That human again...!
On the platform outside the Chimera Ant Nest, Neferpitou stared intently at the distant location where the explosive light had flashed.
Since last experiencing Morrow's long-range attack capabilities, she hadn't dared to relax even slightly while performing guard duties, maintaining her En around the clock.
Shaiapouf and Youpi, who had awakened later, had offered to take turns standing guard, but Neferpitou refused them all.
Simply because their alert range was far inferior to hers, unable to give her true peace of mind.
After learning the reason, Shaiapouf and Youpi didn't insist further.
From this perspective, Neferpitou's highly vigilant reaction precisely aligned with the deterrent effect Morrow had intended when he directly launched the Shooting Star attack on the nest.
Unfortunately... Morrow's original intention had been to use the Chimera Ant Queen's safety to force Neferpitou to maintain En day and night under unknown threats, thereby continuously draining her mental energy.
But the Royal Guards were ultimately true monsters.
Half a month had passed, with Neferpitou using En for vigilance around the clock, yet the aura information she presented showed no signs of fatigue whatsoever.
It must be understood that the larger the range of En, the higher the mental consumption required to maintain it.
Even first-class Nen users skilled in En could only sustain it for a day and night at best.
Yet Neferpitou had persisted for an entire half month.
Even more unbelievable was that her physical strength and mental state showed no signs of being affected.
I must not neglect even slightly before the King is born.
Watching the aftermath of the explosion in the distance, Neferpitou's wariness of Morrow deepened another level.
If only he would attack directly... then I could completely eliminate this threat.
She thought with some regret.
To guard against Morrow's long-range attacks, Neferpitou had even sacrificed many of her hobbies.
Because of this, she wished more than anyone that Morrow would approach the nest, giving her a chance to eliminate him.
Yet the humans remained active in areas far from the nest, only targeting soldier ants sent out to hunt.
Neferpitou clearly understood the opponent's strategy.
It was nothing more than exploiting the weakness that soldier ants must venture out to hunt, continuously sniping them to weaken the nest's military strength, then launching an all-out attack when the time was ripe.
Regarding the humans' actions, Neferpitou and Shaiapouf weren't worried.
This stemmed both from their absolute confidence in their own strength and because they clearly understood one thing.
Before the humans could eliminate all Squadron Leaders, the King would surely be born first.
By then, only one Royal Guard would need to stay by the King's side.
The other two could switch from defense to offense, taking the initiative to attack, offering these special humans as fresh delicacies for the newborn King.
—--
Deep within the nest, Youpi and Shaiapouf also sensed the brief but intense fluctuation from the Shooting Star's eruption.
Youpi, who disliked thinking, didn't pay it much mind, still wholeheartedly fulfilling his duty to guard the Queen.
Shaiapouf was somewhat concerned, but he believed that with Neferpitou's wide alert net, plus having already awakened Nen abilities for a small team of soldier ants, there was no immediate need to worry about the humans launching a sudden attack. At least for now, they still had ample time to quietly await the King's birth.
Unless the human side was confident enough to launch an all-out assault while the Chimera Ant Nest still retained one-third of its forces.
—--
Rocky Mountain Area.
Morrow rode the Shooting Star through the air, arriving above the cliff where Morel and Knov were stationed.
He then leaped down, landing steadily before the two of them.
Faced with Morrow's sudden visit, neither Morel nor Knov could hide the surprise in their eyes.
During this period, while they had been focused on their plan to weaken the Chimera Ant forces, they were also aware that Morrow had been operating in the shadows, doing the same thing as them.
However, there had been no contact or communication between them.
Unexpectedly, Morrow had suddenly intervened at this moment, instantly killing a Chimera Ant Squadron Leader whose aura amount was clearly stronger than theirs with a single strike.
That level of destructive power truly shook both of them to the core.
"Is there something you need?"
Knov looked at Morrow, who had landed at the edge of the cliff, suppressing his inner shock as he spoke first.
This was his first time seeing Morrow in person.
But his impression of Morrow wasn't favorable.
After all, if the Review Department insisted on investigating the matter afterward, the blame would inevitably fall on Netero.
Precisely because of this, Knov didn't approve of Morrow's unauthorized actions.
However, he had to admit that Morrow's recent activities had indeed been greatly beneficial to the current extermination mission.
In response to Knov's inquiry, Morrow replied straightforwardly, "I have something important to discuss with the Chairman."
"The Chairman is currently busy. If you think it's important, you might as well wait nearby. Once the Chairman has time, he'll contact you as soon as possible."
Naturally, Knov wouldn't reveal any information about the Hide and Seek ability in front of Morrow, only indicating that he should wait patiently.
Morel, standing nearby, seemed to hesitate, wanting to say something.
He and Morrow were acquainted and had even exchanged contact information.
