Germain frowned. "Why?"
"The 'God of Curse of Resentment' fell in the divine war a thousand years ago. He nearly revived not long ago but was defeated by our god."
"Meanwhile, the other key figure from that thousand-year war, who has been recuperating since then, might have regained some of his divine power by now."
"It dwells deep within the west shore, but its claws will soon reach out to the east shore — this land without an owner. When that time comes, signs and omens will become more and more obvious."
"Germain, if you can pass through the 'God of Flesh and Blood' trial, then when you embark on your final journey, you will not walk alone."
"But if you fail, everything will vanish like smoke, and my words will no longer hold... We are all powerless to control fate, but there is always room for resistance."
After the Gatekeeper finished speaking, the power that had slipped into Germain's body quietly began to change.
In the palm of his hand, a new badge gradually took shape, radiating an ancient and worn aura.
Carved on the badge was a monstrous head, resembling the Gatekeeper but far more fierce.
It crouched atop a stone pillar engraved on the badge, with many eyes looking in different directions.
"The Deep Sea Badge: Within a certain range, you can summon storms and lightning, and even in the deep sea, you can breathe and move freely without any obstacles."
Only then did Germain hear the Gatekeeper say, "Go now, return to the Gate of the Deep Sea. I believe your companions are already waiting anxiously."
—
In front of the Gate of the Deep Sea.
Distant thunder rumbled, loud enough to be heard here. After a while, it gradually quieted down. No one knew what exactly had happened.
Shizuku cared for the injured Morel, but her mind had already flown to the Sea of Tempests.
She didn't think Germain would lose, but she was worried he might get injured...
Hmm... She realized she was becoming more like a normal woman, concerned about the safety of her lover.
Was this a good thing, or a bad thing?
"The fight is over." Morel suddenly said beside her.
Shizuku was stunned for a moment. She looked around but couldn't see Germain anywhere.
After a while, she realized that Morel wasn't talking about the battle between Germain and the Gatekeeper, but the fight happening right in front of them.
He had been watching the fight all along — this exciting, blood-pumping battle.
Morel's words pulled Shizuku's attention back from Germain to the fight before them.
She cared about Bisky too.
When Bisky suddenly unleashed a burst of Nen, it meant she had entered the world of Ging, Netero, and the others.
At the same time, the scales of victory completely tipped in her favor.
In her strong form, she punched again and again, as if hammering iron, hitting the shark-like creature lying on the ground.
Boom. Boom. Boom.
The ground cracked. A huge pit grew wider and deeper under her fists.
The shark beast that had once bitten her until she bled was now a bloody, mangled mess, unrecognizable and no longer arrogant.
After confirming it was dead and had faded away, Bisky slowly stood up.
She clasped her hands together, releasing her Nen, but didn't leave the pit immediately.
Instead, she stood silently, lost in thought.
She was savoring this feeling of absolute dominance.
After a while, she opened her eyes and leapt up the slope to where Morel and Shizuku stood.
She didn't change back to her small, cute form like she usually did after a fight.
Normally, she would quickly return to her adorable and beautiful appearance after a battle.
But now, she didn't feel the urgency to change.
She appreciated her current form's beauty and no longer resisted it.
"Are you alright?" Shizuku couldn't help but ask.
At this moment, Bisky was completely relaxed and natural, no longer anxious or restless like before when she was stuck at her bottleneck.
She smiled and said, "Don't worry. It's just a surface wound. A simple treatment will do."
"Then I'll help you treat it." Shizuku was now fairly familiar with handling wounds.
"Congratulations." Morel propped himself up with his big pipe and sincerely offered his blessings from the side, clearly envious.
People like Germain, Ging, Chairman Netero, and Bisky had all reached their current level with great difficulty, and their achievements could not be fully replicated.
If Morel said he didn't want to become as strong as them, that would definitely be a lie.
"Thank you," Bisky said. "But more than that, I need a complete set of clothes now — even just an outer garment would be fine."
The fierce attacks from the Shark species had damaged much of her outfit, which could normally change along with her body size.
However, the torn clothes didn't reveal anything scandalous; instead, they showed off strong muscle lines, a beauty that was truly captivating.
Shizuku took an outer garment from the 'Blinky' and draped it over Bisky while tending to her wounds, when suddenly a huge dark shadow completely enveloped them.
Boom—
Germain and the Gatekeeper descended from the sky and landed steadily on the ground.
The trembling of the earth was definitely caused by the Gatekeeper's large body.
Everyone was shocked and overjoyed to see Germain return safely.
Germain also brought good news.
"It seems that both you and I won in the final stage," Germain looked at Bisky, sensing the faint, hidden aura of Nen within her. "And you've been promoted. Congratulations."
Bisky smiled in reply, "That's right. I've finally caught up with Ging and the old man…"
Then, her expression grew much more serious as she stared at Germain.
"But precisely because I have reached this level, I can understand even more how Ging and the old man are feeling now."
"Before, because the distance between us was too great, I didn't have this feeling… But now… the gap between us and you is growing wider and wider, and there's no sign of it shrinking at all."
Bisky almost saw the future, and at the same time, she spoke words that Ging and Chairman Netero had never voiced out loud.
*******
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