"Still cannot withstand the malicious technological weapons of humans..."
A small, bright red object resembling a rose slowly glowed in Lan's hand.
Poor Man's Rose was a bomb that had been manufactured in large quantities before. It was cheap in cost but had explosive power that far exceeded expectations.
These kinds of devices were impossible to completely ban from the black market.
As long as you had money, you could buy them.
Of course, once you had it, whether you lived to use it was another matter.
After all, V5 prohibited such weapons of mass destruction.
For smaller nations, it might be a case of fighting to the death, with no concern for survival. However, if these roses were aimed at V5, it would undoubtedly cause serious damage that would be hard to bear.
For V5, buying it was fine, but it depended on who was buying it.
If it was someone like Netero or Lan, they wouldn't say much. However, if it were ordinary militants or terrorists…
With the power of V5, after those factions bought such weapons, they'd be lucky to see the light of day again.
Now, these Poor Man's Rose bought from the black market were held in Lan's hand.
"Sometimes, I have to admit that the technological weapons developed by these humans out of malice can be quite useful at times."
Lan casually tossed the bomb, and it landed at the feet of the Ant King Meruem.
"Like right now."
Thud.
Two bombs fell at the feet of the Ant King.
Two bombs were enough.
In the original timeline, Netero had used a single bomb, which heavily wounded Meruem to the brink of death. Then, it was only thanks to Menthuthuyoupi and the others giving their lives that he was revived.
Since one bomb wasn't enough to kill the Ant King, two should do the trick.
For Lan, this was the simplest solution.
This was also Netero's main idea.
In fact, if Netero hadn't wanted to fight the Ant King directly to feel the difference in strength, he would have used the bomb earlier, during the attack on the palace.
He would have detonated it, sending the palace and the Chimera Ants inside straight to the afterlife.
Now that Netero had achieved his long-sought goal, he had faced off with what was called the world's strongest individual combat force.
With his obsession cleared, all that remained was for him to fulfill his duties as the chairman of the Hunter Association and complete missions for the world.
So, even though Netero was nearby, he no longer had any objections to Lan's methods.
The goal of their mission was to completely kill the Ant King. No matter the method, as long as the goal was achieved, it was the best course of action.
"Bombs are in place; now, a little spark is needed to set them off..."
Lan raised a single finger, and a ball of aura formed at the tip, ready to be released at any moment.
But just then, Lan's eyes flashed. He saw the body of the Ant King starting to tremble slightly.
It wasn't an illusion.
Meruem was using all his might to try and break through Lan's domain.
"After all, he is the Ant King. He's capable of understanding..."
Lan didn't underestimate Meruem, who was the pinnacle of the Chimera Ants, a being with the essence of their entire species.
In his case, anything could happen. Especially with his powerful learning abilities, he could quickly grasp complex strategies and outpace opponents after observing them for only a short while.
At this moment, even though Meruem was immediately trapped by Lan's Infinite Void, he was still desperately trying to escape.
And…
"Judging by how you're trembling, you must have a strong reason to try and break free?"
Lan's gaze remained fixed on the struggling form of Meruem, his body shaking as he tried to break free from the domain.
"And this intense will to survive isn't simply a desire to save your own life."
Lan softly spoke: "It's because there's someone you want to see..."
"The malice of humanity... You've already experienced it firsthand."
"Given how the rulers of this world operate, you should understand that they won't allow anyone or anything related to the Chimera Ants to exist."
"Especially those close to the Chimera Ants... Like..."
Lan paused, looking directly at Meruem as he said:
"Komugi."
At the mention of this name, the Ant King's body shook even more violently.
"I know you want to protect her..."
Lan calmly said: "I promise you, no matter what happens to you, I will protect her."
"I'm someone who keeps my word. Whether you believe it or not, I'll ensure she lives the rest of her life in peace, free from harm. I'll provide her with a safe place where she can live without worry and focus on her life, with no one to disturb her."
"This is my compensation for the accidental harm caused to her during the palace raid."
With Lan's words, to his surprise, the Ant King's trembling body gradually began to stop.
And this, Lan observed with no surprise.
What followed was a faint sigh.
As Lan had said, Meruem was an incredibly intelligent being. Given his experiences so far, his battle with Netero, the terrifying feeling of near-death, and the confrontation with Lan, he could clearly understand that humanity would never allow him to survive.
In the face of humanity's malice, it was clear to him that his death had already been sealed by those in power.
It was evident to Meruem that his end had already been determined by the malicious humans.
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