After exhausting every possible way to escape, Meleoron was left with a sinking realization—there was no way out. Not even the slightest glimmer of hope.
"Is there really nothing we can do? Are we just supposed to sit here and wait?" he thought grimly.
"Alright then, it's your turn next~ The four of you."
Ronnel's voice was calm, almost casual, but it sent chills down Bloster and the others' spines.
Then, his gaze settled on Rammot.
"I—I..."
Rammot trembled violently, his words stuck in his throat, unable to form a coherent sentence.
"Don't be nervous. I won't hurt you. I just want to conduct a little experiment on you. Don't worry, no one will die~"
As he spoke, a small capsule-like tube appeared in his hand, filled with a strange liquid.
...Should we believe that?
Bloster and Hina exchanged silent glances, both of them instinctively looking at Rammot with pity.
"No! I don't want this!!"
Rammot shook his head frantically, his face a mask of sheer terror. He tried to back away, to run, but he found himself completely immobilized—his aura sealed, his body locked in place.
"Relax. There might be a little pain, but it'll be over in a second."
With a smile reminiscent of a wolf staring down its prey, Ronnel took slow, deliberate steps toward Rammot.
"No! Don't—don't come any closer! Don't—ahhh!!"
Thud!
Rammot's eyes rolled back as he collapsed to the ground, his body convulsing violently.
"Tch. So noisy. If I'd known he'd scream this much, I would've cut out his tongue first."
Ronnel eyed the now-empty capsule in his hand, his voice indifferent.
Hina, who had been quietly sobbing moments ago, fell silent.
"As the first Chimera Ant to unlock Nen, you have the honor of being my very first test subject for this resentment infection serum. Feel honored."
Ronnel stepped back, giving Rammot space as his convulsions slowly subsided.
Over the past month—since the Heavens Arena incident—Ronnel had been focusing on creating Jed's puppet and perfecting his resentment infection serum. He had just finished refining the first version before Netero called to invite him.
This was the first-generation formula, based on Jed's notes. Ronnel had no idea what the exact effects would be, but that's what these test subjects were for.
Judging by the results, at least, it worked.
Ronnel watched as Rammot, his movements sluggish and uncoordinated, pushed himself off the ground. A dark, ominous aura of pure malice surrounded him, radiating like an open wound in the air.
"Ra...Rammot?"
Bloster's lips trembled as he looked at his companion, who now knelt before Ronnel in absolute submission.
The energy wrapping around Rammot wasn't the life-filled radiance of Nen—it was something darker, heavier, suffocating. His eyes, once filled with fear, were now empty voids of pitch-black darkness.
Bloster's heart clenched.
"Are...are we going to end up like that too?"
Meleon's voice was barely a whisper, dry and hoarse.
"S-shouldn't...shouldn't be possible, right...?"
Hina's voice wavered, but no one answered her.
A heavy silence settled over them as they all silently pondered their fates.
"What terrifying humans!"
From a shadowy corner the yak-like Chimera Ant, ran a nervous hand through his thick fur. Despite being in the warmth of the palace, he felt an uncomfortable chill creeping over him.
"Yeah... Not only is he insanely strong, but his methods are downright eerie."
Beside him, the groundhog-like Chimera Ant swallowed hard, his voice shaky.
They had watched as Ronnel systematically slaughtered Leol and the others. The experience had left a deep psychological scar.
Especially what happened at the end—seeing Rammot injected with some unknown substance, only to transform into something unrecognizable. His aura had turned twisted, his will seemingly erased. It was as if he had been completely reprogrammed, now serving that human without question.
The sight had shaken them to their cores.
"We're lucky we stayed loyal to the Queen and didn't get involved in all of this."
The two exchanged uneasy glances, then silently sighed in relief.
They had always disapproved of humans, but under Korudol's leadership, they had refrained from direct hostility. And because of the Queen's condition, they had never joined forces with Leol's group, choosing instead to stay by her side.
Now, watching Rammot's fate, they were certain—staying out of this was the right decision.
After all, ending up like that was worse than death.
"It seems there are many terrifying humans out there."
At that moment, they both made a silent vow—to never provoke humans again.
Instead, they shrank further into the shadows, blending into the background, watching silently.
"It seems the results are promising~"
Ronnel examined Rammot, who remained kneeling, silent and motionless. A satisfied smile played on his lips.
[Resentment Infection Serum]: Upon injection, the subject's energy is corroded by pure resentment. Their Nen transforms into resentment energy, making them fall under the control of the injector and obey any given command.
If the injector loses consciousness or dies, the effect is nullified.
In other words, Rammot's current state was exactly what the formula had predicted.
With that confirmation in mind, Ronnel decided to run another test.
With a mere thought, he withdrew his control.
Suddenly, Rammot's body stiffened. The pitch-black aura surrounding him dissipated instantly, and his vacant eyes regained clarity.
"I... What happened to me?!"
Rammot's voice was shaky, his eyes darting around in confusion, completely unaware of what had just occurred.
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Fanfic is completed on patreon.com/FanficsHub (799 chapters in total)