Chapter 813
A bottomless pit opened beneath the earth, yet even an attack like this still failed to harm the Ant King. In the next moment, the King's figure vanished and reappeared behind Netero.
Squelch!
A spray of blood burst out. One of Netero's arms was snapped off by the Ant King. Combined with the leg he had already lost, Netero now looked almost like Ron's humanoid Nen beast, Rosgell.
But there was no fear on Netero's face. Instead, a faint satisfaction appeared at the corners of his mouth. The Ant King didn't understand it, but Ron did. This was exactly what Netero had been longing for. He had remained in the old era, always seeking an overwhelmingly intense battle. The stronger his opponent's power, the more fulfilled he felt.
Throughout his life, Netero had sought challenge—and this time, the challenge truly satisfied him. It felt to him as if he had returned to the days of being a disciple.
The Ant King regarded Netero with confusion. "You've lost, human. Are there any humans stronger than you? If there aren't, then this world is mine. Still, you've proven something to me. Even humans are not entirely without merit. If you're willing to surrender now, I can let you live."
Netero smiled. "A human surrender to an ant? Ant King, you've misunderstood the situation. Humans are far more complicated than you think.
Enough.
Let me show you the true malice of humanity!"
With that, Netero thrust his remaining hand into his own chest.
Squelch!
The fingers pierced inward. The Ant King's pupils shrank; he didn't yet understand what Netero intended. A moment later, sensing something amiss, he tried to move away—but it was already too late.
Boom!
A tremendous explosion sounded. The entire scene turned into a vision of detonation, and the video cut off there.
For a long time afterward, everyone remained silent, slowly coming back to their senses.
"Captain, what was that?"
"Poor Man's Rose," Ron said. "A bomb laced with deadly poison. Even if the blast itself doesn't kill you, the toxin will. The poison is extremely difficult to neutralize. No living creature can withstand it."
He closed the laptop and stored it back inside Sumas's space.
"Now, I'll explain the team's next plan. Before long, we'll be heading for the Dark Continent. I don't know how much information you have about it, so I've prepared a dossier. But the Dark Continent is extraordinarily dangerous—far more dangerous than any place on the human continent.
The Ant King was already powerful and ferocious, but on the Dark Continent there are beings even stronger and more savage than him. Because of that, this operation won't involve everyone."
"Misty, Ponzu, Machi—you three will come with me. The rest of you will remain at the dojo. If you have things of your own to do, you can go take care of them."
Misty and Machi were already A-rank. Ponzu possessed the potential to rise to S-rank. These three would at least have some measure of power on the Dark Continent. The others, by comparison, were far weaker. Nina was still B-rank and couldn't reach A-rank in the short term. Elita's ceiling was already B-rank. Shizuku was in a similar situation to Nina.
Hearing Ron's arrangement, Shizuku and the others showed disappointment, but they knew he must have his reasons for assigning things this way.
"Yes, Captain."
"Before we leave for the Dark Continent, there's still time. You three can prepare properly."
"I'll be heading to Minpo next," Ron said.
"When will you depart, Captain?"
"Tomorrow morning."
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That night, a figure quietly slipped into Ron's room. It was Shizuku, dressed in the maid outfit Ron liked. Before long, a chorus of soft sounds filled the room.
The next day, Ron arrived at the airship terminal. He waited for over half an hour before the craft lifted off, its engines humming faintly as it rose into the sky.
At the same time, Killua also set out for Minpo. Before leaving, he called Gon to ask whether he wanted to come along. After hesitating, Gon agreed.
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....
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Both of them traveled toward Minpo, planning to meet in one of its cities.
Near NGL's border, a figure sat on a sofa—a female body with a male soul, long hair framing the face of a small girl, her expression placid and still, at odds with her true nature. It was Kite, memories restored.
Colt knew that Kite was not his sister reborn, but still chose to follow her. There were also several other Chimera Ants present, along with members of Kite's old team. They weren't fully used to Kite's current form, but they had accepted it. For hunters, outward appearances like gender or looks mattered far less than purpose.
"Kite, are you still not going to contact Gon? He's very worried about you."
Kite shook her head. "Not for now. This is also a chance for Gon to grow. It's fine to reach out later."
Then she looked at Colt. "You're sure you want to continue following me?"
Colt hesitated, then nodded. "The Queen is dead. The Ant King is dead. The other Chimera Ants have scattered. We don't have anywhere better to go. This is one of our few options. Besides, you're the Queen's last offspring. You're special. I don't know what we really are—human or ant—but I think you can lead us onto a path forward."
Kite nodded. "From today, I accept your loyalty. But since you've chosen this, you must obey my commands and arrangements. Can you do that?"
The Chimera Ants exchanged glances. "We can."
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The airship descended. The moment Ron set foot on Minpo's soil, he could feel at once that its atmosphere was completely different from other nations. It was suffused with a wild, primal aura—like that of primitive humans, yet the people here were not primitive at all.
"Sir, are you also here to attend the Grand Martial Trial ?"
"Something like that."
Before coming, Ron had already looked into Minpo's situation and learned about the Grand Martial Trial being held here.