Chapter 419: Episode 76

Deep within the NGL, there is an ant nest overlooking the dense forest. Its shape looks like a termite mound. However, its size is enormous, reaching hundreds of meters in height.

The castle of the Chimera Ants. Human-sized ants move in swarms, large enough to comfortably accommodate all the ants. Their habits are similar to ants, bringing food one after another into this nest to sustain the colony.

"The Kiona Legion Has Disappeared"

"Was that another mass disappearance?"

However, the sub-human Chimera Ants, who gained intelligence through interaction with humans, lack the leadership that ants originally possessed. A complete social structure has not been established, and the number of worker ants acting only for their own desires is increasing.

Even so, an entire unit that went out for food procurement disappearing is clearly abnormal. Rather than thinking they ran away, it is more likely they were attacked.

"I tried to collect as much information as possible from the combat soldiers who were present, but... it seems that just before he disappeared, a dense fog suddenly appeared and completely covered the surroundings."

"How was that combat soldier saved?"

"Since it was an individual with flight capabilities, I estimate it just flew away in the sky. Conversely, individuals who cannot fly likely could not handle it."

"They weren't just lost either; we can always confirm each other's positions through signals. If they were killed while visibility was poor, there should be corpses left behind, but those traces... they cannot be found."

Chimera Ant Squadron Leaders Colt and Peggy exchanged opinions regarding the multiple mass disappearances of the expeditionary forces. Colt is a vulture, and Peggy is a Chimera Ant with penguin characteristics. These two are the true driving forces.

Chimera Ants are a class-based society. From top to bottom, they are: 【Queen】, 【Royal Guards】, 【Squadron Leader】, 【Captain】, 【Combat Soldier】, and 【Choreographer】. The current Queen's focus is on preparing to give birth to the King, and the Bodyguards prioritize her personal protection, so they have little interest in problems outside the nest.

Precisely because of this, all the Squadron Leaders should have gathered to discuss this matter, but the two dealing with it seriously are Colt, who is loyal to the Queen, and Peggy, who can act using his own insight. A staff officer, rather than one in combat. It can just be said to be a negative effect of the "individuality" gained from becoming a sub-human.

"There are still many unknown points; is this also the work of 'Nen'?"

It was known early on that humans with abundant Life Energy are considered "rare items" and can serve as top-tier bait, but recently it has broken out that they are people called "Nen users."

One of the guards, Neferpitou, obtained information from a rare item that was luckily captured alive. They also learned the method to acquire Nen, and the military strength of the Chimera Ants was further enhanced. This is the disappearance incident that happened after that.

"We cannot say we have fully mastered Nen, and I think we need to send out soldiers who have also learned Nen to deal with it."

"No, there are still many soldiers who are useless due to the aftereffects of 'Selection'; although the quality of the soldiers has greatly improved, the quantity has decreased significantly..."

If you try to pull out an excellent soldier who acts quickly, the Squadron Leader controlling that legion will not remain stagnant. No matter how much power increases, the lack of leadership is a persistent problem.

"Is there no way to avoid it? Shouldn't we be careful of the fog and not set foot in that area?"

"I don't know. If this situation could be avoided, the damage would not have spread to this extent."

An expeditionary force consists of one Squadron Leader, four to five Captains, and ten to fifteen combat soldiers. Among them, there are groups that exchange signals closely and march in formation, but there are also many units that run around in disorder without discipline.

Humans are weak. The concept that they are just to be hunted is deeply rooted. Even in this situation where disappearances are frequent, very few are seriously vigilant. After acquiring Nen Ability, this tendency is particularly strong.

"That said, we still have to send out expeditionary teams to procure food; most of the food here has been hunted and scattered. The Queen's appetite increases day by day to give birth to the King. Even so..."

"Our food reserves have a limit; even if we have enough food to feed the Queen, we absolutely must not feed the other lower-level soldiers."

"How many soldiers can endure hunger? There are also many who enjoy killing. In the future, we will have to bring one person for each of us to eat, not wasting a single person, but to what extent can we follow orders?"

Ants deprived of food and entertainment cannot be expected to make rational decisions. If you feel frustrated and start hunting, you will be at the mercy of the enemy. The troops are gradually being reduced. Now that the King is preparing for birth, the Queen cannot increase the number of worker ants.

