"My last lesson..."
Oboro thought of Netero's dying words to him and sighed softly.
What lesson.
Without any bias, not under pressure from the Hunter Association or V5, but simply as a human… fighting the Chimera Ants as a human, proving humanity's strength and will.
The old man hoped he would remember that no matter how powerful Oboro became in the future, he was still a human.
When the race is in trouble, naturally, one must protect it.
Or even if there's a world war in the future, ensure the race is not wiped out.
He died, and perhaps it would be Oboro's turn next, to stand at the forefront without hesitation…
Without any selfish motives.
Of course, it also indirectly reminded him about the subsequent handling of the Association… hoping Oboro would 'digest' it in a gentle manner.
Netero didn't lose; after all, he dragged the Ant King into hell with him.
From the human side's combat perspective, the plan was successful, costing only the life of a dispensable human…
After flying a distance away, confirming that the infectious virus shouldn't spread here or drift over with the wind anytime soon, Oboro manipulated his Nen ability, allowing Youpi and Pouf's consciousness to regain control of their bodies.
Then, wisps of black 'flowing light' burst out from the bodies of the two ants, all returning to the black fog surging around Oboro's body.
Their eyes instantly regained clarity.
"Let's go take a look..."
Oboro stood on the ground and said calmly.
It wasn't an order or a command, just a reminder.
Youpi and Pouf could sense everything that had just happened.
"King!"
Pouf was the most emotional, tears streaming from his eyes. Without needing Oboro to say anything, he shot into the sky, flying towards the battlefield. At this moment, he didn't care if the human before him was an enemy or someone seeking revenge; Youpi followed closely behind.
Compared to the Ant King's safety, Oboro's life or death… was completely unimportant.
Whoosh!
The two ants sped into the distance with all their might.
Oboro, hands in his pockets, watched them leave.
"Although I am absolutely confident in myself, I didn't expect this outcome. Otherwise, you wouldn't have agreed to have bombs implanted in your body… Those words you said to me… it seems you had already made arrangements for the Association before coming to NGL."
Oboro gazed at the sky and murmured, "Is it… Ging?"
Oboro had a premonition.
His succession to the Chairman position might not be so easy.
The old man's last words revealed… a meaning of both trust and doubt towards him.
Trust, because Oboro was a Hunter, and also a human… possessing undeniable strength.
Doubt… was to 'awaken' Oboro's human conscience. Going to the Dark Continent was not a wise move and would bring unimaginable disaster to the world.
From this perspective, Oboro didn't believe the old man was unprepared.
Oboro recalled his confrontation with Ging Freecss, who had said he would ensure Oboro wouldn't be elected Chairman, with absolute confidence.
Looking at it this way…
Meanwhile, Youpi and Pouf quickly arrived at the battlefield, destroyed by the explosion, filled with lava and fire.
Thick smoke and the pungent smell of gunpowder filled the entire space, with extremely high temperatures.
However, they still found the Ant King's charred remains as they wished.
Just like in the original work, they fed the self-condensed 'essence of life' into Meruem's mouth in a 'dew-like' manner.
At this moment, Oboro had already left his location and disappeared.
A moment later, the Ant King revived.
Carrying the miniaturized Youpi and Pouf, they appeared in the sky above where Oboro had just been in a very short time.
"That human… ran away!"
Pouf said hatefully.
The Ant King, Youpi, and Pouf were now telepathically connected, so they didn't need to say anything; the Ant King could know what was happening in the palace.
From Pouf and Youpi's feelings towards this human, if he hadn't intervened, their faction within the palace wouldn't have suffered such a heavy blow…
Meruem's strength had improved after his revival. With just a thought, its En and perception swept towards the horizon like a tide.
It was searching for the human named Oboro.
The murderer who killed Neferpitou.
At his current speed, no human could slip away under his nose.
As Nen power erupted and covered a vast area of the surface, Meruem's eyelids twitched. Many dense, torch-like fluctuations appeared in his mind, some a thousand meters apart, others several thousand meters, numbering over a thousand.
"Souls…" His pupils contracted. He looked towards a spot, and the scene in his vision instantly magnified, becoming clearly visible.
A ball of pitch-black Nen floated in the air, motionless.
It was a soul.
And these souls were distributed very cleverly, separated by a certain distance from each other, and due to inconsistent positioning, they couldn't be destroyed all at once.
