Knov has a female disciple named Palm.
When Knov was selected as a member of the Chimera Ant Extermination Team, Palm had always wanted to follow along. But Netero, citing limited team slots, firmly refused.
Palm's Nen Ability is called [Merman Clairvoyance]. She conjures a mermaid skeleton crystal with Nen. As long as she has seen a person with her own eyes, she can then use her blood as a price to monitor that person through the image reflected in the crystal.
It's worth noting that Palm is an Enhancer, while the mermaid skeleton crystal is a conjured object.
To obtain such a high-function conjured object with such weak conditions might also be related to Palm's own incredibly intense emotions.
She is quite an obsessive person and extremely infatuated with Knov. However, due to her personality, she belongs to the type who only secretly hides in a corner, squandering her 'crush factor'.
Just like some people trapped by love, often huddled in a corner, quietly observing the person they like.
But among those people, there is always a small handful who can be called crazy.
Those people not only observe quietly but, lacking the courage to express their feelings, often possess an extremely strong desire to stalk and spy.
Perhaps based on that intense desire and fixation, Palm, an Enhancer, could develop an ability like [Merman Clairvoyance].
Nique's ability is slightly different from Merman Clairvoyance, but the essence is similar.
[The Unseen Thing]
That is his ability, with two activation conditions.
Gain the trust of the person to be spied on. The nature of the trust is not limited.
Cannot harm the spied person. Even the slightest harmful thought will immediately invalidate the ability's effect.
When conditions are met and the ability is activated, a small fox Nen Beast visible only to the user is created. It then stays by the spied person's side at all times, with an effective range of up to twenty meters. The viewing angle can be adjusted at will.
The images seen through the fox Nen Beast are synchronously transmitted to Nique's right eye.
If the user generates even a trace of malice during the spying process, the fox Nen Beast will become visible and rebel. When seen by the spied person, it will also guide them to find the user.
With such risk, The Unseen Thing is even more efficient than Palm's Lonely Deep-Sea Fish. Firstly, its field of view is quite broad, far beyond what a crystal ball's range can compare to.
Similarly, there are many restrictions. One point: for each different spying target, the ability effect is one-time.
Meaning, once Nique withdraws the ability from a target, he cannot spy on them a second time.
Nique gained the Chimera Ant Extermination Team's trust by providing intelligence. Based on this, Nique chose Law as the target to spy on.
The reason for this choice was his judgment that Law was the strongest in the entire team.
So even though imprisoned in the isolated Hide-and-Seek space, he could learn the situation outside through his ability.
This was one of his sources of confidence. As for why he named a spying-type ability [The Unseen Thing], perhaps he believed the existence of spying equipment must absolutely not be seen, otherwise it wouldn't be spying.
Or perhaps, it corresponds to the fox Nen Beast only he can see. It's also possible he wishes his own presence to be so faint that no one notices.
"Saying this might lack awareness as a Chimera Ant, but if possible, the King... Meruem, you should just die."
Nique chewed the grass, speaking in a cold tone.
Through the fox Nen Beast's surveillance, Nique saw Law eliminate Pitou and Youpi, and also saw Meruem eat Selina without hesitation.
He witnessed Law's strength and also witnessed Meruem's posture atop the food chain… a style that treats any creature besides himself as food.
"So, wasn't it better to stay alive? Now see, you got eaten."
Nique sighed lightly, grabbing another handful of grass and stuffing it into his mouth, focusing on the battle between Law and Meruem.
He didn't know what fate awaited him after this war ended, but deep down he hoped Meruem would be killed by Law, or that they would both die together.
That bomb… he saw it too.
"Speaking of which, I won't starve to death here, will I?"
Nique suddenly remembered something, glancing at the dwindling pile of grass beside him.
As a Chimera Ant, he is a different species from humans.
What the term 'different species' represents is clear to most creatures.
Probably, Nique's professed vegetarianism to the Chimera Ant Extermination Team wasn't a lie.
Because, as a member of the Chimera Ants, it's hard to imagine how Nique could sustain the conditions of [The Unseen Thing].
Normally, it should be very easy to develop hostility towards Law.
…
In the rain, Meruem retreated.
Seeing Meruem act so decisively, Law felt regret but also realized the threat of Shin was already exposed.
Probably Meruem didn't know this information but obtained it through some biological instinct-like intuition.
'Just a feeling, yet he unhesitatingly acted on it.'
'The Royal Guards and the King… it seems they all possess quite pure souls.'
'Since it's already detected, there's no need to hide it anymore.'
Law took a light breath of the moisture-rich air, raised his right arm, holding the blade horizontally before him.
If the White General is for defense, then Shin will be for attack… an unwavering, sharp weapon.
An incredibly sharp Aura emanated from Law's body. Under Meruem's focused gaze, the wind and rain coming from all directions were actually cut off by that Aura.
'Here it comes!'
Without reason, even before Law moved, Meruem sensed it first.
The long blade once again split the rain curtain. Compared to before, it lost its concealed sharpness, gaining exposed fierceness.
Suddenly, the White General conjured from behind Law. Its massive body actually moved swiftly in the rain, maintaining one hundred percent synchronization with Law.
[Hidden Blade]
A gleam of sharpness flashed in Law's eyes.
The White General's long blade slashed down swiftly forward. The Aura Slash it shot forth carved a vacuum path through the pouring rain curtain ahead, heading towards Meruem.
But Meruem's gaze passed through the Aura Slash, fixed intently on Law behind it.
He didn't ignore the Aura Slash's power, but what he couldn't look away from was Law's subsequent action.
As the Aura Slash split the rain curtain, the White General's body dissipated like white smoke. Law's body seemed like a high-speed exhaust fan, instantly gathering all the energy dispersed from the White General within himself.
Then, Law stepped onto the vacuum path carved by the Aura Slash. His body seemed to become lighter at that moment. Before the rain curtain closed again, closely following the Aura Slash, he charged towards Meruem.
'Using that Aura Slash as armor...'
In the instant when time seemed to stop, in Meruem's eyes, Law arrived together with the Aura Slash.
If he dodged the Aura Slash, he would inevitably have to face that rusted blade when his momentum weakened.
If he took the Aura Slash head-on, he would also have to face that rusted blade.
The difference between the two lies in... the latter's momentum is greater!
Meruem's mouth suddenly grinned to the extreme, his eyes filled with intense fighting spirit.
If he had spare time, he would laugh.
But he didn't, so he violently swung his body, lashing his long tail against the Aura Slash.
Under the fierce blow, the energy-stable form of the Aura Slash was violently shattered, instantly producing a huge, dandelion-shaped rain pattern.
After smashing the Aura Slash with his tail, Meruem didn't deliberately suppress the momentum generated by swinging his body. Instead, he used this momentum to continue attacking towards Law.
Correct, that rusted blade is indeed dangerous.
But Meruem hadn't overlooked one thing: his attacks were also deadly dangerous to Law.
Ultimately, he was still the King who favored offense.
So, after that Aura Slash forced him into a narrow path, it was a contest of who was faster.
Meruem raised his arm, as if transforming into the sharpest spear in the world.
Faced with Meruem's choice, Law actually found it more difficult.