"Are you suggesting moving the castle for the Queen?"

"That is absolutely impossible; at this important moment, we cannot have extra worries, especially since it is too dangerous."

Colt tightened his voice. If he were in the enemy's position, he would consider the Queen being exposed away from the nest as an excellent opportunity to launch an attack. The Royal Guards cannot leave the protection of the heavily pregnant Queen, and it is hard to say they can fully exert their abilities.

Even so, I don't think I would lose to those non-standard defenders, but I cannot be certain. If the "fog" appears while the Queen is moving. Unknown abilities cannot be taken lightly.

"Come to think of it, that expeditionary team exploring the west also seems to have run into trouble."

Although the cause is clear, the fact that a powerful Chimera Ant expedition was repelled is no small matter.

"I heard that story too. It seems the enemy was a human child, but they used a strange ability."

According to a report from a lower-level soldier, he received a radio signal containing enough information to make him dizzy, and he fell into a state of panic for a time. Moreover, there were multiple children with similar abilities, and their base combat power was very high. Not only combat soldiers, but three commander-level soldiers were killed in action.

"Do you think these two things are related?"

"I don't know, but in any case, it is certain that humans have enough power to oppose us."

I cannot just focus on the disappearance case. There is also the threat of invasion from the forces confirmed in the west. Peggy, who inherited penguin genes, walked around with his short legs. I have been thinking about it, but I cannot come up with a good idea.

"We will have to wait and see for a while longer; fortunately, the Queen's defenses are solid, and with the power of the Royal Guards, this nest will not be breached. We just have to hold on until the King is born. Until then, endure it..."

"Do you really think so?"

Colt does not fully trust the three warriors of the Royal Guards. It is still under the Queen's control, but when the King is born, control of the three warriors will pass to the King. The King's role is to expand the species, and he will leave the nest as soon as he is born. Independent from the group. This is the instinctive ecological imprint of the Chimera Ants.

If the King leaves the nest, this group of the strongest combat-capable Royal Guards will also be lost. All that will remain is the Queen, still tired after childbirth, and the missing soldiers. Humans will target the Queen, who is not fully protected, before attacking the King with his guards.

Before the tribe regains its strength, there is no guarantee the King will help the Queen.

"Is it too negative?"

"There is still time; if we don't act now, it will be too late. In this situation, we are the only ones who have a sense of crisis regarding humans."

"Even so, with just two people, you know how much you can do. The other Squadron Leaders won't listen to our Suggestion at all."

This is where the biggest problem lies. Only individual desires are prioritized, and very few consider the interests of the entire group. Colt believes it is necessary to reform this consciousness from the ground up.

"I am considering reorganizing the units divided by Squadron Leaders into one, in order to investigate and resolve the cause of this incident."

"That is also an unreasonable task; there are 28 existing units, are you trying to bundle them all together?"

"We can't go that far. At the very least, we will select multiple Squadron Leaders and several of their subordinate Captains to form a selection force to strike at the human forces causing the turmoil."

"If the Squadron Leader level is gathered, it will certainly be enough power to suppress this matter, but they are all strong; how do you intend to talk to them?"

"Let's ask Lord Neferpitou or Lord Shaiapouf. If it is an order from the Royal Guards, the Squadron Leaders will have no choice but to obey. Everyone, don't do anything to displease those people."

The Bodyguards are only interested in the Queen who carries her and the King. Some even think that other soldiers are unnecessary if they have themselves. He won't care how many other soldiers die.

Even without bothering the Royal Guards, it would be fine if the strategy Colt planned is approved. If their trouble can be solved by one order, they are very likely to agree.

Colt, leaving half the troops needed for food procurement, intends to gather one Squadron Leader to lead the remaining half of the troops. This includes myself. It is impossible for the founders to hide in their nest with their tails tucked between their legs.

"It's dangerous; four units have already been wiped out, and four Squadron Leaders have not returned."

"Probably."

Colt also despised humans at first. I thought it was nothing more than a predator. However, this consciousness is shaking. Those who thought they could easily kill and control them are showing more resistance than expected.