Seeing that Morrow had come specifically to see the Chairman, he initially considered sharing some details, but thinking about the confidentiality of Knov's ability, he ultimately remained silent.
Protecting one's own ability information was a common practice among Nen users.
Even among the Zodiac Twelve, who had worked together for years within the Association, they didn't know each other's ability details.
So Knov's behavior wasn't problematic in any way.
However, as a transmigrator, Morrow was well aware of the effects of Knov's Hide and Seek ability.
Hearing Knov's words now, he understood that the other party didn't want to reveal any information about the Hide and Seek ability in his presence.
Noticing Morel's hesitant expression beside him... Clearly, the two Extermination Team members held different attitudes toward his actions against the Chimera Ants.
Morrow didn't mind and found Knov's caution entirely reasonable.
After all, he had indeed been rejected by the Review Department and was acting on his own.
In fact, had he known earlier that Netero was so constrained in his choice of companions, he wouldn't have brought the matter up with the Chairman in the first place and would have directly infiltrated NGL instead.
But as things stood, he didn't care about the so-called qualification for the extermination mission, nor did he have any intention of earning merits.
His only thoughts were on how to resolve the incident while gaining more experience.
"Alright, I'll wait nearby."
Morrow nodded to Knov, then gave a slight nod to Morel before turning and heading toward the nearby rocky mountains. Morel and Knov watched Morrow depart, then simultaneously glanced at the deep trench left by the Shooting Star bombardment with tacit understanding.
"If Morrow hadn't intervened, we'd probably need another month to reduce the Chimera Ant forces to our target level. With such free labor helping, those old stubborn folks in the review department must be overjoyed."
Morel withdrew his gaze and half-joked.
Knov understood the implication in his words.
It was nothing more than hoping he'd prioritize the current situation, tacitly accept Morrow as part of the Extermination Team, and acknowledge him as a Pro Hunter who also possessed resolve to confront this biological disaster.
"Nothing can be accomplished without norms."
Knov replied with calm expression.
He wasn't as emotionally driven as Morel.
Although he also disagreed with certain systems or amateur practices within the Association, he believed that since Chairman Netero allowed these systems to exist at the Association's core, there must be profound meaning behind them.
Therefore, no matter what he did, Knov would always achieve his goals through various strategies while adhering to the rules.
It was precisely by following this principle that he gradually accumulated extensive connections within the Hunter Association.
Morel understood this perfectly well, subtly shaking his head while genuinely feeling he was more suited for the ocean.
—--
Some time later, in the largest room of Hide and Seek, Chimera Ant remains were scattered everywhere.
Netero stood in the center, holding a phone and listening to Knov's report about Morrow requesting an audience.
Something important...
Strong interest surfaced in Netero's eyes.
He had actually been somewhat curious about what motivation would make Morrow so determined to involve himself in this mess, even willing to abandon credit.
"Send him in."
Netero instructed casually into the phone.
—--
Ten minutes later, Morrow met the energetic Chairman Netero in the rocky cave.
Perhaps the intense battles over the past half month had rekindled the cooled blood of this elderly man.
With just one glance, Morrow clearly sensed that Netero was anticipating something.
What he was looking forward to, was probably the confrontation with the Royal Guards.
And the Chimera Ant soldier forces in the nest were like an hourglass counting down.
Each unit eliminated brought them one second closer to that final confrontation.
"The Ant King is about to be born."
Morrow got straight to the point.
Netero's expression remained unchanged, but Knov and Morel's eyes sharpened instantly beside him.
"Evidence?"
Netero asked calmly.
The Association experts had previously estimated the Ant King's birth to be in two months.
Based on current intelligence, the Chimera Ant Queen's total gestation period for the Ant King should theoretically be only around twenty days so far.
Morrow also knew his claim differed greatly from the Association experts' inference and would be hard for Netero and the others to readily believe.
This was no child's play after all.
If they launched a full-scale assault on the nest at this time, it meant accepting greater risks and making it difficult to achieve Netero's original goal of simple resolution with minimal casualties.
But Morrow had no way to explain the source of this intelligence, he could only fabricate a reason, since he certainly couldn't tell Netero he was a transmigrator.
"I encountered a Squadron Leader who was cowardly and desperate to live. To save his own skin, he offered to trade information for his life. I agreed, and from him, I learned that the Ant King is about to be born. Of course, I kept my promise; I just had my companion finish him off."
"I see."
Netero gave Morrow a deep look but didn't immediately question the validity of the intelligence. Instead, he suddenly asked, "You're well aware that, having been excluded by the Review Department, none of your efforts here will earn you due compensation or recognition. So why are you still going to such lengths?"
"Perhaps it's just my wish for world peace."
Morrow replied without hesitation, "Since I know a disaster is unfolding here and I have the ability to help, I can't simply stand by. It's like spotting conspicuous trash on the beach; just a matter of picking it up."
