The Ant King's pupils dilated, and he paused his biting just to savor the indescribable flavor.
The moment the flesh touched his mouth, it melted instantly, transforming into pure life aura.
At that moment, every cell in his body seemed to celebrate, like the earth after a long drought.
He greedily absorbed this life essence, drinking it in like a thirsty man drinks water.
For the Ant King, who had only eaten powerful fighters with narrowed eyes before, everything else he'd consumed felt like trash in comparison.
This was what a true king should feast on!
The rich texture and incredible flavor pushed him forward, driving him to eat more and more.
He wanted it all!
Once again, the Ant King's expression became that of a hungry beast staring down a feast.
In his mind, there was only one thought: eat!
The ravenous king began devouring piece after piece without stopping.
With each bite, it grew significantly stronger.
As it kept eating, the breath it exhaled grew more intense, and the dark purple aura covering its body deepened.
A cold, chilling aura began to spread across the battlefield.
It was evolving!
Outside the palace of the Republic Of East Gorteau, a wide open area lay in ruins.
Once a magnificent palace, it now bore the scars of fierce battles fought against the Dragon Lance, and the Guards.
The open space beyond the palace was even worse, mud churned up like a giant earth dragon had overturned it.
Here, the remaining members of the Ant King Crusade gathered quietly, anxiously awaiting news of the Ant King's fate.
"It's so easy to say~" Morel said with a relaxed smile, blowing out white smoke.
"I just puffed a few smoke rings; I didn't do much. Youpi was taken down by Mr. Larry's nen beast."
"You're quite something, you at least released some smoke. We didn't even do that," another chimed in.
"That Youpi guy, with his strong physical talent, was suppressed by Larry's nen beast," Knov admitted, feeling a bit embarrassed.
"He was defeated pretty quickly."
Knov felt awkward about how little he contributed, having watched the battle unfold without intervening.
"No, no, you all did better than me," Killua said, playing with a yo-yo and complaining.
"Before Gon and I even got to the battlefield, Neferpitou was already defeated. The fight ended so fast, we had to run back halfway to avoid the aftermath."
Tonight, Killua and Gon had just been running around, from the first floor to the second, then out into the wild, only to come back and chat.
Unlike the others who seemed calm, Gon stood alone, his head bowed and face clouded with frustration.
It was clear he had trained hard, hoping for revenge.
Gon, naturally, didn't say Larry was too fast; instead, he thought maybe he just wasn't strong enough yet.
If he were faster, he could have taken on Neferpitou.
Killua glanced at Gon's quiet figure and felt a sense of relief.
Unlike the original, Gon wasn't as extreme when he found out that Kite was still alive.
"Then we just need to wait for the president and Larry to come back," he said calmly.
"With Larry around, there won't be any problems," Morel added confidently, praising Larry's abilities.
Everyone nodded in agreement, feeling reassured by Morel's words.
They had all seen the strength of Larry's nen best firsthand, so they knew his "World's Strongest" title wasn't just empty talk.
With two "World's Strongest" working together, they felt confident they could handle the Ant King without worry.
Suddenly, an invisible aura spread from a distance, filling the air over a wide area.
Though unseen, the atmosphere grew stagnant and unbearably heavy wherever it reached.
Several people who had been relaxed moments before suddenly stiffened, their bodies frozen in place.
Their pupils shrank in shock, but they were powerless to move, forced to silently endure the overwhelming presence.
This breath was terrifying, filled with despair and brutality.
A few even found it hard to breathe, trapped like statues under its crushing weight.
Within moments, sweat drenched their backs and trickled down their foreheads.
Although it lasted only briefly, it felt like a lifetime of torment.
"This aura..." one person whispered.
"No way..." another stammered in disbelief.
"It's too much..."
Despite their shock, they exchanged panicked glances and silently agreed, something huge was happening.
This aura was brutal and violent, carrying the weight of a tyrant's will to dominate all.
Most terrifying of all, it was undeniably evil.
It was nothing like the warm, pure presence of President Netero.
Instead, it felt like a demon clawing its way up from hell.
There was only one being capable of such a dreadful aura, the Ant King.
"Is the Ant King really that strong?" someone breathed, horror etched on their face.
The group's expressions darkened, filled with dread as they realized the full scale of the threat they faced.
The feeling was deeply unsettling, as if they had suddenly fallen from heaven into hell.
Several hearts seemed to drop into a deep valley all at once, and no one dared to imagine what might come next.
Just moments ago, they had been confident, waiting eagerly for Larry and Netero to return safely with their report.
But now, that certainty was gone.
They weren't sure if Larry and Netero would win.
What if the two strongest men in the world were already dead?
"It's really... terrifying," Gin said, staring at the scene before him.
It felt like something was stuck in his throat, and he had to hold back for a long moment before speaking.
His eyes were filled with fear, and he had no desire to fight the enemy in front of them.
When the gap in power was this huge, even warriors like Ging and Netero lost the will to fight.
It wasn't that they weren't truly dedicated to becoming stronger; the problem was simply that the difference was too great.
If they got close, they'd be killed instantly.
Fighting under these conditions wouldn't help them grow stronger.
"Ahem, young people lack experience. You just need more practice. Are you really scared?" Netero coughed twice and lowered his voice.
"Old man, you've got some nerve saying that. Your legs are shaking like a leaf," Ging shot back, eyeing Netero's trembling calves.
Despite Netero's calm words, his legs betrayed his unease.
The Ant King's power had reached a level where even Netero and Ging felt powerless.
Compared to Morel and the others far away, Netero and the others were much closer to the battlefield.
Facing such a terrifying presence, even as part of the five strongest Nen users across the six continents, they struggled to stand their ground.
"So, old man, do you still think Larry can handle this?"
Ging stopped joking and looked seriously at Netero.
Their next move depended on the answer.