"If a unit is composed of Squadron Leaders of the same level as superiors, the command system will not function properly. Moreover, compared to the rare items we have seen so far, the opponent is a powerful enemy on a different level. There will always be sacrifices. I will keep the power of humans in mind."

It makes the worker ants realize that unity is the greatest weapon of the Chimera Ants. Knowing it will hurt, the stronger the enemy, the more the soldiers will unite. Colt believes he can do it.

Everything was for the sake of this flock, for the Queen. Colt had prepared himself for death.

"... Since you've thought so much about it, don't say any more. I will participate in the operation."

"No, if you don't stay behind, I'll be in trouble."

Peggy's tactical accompaniment was not advisable for Colt. Even within the same Squadron Leader rank, the gap in strength was vast. I don't believe Peggy, who plays the role of a staff officer, has that much combat power. Most importantly, if anything were to happen to Colt, no one could be entrusted with the fate of the herd better than Peggy.

"I don't want to be told what to do by someone who keeps their own life on a ledger. I am a Squadron Leader, let's go."

Peggy displayed an irreverent attitude inconsistent with her petite stature. I could tell this was a bluff. But I also knew I would never change my mind. Colt respected this intention.

Of course, Colt did not think this strategy would fail. There were several other Squadron Leaders with superior combat power, and with their coordination, even if there were some casualties, it would not shake the overall situation. I believe this group will win.

The two Chimera Ants had already begun to act, preparing for the upcoming decisive day.

Two weeks had passed since the three members of the Chimera Ant subjugation force arrived in NGL.

The immigration procedures were completed smoothly. They could have snuck into the country, but this was a matter handled directly by the Hunter Association Headquarters, and because it was a job with public records, they were going through formal procedures.

However, for those civilized convenience tools that were prohibited from being brought in, he hid them with Nen and brought them in in large quantities. For the strange insects on Six's body, he also refused the signposts and let them bypass the checkpoint from the outside.

After entering the country, it is the rule to have an interpreter as a Guide to negotiate with special language regions and barbaric tribes, but this is a measure to monitor those entering the country. Obediently listening is a waste of time; they escaped as soon as they entered the country.

The information collected by other Hunters had already confirmed the location of the nest. The three of them headed straight for the destination. The tragic sights witnessed along the way made them realize the threat of the Chimera Ants.

Many villages were destroyed, leaving behind traces of people's lives. Chimera Ants are accustomed to using Poison to paralyze captured creatures and then taking them alive to their nests for storage. In the eyes of Novu and Morau, this is completely unforgivable, but they can still understand whether they are killing for food.

There were also corpses that had been ruthlessly devoured. There were many people killed in ways that could only be seen as playing. Chimera Ants are naturally aggressive insects, but after mixing with the evil spirit traits of humans, they have become even more cruel.

The subjugation force thought they had fully understood the enemy's threat from the preliminary investigation, but it must be said that their understanding was naive. When I walked closer and saw the Chimera Ant nest, I could feel the true danger of the enemy.

Aura tentacles covered a vast area centered on the nest. I had received reports, but even seeing it again, it was hard to believe that it was "En". The irregular Circle, wriggling like an amoeba, had a maximum capture distance reaching 2 kilometers.

The aura field formed by the Circle seemed to sense the presence of any intruder as if by touch. Usually, only a few people can master the Circle, which is considered an advanced technique among applied techniques. Even if one can use it, as long as one can expand the radius by 10 meters, it belongs to the superior category.

A Circle that can reach two kilometers away is an impractical sight. The terror emanating from its aura is reminiscent of a giant beast's fangs before biting into its prey's neck. The subjugation team did not carelessly approach them because they had heard stories of Hunters fighting this Circle caster.

Even for Morau and Novu, who have crossed countless Death Lines, this enemy is special. This is not an opponent that can be taken lightly.

The punitive force was only given two months to complete the mission. As experts predicted, this is the minimum time required for the King to be born. Little is known about the ecology of half-human Chimera Ants, and it is unclear how credible this two-month figure is.

Time is important, but don't rush. First, Morau uses Nen Beads made of a large amount of smoke to check the enemy situation. Collect data such as enemy numbers and behavioral patterns. I decided to keep the expeditionary force away from the nest to find food.

