Youpi's aura vanished into thin air.
For Shaiapouf, this was undoubtedly an extremely bad sign.
He couldn't determine whether Youpi was alive or dead, nor did he understand what had actually happened here.
But one thing was certain... this situation had been caused by human methods.
Shaiapouf thought of Morel and Shoot, whom he had restrained through reverse manipulation.
Although these two humans had fallen for his scheme, the personality traits and ability levels they displayed within Smoky Jail still forced him to view them with heightened respect.
What concerned him most was the battle situation on Neferpitou's side.
Among the three Royal Guards, Youpi, who possessed the strongest frontal assault power, had disappeared, while Neferpitou, the fastest among them, had yet to return to defend the Chimera Ant Nest.
This could only mean one thing.
Neferpitou, who specialized in high-speed takedowns, had not only failed to eliminate the attackers quickly... but had instead been restrained by them?
Shaiapouf was well aware of Neferpitou's personality traits and had indeed considered the possibility that she might become interested in the enemy, thus prolonging the fight and toying with her opponents on a whim.
But he quickly dismissed this thought himself.
No matter what, this concerned the Chimera Ant Queen's safety and the King's birth.
Given the gravity of the matter, even if Neferpitou was easily distracted by novelty, she would never fail to distinguish between what was important and what was trivial.
Therefore, the conclusion was... within the human ranks, there existed beings worthy of caution.
And their understanding of humans might only scratch the surface.
Thus, with the King now showing interest in hunting personally, even if it felt disrespectful... Shaiapouf had to consider the risks the King might face during the hunt.
But Shaiapouf's worries were completely unnecessary.
When he arrived at the devastated battlefield, he saw no trace of any humans.
Only the King's figure, radiating incomparable pressure, and Neferpitou kneeling on one knee before him, her palm pressed against her chest.
It appeared that, having failed to defeat the humans, even being suppressed by them at one point, she now faced the newly born King... bowing her head in deep apology and submission.
The King did not blame Neferpitou for her failure.
His gaze swept across the completely flattened land, and instead, a trace of near-longing expression appeared on his stern face.
For the King, if the enemy couldn't put up a fight, hunting would hold no pleasure.
More importantly, if he could once again taste that rich flavor after a successful hunt, just as he had repeatedly experienced from that woman's womb... that would truly give meaning and value to the act of hunting.
But the King was ultimately destined for disappointment.
Because those humans worth hunting had already retreated completely, reaching a place he could never find.
Shaiapouf descended from the sky, then knelt on one knee and respectfully reported to the King:
"Your Majesty, the humans who attacked the nest have disappeared without a trace, and Youpi's aura has suddenly vanished. I humbly speculate that among these peculiar humans, there may be Nen users capable of spatial transportation."
"Oh."
The King's response was utterly indifferent. In the King's eyes, the distinction between exceptional humans and ordinary humans lay only in the former possessing the qualification to be hunted by him.
Fundamentally, both were merely food.
Thus, he paid no heed to the special abilities Shaiapouf described.
"I'm hungry."
The King tilted his head slightly, his peripheral gaze drifting toward the direction of the Chimera Ant Nest.
The rich flavors he had absorbed within the Queen's womb could no longer satisfy his current state.
That was why he had been so eager to break free from the egg.
But before he could tear through the troublesome egg membrane, he felt a gentle push against his body.
By the time he registered it, he was already standing on a soft mattress.
The Queen who had nurtured him was nowhere nearby. Instead, the surroundings were piled with numerous Meatballs, but their bland taste failed to stir his appetite.
So, upon sensing the aura fluctuations emanating from Neferpitou's direction, the King decided to personally hunt a rare specimen.
Driven by the innate arrogance of his species, even though he could detect prey both inside and near the nest, he unhesitatingly chose the more distant and powerful aura.
This primal urge, driven by instinct, was something even Shaiapouf, who had rushed over in haste, was powerless to prevent.
Regrettably, the King's decision to bypass closer prey in favor of distant quarry yielded nothing.
Yet, no matter how many times the scenario repeated, the King, who stood at the pinnacle of life through Phagogenesis, would make the same choice.
Hearing the King's words, Shaiapouf swiftly responded, "This humble servant will prepare food for you at once."
"Unnecessary."
The King strode purposefully toward the Chimera Ant Nest.
He knew full well that the food Shaiapouf could provide immediately would consist of those unpalatable Meatballs or mediocre live humans.
That wasn't what he desired.
Since a rare specimen remained elusive for now, he would settle for substitutes.
Shaiapouf hadn't used his Spiritual Message ability on the King, but the King made no effort to conceal his intentions.
Thus, Shaiapouf easily discerned what the King planned to do next.
Without the slightest hesitation, Shaiapouf immediately followed.
Neferpitou naturally kept close behind the King as well.
