Ronnel didn't find the situation too troublesome—dealing with a bunch of ants on the ground was hardly a challenge.
During this time, he and the others had gathered intelligence on the types and distribution of Chimera Ants.
At the top of their hierarchy was the Queen, followed by the unborn King. Beneath them were the three Royal Guards, and below them, the Squadron Leaders.
There were a total of thirty Squadron Leaders. Among them were Chiona, a seven-star ladybug, and a mane dog. Both had been swiftly dealt with by Ronnel and Netero, along with all their subordinates.
That left twenty-eight Squadron Leaders. Each one commanded four to five Assistant Squadron Leaders, and each Squadron Leader had ten to fifteen combatants under their command.
Excluding the Queen and the Royal Guards, the Chimera Ants' ranks were clearly structured from Squadron Leaders to Assistant Squadron Leaders to combatants. In total, their forces numbered around 2,270—an impressive number.
Some teams were highly organized, following their Squadron Leaders with discipline. Others, however, acted independently, disregarding orders. The two Squadron Leaders Ronnel and his team had eliminated fell into the latter category.
More than half of the remaining Squadron Leaders were also unpredictable, their arrogance bolstered by their newfound power.
For Ronnel and Netero, however, that arrogance worked in their favor.
...
Inside Knov's fourth-dimensional apartment, Morel had just returned from scouting the battlefield. He plopped onto the ground with a sigh.
"So, are we sticking to this strategy to weaken the Chimera Ants?" Morel asked.
In front of him was a table set up by Ronnel, loaded with food and drinks.
"Unless you have a better idea?" Ronnel replied casually.
"Personally, I prefer Mr. Ronnel's approach," Knov said, adjusting his glasses and picking up a piece of yellow-and-white vegetable with his chopsticks. He took a bite. "Delicious."
"Hohoho, as warriors, we should rely on our own strength instead of high-tech methods. Otherwise, it could hinder our personal growth," Netero said with exaggerated seriousness while helping himself to more food.
"We are Hunters, not warriors," Ronnel corrected. "Besides, Chairman, in Shingen-ryu, there are plenty of who use firearms as their primary weapons."
Knov and Morel exchanged looks, both struggling to suppress their amusement.
Morel then noticed the food on the table, a stark contrast to the dry rations they had been surviving on. His eyes widened.
"Wait… is this cheese cabbage? And colorful fried silkworm chrysalises?! These are top-tier ingredients that Gourmet Hunters dream about!"
"I was treated to these dishes once and thought they were pretty good," Ronnel said, placing a bite-sized portion in his mouth with a satisfied expression. "So I hunted them down myself in my spare time."
"Eating them together creates an entirely new flavor," he added.
"Y-you're serious?" Morel stammered, eyeing the food with disbelief.
Cheese cabbage only grew in brutally cold regions, while colorful silkworm chrysalises could only be found on the highest trees in the heart of the Lost Forest, surrounded by dangerous beasts. Both were nearly impossible to obtain, even for experienced Gourmet Hunters.
Yet, here they were, laid out before him.
"Hurry up and eat. You'll need the energy for what's coming," Ronnel said, rolling up two silkworm chrysalises in cabbage and handing them to Morel.
Morel hesitated for a moment before taking a bite.
"Mmm—this is amazing!" he exclaimed.
Ronnel smiled but then turned his gaze toward a distant point, his expression sharpening.
"There's a dangerous energy spreading… If I'm right, it must be the Ant King. He's about to awaken."
"What?!" Morel and Knov stiffened.
"Hohoho, an early birth?" Netero mused, still seated, but his eyes had also shifted toward the source of the disturbance. A flicker of anticipation burned in them.
He had been waiting for this moment.
...
Deep within the Chimera Ant nest, in the Queen's chamber, the Queen clutched her swollen, yellow-green abdomen, her face contorted in pain. She let out a tortured hiss.
"No… not yet… It's too soon… The birth was supposed to be in a few days—"
"Silence."
With a deep, buzzing growl, a green fist tore through the Queen's abdomen, ripping a gaping hole in her body.
Blood vessels ruptured, and the Queen let out an agonized, piercing scream. It was as though the birth itself was a grotesque, ritualistic ceremony heralding the arrival of a new ruler.
In a different room, Neferpitou's cat ears twitched. Their red eyes gleamed with excitement.
"Oh~ Seems like our King decided to arrive early, nya."
Shaiapouf, setting down the violin he had been playing, smiled reverently.
"Then let us welcome him properly."
Menthuthuyoupi, who had remained silent, simply nodded. The three Royal Guards made their way toward the Queen's chamber.
Halfway there, Shaiapouf suddenly paused.
"The King has just been born. He will need sustenance. I believe we should prepare a feast for him first."
Neferpitou grinned. "How considerate, nya."
"Agreed," Youpi rumbled.
...
Elsewhere, in a war room deep within the nest, Korudol, the leader of the Birdman Division, was in the middle of a strategy discussion with Peggy, a penguin-like Ant.
Suddenly, Korudol's head snapped up.
"That cry—My Queen!"
His eyes locked onto the distant chamber where the Queen lay dying, heralding the birth of a new King.
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Fanfic is completed on patreon.com/FanficsHub (799 chapters in total)