The Queen died from excessive blood loss.
But the root cause was that penetrating wound from the inside out.
From this, it could be inferred that this wound was likely caused by the King.
Strangely, the size of the wound on the Queen's abdomen shouldn't have been enough for the King to emerge from it.
Moreover, the Queen had vanished without a trace inside the nest.
Only now, half a day later, did she inexplicably reappear as a corpse.
Too many questions remained unanswered.
Even if answers were sought, they couldn't change the fact that the Queen was dead.
"Since the Queen is dead, there's no point in us staying here any longer."
Cheetu, with his tall figure and leopard-like human face, glanced at the Queen's corpse and broke the silence first.
Surrounding them stood five other Squadron Leaders and over thirty Chimera Ant soldiers at the Officer level.
This was all that remained of the nest's forces.
"There's indeed no need to stay behind any longer."
Leol crossed his arms, a faint, almost imperceptible glint flashing in his eyes. His tone was calm, but it couldn't conceal the ambition beneath. Grinning, he said, "I will follow my own will and establish a new kingdom."
As his words fell, the gazes of all the Chimera Ants turned to him.
"Establish a kingdom, huh..."
A Squadron Leader clad in a full-body tight suit, with a crocodile head, a human body, and a lizard tail, placed his hands on his hips. Opening his mouth full of sharp teeth, he chuckled with interest:
"Then I'll find a place abundant with food and females to build my own paradise."
"..."
After a brief silence, another Squadron Leader spoke calmly, "It seems we're all in agreement."
Just then, a Squadron Leader with a scorpion tail, a voluptuous and alluring figure, and a charming face didn't join the discussion. Instead, she directly headed toward the exit of the nest.
Her action was, in effect, a response to the others' proposal.
These former soldiers, now seeking to establish their own rule, each embarked on their own journeys.
When Morena emerged from the conjured space, only a group of worker ants that had lost their survival instincts remained in the nest.
She stood by the mattress, expressionlessly gazing at the Queen's corpse.
Strictly speaking, she was the one who had rescued the Queen from danger, and she was also the one who had pushed the Queen toward death.
A moment later, shifting her gaze from the Queen's corpse, Morena headed to the area where food was processed.
There were still many paralyzed humans stored there.
But when Morena arrived, all she saw was a mess of bloodstains on the ground.
"Heh."
This outcome was within her expectations.
If the Squadron Leaders followed their instincts and left the nest to establish their own kingdoms, they naturally wouldn't waste the humans they had painstakingly captured before departing.
And Morena's Etude of Love ability allowed her to check the status, location, level, and ability information of the infected at any time.
So when she noticed the levels of several infected suddenly skyrocketing, Morena, still inside the conjured space, knew that these soldiers were preparing to leave.
"Don't disappoint me."
Morena left the nest and stepped outside.
In the deep night forest, all was silent.
In reality, the Peons had scavenged all the edible creatures in the vicinity. As a result, the area around the Chimera Ant Nest had long been devoid of living creatures.
Morena looked up at the bright moon in the night sky.
The plan had only just taken its first step.
Next... once the 'seeds' bore fruit, the plan to destroy the Kakin Empire could be set in motion.
No matter how difficult the path ahead, she would walk it to the end, without regret, even unto death.
The Chimera Ant soldiers had scattered, but their destinations were largely the same; they all needed to cross the NGL border first.
After all, NGL was located at the westernmost edge of the Mitene Union, surrounded by sea on three sides, with no ports or shipping facilities.
If the Chimera Ants wanted to leave the Mitene Union, they had no choice but to cross the NGL border and enter one of the three cities nearest to it in the neighboring Republic of Rokario: Pata City, Quen City, or Doli City.
From there, they could find various means of transportation to leave the Mitene Union.
If they wished to avoid drawing attention, after crossing the NGL border, they could head north across the Miera Mountains near Pata City, eventually reaching the northern coastal city of Ininge, and then depart by ship.
This was Morena's route.
Like Morena, Leol and his two subordinates also chose to travel discreetly.
They, too, opted for the route to Ininge City, but instead of crossing the Miera Mountains, they planned to traverse the dense forest areas surrounding the mountain range.
As for the other Squadron Leaders, the crocodile-headed Chimera Ant directly slipped into the sea from the NGL coastline, swimming toward the direction of the Balsa Islands.
Meanwhile, Squadron Leaders like Cheetu and Zazan were rather conspicuous, heading straight for the three nearby cities.
