Ronnel patted him on the shoulder and said nothing.
The rest would naturally be handled by Morel and Knov.
Whether it was taking care of the Komugi family, cleaning up the aftermath, or reporting to the Hunter Association and the V5, both of them were seasoned veterans. Ronnel didn't need to worry about it.
Then, Ronnel and Ging left the palace under the watchful eyes of Morel and the others.
The chapter of the Chimera Ants had officially come to an end in the history of the Hunter world.
But the ripple effects they caused had only just begun to spread.
...
Hunter Association, Vice President's Office
Pariston slowly hung up the receiver, folding his hands beneath his chin, his expression unreadable.
The moment Morel and the others submitted their report on the Chimera Ant incident, the information had reached him immediately.
As for Chairman Netero, who had been gravely injured and was now receiving emergency treatment—he had learned of that just as swiftly.
"The result is… he survived," Pariston murmured, neither regretful nor relieved.
"All things considered, it would've been better if he had died."
His words carried a double meaning. For someone like Netero, survival in such a state might be a fate worse than death. And if Netero were gone, Beyond's restraints would be lifted.
Still, despite their complicated relationship, if Netero truly died, Pariston knew he would feel a pang of sorrow.
"Ronnel, huh? You were part of the team too. It seems I can never quite get a complete grasp of you… Every time I hear your name, I feel like I'm meeting you all over again."
Muttering to himself, Pariston abruptly stood up and strode out of the office.
He would think about Ronnel later. After all, he was one of Beyond's people—there would be plenty of opportunities to deal with him.
For now, the most pressing issue was the Hunter Association itself.
Regardless of whether Netero lived or died, Pariston only needed to push a little, and he could force the chairman out.
A disaster of this scale had unfolded in the Republic of East Gorteau and NGL. The Supreme Leader had been killed. The people had been left in the dark, unwittingly turned into prey for the Chimera Ants…
Each one of these was a perfect weapon for Pariston to leverage against Netero's leadership.
A Hunter Association without Netero—that was the organization Beyond and the Kakin Empire desired.
...
Kakin Empire – Late Night
Beyond Netero and King Hui Guo Rou sat in the same chamber where they had last met, discussing the latest developments regarding the Chimera Ants.
"The Thousand Ears Society has confirmed—Netero survived," Hui Guo Rou remarked, swirling a glass of deep red wine in his hand. His voice carried its usual peculiar rhythm.
The report came from the medical team treating Netero, where the Thousand Ears Society had its own informants.
"As expected of my old man. Surviving a fight against such an opponent…" Beyond smirked. "But I imagine his current state must be worse than death."
Hui Guo Rou nodded. "Yes, according to our sources, he's in very bad shape." His sharp eyes flicked toward Beyond, taking in his nonchalant grin.
"So? What's your next move? I'm running out of patience, and so is Kakin. I'll be taking action within the month. After that…"
"I'll speak with the old man," Beyond replied with confidence. "If he's as incapacitated as they say, I'm eighty percent sure I can renegotiate our agreement. A man like him, confined to a bed, is as good as dead."
"That's your business. Just don't let it interfere with our plans."
"You have my word~"
...
Aboard
The wind carried a faint voice across the sky.
"Dad, the Ant King is dead. A guy named Ronnel took him down."
"Oh? That so?"
"Dad, you don't seem surprised at all."
"One more thing—what about Netero?"
"Not dead. But seriously injured. His condition doesn't look good."
"If he's still breathing, that's already a victory."
News of the Ant King's demise and Netero's critical condition spread instantly to those who needed to know.
The entire continent seemed to shift in response, the political landscape trembling at the revelation.
Yet, the two central figures of the battle—Ronnel and Ging—remained largely indifferent to the aftermath.
...
After checking in with Shizuku to let her know he was safe, Ronnel followed Ging to Greed Island.
It didn't take much effort—Ging used his GM privileges to locate Angel's Breath, instantly healing all of Ronnel's injuries.
Then, he tracked down Hina, who had been having a blast playing with Dwun, to help remove the lingering side effects of the Excitement Pill.
Once the purification was complete, Hina's stomach swelled visibly, causing her to scowl.
In a way… Ronnel had made her belly bigger.
As Hina grumbled incessantly about her figure, Ronnel finally returned to normal Nen usage.
The stronger the Nen removed, the bigger the belly. The longer it took to digest, the longer it took to slim down.
With her condition settled, Ging and Ronnel left, their departure met with knowing smirks from Dwun and List, who looked half-amused, half-mocking.
"Do I have something on my face?" Ging muttered, glancing at his clothes and rubbing his chin in mild discomfort.
Ronnel merely chuckled and said nothing.
With his Nen back in full force, he expanded his En, sweeping over Greed Island to assess the current situation.
The game had already been cleared, leaving few players behind. Aside from GMs like List and Razor, and a few Chimera Ants who had settled down—such as Hina and Bloster—the island was mostly deserted.
Yet among the remaining figures, two were immediately familiar to Ronnel.
Coincidentally, those two were in Limeiro City.
Speak of the devil…
Ronnel turned his head slightly, spotting two small figures heading straight toward them.
"Hmm?"
Noticing Ronnel's change in focus, Ging instinctively followed his gaze.
Then his expression changed as recognition dawned.
...
"Gon?!"
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Fanfic is completed on patreon.com/FanficsHub (799 chapters in total)