Early the next morning, Xiang Nan left the Kakin Empire with Owl and the others.
From the moment he set foot in that country to the moment he left, everything happened fast—like he'd only come to meet King Hui Guo Rou and Beyond, give the two of them an answer, and that was that.
As for Kakin's many princes, Xiang Nan didn't bother engaging with them.
"Did it work?"
Aboard the airship, Owl waved the others away, sat across from Xiang Nan, and asked.
"Mm." Xiang Nan nodded with a smile.
"He actually agreed to your plan?" Owl was a little shocked.
"They have no other road left… The value and danger of the Multiverse have already shown themselves, so at this point they can only place their trust in me." Xiang Nan gazed at the sea of clouds outside the porthole and spoke lightly.
"Aren't you worried that king—Hui Guo Rou—would actually kill you and keep you from leaving Kakin?"
Owl let out a sigh.
"He absolutely could… it was his turf, after all. But neither Hui Guo Rou nor Beyond are fools; they know perfectly well what the consequences would be if they really did that."
"Even so… this time was a bit too risky…"
Owl was still a little shaken. He admired Xiang Nan's ability to scheme, but man plans and heaven laughs—no one can guarantee their plan is watertight, especially when your counterparts are a reigning monarch at the apex of power and, on top of that, Netero's son, whose strength is unfathomable.
"If you want to complete the final picture, you have to take risks. Otherwise, how would anything this big ever work out?" Xiang Nan said with a grin.
He needed Hui Guo Rou and Beyond to see that he had the backbone to back it all up.
"The ants you mentioned… a species from the Dark Continent—how do we handle them now? And about Netero—how do we save him? If the V5 have already discovered the Chimera Ants, chances are they've already started moving…" Owl's face was filled with concern.
Xiang Nan fell silent.
It was already December. Around next April, Gon and Killua would clear Greed Island and return to the real world, and then the Chimera Ants would be discovered and that arc would begin. If the V5 intervened now, it would move the whole story up by about half a year. The Queen likely wouldn't have given birth to the three Royal Guards including Neferpitou yet, and Meruem wouldn't have appeared either. In that case, the ants' threat would be much smaller.
If Netero didn't have to face Meruem head-on, he naturally wouldn't die.
The Chimera Ants would be wiped out completely, with no chance for remnants of the species to integrate into human society the way they did in the original storyline.
If Netero doesn't die, that fulfills Xiang Nan's goal.
He could protect this top-tier combat power with hardly any effort.
But…
That wasn't what Xiang Nan wanted.
The reason was simple: in his eyes, the human world will inevitably tap the Dark Continent's "resources." That means the human world—the island in the lake—will inevitably come into contact with the Dark Continent. The Chimera Ants provide foreshadowing, a buffer that lets the human world absorb a new "existence" and "culture." And, most importantly—
Combat power. Those key figures among the Chimera Ants are part of the "Dark Continent's resources," too.
Compared to sending their players and story characters into the Dark Continent to adventure and develop the unknown, the Chimera Ants' risks and intel are known quantities—far less risky.
For the Dark Continent excavation project, this is the lowest input for the highest return.
That's right—Xiang Nan didn't just want to save Netero. He wanted Meruem to serve the human world as well.
It sounds impossible, but there's a "key."
Komugi. That girl awakened "emotion" in the King. For that bond, Meruem was even willing to kneel to Palm and lower his proud head—that already says plenty.
What's more, Meruem is practically the most "compatible" single-unit combat ceiling for the Multiverse—more valuable even than Netero.
He's also the most precious tool, according to known information, produced by this unfinished world of Hunter × Hunter.
Xiang Nan knew that, in the Multiverse ranking during the early phases of confrontation, Meruem's "impact" would be unparalleled.
He's Hunter × Hunter's trump card.
Letting a treasure like that slip away would be unacceptable for Xiang Nan's plans.
Meruem is, in his eyes, the single most important "story resource" so far.
But that means Xiang Nan must find a way to keep the V5 from interfering… let Komugi—the "key"—appear at the right time to avoid a butterfly effect. And if the early stages go smoothly, the Hunter Association and other story characters will still end up clashing head-on with the Chimera Ants.
So how do you rewrite Netero's death?
Yes, the King's value exceeds Netero's, but Xiang Nan doesn't want to bag the treasure chest and ditch the small gems.
If possible, he wants both.
"There's been no movement from the Hunter Association… which suggests that even if the V5 have noticed the Chimera Ants, they haven't truly 'acted' yet. If they were deploying, the first to be notified and tasked would still be the Association—that's a good sign."
Xiang Nan narrowed his eyes. "Even if they've heard some intel, from the V5's perspective their main focus is still the Kakin royal family and Beyond. Also, NGL is a special case—it's a closed country… outside the V5's control."
Xiang Nan organized his thoughts.
There are three deadlocks right now.
First, ensure the plot proceeds normally and keep other players from meddling in the shadows. That part isn't too hard: have Kakin deploy massive manpower—along with the Republic of Padokea—to control and seal off NGL, strictly forbidding Hunters or contractors from investigating or making contact with the Chimera Ants. While NGL doesn't engage with other nations, it does have gray-market dealings; the underworld's networks and resources can be used to set things up.
Anyway, the V5's main targets right now are the Kakin royals and Beyond.
Even if this "small maneuver" is discovered and sparks brief friction or clashes with the V5, so what? The goal is simply to buy time.
The V5 won't dare go to full-on war with Kakin and the Republic of Padokea.
Second: save Netero!
The third deadlock is actually the easiest to break—"persuading" the Ant King.
Of these three, the toughest is the second.
Without the operation, Netero can't grievously wound the King, nor can he force the King to recognize the "value" of small creatures like humans—including those final feelings for Komugi at death's door. But once the Poor Man's Rose is installed in his body, the old man's death is a foregone conclusion.
"With my Nen, my medical skills, and Altana's energy… I should be able to counter the effects of that kind of virus and save Komugi and Meruem. I'll need to study it specifically when we get back to the military district. But as for Netero's death—the main issue isn't the bomb. Even without detonating it, in that state he was already a spent candle… Altana can replenish life force, but that kind of condition can't be restored or remedied."
Xiang Nan's thick brows knit tightly.
So… what should he do?