It was clear that the human named Oboro was wary of him.
He had already prepared a contingency.
Meruem was certain that Oboro was hiding nearby.
Using some special method, he had disguised his presence or aura, making it impossible for even him to pinpoint his location immediately.
"Oboro…"
Because he was reborn, his original body had suffered severe damage, causing him to forget some memories.
However, he remembered what Netero had said to him before he died.
"Your name… In this world now, only one person might know it. Unfortunately… you won't be able to meet him."
In the depths of his being, the Ant King had a premonition.
The person the old human had mentioned was this human named Oboro.
"Three minutes."
Meruem scanned the vast land. Oboro's methods were interesting, but in his opinion, they were a complete 'joke.' If he wanted to, he could destroy all the soul points in a short time! This way, Oboro would surely be 'exposed,' but… compared to dealing with this human, he felt a sense of urgency.
He needed to hurry back to the royal palace, as if there was something more important there than killing this human…
He had a knot in the depths of his heart.
It was like something in the royal palace was 'calling' to him…
Urging him to return quickly.
And this thing was crucial to him.
Finally, under Pouf's bewildered and shocked gaze, the Ant King flapped its newly grown wings and flew towards the royal city with its two subordinates, ignoring Oboro.
"King?"
Pouf was stunned because he sensed something was wrong with the Ant King.
Oboro was clearly the greatest threat among humans, and given the Ant King's previous personality, he would never have let him go.
What was going on?
"By the way… why did he let us go and come to rescue the King… With his strength, it would be easy to kill you and me." The miniaturized Youpi uncharacteristically pondered the question and looked at Pouf.
This indeed went against Oboro's stance as a human.
But Pouf no longer had the time or inclination to converse with him…
Pouf's attention was focused on the Ant King, and he had a premonition.
...
After confirming that the Ant King had disappeared as a black dot, and sensing no trace of its aura, Oboro emerged from the shadow of a large rock.
He gathered the dispersed souls, one by one.
And released his spirit body, just as he had observed Netero and the Ant King fighting, flying towards the battlefield shrouded in lingering smoke and fire.
However, he couldn't bring out all of the old man's dropped souls at once. Because the burning and high temperature of the flames made the spirit body unstable, easily dissipating. Therefore, after sensing the dispatched ghosts disappear, Oboro had to repeatedly sever souls from the ghost fog, time and time again.
After a long period of transportation… his efforts were finally rewarded, and he brought the souls to a safe location.
Then… absorb!
The familiar Armor and Magic Power increased by 2 points each.
The numerical values didn't change.
But Oboro's Nen ability, Thresh's passive skill… for the first time, he couldn't control it.
His Nen power transformed into a vast ghost fog, exploding outwards from him, engulfing the surroundings.
At the same time, a massive figure condensed from Nen power stood tall under the night sky, emitting a terrifying and sinister laugh that echoed through the heavens.
It was Thresh!
...
On the other side, in the royal palace.
The Chimera Ants had all been dealt with by Oboro, their souls gone, all dead… This made the extermination team members, who had been preparing for a major battle, feel relieved.
They began to record the details and report back to the Association.
As for Killua and Gon, they had found the girl Oboro had mentioned, Komugi.
Komugi was unharmed by Zeno's Dragon Dive crystals.
There were originally a few ants in the room responsible for protecting her, but they had all been consumed by the ghost creatures.
However, no matter how Gon and Killua explained, Komugi seemed unconvinced that they were the 'righteous side.'
Instead, she insisted on waiting for the Ant King's return.
This left Gon and Killua somewhat helpless. They didn't know if the Chairman could defeat the Ant King. If he failed, the Ant King would definitely return, and this place would become a battlefield once again, with dangers potentially tens or even hundreds of times greater than before!
Therefore, they had to move Komugi to a safe location.
But Komugi refused to cooperate… Seeing Gon flustered, Killua simply knocked Komugi unconscious and forcibly 'kidnapped' the girl.
"…"
Gon was speechless at Killua's rough actions.
Killua, however, ignored it and insisted on taking Komugi away first. For now, only the ants in the royal palace had been cleared… but there were still some 'wandering' ants within East Gorteau.
In other words, humanity alone facing the disaster of the Chimera Ants couldn't be resolved in a short period. Because even if the Ant King were killed, the ants dispersed to other countries would still exist in considerable numbers.