You can't win the championship all at once. First, be sure to lower the enemy's strength. Reduce the number of soldier ants and disrupt their stability by interfering with their food supply. Judging from the personalities of the Chimera Ants I have encountered so far, dissatisfied ants will become more disorganized and start acting arbitrarily. In that case, the subjugation strategy will advance further.

This is an ammunition attack. The demi-human Chimera Ants, which require a large amount of food, cannot last long even in a siege. Cut off supplies, and the isolated enemy castle will have no choice but to use its greatest strength. The goal is to move the guard army out of the nest and weaken the Queen's defense.

The goal of the subjugation team is the Ant Queen. Even if they don't defeat all the guards, they should be able to kill the Queen before the King is born. Needless to say, this is still a daunting task, but they are the elites assembled for this operation.

"Caught two, one of them should be a captain."

"Hey, hey, the sending speed is too fast, will the little lady cry?"

"The situation is exactly the opposite. I'd rather be happy."

Morau exhaled the smoke inhaled from his giant kiseru. The amount of smoke exhaled by his unconventional lung capacity was so large that it could be mistaken for a wildfire. The smoke filled with Aura moved according to his will, creating a smoky haze in the surrounding forest.

This smoke screen not only causes low visibility, but the smoke from the specially formulated medicinal herbs can even confuse the sense of smell. You can freely change the shape by manipulating the Aura attached to the smoke particles, and if you increase the density of the Aura, you can even form a cage from which there is no Escape.

The Chimera Ant expeditionary force, swallowed by Morau's "Deep Purple", was in a state of complete fog. Originally, their target was a unit with low leadership, so they started acting on their own and not cooperating. This is the perfect situation to deal with each one.

The task of protecting the enemies one by one without being seen by others was entrusted to Novu. By the time it was Novu's turn, many traps had been set in the hunting ground already covered by the smoke screen. A trap is a trap. After falling into the hole, the other space created by Novu unfolded.

The 4-dimensional mansion (Hide and Seek) created by the Conjurer Novu is a 4-story, 21-room apartment building. As a user of Nen bones, its size is unparalleled.

Novu can put his hand on a wall or the ground to open a hole leading to the apartment, and if set carefully in advance, it will detect anyone touching this place and automatically enter the hole. Immediately. Calling it a hole, it is actually equivalent to teleportation, and even if you touch it, you cannot Escape.

The lonely soldier ant covered by the smoke screen never noticed this trick. The thick fog hidden by Morau and transferred by Novu disappeared. And in the final stage, the bearer of "processing" was waiting on the first floor of the apartment. Novu was watching the footage from the surveillance camera installed in that room on the terminal at hand.

The first floor is a single level, without partition walls separating the rooms, and is the largest space among all 21 rooms. All rooms are independent, so you cannot enter or exit, but there is a door that allows you to go out from the Nen space, so it is not a closed room.

However, no Chimera Ant has ever been able to escape alive from that door. Combining the genes of various creatures such as humans and ants, Chimera Ant battle soldiers do not have two identical appearances. Dozens of deformed corpses lay on the floor, turning into silent corpses.

Only the girl standing in the center of the room was alive and the winner. Like a beast trapped in a cage, it waited for food to be delivered.

"How about the chocolate? Is it the same as before?"

"Yeah, I haven't slept or eaten in the last few days, but I'm full of energy."

Morau and Novu have known each other for a long time as Hunters and are very familiar with each other's abilities. However, there is almost no information about the girl who joined there, and it is natural to measure her ability as a team with the same mission.

Even so, imprisoning them in a room of the apartment and sending multiple Chimera Ants to fight them irregularly is a rather Extreme test. Even the lowest-level battle soldiers will face a hard fight unless they are quite proficient in Nen Ability. Among them, there are also captains and Squadron Leaders, each of whom is several times stronger than the lower-level soldiers.

Novu promoted this policy, and the girl accepted it. Novu did not fully forgive the girl's resentment toward Chairman Netero. Regardless of the reason, it is a fact that the predecessor he respected was killed.

However, Novu had no intention of driving the girl into a dead end. He decided to take a rough approach, but the real intention was to determine the girl's ability. I was ready to provide help, and if they took too long to deal with a low-level soldier, I intended to exclude them from the subjugation team.