Nearby, Knov, who had been listening quietly, couldn't help but twitch the corner of his mouth.
Morel, however, shuddered as if struck, his eyes behind the sunglasses revealing a hint of approval, and his gaze toward Morrow held newfound appreciation.
Knov seemed to keenly notice Morel's reaction, barely suppressing the urge to speak up.
Probably that beach-trash analogy struck a chord with Morel.
After all, Morel was a Sea Hunter, dedicated to protecting the marine environment and inherently driven by a sense of justice.
As Knov mulled this over, it suddenly occurred to him: How did Morrow's evasive answer just happen to hit Morel's sweet spot? Could it have been intentional?
Being a deep thinker, Knov naturally considered this possibility.
—--
Meanwhile, elsewhere, Kalluto overheard Morrow's conversation through a sound-transmitting paper figure and couldn't help but droop his eyelids.
He was all too familiar with Morrow's effortless fabrications.
Just as he thought this, Kalluto noticed Ponzu beside him looking utterly admiring.
...
Kalluto opened his mouth but ultimately remained silent.
—--
In contrast, inside the cave, Netero merely raised his hand leisurely to stroke his beard and said with a chuckle, "I don't believe you."
His reply seemed to address both Morrow's claim about the Ant King's imminent birth and to serve as a mild reminder: Don't try to fool me.
Meeting Netero's meaningful gaze, Morrow immediately straightened up and said earnestly, "What I said earlier was just the surface reason. The deeper motive isn't complicated either; I want to hone my strength through combat. Of course, there's also the desire to prevent more casualties."
This time, his answer was sincere.
If conditions allowed, while pursuing his own goals, he genuinely hoped Netero could stop the Ant King's birth here.
That way, Netero wouldn't have to sacrifice his life to eliminate the Ant King.
Netero stared into Morrow's eyes and fell silent for a moment.
As the commander of this hunting operation, he had to weigh the possibilities behind every decision, he needed to consider everything carefully.
And the intelligence Morrow provided about the Ant King's imminent birth wasn't necessarily entirely credible.
What if it was a trap set by the enemy?
Knov and Morel naturally thought of this too.
Although Knov had mixed feelings about Morrow personally, he still acknowledged the efforts Morrow had made to prevent this biological disaster. He was willing to believe Morrow's original intention of preventing the situation from worsening, but found it difficult to fully trust the source of the intelligence.
Even if Chimera Ants, influenced by human genes, might indeed betray their colony for survival... The possibility was still extremely low.
Seeing Chairman Netero lost in thought, Knov stepped forward and looked at Morrow, speaking up at the appropriate moment, "The intelligence about the imminent birth of the Ant King was obtained from the Chimera Ants, but how can you guarantee its authenticity? This could also be a trap deliberately set by the Chimera Ants to lure us into attacking, then use their numerical advantage to surround and eliminate us."
...
Morrow remained silent for a moment before nodding: "That possibility does exist."
The intelligence itself was accurate.
But this reasoning was fabricated by him.
He couldn't very well say he was a transmigrator who already knew the Ant King would be born a month early.
So, how to make Netero and the others believe the authenticity of the intelligence remained a challenge.
The more fundamental issue was that the Chimera Ant Nest still retained a quarter of its forces, approximately 10 to 12 Squadron Leader teams.
And deciding to launch an all-out attack against the enemy's superior numbers based solely on intelligence of unknown reliability... This indeed lacked persuasiveness.
Morrow had previously considered persuading Netero to call in reinforcements early to weaken the Chimera Ant Nest's forces as quickly as possible.
But if he did that, he might not reach Lv.81 by the critical moment.
He neither wanted to see Netero die in the Chimera Ant incident, nor was he willing to miss this unique leveling opportunity that would determine his strength level for venturing into the Dark Continent.
So all he could do was hunt Chimera Ants with near-frenzied intensity within the limited time.
Every additional ant killed would reduce the pressure and risks during the final assault on the nest.
Yet despite giving his all, and even with Netero's team operating together, the reduction in the nest's forces still hadn't reached expectations.
He didn't deny that this situation was related to his personal desire to level up quickly.
But he didn't think there was anything wrong with this approach either.
What he needed to do now was, if Netero was willing to treat his intelligence as crucial evidence and decide to launch the assault early, then he was willing to advance and retreat together, attacking the nest while sharing the same high risks.
The current problem, however, was whether Netero was willing to take the risk.
Seeing that Morrow also acknowledged the risks in intelligence extracted from Chimera Ants, Knov said nothing more.
His view naturally leaned more toward the conclusions drawn by experts, and he knew Netero would certainly not accept Morrow's explanation.
With plenty of time available to proceed steadily and securely, why take risks?
Just as Knov reached this conclusion, he heard Netero speak slowly: "I will notify the reinforcement troops to gather here as soon as possible. It should take about three days. We'll discuss specific strategies then."
