When Shaiapouf brought the finest "rare specimen" into the palace, Meruem was sitting in silent meditation, his aura roiling in a focused spiral.
Pouf let out a breath of pure admiration at the sight of his King's majestic presence. He presented the offering—a man whose physical peak was being forcibly maintained through Pouf's own ability.
"I apologize for the delay, Lord Meruem. This is the finest meal we can offer at this moment. I hope it meets your satisfaction."
Meruem slowly opened his eyes, glancing at the palace captain standing before him like a lifeless doll. He stood up and issued a cold command to Pouf.
"Have him challenge me with everything he has. And it should go without saying: do not allow him to hold back."
"...As you command. If you'll excuse me—Spiritual Message."
Pouf hesitated for only a fraction of a second. He knew that even if the heavens were turned upside down, the captain stood no chance of victory, so he carried out the order. Scales fluttered from his wings, and as the captain inhaled them, his muscles surged and his body went into violent tremors.
"Ah... agh... AAAAAAAAGH!"
Driven into a frenzy, his eyes bloodshot, the captain lunged. Despite the loss of his sanity, he moved with startling efficiency, utilizing every ounce of his skill, tactical awareness, and Nen. His strength far surpassed his original limits, placing him comfortably among the elite of the world's Nen users.
"Hmph. Is this the extent of it?"
Meruem crushed the captain's every attack and systematically dismantled his defenses until the man lay splayed on the floor. Meruem looked down at him with icy indifference.
Watching his King's ruthless efficiency, Pouf's face flushed with devotion. Meruem's tail swayed, and the needle-tipped stinger plunged into the captain's skull.
"I have surpassed you in all things. Therefore, I shall take everything you are."
Tyrant's Overrun: What is Yours is Mine.
The tail pulsed as it siphoned the aura, techniques, and experience directly from the captain. In a matter of seconds, the man shriveled into a husk and fell silent. Meruem frowned at how little time it took.
"A worthless creature after all. To think I gained so little... what a pathetic, hollow existence he led."
Pouf watched the aftermath in wide-eyed shock.
(Lord Meruem's aura increased... based on his words, he has the ability to absorb everything, including memories? How utterly transcendent!)
Meruem's Hatsu, Tyrant's Overrun, was a Specialization-type ability that allowed him to steal the totality of an opponent. The condition for activation was either the total defeat of the target or for the target to offer themselves to him from the bottom of their heart. If neither condition was met, he could only siphon a portion of their aura, failing to gain their experience or techniques.
(As expected of our King! The depth of his vessel is truly bottomless!)
All Chimera Ants, from the lowly soldiers to the Royal Guard, shared a common trait: they were born "complete." From the moment of birth, they could perform at their absolute peak. However, this came at a cost—the loss of the potential for growth, a fundamental element of most living things. While learning Nen increased their power, it was merely an external tool; the "base" of the individual did not grow.
The Royal Guard were not immune to this restriction, but the Queen had desired a King beyond all others. Born from the concentrated energy of countless humans and Nen users, Meruem was an anomaly—a being who was born complete, yet possessed the potential for infinite growth.
(He is the only one worthy of ruling the world! Oh, if I could one day become a part of the King himself, it would be the ultimate ecstasy!)
Pouf, trembling with emotion at the thought, looked at the shriveled but still breathing captain and turned to Meruem.
"What shall we do with this leftover husk? If you have no further use for him, I will grant him to the soldiers as feed."
Meruem sat in silence, eyes closed as he processed the captain's memories. He glanced at the husk, then looked at Pouf and posed a different question.
"Pouf, what did you think of the meatballs back at the mound?"
"...My King? I didn't have any particular thoughts, though I suppose they were excellent in terms of nutrition."
"I'll be blunt," Meruem said, his face contorting in disgust. "Those foul things are not food."
He looked back at the captain, his appetite non-existent.
"The Queen demanded massive amounts of prey to birth me, and those meatballs were the result. But I no longer require such quantity. The rare specimens are passable, but their aura is the only thing with flavor—the meat itself is no better than the rest."
There was a knock at the door, and Youpi entered, followed by several humans.
"I have had them prepare exactly what you requested, Lord Meruem. This is the food that 'pig' usually consumes."
Since there was no table, the dishes were placed directly on the floor—a full-course meal of human cuisine. Meruem nodded, took a bottle of wine and drank directly from it, then began to sample the various dishes. From appetizers to soups and meats, it was a display of luxury that cost more than a common family's monthly budget.
Once he had sampled everything, he poured the wine into a glass and savored it with newfound elegance.
"Pouf, Youpi. I permit you to eat. This is cuisine. This is the only meal worthy of my palate."
Youpi, being a hybrid of magical beasts, didn't quite grasp the nuance, but Pouf looked as if his eyes had been opened for the first time. Having integrated human DNA, they were capable of truly tasting these flavors. Pouf felt a wave of shame for his past self, who had viewed the meatballs as nothing more than fuel.
"Youpi, you should try consuming livestock—cattle or pigs—later. You'll find the quantity and flavor are far superior to hunting humans. Pouf, I intend to forbid the consumption of humans. Do you understand why?"
Pouf thought for a moment, sifting through human common sense for the first time.
"Besides the flavor and ease of procurement, is it because you fear the potential of diseases like Kuru spreading through our ranks, given our high percentage of human DNA?"
The Chimera Ants were normally diverse enough to be considered separate species. Even those born at the same time often had vastly different traits, and in harsh environments, they would turn to cannibalism without hesitation. However, this Queen had integrated so much human DNA into her brood that the genetic makeup of the colony had become dangerously similar. This was why even a beast-hybrid like Youpi had a human-like silhouette.
