There is no doubt that the world of Hunter x Hunter is a fascinating realm filled with rare exotic beasts, treasures, ruins, and the wonders of Nen, but it is also an extremely cruel one.
For those hunters and explorers who crave the challenge of the unknown, a single error in judgment often leads to their own demise, or even the total annihilation of their entire team.
Yet, death is not the most terrifying outcome.
What brings true despair is when an entire squad is wiped out, leaving only one survivor.
A cold-blooded or heartless individual might walk away unscathed, but anyone else is likely to spend the rest of their life drowning in an inescapable cycle of grief, agony, and self-blame. In severe cases, they might repeatedly question their own heart: Why did I survive? Why didn't I just die with the rest of them?
Clearly, Ponzu was currently in such an unstable mental state.
Despite Baise's attempts to console the young girl, she was simply unable to process anything. She wept until she was exhausted, eventually falling into a heavy, fitful sleep on the back seat of the off-road vehicle.
"Poor thing. To lose so many companions at once, anyone would find it unbearable," Bodoro sighed softly.
Though he looked like a rough-and-tumble "iron-willed" straight shooter, he had always possessed a strong sense of compassion and justice.
Unfortunately, the only ones who agreed with this sentiment were Baise and Allen.
As for the others...
Well, try discussing the value of friendship with the eldest and youngest sons of the Zoldyck family of assassins.
Sorry, what is that? Can it be exchanged for cash? Because feelings are bad for the bottom line.
As for Hisoka, in his eyes, there were only "unripe apples," "delicious apples," "spoiled rotten apples," and sturdy fruit trees that he couldn't quite chop down yet.
Simply put, he had no concept of "comrades." To Hisoka, anyone he targeted or grew fond of was merely a target to be killed in a future one-on-one duel. The more he liked someone, the more he wanted to destroy them. His twisted, pathological psyche was a mirror image of Pariston Hill's.
Looking at these three expressionless "abnormal humans," Allen's lip twitched slightly. He wondered to himself: My personality is perfectly normal, so why do I always attract freaks like Hisoka and Pariston?
Something is definitely wrong here.
Before he could figure out what that "something" was, the radio equipment in the car suddenly crackled with heavy static. Soon after, Chairman Netero's voice boomed through the speakers.
"Calling Allen! Calling Allen! Do you copy?"
"I'm here! I hear you!" Allen hurried back into the car and picked up the handset to respond.
Since there were no signal towers in this region, cell phones were useless; they had to rely on primitive radio communication. This was exactly why Allen had insisted on installing a radio in the vehicle. It was finally proving its worth.
"Oh? You've established contact so quickly? That's a bit beyond my expectations. I take it you and your team have already arrived within NGL, correct?" Chairman Netero asked, getting straight to the point.
"That's right. We are inside the NGL Autonomous State," Allen replied without hesitation.
Hearing this, Netero seemed to relax significantly. He continued, "Have you made contact with the dangerous species yet?"
"Yes. The Chimera Ant Queen has already begun large-scale human predation. By mixing human genes with other organisms, she has produced a massive amount of troublesome offspring. Based on my tests, even the lowest soldier ant will have an Aura count of at least 10,000 once they learn Nen. I haven't encountered Officers and Squadron Leaders yet, but I estimate they'll be over 100,000. As for the Royal Guards, they'll be at least 600,000 at the start. The King... the King might reach a staggering two to three million."
Allen didn't hide anything. He spoke the truth plainly.
At this stage, concealment was meaningless. Unless the V5 took direct action and used a nuclear strike to destroy the nest, no one could stop the birth of the Ant King.
That was the genius of this biological threat. As long as the Queen survived the initial vulnerable stage, she could rapidly spawn an army. Once she reached a certain scale, the Royal Guards and the King would begin gestating. Given NGL's extreme isolation, by the time the world noticed, it was already the endgame.
By Allen's estimation, Neferpitou was likely already born. Combined with the numerous Squadron Leaders, Officers, and soldiers, a direct frontal assault had become impossible. Just clearing the perimeter would consume an immense amount of time and energy.
Although Allen had a nuclear warhead hidden in his inventory, one he had "borrowed" from the V5, how would he explain using it? He'd be immediately labeled "Extremely Dangerous" by politicians, his license would be revoked, and he'd be kicked out of the Hunter Association.
A nuclear blast isn't like a normal explosion; it leaves 100% traceable evidence. The Poor Man's Rose was the same.
"In other words, the life energy within a Chimera Ant is infinitely more powerful than a human's... is that what you're saying?" After a long silence, Netero's tone finally turned somber.
"Yes. Although I haven't encountered a Nen-using ant yet, it's only a matter of time as more Hunters go missing in this region. Get ready, Chairman. This is going to be a war between the Association and the Chimera Ants, and a brutal battle between Nen users."
As he spoke, a strange light flickered in Allen's pupils, reflecting the moonlight into a hauntingly beautiful hue.
"Heh... heh heh heh..."
By the campfire, Hisoka had clearly witnessed this. He stuck out his tongue and began to lick his lips frantically. A terrifying bloodlust radiated from him, causing everyone else to tense up instinctively.
"Hey. Your bloodlust is showing," Illumi reminded him helpfully.
"Oh my! Sorry, sorry. I lost control of myself again. But don't worry, I won't do anything reckless."
In less than a second, Hisoka performed a masterclass in shifting expressions. Even his pathologically dangerous smile became "gentle and friendly."
Unfortunately, everyone present knew this freak far too well and maintained a safe distance from him.
"You'd better mean that. Otherwise, I won't hesitate to side with the employer," Illumi warned expressionlessly.
"Yes, yes! Understood! Do I look like the kind of person who would do something stupid?" Hisoka raised both hands in a "good boy" gesture.
"A war between Nen users? It seems they've really put a lot of thought into this, setting such a grand stage. But that suits me just fine! Let the war come with even more fury! Hahahaha!"
With a boisterous laugh, Netero cut the transmission.
Staring at the radio that now emitted only static, Allen whispered to himself in a voice only he could hear, "Chairman, this isn't just your war. It's my war too. And unlike you, I won't be giving those ants a chance to surrender. From the Queen down, they are all targets for my hunt and consumption. The only good ant is a dead ant. From the moment they chose to eat humans, their fate was sealed."
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