Chapter 54: Invitation, Refusal

"Travels in the New Continent: East, a [Phantom Book] published three hundred years ago."

Hyser picked up the book and sat down on the sofa. "All genuine copies have been collected and sealed by V5 now; you simply can't buy one on the open market."

This book recorded the bizarre beasts and various incredible artifacts of the Dark Continent, making it a true [Phantom Book]. At the same time, it was a book of rarities compiled by Freecss's ancestor, Don Freecss.

Ging also sat on the opposite sofa, his tone proud: "This is the original version, one of the first two hundred copies ever printed. It's yours."

Hyser nodded in thanks, placed it in the bag alongside the comic books he had bought earlier, and then looked at Ging. He knew that the other man bringing him here couldn't simply be to gift a book and make a friend.

Ging leaned forward slightly on the sofa, his expression earnest: "Though it's presumptuous, I want to see that legendary [Sword of Fire] with my own eyes."

Hyser fell silent for a moment, then extended his right hand. As Nen transformed into golden flames, the exquisitely crafted golden cruciform sword, "Absolute Authority," appeared in his hand.

Ging leaned forward even further, the brilliant flame casting a glow in his pupils, as if igniting his hope.

"It's that... It's the real deal! The true [Absolute Authority]!"

With great cleverness, he did not reach out to touch the blade. For one, casually touching the weapon of a Conjuration or Manipulation-type user was extremely impolite and could even be seen as a provocation and a declaration of war. Secondly, based on previous intelligence and deductions from myths and legends, Ging knew very well that anyone who was not a sword-bearer recognized by Absolute Authority would, upon touching the blade, immediately have all their supernatural items and the majority of the Nen in their body incinerated. Only ordinary people who had not opened their aura nodes could touch it relatively safely.

Ging let out a breath and leaned back against the sofa cushion: "Was it battered and broken when you first saw it?"

"Sounds like you were at the excavation site back then." Hyser instantly understood the implication in Ging's words.

"I used a friend's [Makeup Technique] to sneak into Satz's ruin excavation team. He didn't recognize me."

Ging curled his lip noncommittally.

"I was right there at the scene when this sword was unearthed, and to be frank, I was very disappointed at the time. Including this one, the four ancient artifacts unearthed nowadays have all lost their supernatural abilities, turning into ordinary, battered ancient cultural relics. This was of no help at all to my [Journey to the Dark Continent]."

"But two months ago, I heard a rumor in the black market: '[Someone has acquired the Sword of Fire, and its power is as mighty as legend says].' At the time, I scoffed at this information; after all, I had seen the state of the Sword of Fire with my own eyes when it was unearthed, and I could safely conclude that it was beyond saving."

"However, more and more intelligence gathered, indicating that the [Sword of Fire] had indeed been resurrected. My interest was piqued, and I started tracking your whereabouts. It wasn't until yesterday that I got concrete news of your appearance in Yorknew City. Since I happened to be nearby, I came over. Seeing you, and seeing this resurrected Sword of Fire, I can be certain I haven't looked for the wrong person."

"So?" Hyser tilted his head after listening to Ging's lengthy exposition.

Ging suddenly stood up, his gaze burning: "Let's cooperate, Hyser! Let us go to the [Dark Continent] together!"

Ah, the other party had set their sights on Absolute Authority's ultra-powerful lethality against the bizarre beasts and Nen of the Dark Continent, and it could also serve as the perfect tool for exorcising Nen when necessary.

Hyser was not the kind of hot-headed novice to get fired up by a bit of sweet talk. He leaned back against the sofa cushion, resting his arms on the armrests, his tone lazy:

"[Permission], [Means], [Qualifications], [Contract]—which of these have you secured?"

"You really do know the ins and outs of the Dark Continent!"

Ging felt more and more that Hyser was the ideal partner for cooperation, but facing Hyser's questions, he scratched his head with a trace of embarrassment:

"I haven't obtained a single one, but I don't feel rushed, because I'm enjoying the process."

"Huh?" Hyser was completely baffled.

"Tch, I mean, both the scenery of the journey and the destination are very important."

Ging scratched his cheek, looking somewhat shy. Although this man was one of the world's top five Nen users, a recognized troublemaker who loved to stir up chaos, and an unrestrained wanderer, he was also an uncle who was prone to shyness, somewhat introverted, and stage-frightened. Only when encountering things that interested him or serious matters would he become exceptionally earnest.

Hyser nodded, indicating that he understood Ging's meaning: "You don't want to leave any of it behind; you want to enjoy the fun of the 'journey' while ultimately reaching the 'destination' perfectly. A very greedy person. But since you possess [Strength] and [Wisdom], being a little greedy and a little willful at times is understandable, right?"

Of course it was understandable, because Hyser himself was such a person.

Ging immediately took on the look of someone who had found a kindred spirit: "Yes! Exactly! Hyser, you and I will surely be the best partners! With your help, heading to the Dark Continent will only take three... no, one year! A year from now, we can set sail for the Dark Continent."

The daydream was wonderful, but Hyser timely stopped Ging's train of thought.

"Although I appreciate your invitation, I'm afraid the two of us are not traveling the same path."

"...How so?" Ging sat back down on the sofa.

"I will go to the Dark Continent, but not now, nor next year, the year after, or on any fixed date, but rather when I truly become universally recognized as the [Strongest Nen User in the World]."

Hyser didn't feel at all how whimsical his words sounded to anyone listening:

"The [Dark Continent] is not my 'destination,' but rather a 'means' to achieve my goal—one of the alternative 'means.' If it truly comes to that, becoming the [Strongest Nen User in the World] is an indispensable condition. Ging Freecss, as a member of the Chairman's [Zodiacs], would you really stand by and watch me snatch the crown of the world's number one from Isaac Netero?"

Ging listened seriously to Hyser's wild declaration, blinked, and after a long while, let out a long breath, scratched his head, and said:

"Well, it's rare to run into someone who strikes my fancy, but I didn't expect we still couldn't be teammates. I understand what you mean, but if you haven't changed your mind before I'm ready to set off for the Dark Continent, please give me another chance to invite you. No matter what, I truly hope to explore the Dark Continent alongside a like-minded partner."

With that, he stood up and extended his right hand to Hyser: "To be honest, if possible, I'd also like to see the old man get beaten up. Sometimes he's really super annoying."

Hyser stood up, shook his hand, and pumped it: "When it comes to that, it will only be a friendly sparring match that stops before going too far. 'Those Vanishing Legendary Divine Weapons' was written in a captivating and wonderful way; have you considered changing careers?"

"Haha, I'll pass on that. I prefer excavating ruins and searching for exotic beasts."

Ging laughed heartily.

After leaving "Memory Story," the two exchanged mobile phone numbers and parted ways, both harboring a premonition that they would definitely meet again in the future.

Stepping back into the bustling, noisy open-air market auction, Hyser stretched lazily.

Time was tight. He needed to specifically train his Nen abilities, practice martial arts, and read extensively to prepare for going to the Dark Continent. Excellent, starting tomorrow!

And then, time flew by in an instant.

January 7, 2000, the Republic of Padokea.

The 288th Hunter Exam was about to begin!