The sudden turn of events forced Netero to make a decision in an instant, and also left Knov no choice but to respond in kind.
He had personally relocated Netero into the Fourth-Dimensional Apartment.
Now, he had to personally send Netero back onto the battlefield.
No.
He had to personally send Netero to his death.
But at this point, there was no other choice, and Knov could not refuse.
"Understood."
Knov lowered his head, put his index finger against his glasses, and responded to Netero's request in a deep voice.
The Chimera Ant King-
Had just demonstrated the terrifying ability to evolve to a higher level mid-battle.
Under this premise, no one could determine where the King's 'limit' truly lay.
In other words,
if the King wasn't stopped here and now,
Then, as time passed, it was impossible to imagine what heights he might eventually reach.
Not to mention that the current King has become a monster beyond comprehension!
Netero's suicidal request and Knov's heavy-hearted response,
Plunged the entire room into a stifling silence.
Even the medical team that had come along held their breath and didn't dare to say a word.
The only sound around was the hum of medical equipment.
At the same time…
On the ruins of the palace,
The King's terrifying Aura had enveloped the whole palace.
Fortunately, Knov had already transferred all the hostages from the front courtyard, otherwise, if these ordinary people had been exposed to the King's Aura, they would've died instantly on the spot.
Such was the power the King now possessed.
Even when not consciously exerting his Aura, for humans who have no Aura protection, the King's Aura is equivalent to a deadly halo that will kill anyone who touches it.
Youpi, who had restrained his attack, and Pouf, whose body had shrunk down to the size of a bee, were both extremely excited as they looked at the King, who seemed to have been reborn.
The Chimera Ants like Leol, who is still at the front courtyard, could also sense the King's newly intensified presence.
Even though they didn't possess the absolute, die-hard loyalty of the Royal Guards, they couldn't help but feel a deep, instinctive fear and reverence for the King at this moment.
Moses, who was at the center of the storm, was facing the countdown to 'death'.
In a situation where there is no choice-
Moses's final attempt was to survive from the brink of death!
If the first 'Counterpiece Cornerstone' he had previously used couldn't respond to the clarity and determination he now held…
Then...
'I'll be waiting for you in hell, Ant King...!'
Moses stood tall and straight, looking calmly at the King in front of him, muttering to himself in his heart.
If he failed here, he believed that Netero would follow through and drag the King to hell with him.
The King casually flicked away the blood still clinging to his fingertips from devouring the severed arm, and looked at the fully resolved Moses expressionlessly.
"I will remember you, and you should be proud of it."
The King's tone was extremely powerful, as if he was stating a basic truth.
Moses's expression remained calm, and he did not react to the King's words.
And the King didn't bother with further words.
The appetizer, Moses's severed arm, had already aroused his strong appetite.
Swoosh-
In the blink of an eye, the King vanished and reappeared before Moses.
Shlkk!
His thick and powerful palm pierced straight into Moses's chest, sending a burst of blood splattering across his face.
Without caring about the feeling of blood splattering on his cheek, the King swiftly retracted his right hand and yanked out a still-beating heart from Moses's chest.
The light in Moses's eyes, whose heart had been ripped out, quickly dimmed, and his whole body seemed to have suddenly lost its support, and he fell weakly to the ground.
The King didn't spare a glance at Moses's fallen body. Instead, he opened his mouth and bit into half of the freshly extracted heart.
"It's indescribably delicious... Power keeps flowing through my body."
"I want more."
The King savored the strength and taste lingering on his tongue, and was looking forward to the taste of Moses's brain.
But then, he remembered...
There are only a handful of humans like Moses in this world, and they can be considered one of the rarest delicacies.
Maybe he will never be able to taste such delicious food again.
When the King thought of this possibility, he became a little worried.
However, this emotion was quickly drowned out by the overwhelming desire to consume.
The King stuffed the remaining half of the heart into his mouth, then looked at Moses, who was lying motionless on the ground.
Inside the Fourth-Dimensional Apartment,
Palm was fighting the urge to cancel her ability.
Beside her,
The others saw the scene of the King gnawing at Moses's heart through the crystal ball. Shadows filled their eyes. The unconscious body movements left bloodstains on their palms and even lips.
The whole room was filled with a heavy, suffocating atmosphere.
There is no doubt that-
Moses is dead.
And he is about to be devoured completely by the King.
As that brutal truth sank into everyone's minds, a dark Aura, as dark as ink, suddenly emerged from the crystal ball that was about to show an even more cruel scene.
No-
The dark Aura did not emerge from the crystal ball, but emerged from Moses's body and soared into the sky on the spot.
The entire field of vision of the crystal ball was swallowed up by this sudden dark Aura.
"Post-mortem Nen...?!"
Seeing this sudden scene, everyone, who had been suppressing their anger, couldn't help but show surprise.
Crack, crack-
Suddenly, cracks began to appear across the surface of the crystal ball.
"Wha…!?"
Seeing the changes in the crystal ball, Palm was shocked, and an incredible expression appeared on her face half-covered by her long black hair.
Then,
The crystal ball shattered with a boom, and the pieces dissolved into trails of Nen and vanishing into the air.
'What... is happening...?'
Palm had never experienced something like this before. She did not try to re-conjure the crystal ball immediately, but was completely in a state of shutdown.
Above the ruined palace,
The overwhelming Aura that suddenly erupted from Moses's body spread a strong ominous atmosphere to the surroundings in an instant.
This also made the King and the others stop in their tracks, and they all looked with shock at the dark Aura that rose into the sky like a black pillar. They could also see countless black lines flowing on it.
Moreover, the Aura is so condensed that it looks like a giant black coffin standing upright.
"What... is happening? What is this...?"
Pouf, who was only the size of a bee, looked at the dark Aura in front of him that was filled with an ominous presence with astonishment.
Then-
An incredible scene happened.
The dark Aura that seemed like a towering black coffin actually converged on the ground within just a few seconds.
To be more precise, it gathered on Moses's body like a whirlpool.
These dark Auras gathered together and silently transformed into clusters of black flames, surrounding Moses.
Then,
The Ant King and his companions saw that Moses, who was supposed to be a corpse, slowly stood up surrounded by a black flame-like Aura.
"…"