However, they were not entirely unprepared.
Before setting out, several Squadron Leaders had disbanded their Officers and Peons, allowing them to act according to their own will.
This way, the dispersal of a large number of Chimera Ant soldiers would effectively divert the blocking forces of the humans.
—--
At the same time, the King, utilizing Shaiapouf's flight ability, traveled eastward across the Mitene Union.
By the break of dawn, the King and the Royal Guard, having journeyed east, arrived within the borders of the East Gorteau Republic.
This country, similar to NGL, prohibited its citizens from using communication devices like mobile phones and strictly restricted the outflow of domestic information.
Located to the southeast of East Gorteau was its capital, Peijin.
The King looked down from above at the bustling cityscape of Peijin but chose not to land, instead drawn to a palace standing on the desolate land in the distance.
"Head there."
Suspended in the air by his tail wrapped around Shaiapouf's legs, the King pointed toward the distant palace.
A short while later, the King and the Royal Guard landed directly in the vast courtyard of the palace.
Their sudden appearance immediately drew the attention of the troops stationed at the palace.
Among them, an officer shrouded in aura instantly caught the King's attention.
"Finally found one."
The King's gaze fixed intently on the officer.
Neferpitou and Shaiapouf, understanding that the King wanted to enjoy the thrill of the hunt, did not intervene. They stood quietly by, watching as the King effortlessly killed the Nen-using officer, whose life energy was not weak.
Immediately after, the King pierced the officer's head with his stinger, sucking out the brain matter in one go, then roughly tore off chunks of flesh and stuffed them into his mouth, chewing voraciously.
It was at this very moment, the King's innate racial talent, the new ability transformed through Phagogenesis, began to take effect.
He could convert the prey's aura into his own after devouring them.
While tearing into the flesh, the King felt the continuously surging power within his body, his face revealing an almost uncontrollable excitement and madness.
Beside him, Neferpitou and Shaiapouf witnessed this scene, their expressions instantly shifting.
They suddenly realized two crucial matters.
That was food and soldiers!
Their experience of the Chimera Ant Nest being attacked gave them a firsthand understanding of the human threat, thus sparking the idea of forming an army as quickly as possible.
Therefore, to assist the King in ruling the world, they knew every step from now on would be critical.
Having witnessed the King's terrifying innate talent, they naturally began to ponder.
How could they efficiently provide the King with an endless supply of rare specimens?
Without any communication, Neferpitou and Shaiapouf simultaneously thought of Peijin City, which they had just passed through.
If they applied the method of forced Nen awakening to the humans in Peijin City... they could mass-produce rare specimens.
These rare specimens could serve as food for the King to enhance his power or be modified to mass-produce an army of Nen users.
Even if this method might only have a screening rate of one percent, or even one in a thousand, but humans were plentiful, as many as they needed.
Just the population of Peijin City alone, with careful control over the intensity of Nen awakening, could quickly yield a batch of rare specimens.
A more meticulous plan for army expansion gradually took shape in the minds of Neferpitou and Shaiapouf.
Perhaps due to some unspoken understanding, the two suddenly exchanged a glance.
The King was undoubtedly powerful.
His innate ability destined him to view exceptional humans merely as struggling prey that could bring him the thrill of the hunt.
But Neferpitou and Shaiapouf had both witnessed firsthand the troublesome nature of exceptional humans, so they thought more deeply and far-sightedly.
At the very least... they should find an appropriate moment to report and make the King aware of this.
Abruptly, the image of that old man's nearly unbreakable ability surfaced in Neferpitou's mind.
Although his direct lethality wasn't particularly strong, no matter how she tried, even unleashing a new ability in battle that favored reaction and offense, she could never break through.
It was like an endless wall, one that might only be overcome after a prolonged struggle.
In other words, against exceptional humans of that caliber, if a frontal breakthrough was impossible, victory might only be sought through attrition and prolonged combat.
"Humans... will attack again."
A cold malice slowly coalesced in the depths of Neferpitou's eyes.
If that old man appeared again, she had to eradicate him completely before he could pique the King's interest.
Neferpitou's consideration stemmed not from believing the opponent could threaten the King.
On the contrary, in Neferpitou's view, the King could kill him without any risk.
She was only worried... if that human exhausted himself and fell before the King could fully savor the hunt, then, the King would never accept such a disappointing outcome.