The impact was far from insignificant.
"Killua, do you think the Chairman and Mr. Oboro will be alright?"
Seeing Killua carrying the girl on his back, Gon couldn't help but ask.
"It's okay. Not to mention the old Chairman, that guy Oboro… he's very strong, possibly not weaker than the Chairman. He must have gone to help the Chairman… As for why he took those two ants… it's probably for some reason." Killua smiled reassuringly at Gon.
"Mhm."
Gon nodded.
Although the senior members of the Association, including Bisky, harbored doubts about Oboro's intentions.
Gon undoubtedly believed in Oboro.
In his opinion, Oboro must have gone to help the Chairman.
Killua looked at Gon's expression, hesitating to speak.
Ever since Kite's death, Gon had been quite depressed. Later, he realized others were worried and intentionally pretended to be optimistic… Although this might fool others, it couldn't fool Killua. Gon asking this question clearly showed he was worried about the Chairman and Oboro… especially Oboro.
Having experienced the blow of Kite's death, if Oboro were to encounter any misfortune, including the Chairman… it would be terrible.
Killua steadied himself, called out, and sparks of electricity flashed on his body as he used his Nen ability Godspeed, intending to leave through the doorway.
But suddenly… without any warning.
He and Gon's faces tensed, their hair standing on end.
An indescribable pressure enveloped the entire royal palace.
They lost!
Almost simultaneously, the two boys had the same thought in their minds.
It was the Ant King!
The return of this ant meant… the Chairman… was dead?
The two couldn't believe it, their minds going blank for a moment.
Before they could react, suddenly, a swarm of 'flies' flew in from outside the door. Upon closer inspection, they realized it was Pouf, one of the Royal Guard members the extermination team was supposed to deal with.
And when Pouf saw Komugi on Killua's back, his eyes immediately turned red, revealing murderous intent.
He had confirmed that the King had let Oboro go and rushed back because he was concerned about this girl!
It's just that he hadn't remembered yet…
The Ant King had asked Pouf some questions on the way.
Therefore, he deliberately delayed and maneuvered, rushing back to eliminate Komugi first!
"Gon!"
Killua shouted, "It's up to you!"
With that, he turned into a streak of lightning and passed through the gap in the room.
Pouf couldn't just watch the two escape and immediately swarmed towards them.
Just as Killua was about to collide with a large swarm of 'mini Poufs,' he suddenly changed direction, sidestepping and revealing Gon, who was charging forward with a clenched fist.
Gon's Nen-infused fist exploded among the 'flies,' and Killua took this opportunity to escape swiftly.
Although some of Pouf's clones were destroyed, a group remained and dodged Gon's attack. As they circled in the air, intending to pursue Killua, they looked up and saw the boy who had just attacked him, Gon, blocking the doorway, his eyes revealing an indescribable will.
His expression was somber… even gloomy…
Gon, who had always been gentle and outgoing, displayed such an expression for the first time.
Pouf's expression changed slightly, as if he sensed something from the boy…
"You…"
"Mr. Oboro… you controlled us, how are you still alive?" Gon stared at Pouf.
"Is he dead?"
"Hahahaha…"
Pouf's numerous clones let out mocking laughter one after another.
"What are you hoping for? You are merely low-level beings… mere humans, yet you dare to compare yourselves to the supreme King? How laughable!"
"I understand… those two humans are your reliance, right?"
"They are dead… all dead, fallen beneath our King! As inferior beings, they should be proud. Not every human gets the chance to be executed by our King; it is also an honor for them!"
Pouf was lying.
Since they were enemies, wasn't this an opportunity to instill psychological trauma in the human extermination team?
Perhaps the boy before him would have an emotional breakdown under this pressure!
"Are you saying… the Chairman and Mr. Oboro were both killed by it?" Gon's eyes narrowed, and his tone emphasized the word 'it.'
Referring to the Ant King.
"Otherwise?"
Pouf seemed to be stalling Gon, but in reality, his main body had already split again and gone to pursue Killua.
"Not just the two of them, all of you will die, and pay the price for your disrespect to our King!"
Pouf yelled.
Gon lowered his head, remaining silent.
A few seconds later, Pouf was suddenly terrified.
