In a place like the Dark Continent, how many calamities exist that could destroy the human world...
No one knows.
What is certain is that there are many.
In Netero's view, regardless of how many unknown calamities there are, they can essentially be divided into two types.
One type is easy to deal with, and the other is not.
Compared to those calamities that leave no trace, biological disasters like the Chimera Ants, which are already out in the open, undoubtedly fall into the 'easy to deal with' category.
The only difference lies in how much humanity is willing to sacrifice to eliminate the Chimera Ants.
Netero calmly watched Moses, who was holding the Black Clay, and ultimately chose not to ask Moses questions about the Dark Continent at this time.
'Let's deal with the Chimera Ants first…'
He thought to himself.
Leaving aside Ponzu, who was invisible from beginning to end, Morel and Knov looked at Moses with astonishment.
The existence of the Dark Continent wasn't entirely a forbidden secret.
Although it was a taboo, among Pro Hunters, quite a few knew the general picture.
But precisely because it was a taboo, the vast majority of Pro Hunters wouldn't defy the rules set by Netero himself. So, not only did they not take action, but they also didn't even entertain the thought of delving deeper.
However, one thing was clear-
The Dark Continent is an absolute forbidden zone for life.
Even the slightest touch by humans could bring unimaginable consequences.
However, Moses not only went there, but also brought something back from there?
For a moment, in the eyes of Morel and Knov, Moses seemed to be shrouded in a veil of mystery.
Moses noticed their reactions but didn't pay much attention. He first removed the shadow temporarily stopping the bleeding on his severed arm, then poured out some thick, black liquid from the bottle and applied it directly to the wound.
Seeing Moses's actions, Netero and the others immediately stopped their thoughts and focused on the wound covered with the so-called Black Clay.
Moses also looked down at his arm.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, the bloody wound suddenly bulged, forming a red-and-white bubble-like mass.
In the next second, the bubble-like mass twisted and expanded at a visible rate, like a balloon suddenly filled with gas, then transformed into a fully intact arm in the blink of an eye.
"…"
This astonishing scene left Netero and the others speechless.
Within the Nen Ability System, healing abilities that could regenerate lost limbs did exist, but they were rare.
Currently, among the high-level requests on the mission board, many wealthy individuals were offering huge sums for healing abilities, but there were few takers.
Moses slightly moved his newly restored arm and didn't feel any difference.
As one of the 'hopes' from the Dark Continent, its positive effects were on par with the 'calamities'.
Where there were terrifying calamities, there were also hopes that could benefit all.
"As you can see, this thing heals incredibly fast, so even in a battle where every second counts, it still has some utility."
Moses placed the glass bottle containing the Black Clay on the table, then used his shadow to retrieve a few miniature glass bottles from the storage area, and said calmly:
"For this extermination mission, the Black Clay can be considered a high-value tactical resource."
As he spoke, under the somewhat surprised gazes of Netero and the others, Moses evenly distributed the Black Clay into the miniature glass bottles.
"Here, one bottle per person, in case of emergency."
After distributing the Black Clay, Moses pushed the miniature bottles toward Netero and the others, and then gestured for them to take it.
Seeing this, Netero took one of the bottles unceremoniously.
As for Morel and Knov, they instinctively glanced at each other, hesitating over whether to accept such a valuable item.
Moses noticed their reactions but didn't rush them. Instead, he turned to Netero.
"Old man, I still think your 'plan' of eliminating them one by one needs some adjustments."
"Hmm..."
Netero's eyelids drooped slightly, and he didn't directly respond to Moses's expectations. Instead, he slowly said: "Let's gather information first."
Whether to implement the plan of eliminating the Chimera Ants one by one would depend on first understanding the enemy's forces.
Based on the currently available information about the Chimera Ants, not to mention the existence of the Royal Guards, even the Squadron Leaders alone commanded at least thirty-two troops.
This was also a threat that couldn't be ignored.
Moses understood Netero's personality and didn't press further.
The main reason was that before revising the plan, it was indeed necessary to gather more information.
The most crucial point was undoubtedly confirming whether the other two Royal Guards had already been born.
As for the Squadron Leaders and their troops...
Moses vaguely remembered that in the original story, before the King's premature birth, Netero had spent a month without being able to completely eliminate all the Squadron Leaders and Officers.
Of course,
This outcome was related to the Chimera Ants' strategy of holding their ground and not engaging, as well as the fact that the one-by-one elimination plan somewhat affected Netero's efficiency in killing enemies.
So, using this 'future information' as a baseline,
Either the number of Chimera Ants was too large, or the Chimera Ants could at least buy some time with their lives when facing Netero.
'In any case...'
'Even if the old man still chose not to call for reinforcements, and after finding out the situation of the Chimera Ants, he still chooses the safe method of annihilating them one by one…'
'With me here now, perhaps I can increase the efficiency of the cleanup and allowed the 'attack plan' to be implemented ahead of schedule.'
'Wait, I think I've overlooked something.'
Moses's thoughts suddenly came to a halt, and he sharply turned his gaze to Ponzu, who was standing not far away.
"Ponzu, where are your teammates?"
"Huh...?"
Ponzu slowly raised her head to meet Moses's solemn gaze, and a hint of clarity flashed in her somewhat dazed eyes.
…
The Ant Nest.
The moment Pitou stepped into the nest, her tense nerves suddenly relaxed.
Several Chimera Ants saw her return.
"Neferpitou-sama, what happened to you...!?"
Seeing Pitou's disheveled appearance and her missing foot, the Chimera Ants were visibly shocked.
With their limited understanding, they couldn't imagine what kind of existence could have done this to Pitou, one of the Royal Guards.
Pitou's expression no longer held the liveliness and ease from before. Instead, it was clouded with visible gloom.
She completely ignored the Chimera Ants and headed straight for the depths of the nest.
Now-
She had to turn the impact of Moses and Netero into something useful.
More importantly, she had to ensure the nest's defenses to protect the Queen and ensure the safe birth of the King.
Images of Moses and Netero flashed repeatedly in her mind, and for some reason, Pitou felt deeply uneasy.
Compared to the shocking, invisible golden attacks, the source of her unease was actually that sword-wielding human...