As Neferpitou reflected on her confrontation with Netero, Shaiapouf remained preoccupied with Youpi's whereabouts.
If Youpi was already dead... that means humans possess lethal means of attack that could potentially pose a threat to the King.
Especially that unknown teleportation-type ability, which might forcibly remove the King from the protective range of him and Neferpitou.
Just anticipating these potential dangers made Shaiapouf feel a sense of urgency.
The idea of expanding the military grew increasingly strong within him.
"We must act against the humans in that city as soon as possible."
Shaiapouf's gaze shifted toward the direction of Peijin City.
How much harvest could be condensed from a whole city's worth of humans...
—--
Intensive Care Unit, Quant City Central Hospital, Central Region of the Republic of Rokario.
Morrow slowly opened his eyes.
As consciousness returned, waves of dull, heavy pain emanated from throughout his body.
Not intense, but persistent.
It seems I didn't die after all... If I had died by Youpi's hand, I probably wouldn't have recorded any abilities. Being able to kill Youpi with Stellar Collapse was partly because Youpi hadn't yet developed Nen abilities.
As this thought surfaced, Morrow's blurred vision gradually focused, and the pure white ceiling became clear.
In that situation, he had actually mentally prepared for the rewind.
He hadn't expected to survive.
Looking at it now, the Shooting Star · Essence Siphon he released before losing consciousness must have played a role.
In fact, the real reason Morrow was pulled back from the brink of death was the 'few seconds' that Knov overcame his fear and persisted.
"Morrow, you're awake..."
Kalluto's voice suddenly sounded by his ear.
Morrow slightly turned his head toward the sound and saw Kalluto with red-rimmed eyes, a look of relieved surprise on his face.
Seeing Kalluto's reaction, Morrow joked half-heartedly, "You worried for nothing. I'm tough, can't be killed."
"Mm."
Kalluto just nodded heavily, thinking it was better to see Morrow being stubborn than remaining unconscious.
No need to worry anymore.
Seeing this, Morrow couldn't help but chuckle softly, then asked, "How long was I unconscious?"
"26 hours, 38 minutes, and 43 seconds."
Kalluto glanced at the electronic clock on the hospital room wall and quickly reported the precise time down to the second.
"..."
Morrow was silent for a moment, then smiled somewhat helplessly. "Very precise."
As he spoke, he tried to prop himself up.
Kalluto immediately reached out to support him.
Given Morrow's current physical condition, he wasn't actually at the point of needing help to sit up, but he didn't refuse Kalluto's kindness.
After steadying himself in a seated position, Morrow immediately asked, "What's the situation outside now?"
"I knew you'd ask about that as soon as you woke up."
Kalluto pursed his lips but reported as if prepared:
"The King and his Royal Guards have left NGL and have currently moved into the territory of East Gorteau. Meanwhile, the Chimera Ant soldiers inside the nest are fleeing NGL on a large scale. Knov and the others speculate that the Chimera Ant Queen has likely died."
"But they had already considered this scenario, so they had the Association send reinforcements in advance, deploying teams along various routes in NGL to intercept and eliminate these fleeing soldiers."
"But the people the Association sent are all trash..."
At this point, Kalluto suddenly covered his mouth and quickly added, "That wasn't me saying that, those were Knuckle's exact words."
"Mm, continue."
Morrow nodded.
Kalluto lowered his hand and continued, "The reinforcements truly lack sufficient strength. Although interception lines were deployed in advance, many Chimera Ant soldiers still breached the defenses and infiltrated several nearby cities. Morel was furious about this; he barely rested before personally leading Knuckle and the others to pursue the Chimera Ant soldiers."
"Is that so..."
A faint glimmer flashed in Morrow's eyes; he could guess Pariston must be scheming behind the scenes.
The interception operation had failed, and a large number of Chimera Ant soldiers had burst into public view.
This dereliction of duty would ultimately fall on Netero's shoulders.
Thinking this, Morrow shook his head slightly, then removed the medical equipment attached to his body.
"Hmm?"
Kalluto looked at Morrow with a questioning gaze.
Morrow said softly, "The injuries on my body won't heal anytime soon. I can only use these Chimera Ant soldiers to 'recover health'."
"..."
—--
On a grassland, dense grass grew on both sides of the road.
Morel, Knuckle, and Shoot hid in the grass, watching the distant road.
In that direction, a cloud of dust was rising... a figure was sprinting at high speed...