The implication was that he had decided to use the intelligence provided by Morrow.
"Chairman, you're...?"
Knov was momentarily stunned and about to press for details when Netero raised his hand to stop him.
"Morrow."
Netero withdrew his gesture, his gaze steady as he looked directly into Morrow's eyes, asking seriously, "There are three extremely powerful auras within the Chimera Ant Nest. I presume they are the Chimera Ant Corps Commanders. If I require you to contain one of them, would you be willing to accept this task?"
"No problem."
Morrow answered without the slightest hesitation.
"Hoh hoh."
Netero smiled faintly, his peripheral glance falling upon Knov.
Knov silently adjusted his glasses.
To undertake such a high-risk mission of restraining the squadron leaders without any credit or reward, yet so decisively... He naturally had nothing more to say. Understanding that Chairman Netero had already made his decision, he could only accept it.
Morrow was slightly surprised by Netero's decisiveness.
But once the matter was settled, he felt somewhat relieved.
Three days...
Morrow then lowered his head in contemplation.
Reinforcements that could arrive within three days were most likely Morel's two disciples.
Namely, the standout performers from the original Chimera Ant arc: Knuckle and Shoot.
In terms of tactical arrangements, Knuckle's ability was undoubtedly one of the keys to dealing with the Royal Guards.
If he could bankrupt one of the Royal Guards, forcing them into a state of Zetsu, Morrow would have a better chance of securing the final blow.
Good, this could work...
Given the current situation, there was a real opportunity to eliminate the Chimera Ant threat in one fell swoop.
What he needed to do was successfully implant Star Marks on the Royal Guards during the decisive battle.
The ideal outcome would be to take down both Shaiapouf and Youpi.
As for Neferpitou... Currently, only Netero in their team had the capability to confront her head-on.
A matchup quickly formed in Morrow's mind.
Netero would handle Neferpitou, Morel would temporarily restrain Shaiapouf with his Smoky Jail ability, and Youpi... He would hold him off, coordinating with Knuckle's Hakoware ability to try and bankrupt Youpi's Nen output.
With this layout, their chances of victory didn't seem low.
The real challenge was actually the remaining Chimera Ant soldiers in the nest.
Anyway, acting seven or eight days earlier gives us plenty of room for error even if we fail.
Morrow thought to himself.
—--
Over the next two days while waiting for reinforcements to arrive, besides continuing to hunt Chimera Ant soldiers, Morrow also considered developing new abilities.
After a day of consideration, to ensure the operation's success, he ultimately decided to use his upgrade rewards to target the tough Royal Guards.
After all, they couldn't rely entirely on Knuckle's ability.
So how to break through such monsters' unreasonable Nen output and physical strength while being outmatched... Morrow's idea lay in the Star Mark achievement conditions of Starlight Convergence.
Or rather, a similar application of ability, but more inclined towards Manipulation type.
To put it in gaming terms, charging up!
Successful dodges could accumulate counts to implant Star Marks on targets.
Similarly, successful attacks could accumulate counts to fulfill "charging" conditions.
Thereby achieving the Manipulation-type condition for a one-hit kill.
Following this line of thought to conceive a new ability, for dealing with monsters like the Royal Guards, the mechanism of Vows and Limitations was unavoidable.
For example, attacks would need to land on the exact same spot to successfully accumulate counts...
It should be feasible.
He should be able to develop the new ability before the reinforcements arrived and they finalized their strategy.
—--
Day 19 of Netero's team executing the hunting plan.
The reinforcement unit arrived in NGL and joined up with Netero's team. To Morrow's surprise, not only Knuckle and Shoot had come, but also Kite, who had lost an arm, along with Gon and Killua.
Although Netero hadn't explicitly stated the reason, Morrow speculated... That Netero, like him, had considered the potential risks posed by the remaining Chimera Ant soldiers.
Hence, he had called upon Kite, Gon, and Killua.
The goal was to increase the number of combatants to restrain more Chimera Ant soldiers.
This would allow the other main forces in the team to focus on dealing with the Royal Guards.
And at the very least, free up one combatant to undertake the mission of assassinating the Chimera Ant Queen.
Everyone gathered within the Hide and Seek.
Kalluto, Menchi, and Ponzu from Morrow's team were naturally present as well.
Given the current situation, the more "numbers" they had in their combat force, the higher the success rate of the assault would be.
—--
On the 20th day of Netero's team executing the hunting plan, a phosphorescent green Shooting Star plummeted from the sky toward the Chimera Ant Nest like a meteor.
Neferpitou instinctively jerked her head upward.
Through the high-altitude clouds, the Shooting Star pierced through and descended.
They're finally attacking...!
Neferpitou's fur bristled all over.
-----------------
Bonus chapter @1600powerstones