Chapter 812
Ron didn't intend to lie to Zeno. What he said was exactly what he truly thought.
In order to grow stronger, the Dark Continent was a place Ron had to go. On the human continent, he had already reached the peak. If he stayed, all that remained would be the repetition of daily life—an existence far too dull.
Zeno glanced at Silva, then at Illumi.
"The Dark Continent is certainly worth exploring," he said, "but we can't all go. Silva, Illumi, what are your thoughts?"
Zeno's reasoning was simple: someone had to stay behind to manage the Zoldyck estate. If everyone left for the Dark Continent, the risk would be too high.
"I'll stay," Silva said. "I can handle the family affairs. Illumi still isn't quite there yet. And besides, I have more time than you, Father. Even if I go later—ten or twenty years from now—it won't make much difference to me. Staying is the best choice."
Zeno looked at Silva for a long moment before nodding.
"All right. Then I'll leave the Zoldyck estate to you."
"Don't worry."
............
.....
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The next day, Ron departed.
He boarded an airship headed for the city of Heaven's Arena. However, the arena itself wasn't his destination—he was only there to meet with Shizuku and the others.
"Captain!"
"Big brother!"
"Ron-nii!"
Once they received the message, everyone came out to greet him.
Ron's gaze settled on Misty.
"You broke through?"
Misty raised her chin with a proud look.
"Mhm! I did!"
"Well done."
Everyone began chattering excitedly, asking Ron about the Chimera Ants. They seemed very interested.
Ron explained everything in detail—from the lower-ranked ants all the way to the Ant King. Then, he took out a video—a clip he had secretly recorded. It captured the battle between Netero and the Ant King, Meruem.
The footage had been shot from high altitude using ultra-HD surveillance equipment controlled by Chii. It was the first time Ron himself was watching it, though he already knew the general events from the original timeline.
Two figures appeared on screen. One was Netero—Elita and Ponzu both recognized him from the Hunter Exam. The other was the Ant King.
"That's the Ant King," Ron explained. "Real name: Meruem. A terrifying creature with limited but real humanity."
Even Ron wasn't confident he could kill Meruem. Not even Netero could manage it—and that wasn't just a matter of failing. He couldn't even penetrate the king's defenses.
Before unleashing Poor Man's Rose, Netero had tried numerous attacks. From the first form of Hyakushiki Kannon to the final form—Zero Hand. Even though Netero had long entered his decline, even though his power had faded compared to his prime, his attacks were far from weak.
And yet none of them fazed the Ant King. Not in the slightest.
That alone demonstrated just how terrifying the king's body truly was—far stronger than even his Royal Guards.
Killua's lightning could affect Youpi somewhat, but against the King, it would be completely useless.
Ron had run simulations before: Rosgell's attacks, Natsu's techniques, even Uchiha Sasuke's abilities—all of them, ineffective. Even after reaching S-rank, Ron concluded that the only way he could kill the Ant King was by resorting to the same tactic Netero had used.
That was the kind of monster Meruem was.
Soon, the real battle between Netero and the King began.
They started with hand-to-hand combat, testing each other. Back and forth, they moved with incredible speed. So fast, in fact, that both figures began to blur and vanish from the screen.
Only the sounds of their clash remained.
Smack!
Smack!
Smack!
The group watched in silence, expressions growing serious.
"So strong…" Ponzu murmured.
"I didn't realize Chairman Netero was that powerful," Elita added. "And the Ant King—he was born not long before this. If he had more time to grow, just how strong could he have become?"
Misty looked toward Ron.
"Ron-nii, could you kill the Ant King?"
Ron shook his head.
"No. I couldn't."
"Not even you…"
"Don't worry. That was just the warm-up. Netero and the King weren't going all out yet. What comes next is the real battle."
As soon as Netero realized the gap between them, the golden giant appeared.
A radiant manifestation of the Hyakushiki Kannon—Netero's S-rank ability.
It came from his Gratitude Prayer. From years of training beneath the frozen peaks. Day after day, year after year. Countless repetitions formed the core of his strength.
It was much like Ron's Observation Platform—both were culmination-type abilities. But their forms differed, and each reflected its user's character.
Both were immensely powerful.
When the Kannon appeared, everyone watching instinctively flinched.
"This is Netero's ability?"
"Is this even something a human can do?"
"It's incredible…"
But the real shock came moments later.
Even after unleashing such a tremendous power—even after it landed direct hits—the Ant King remained standing. His flesh and bone endured everything Netero threw at him.
Machi couldn't help but compare him to Uvogin.
"This creature's durability… it's far beyond Uvogin's."
"If Uvogin had even a tenth—no, a twentieth—of this monster's durability, he wouldn't have died."
Ron stared at the screen, equally shaken.
Even having seen it before in the original timeline, the footage there could never compare to this real, unfiltered image.
The difference was massive.
In his mind, Ron began running calculations—how he would respond if facing Netero. How he would respond if facing the Ant King. What his odds of victory might be.
Then came the final strike.
"Hyakushiki Kannon: Zero Hand!"
A blast like a massive beam of energy surged straight toward the King.
It reached him instantly.
Surrounding it were countless giant handprints formed by the earlier strikes.
The ground below seemed to evaporate. Dust and debris erupted in every direction. Even the air itself seemed to be annihilated.
A colossal crater formed—so deep it felt bottomless.
At the very bottom… was the Ant King.