"Where is this?" Jeff felt himself in a strange place. Water was all around him, yet he could breathe freely. It was just cramped—his hands and feet couldn't move at will. Not long after, a wave of weakness and fatigue washed over him, and Jeff sank back into deep sleep.
"I want more—more nutrients." A creature that looked like a giant ant swallowed the meatball in its hand in one gulp. The meatball was smeared with strange stuff and looked grotesquely disgusting. "Oh, I can feel him moving. My King, hurry and prepare more of that nutrient."
"Yes, my Queen." The response came from a group of equally bizarre monsters.
"Power—I feel filled with power." When Jeff woke again, he felt fantastic. Unlike last time, this time he felt he could easily break free of the constraints of this place.
"No, my King, not yet. It's not time." Jeff felt a gentle voice say this to him. For some reason, hearing that voice stirred an inexplicable restlessness in him. But he sensed the voice meant him well, so he suppressed the agitation in his heart and went back to sleep. An unknown liquid flowed into Jeff's body through a tube that connected to him. His body began changing yet again.
"This presence is…? How is it still growing stronger?" Far beyond several great mountains, an old man with long white hair and beard widened his eyes and stared fixedly at that cluster of strange structures, like termite mounds. More precisely, he stared fixedly in Jeff's direction. "Stronger and stronger."
"No, this won't do. We can't let this keep going." The long-bearded old man seemed to make up his mind. "Old Mo, Nobu, you stay here. I'll go alone."
"Chairman Netero…" "Chairman…"
"Say no more. I can do this alone. That's an order." The old man called Netero was the chairman of the world's strongest organization—the Hunter Association. In his youth, he was known as the strongest Nen user. Though old now, with only fifty percent of his former strength, he still ranked among the top Nen users in the world. Even so, he did not feel optimistic about this mission. The odds were grim. Thinking of this, Netero touched his chest—if he failed, this would be the last resort.
"Yes." Seeing the chairman so resolved, the two said no more. Though they didn't know how strong the strongest of those ants were, the ones they'd taken care of so far, while somewhat capable, were hardly a problem. Besides, they believed in their chairman's strength—absolutely top tier.
Netero's muscles swelled, his lower body bent, and he kicked off toward the ant nest like a loosed arrow.
"Hmm?" At the same moment, the three standing near the Ant Queen sensed something. In unison, they turned toward the direction Chairman Netero was coming from.
"I noticed that guy earlier. But with the King's birth imminent, I didn't want to stir up trouble, so I ignored him. Didn't expect he'd deliver himself to die." The speaker was a handsome man, though his skin had a purplish tint, and a pair of large butterfly wings spread from his back.
"Pouf, our duty is to guard the King. Leave the rest to the squadron leaders," said a burly man with dark red skin. "Pitou, what do you think?"
"Meow, I wonder how long this toy can last this time." The speaker was a white-haired cat-eared girl—with a long cat tail, too.
These three were the Chimera Ant King's Royal Guard, loyal only to the Ant King, and the strongest Chimera Ants besides the King. As for the Queen—once she bore the King, she was of no further use, in their eyes.
"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!" When Chairman Netero reached the nest, the other ants finally noticed him—but it was already a little late, and they fell into chaos. Ordinary soldier ants and division captains couldn't harm the chairman at all; they couldn't even cause him trouble, nor could they slow his advance. In other words, they weren't qualified to be cannon fodder.
Above the division captains were the squadron leaders. Squadron leader–class ants were not just one level above the division captains
but a whole tier; even among human Nen users, they ranked as strong. Yet they still couldn't stop Netero's advance—because Netero was simply too powerful. That's the difference between a top master and an ordinary master.
"Damn it, if this keeps up that damned human will reach Her Majesty the Queen. We can't let him continue." An ant that looked very much like Leizhenzi spoke in anger. For the first time he felt a deep powerlessness: why was such a powerful being among those humans who had been mere food before? "Looks like we'll have to ask those few to act." He knew his own strength; he was about on par with the previous squadron leaders—going would be suicide. The "few" he spoke of were the three members of the Royal Guard who had just spoken. Their power was overwhelming; perhaps they could block the intruder.
"Your name is Colt, right? What brings you here?" Compared to the other two, Pitou—though moody and playful—was much easier to talk to.
"Oh, got it. Didn't think those squadron leaders would be so useless—one enemy and they can't hold him." Among the three, Youpi possessed the strongest body, but since his body was wholly composed of magical beasts, he wasn't the brightest. In terms of power, however, he was top tier.
"Don't be careless, Youpi. The opponent is very strong. Those squadron leaders and division captains who vanished earlier were likely taken out by this guy," Pouf warned. Even so, he was very confident in Youpi's strength. He didn't think any of those humans they called food could be stronger than them.
"Relax, Pouf. Watch me handle this guy." The burly Youpi flexed his wrists and stood up, thick muscles showing terrifying explosive power.
"Ohohoho~ Looks like these are almost to the Queen now." After casually crushing a struggling squadron leader in his hand, Chairman Netero strode forward. "Seems a tougher one has arrived."
"Ah, human, so you were the one causing trouble before? Looks like you're just an old man." Youpi walked out from the other side of the cave and sized Netero up.
"Ohohoho, come, then." Facing a Royal Guard, Chairman Netero grew serious. He didn't know Youpi's identity, but he sensed the immense energy in him. Though there was some gap compared to himself, it was still astonishingly strong.
"Oh~ hehe~" Netero's aura shifted, and tremendous Nen erupted from that aged body.
"What is that?" Behind Chairman Netero appeared a statue that looked both like Guanyin and a great Buddha. This was Enhancement-type Nen pushed to the limit and manifested. This old man was truly terrifying.
"Bang!" Before Youpi could react, a palm pinned him into the ground. Then countless palm strikes rained down, relentlessly ravaging the Youpi buried in the earth. One of the Royal Guard—so powerful—had no chance to fight back under Netero's hands.
"Argh! Damn it! Who the hell are you?! I'm one of the King's Royal Guard!!!" Even more potent Nen burst from Youpi's body, triggering a massive explosion that forcibly blew back Netero's Hundred-Type Guanyin.
"What a monster," Netero said, having dodged the center of the blast.
Their fierce battle made the entire nest tremble. Only then did the remaining squadron leaders grasp the Royal Guard's might—a power that inspired despair; the gap was too great.
"Damn it, what is that Youpi doing? Doesn't he know this will disturb the King's birth?" Pouf glared into the distance in annoyance.
"The human fighting him is no simple man—very strong. Didn't think there were human experts of this caliber," the cat-girl Pitou remarked.
"Oh, my King, no—not yet, just a little longer. Please endure, please endure~" A giant ant with a hugely swollen abdomen spoke, gently stroking the egg in her belly. She spoke with exceptional tenderness. Yes, it was an egg, and she was using her life to hatch it. Even if the egg's master, upon birth, would leave at once—even if the egg's master cared nothing for her life or death—she still loved him. Perhaps this is a mother's love, regardless of species.
"Endure? Who are you? So gentle, so warm. Who am I? Oh, I'm Jeff—but I am also the King!" The creature within the great egg seemed to be pondering and arguing. "The King? Yes, I am both Jeff and the King." As time flowed, the soul that had belonged to Jeff gradually fused with the racial consciousness being instilled into him—no devouring, no annihilation—only rebirth. This was new hope. A new future for the Chimera Ants.
"If you'd like to see this story continue, don't forget to leave a review, drop some Power Stones, or both!"