oh, right." Gelman pointed to the sofa and floor, stained red with blood. "Sorry for getting this place dirty."

"Huh?" Machi furrowed her brows, looking a little bewildered.

Gelman nodded to Machi, then turned around once more.

This time, he really did leave her room, closing the door behind him as he went.

Huh?

He'd said "sorry" and then just left?

After a long while, Machi's voice finally broke the silence of the lobby.

"What a hypocrite... If he were really sorry, he'd have cleaned up before leaving. Whatever. I'll call room service tomorrow and charge it to him."

Back in his own room, Gelman soaked in the bathtub, finally having time to take stock of what he'd gained this time.

He wasn't worried about soaking his wounds in hot water. Machi's Nen Thread Stitching had reduced his injuries to minor surface wounds.

Amid the steam in the bathroom, the Hunter Badge manifested text that only he could see.

First came his Stat Points.

Hunting Lord of Crows had earned him an unprecedented five points at once. Along with the points he'd gained from various beasts before, that brought his total to seven.

So he raised his Physique from 20 to 26 and his Aura from 19 to 20. He still prioritized physical strength, then Aura.

Next was his Stress.

Lord of Crows' eyeball had increased his Stress, Critical Hit had reduced it, and hunting beasts and returning from the Dark Continent had increased it again.

After all those ups and downs, his Stress had reached 60. The steadily rising number made him a little uneasy.

Critical Hit Stress Reduction was too unreliable. It had only happened once in the past two months, so Gelman needed to find another way to reduce his Stress significantly and consistently.

By now, Gelman had already realized that the Hunter Badge was a Nen ability blending elements of Bloodborne Curse and Darkest Dungeon.

He had a rough idea of what methods he could try one by one.

Besides that, Gelman had gained another positive "trait"—"Genius"—which let him recover more quickly after being treated.

Combined with Machi's Nen Thread Stitching and Gelman's current Physique of 26, his injuries would heal at a remarkably fast rate.

He hadn't gained any negative "traits" this time, but he had brought back a new element: "Disease: Narcolepsy." As the name suggested, he would need more sleep.

Finally, there was Grudge bestowal.

He had received a new Lantern and Lord of the Swarm's Shield.

The new Lantern meant Gelman could continue exploring the Dark Continent.

As for Lord of the Swarm's Shield, it was a sturdy, heavy Black Winged Shield that Gelman could summon.

After confirming all of his gains this time, both good and bad, Gelman climbed out of the now-cold bathtub and dried himself with a soft towel.

As he touched his wounds, both old and new, Gelman could almost see the moments when he'd been injured.

After three in the morning, they didn't become nightmares. Instead, Gelman slept soundly. Perhaps the "Narcolepsy" had played a part, too.

He slept from the early hours of the morning until 11:40 a.m., waking only in a daze. Even his alarm hadn't managed to rouse him.

Gelman scratched his tousled black hair, forced away his drowsiness, got out of bed, and began stretching in the sunlight on the balcony.

Basking in the gentle warmth, he rolled his neck and shoulders, then puffed out his chest and tightened his stomach. His injuries didn't hinder him at all.

"Looks like your wounds are healing quickly."

Machi's cool voice came from the balcony next door.

Gelman turned to look. She was lying on a lounge chair, sunbathing with a thick book open in her hands. She was reading intently, her legs in bubble socks crossed over each other.

"Mm." Gelman thought for a moment, then added, "Have you eaten?"

Machi finally lifted her gaze from the medical book in her hands and looked at Gelman again, a little surprised.

"I... haven't had lunch yet."

Gelman nodded and reminded her, "Nenh users are much healthier than ordinary people, but you should still eat on time and make it a habit."

After showing Machi a little concern, he turned and walked back inside.

Machi watched the young man disappear from the neighboring balcony. She stared blankly for a moment, a little flustered, then furrowed her brows in irritation and lowered her head to continue reading her medical book.

But after a while, she grew impatient, too. She closed the book against her knees, picked up the glass beside her, and sipped orange juice through a straw.

Gelman returned to the lobby, called room service, and enjoyed a decent lunch. Then he got ready and left the room.

He went outside the Opera Hotel and used the Hunter website to find a local courier company that specialized in serving Hunters. He sent off the Vermillion Bug's Chameleon Stone.

The delivery address was the one Biscuit had given him earlier.

Gelman returned to the Opera Hotel a little after two in the afternoon.

The receptionist eagerly informed him that Machi had checked out and left. She hadn't waited until the 15th as planned.

Gelman took out his phone and, sure enough, saw a Text Message Machi had sent twenty minutes earlier: "I'm gone. My account number is XXXXXX. Contact me if you need anything."

"Okay," Gelman replied with a single word.

After putting his phone away, Gelman took the bill for Machi's room from the receptionist. He looked over the long list of services and the total at the bottom, then fell silent.