Under the moonlight, the building looked like a cluster of crooked rock pillars, giving off a distorted, eerie vibe. This was actually an ant nest, home to a chimera ant colony filled with terrifying creatures beyond imagination.
Inside one room of the nest, a strange red light filled the space, not a warm red, but a dark, blood-like glow. Pokkle sat there, speaking about Nen in a robotic tone, his eyes dull and lifeless.
"There are six types of Nen abilities," he recited. "Enhancement, Emission, Manipulation, Transmutation, Conjuration, and Specialization."
He paused, then continued, "Increasing aura output and speeding up the flow of Nen are essential fundamentals. Most people spend years mastering these two aspects… Whether you're skilled in them often decides the outcome of a fight."
Behind him stood Neferpitou, holding a needle, gently moving it across Pokkle's scalp to keep him talking. She nodded as she listened, clearly fascinated, and continued manipulating Pokkle's brain to get more knowledge out of him.
True to her name, Neferpitou looked very much like a cat, silver-white hair with a pair of cat ears standing upright, and a slender tail swaying behind her. Her cute appearance was deceiving though, because her behavior was cruel and cold.
In her mind, only the Ant King truly mattered; everything else was insignificant and could be treated however she pleased. Her personality matched that of a cat, curious and playful, but also ruthless.
At that moment, Pokkle was nothing more than a puppet in her hands. Neferpitou was one of the Ant King's three royal guards and among the earliest members of his protective team.
These Royal Guards were incredibly powerful, second only to the Ant King himself. From birth, they possessed immense Nen potential, and Neferpitou, in particular, was exceptionally intelligent. With just a few books and a handful of tools, Neferpitou quickly grasped the fundamentals of Nen.
Using her needle to manipulate Pokkle's body and aura to keep him alive, Neferpitou could stimulate specific areas of the brain, effectively forcing him to replay memories and divulge information.
The two Chimera Ants beside Neferpitou watched in stunned silence, their mouths slightly agape. This method of extracting knowledge from prey was unlike anything they had witnessed before.
"So, how do you determine which category someone belongs to?" Neferpitou asked with genuine curiosity, all while maintaining control over Pokkle.
"Water Divination..." Pokkle began in a dull, vacant voice explaining how it works.
Then, with clear interest, Neferpitou posed her last question: "Who is the most powerful hunter you've ever seen? How do they compare to me?"
"It's... Larry!" Pokkle's voice brightened noticeably when he said "Larry." Compared to his previously emotionless, mechanical tone, this response sounded far more human.
His face, once as stiff as a corpse, showed a flicker of fear. It was clear that the trauma from the Tyranitar incident during the Hunter Exam still haunted him deeply. Every time the name Larry came up, memories from that time flooded back, triggering an unconscious fear.
"Oh? Stronger than me? So this one is called Larry..." A spark of excitement flashed in Neferpitou's eyes. She was eager to meet this Larry and see for herself who was truly stronger.
Casually, Neferpitou tossed aside the two needles. At that moment, a chimera ant approached from the other side, carrying a glass of water with a floating leaf on top.
"Rammot, you go first," Neferpitou said, pointing to the cup resting on what looked like a table but was actually a jutting rock.
Rammot was the first chimera ant to be able to use nen. Suddenly, the water inside the cup surged, clearly indicating a Enhancement .
After Rammot finished the test, Neferpitou gave it a try herself. To everyone's surprise, the leaf in the cup withered rapidly, breaking into several pieces.
Curious, Neferpitou poked at the dead leaves, now almost powdery. Finding it pointless to linger, she turned and began to leave, leaving only one final instruction behind, "That one's no longer useful. Give it to the Queen."
Not far from the ant nest, Kite, Gon, and Killua were tracking three Chimera Ants as they made their way back to the colony.
"It's incredible, I haven't lost them once," Killua whispered, moving lightly over the grass.
The ground was soft, and any heavy step could easily give away their position. Ever since they had started tailing the Chimera Ants, Kite hadn't let them out of his sight for even a second. His skill in maintaining such precise awareness was impressive, it was an advanced application of En.
"Kite said it was a 45-meter radius, right?" Gon murmured, glancing at Killua.
"Yeah," Killua nodded. "I've heard that a first-class Nen user's En usually reaches about 50 meters. So Kite's is already pretty close to that."
Gon tilted his head. "But Kite's been fighting all night. It's very likely that his actual range is even more than 50 meters."
He suddenly realized just how far Kite's ability probably extended, his strength had definitely reached the level of a first-class Hunter.
Kite led the way, but his voice still carried back to them as he spoke. He was tall and slender, dressed in a blue knit cap, a white shirt, and black pants.
His long, silver-white hair fell straight down his back, contrasting with his thin frame. The most striking feature was his deep-set eyes, with dark markings beneath them that almost looked like a panda's.
As they walked, Kite shared insights about Hunters with the two boys and even mentioned that Ging had once entrusted him with his Hunter License. Kite told Gon that if he ever met Ging, he should return it in person.
Just when everything felt calm and focused, the atmosphere shifted. As they reached the edge of the cliff, Kite's expression darkened. He sensed an overwhelmingly sinister aura ahead.
"A monster…" Kite's voice dropped low and serious. His pupils first shrank, then widened as he stared into the distance. Without thinking, he dropped to one knee.
"This can't be…unbelievable." His face twisted with shock. His earlier prediction had been way off, there were incredibly powerful beings among the Chimera Ants.
"Gon. Killua. Run!" Kite barked urgently at the two boys.
But neither of them moved. They were still too inexperienced to sense the presence themselves, and they just stood there in confusion, watching Kite's reaction.
"Damn it…too late!"
Nearby, outside the nest, Neferpitou crouched atop a rocky pillar, her eyes locked onto them. A faint, almost playful smile crossed her face as she raised her tail.
In an instant, Neferpitou kicked off the rock. The air split with a roar as she shot forward like a missile.
"What's wrong, Kite?" Gon called, just as a deafening rush of wind hit them.