"That is part of it, but not the primary reason," Meruem stated. "The main reason is that everything in this nation is my property. If humans are my possessions, then harming them without my leave is an act of rebellion against me."
"...! My apologies for my lack of insight. I will inform the soldiers immediately. And I ask that you permit the opening of the kitchens to the lower ranks."
"Granted. But ensure the cooks understand one thing."
Meruem looked at the remaining food with an unreadable expression.
"The portions and the oil content are far too high for a single meal. Have them recalibrate the nutritional balance and volume. I have no intention of becoming a pig like that man."
"As you command. I shall devise a menu worthy of a King."
From that day on, the diet of the Chimera Ants in East Gorteau changed drastically. It helped that almost all of them possessed human-like palates and that their hunger—while greater than a human's—remained within the realm of reason. Even the ants who stayed at the mound had ceased hunting humans, driven by their own human memories and a lack of predatory drive.
This event became a massive turning point for the world. What had been a war for the survival of the species was transformed by a King's decree into something more akin to a tribal conflict. By shifting away from humans as a primary food source, the ants successfully avoided a total biological collapse—and, for a time, avoided turning the entire world into an enemy.
To be a perfect King, the nation one ruled had to be perfect. Meruem's ambition had taken another step forward, growing brighter as he moved toward his ideal.
***
Late at night, at the camp near the NGL border, a predator watched from the shadows, licking its lips.
His name was Cheetu, a Squadron Leader and a hybrid of human and cheetah. He was the self-proclaimed fastest ant in the world. He was one of the few who had chosen independence, and being a free spirit, he had traveled to the border alone at high speed.
"Lucky! ♪ All the scary ones left at once. There's a whole bunch of treats here to celebrate my new beginning! ♪"
When Cheetu had first arrived at the border, his instincts had screamed at him to stay back. He had spent hours in a state of uncharacteristic stealth, watching the camp where Gon's group had been staying, unable to make a move.
"Seriously, no one told me there were monsters like the Royal Guard just hanging around. Well, I guess this is my victory by forfeit for using my head! ♪"
Cheetu didn't understand the camp's purpose, but he knew it was important based on the power he had felt from the people there. The thought of trampling something so vital while the "monsters" were away gave him a dark, sweet sense of pleasure.
"Ah... I can smell the slow prey from here. This is how hunting is supposed to be! ♪"
Cheetu was a creature of instinct; he found more joy in toy with the weak than in challenging the strong. With Gon and the others now deep in NGL, the camp should have been his perfect playground.
"Gugeh."
Cheetu wasn't particularly hiding, but a small beast suddenly stood before him, maintaining a level of Zetsuthat even Gon wouldn't have noticed. Its fur was fluffy and glossy from daily snacks and brushing, and it smelled of clean shampoo. Gin, the Foxbear, looked up at Cheetu as if he were looking at a pile of garbage.
"...What? Who are you? You've got a real annoying look in your eyes, pal. Are you trying to claim this as your territory? That's hilarious! ♪"
Even though he'd been spotted, Cheetu felt no threat from Gin. He looked down at the bear with a smirk, shrouding himself in aura while using In to keep it hidden. He didn't think he needed to be that careful, but his lingering fear of being caught by the Vanguard made him choose a quick, silent elimination.
"Quit acting like you're a big deal, house pet. Die!"
The speed of a wild predator is more than just raw velocity; it is the silence of the movement. Cheetu was capable of the same feats as Killua, and in terms of pure physical speed, he actually surpassed him. His god-speed lunge and descending claws should have torn Gin's small body to shreds.
"...Wait, what?"
Cheetu's eyes widened. His claws hadn't hit anything; they were buried in the dirt.
To Gin, who had spent months sparring against Killua's unpredictable, lightning-fast strikes, Cheetu's linear speed was so simple it was boring. Gin stepped back, avoided the claws, and took a deep breath, surging his aura while keeping it hidden with In.
(Tch!)
Cheetu realized Gin was about to do something and immediately sprinted backward to create distance.
"————!!!"
A high-frequency roar, too high for even an animal's ears to catch, was unleashed. It shook Cheetu's internal organs at supersonic speeds, leaving every part of his body—except his consciousness—completely paralyzed.
The speed of sound is roughly 340 meters per second, or 1,200 kilometers per hour. To Cheetu, who fought at around 100 kilometers per hour, Gin was literally an order of magnitude faster.
"What... ugh... stop... stop it... I'm the... the Speed King..."
Delirious from the unseen attack, Cheetu struggled to move as he saw Gin walking slowly toward him. Gin looked at the pathetic creature with total indifference. His instincts picked up a scent that even Gon couldn't smell—the scent of a killer who lived only for pleasure.
This wasn't a hunt for food or a fight for survival. This was the "human" sin of killing just for the fun of it. Gin released his compression, returning to his full size that towered over Cheetu, and raised a paw to aim.
"Stop... STOP IT!"
Because of his superior dynamic vision, Cheetu saw the blow that would bring his death with perfect clarity.
"I'm the... Speed Ki—"
His head was crushed instantly. As he died, his body began to make strange, crunching noises as it shrank, compressing until it was no larger than a marble. Gin then flicked the marble toward NGL. It flew so far it disappeared into the night, and as the compression finally failed, it exploded into a fine powder that rained down over the distant forest.
"Guma."
Gin snorted, satisfied, and shrank back down before walking toward the camp. The reason he had scattered the remains so far was as a "marking"—a warning to any other ants that might be following.
It was an unmistakable message: Do not threaten my pack.
As a guardian beast, Gin was particularly sensitive right now because of Kurapika's pregnancy. He had eliminated a threat before anyone else even realized it was there. Even if he could no longer get "stronger," and even if he was becoming a pampered house pet, the Foxbear who could use Nen remained one of the most dangerous entities in the world.