But as the operation progressed, Novu found that his worries were all unnecessary. The girl was indeed strong, but if that was the case, I wouldn't pay special attention. Even now, she is fighting the soldier ants that are being transferred one after another. Rather than a scene of monsters crowding together, the girl's fighting style is strange.

Various creatures have unscrupulously integrated the characteristics obtained through survival strategies into Chimera Ants, and as a species, their combat power is much higher than that of humans. Among them, the biggest feature shared by most is the Hardness of the epidermis.

The tough skin based on the hard exoskeleton of insects cannot be damaged even by ordinary attacks. The joints are slightly weaker, but even so, it is difficult to aim and attack accurately in battle. Born with powerful defensive power like armor.

Such Chimera Ant battle soldiers were slaughtered one by one. Every time the girl's left hand swung, a sound of Explosion and a shockwave passed by, and a stubborn battle soldier danced in the air. After being hit, almost no one could stand up. This is because the body disappeared, centered on the part that was attacked.

The battle soldiers who were attacked did not know what happened. Unknowingly, my legs, abdomen, chest, torso, and neck were blown in different directions. Novu, who had observed this battle many times through the surveillance camera, knew the identity of this move.

At the moment of the attack, the girl's palm gathered a large amount of Aura because of 'Glue'. She grabbed the enemy's vital point with that hand. The Aura in her hand turned into countless Projections, turning into extremely fine hairs, moving at a super high speed that the naked eye could not capture.

It is not that Novu can fully comprehend this phenomenon based on the principles he has seen. To be precise, the part her palm touched wore out rapidly due to the high-speed vibration of the Aura.

A large number of vibrating protrusions generate great friction, bringing abnormal pressure and high temperature to the contact area. This heat-induced chemical reaction scrapes off the Chimera Ant's epidermis, causing it to corrode and wear away at an extremely fast speed, while scattering dust.

The girl's grip strength increased. She tightened and sealed the high temperature and high pressure generated by friction, creating a small furnace in her hand. If I don't increase the attack and defense of my hands, its power is enough to explode.

The grip crushed the Chimera Ant's outer skin like tofu, and then it exploded. It had already exceeded the reaction level of a low-level soldier, because her movements were simple, and the enemy was killed just like that.

If this was the girl's "Hatsu", if it was a technique honed through repeated Training, Novu would still be convinced. But that was not the case. What is truly amazing is the process of learning.

At first, it was a terrible performance that could not be called a skill. She condensed Aura in her palm, but she was too naive and didn't know what she wanted to do with it at all. In less than a week, she had grown to a level where she could win in actual combat.

In her mission to conquer Chimera Ants, she devised a new technique. Its insane Aura changes and precise Manipulation techniques could eventually be learned by even a genius user after decades of harsh Training. In just one week. If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, Novu would never have believed it.

"Pa pa pa pa! Yes! Itoga, Madagakuru! I am Mitsui!"

The girl who had been running around the room before stopped her movements. A Chimera Ant resisted her hand and came before her. It had a strange appearance, as if a horseshoe crab and a human had merged together. It had a grotesque appearance, with a smooth shell to protect its back and many movable legs growing from its abdomen.

"Da Qian, Orinobodi, Kizunaki... Yusane!"

That was an ant that seemed to be of a higher rank than a captain. Upon receiving the girl's attack, the damage was suppressed to the extent of a cracked shell. The reason was the Aura enveloping the enemy's body. This ant possessed the power of the mind.

For the past few days, just in case, awakened Chimera Ants have appeared from time to time. The number is increasing every day. It is hard to think of this as a natural phenomenon; it is highly likely that the Chimera Ants are forcibly releasing their Aura through Baptism.

If Chimera Ants, which are already powerful, remember to take precautions and further improve their strength, they will eventually become uncontrollable. The learning time is still short, so their skills are not high, but as time passes, the gap will narrow. The threat of the enemy is rising even higher.

"You, Ku!"

A Chimera Ant succumbed to rage and lunged at the girl. There was nothing to fear with iron-wall armor reinforced by Aura. It struck with sharp claws. It was filled with Absolute confidence that any prey could be killed by this single blow.