From the moment of the King's birth, her duty, alongside Shaiapouf's, was to protect the King's safety as Royal Guards and fulfill any command he issued.
—--
Inside the Chimera Ant Nest.
Before the Extermination Team's assault, six Squadron Leader units had been out hunting.
The other six Squadron Leader units remained to guard the nest.
However, under the fierce attacks from Kite and other Extermination Team members, the defending Chimera Ant soldiers suffered heavy losses.
Only two Squadron Leaders survived. Of the over thirty Officer-level soldiers, merely six remained alive.
In contrast, the weakest Peons, numbering over thirty, emerged unscathed.
"Fortunately, the King was born in time and scared off those damned humans," one surviving Squadron Leader remarked, still shaken.
Even though they had mastered Nen, they could still feel the threat of death when facing those powerful humans.
"But the Queen is missing... I searched several times just now and could only catch a faint trace of her lingering aura," another Squadron Leader said with a grave expression.
More than the brutality of the battle, he was concerned about the Chimera Ant Queen's safety.
Just then, an innate, overwhelming presence swept through the passageway.
It was the King and the Royal Guards. Just by sensing the overwhelming aura that washed over them, the two Squadron Leaders immediately recognized the newcomer's identity and dropped to their knees, bowing their heads.
The other Officers and Peons followed suit.
The Chimera Ant King emerged from the passageway, striding directly before the two Squadron Leaders.
Shaiapouf and Neferpitou stood silently on either side, positioned behind the King like royal sentinels.
As the Squadron Leaders knelt with bowed heads, the King's shadow fell over them.
None dared raise their heads without permission.
The King's oppressive presence weighed mercilessly upon every inch of their bodies, immovable as mountains.
Without uttering a word, the King's thick tail arched like a serpent and suddenly pierced one Squadron Leader's skull.
Thump.
The needle-tipped tail effortlessly penetrated the target's head.
The powerful impact sent blood spraying across the other Squadron Leader nearby.
"Eh?"
Feeling the warm droplets splatter across his cheek, his pupils contracted violently, face twisting in horror.
With great effort, he turned his head sideways to witness his comrade, who had just been defending the nest alongside him, now impaled through the skull by the King's tail, having his brain matter consumed.
To fall not in battle against invaders, but as casual sustenance for the King?
The Squadron Leader could scarcely believe his eyes.
The King... is a being fundamentally different from us.
This realization flashed through his mind in that instant.
In less than ten seconds, he followed his companion's fate.
Witnessing this, the trembling Officers quickly lowered their heads further, pressing their bodies almost flat against the ground.
Even as they clearly heard the King begin chewing bones and flesh, none dared look up again.
Only when the sounds of feeding ceased and the fading footsteps of the King and Royal Guards grew distant did the Officers dare lift their heads.
Where the two Squadron Leaders had knelt now remained only tattered, bloodstained garments.
"The King... devoured Tolt and Sagg!"
The present Officers couldn't conceal their terror.
—--
Some time later.
Two Squadron Leader squads arrived near the Chimera Ant Nest almost simultaneously.
One was led by Leol.
Staring at the devastation left by Netero and Neferpitou's battle, gravity settled in his eyes.
Did Morena have us hunt in opposite directions because she foresaw this outcome?
The terrifying power evident in the scene unsettled this Chimera Ant, whose veins carried the genes of the king of beasts.
The other squad was commanded by Cheetu, who possessed fused cheetah and human genes.
When he saw the violently flattened terrain, he similarly failed to mask his shock.
What... happened here?
With trembling pupils, he glanced toward the distant nest.
Tilted and ruined.
As if subjected to multiple bombing runs.
Without lingering, both squads hurried back to the nest.
They quickly gathered details from other soldiers within the nest, then fell into silent contemplation while observing what the King had left behind after feeding.
Scattered, bloodied fabric fragments.
—--
With Knov's assistance, Netero returned to Hide and Seek.
Morel and the others hoped to receive good news from Chairman Netero.
Yet they were disappointed.
Netero had failed to eliminate even a single Royal Guard. The only one who had prior knowledge, Knov, could see the disappointment in his companions' eyes but remained silent in the corner.
Netero glanced at Youpi's corpse before turning his gaze to the severely injured Morrow, a flicker of peculiar light passing through his aged eyes.
He had failed to eliminate even a single Royal Guard, yet Morrow had accomplished it.
This could be considered the sole achievement of this operation.
—--
Late that same night.
The Chimera Ant Queen's body was found on the mattress.
The cause of death was a violent internal-to-external abdominal impact leading to massive blood loss.
Upon discovering the Queen's body, the Chimera Ant soldiers instinctively felt panic and unease, yet under the influence of human nature, ambition quickly sprouted within them.
Her Majesty the Queen was dead.
Now, any of them could proclaim themselves King.