Because the boy before him was emitting an aura that made him feel uneasy… even ominous.
"I'll go find it."
Gon simply said, then abruptly turned and walked towards the palace's terrace.
Pouf, however, swallowed unnaturally.
His heart was filled with extreme dread.
What was that aura?
...
The Ant King did not immediately arrive at the royal palace.
However, before it arrived, the surge of its aura had already spread.
At this moment, all the extermination team members' skin felt tight, as if sitting on pins and needles.
One by one, like Gon and Killua, they dared not, and were unwilling to believe.
When they looked up at the night sky with scattered clouds and a full moon hanging high… and saw the ant, with a physique similar to a human, hovering high above the entire royal palace, everyone felt as if they had fallen into an ice cellar.
"Scatter!"
With just a shout, Morel and the others fled in different directions.
Their intention was simple.
To create an opportunity for their companions to escape.
This way, they would sacrifice themselves to save their companions' lives.
Mainly, he and Bisky… they would try to hold off the Ant King, even if only for a few seconds, it would be enough.
Knov's coordinates were nearby, allowing the younger ones to enter the pocket dimension of the four-dimensional apartment first.
The Ant King's strength, judging solely by its aura, was terrifying… it might instantly kill them, so it was unrealistic for everyone to enter the four-dimensional apartment.
Moreover, the Ant King's appearance was too fast!
Almost the moment they sensed its aura, the sound of breaking air had already arrived.
Meruem stood high in the sky, looking down at the ground, naturally seeing the humans scattering below, the enemies.
But he… didn't care at all.
Nor did he intend to make a move.
Instead, his gaze swept across the palaces.
Finally, it focused on a palace with a curved roof.
Vague images flickered in his mind… telling him, it was there!
Pouf, holding the Ant King's tail, observed Meruem's gaze and immediately shouted, "King… let's first eliminate the humans in the palace, these…"
He was trying to divert Meruem's attention.
However, with just a glance from the Ant King, he was silenced.
Then, he descended from the sky and stood on the terrace.
This scene also stunned Morel and Bisky… The Ant King didn't attack them?!
"King..."
Pouf opened his mouth, about to say something disrespectful.
The Ant King stared at the dark entrance to the hall, his expression calm.
Under his gaze, a young man radiating a terrifying Nen aura walked out.
Even Meruem couldn't help but narrow his eyes.
The reason he didn't dare to underestimate this Nen aura was that it was mixed with an astonishing will!
Just like that… old man.
This is… humanity…
Truly not to be underestimated!
"Let's go somewhere else..."
The one who walked out was Gon.
The moment he saw the Ant King, stimulated by the berserk Nen, his body underwent a transformation.
When he fully emerged from the doorway, he had grown from a boy to his adult form, exactly as depicted in the original work when he went berserk.
His clothes, strained by his muscular physique, looked like children's clothes.
Gon's expression was neither happy nor sad. He met the Ant King's gaze calmly, raised his thumb, pointed elsewhere, and said lightly.
At this moment, the Ant King understood.
The young man, like the deceased old man, possessed a certain resolve.
There was no room for negotiation…
There was no choice but to fight.
"To… save a companion?"
The Ant King understood that from the other's perspective, his appearance… was decisive.
If he didn't do something, all humans… would die.
However, he still intended to say something.
"Let's stop here… I won't kill the remaining humans; I'll let you leave."
"We… don't need your mercy."
Gon said, "Moreover, you have committed unforgivable crimes…"
"…"
The Ant King pondered in silence.
"Can you wait a moment?"
"How long?"
"Soon."
The Ant King said, as if completely unguarded, he stepped forward, walked past Gon, and showed no concern about the human attacking him…
He entered the hall and saw the scattered chessboard.
And… Pouf's lingering aura.
Because of Gon, Pouf had ultimately not moved the chessboard and scattered pieces…
The moment he saw these things, the Ant King… remembered everything.
"There's still the aura of another human… Komugi, she's been taken away."
The Ant King closed his eyes.
Komugi… should be safe.
Thinking this, he turned back, without blaming Pouf.
Instead, he looked at Gon and said, "You lead the way."
He would not kill this human; it would be a quick resolution, defeating him or rendering him incapable of action would suffice.
At the same time, he could prove his intentions to the human side.
He needed Komugi.
And, this young man's current state…
____________________
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