The arm was casually torn off by the girl's hand, as if snapping a dry branch. Stepping on Tatara, it was ignited by an Explosion.

"...... D... Nande...?"

The enemy, who thought the girl's attack would not cause much damage, did not acknowledge that their arm had been blown off. In short, this girl has not gone all out until now.

If the enemy's defensive power increases, one just needs to put in more power than that. The girl's wounds, already burned by the recoil of the Explosion and with bent fingers, have now healed. The Chimera Ant, still denying reality, could not avoid the ensuing attacks.

Tearing off the girl's left hand, which had transformed into a beast's jaw, it chewed on the enemy's armor bit by bit. I could not resist the screaming and defense, but the walking legs prepared for guarding were carefully taken away one by one.

"Amidie!! Idai!!"

Why did you kill me? The reason was to acquire data. How to effectively inflict damage on an opponent with high Aura defense? Study carefully and improve. With every strike, the momentum is visible, and the technique is elevated to a more refined and polished technique.

To some extent, this is Plunder. As if eating the prey and turning it into flesh and blood, she tastes the enemy's power and hones her own skills.

The girl's eyes did not see the enemy in front of her. The opponent she sees now is the Royal Guard protecting the Chimera Ant nest. From the moment she saw the ferocious Aura emanating from that huge, twisted En, the girl's interest was focused on this point.

I cannot see the bottom line of the Royal Guard's power. That is why we need Ken. It is growing at an incomprehensibly absurd speed.

The horseshoe crab Chimera Ant crouched on the ground, hiding its defensive posture with its sturdiest back shell. His spirit, pushed to the brink of death, erupted in an exponential bloom; although imperfect, he could transform his Aura into a form approaching "Hard".

Did you originally have some aptitude for defense? The girl smiled at the enemy reinforcing their defense. Rejoicing at obtaining high-quality prey, she drove her Fang Butt into the flesh. In this battle, the sharpness of her technique increased significantly, the recoil of the Explosion was minimized, and conversely, the damage dealt to the enemy increased.

"Ode... Yuerji..."

Once the "meal" was over, the enemy died. A large amount of fresh blood flowed from the enemy, who was full of holes. The girl was stained with a blue blood, not red. The terrifying pallor made it feel as eerie as a dead person's skin.

With this kind of strength, she might even be able to contend with the Royal Guard. It is even possible to overthrow it. But if that is the case, how strong will a girl who has been eaten by a non-standard powerhouse become?

And she didn't even pretend to use the power of the Disaster that killed Netero. Is it hidden as a trump card, or is there another reason it cannot be used? However, it cannot be ignored.

Not only this girl, but Pariston, who is pulling the strings from behind, is also a problem. Without Netero, the current Association is about to be controlled by him. What does Pariston intend to do with this girl?

I cannot help but feel that something bad is about to happen. Novu realized once again that he could not take his eyes off this girl. At first, I didn't believe him, but she might be a potential enemy. Sometimes you need to make a ruthless decision before it's too late.

"——Uh!?"

There, Novu saw the girl's eyes through the screen of the mobile device. This meant she had turned her gaze toward the surveillance camera.

I told them in advance that they were installing cameras, so the act itself was not particularly strange. But until now, the girl had never paid attention to the lens. She must have noticed she was being observed, but she didn't seem to care.

Why turn her attention at this time? As if seeing through Novu's inner worries, his heart skipped a beat. A stinging, itchy chill crawled up my spine.

"Hey hey Eleven! What's wrong, did something happen?"

"... Not at all."

When Novu was called out, he immediately turned off his mobile device. Taking a deep breath, he quickly regained his composure.

"There was some movement at the enemy headquarters just now."

Morau can use smoke to create many types of Nen Beads. One of them, hundreds of rabbit-shaped reconnaissance Spirit Beasts, were released to scout the enemy's movements.

"Did you find this place?"

"No, it doesn't seem so. We are marching west from here... is there something over there?"

Until now, a unit was about 50 soldier ants, and most of them basically acted in unit-by-unit. However, this time, their numbers significantly exceeded that, and they were found to be a mixture of several units. This was a dispatch on a scale that could be called a march.