After Sylvar departed, President Netero also began his preparations.
His destination was NGL.
His purpose was simple and direct—to personally meet the Ant King and confirm how far the enemy's preparations had progressed.
Three days earlier, President Netero had already taken action.
He dispatched Knov, the bespectacled Hunter known for his outstanding escape capabilities, along with his disciple, Palm Siberia.
Palm's ability was telepathic in nature. As long as she had seen a target once, she could continue monitoring that target afterward. Because of this condition, her ability was extremely suitable for reconnaissance that minimized the risk of alerting the enemy.
Before sending them out, Netero had issued a clear warning.
The enemy was extremely powerful.
If the situation became dangerous, survival was the highest priority.
Before they departed, Netero added another instruction, his tone casual but unmistakably serious.
"By the way, there is one more thing. You must never reveal your Nen in front of them, and you must not attack them using Nen. Knov, you can bring as many firearms as you want."
Knov carefully reviewed the intelligence related to the Chimera Ants. After thinking it through for a long time, he finally accepted the mission.
He went to the armory.
He took two pistols, two automatic rifles, a sniper rifle, and even a rocket launcher.
Once Knov crossed the boundary into NGL, he began setting spatial coordinates at regular intervals. Each marker ensured that if an accident occurred, he would always have a route of retreat.
Palm remained inside Knov's four-dimensional apartment throughout the operation.
On the second day of their search, Palm observed something unusual.
Outside a village, several humanoid, crustacean-like creatures were chasing children through the streets.
Knov watched through Palm's observation and frowned.
"Could those be Chimera Ants?" he thought. "But Chimera Ants are supposed to be ants."
"Did they eat humans… absorb human genes… and transform into human forms?"
"This is bad."
"If they're allowed to continue merging genes like this, then it might really be just as that message said."
"Enough to kill even the strongest human… President Netero."
Knov considered the situation carefully. Palm's ability did not require much space to operate.
Once he made his decision, Knov moved immediately.
He rushed out from cover, pulled a gun from inside his coat, and fired at the Chimera Ant in front of him.
He deliberately avoided the head.
The Chimera Ant was knocked to the ground.
Knov shouted at the children to run home.
Then he dropped the firearm onto the ground.
Without lingering, he turned and left the area.
Some time later, the Chimera Ant slowly stood up.
It stared at the weapon that had knocked it down, bent over, picked it up, and staggered away.
Its direction was clear.
The nest.
In truth, the Chimera Ant had not been killed at all. Knov knew this very well. To kill a Chimera Ant, the head had to be destroyed.
This was clearly stated in the intelligence report.
From behind a tree, Knov slowly stepped out and pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose.
The plan had succeeded.
He opened the door to the four-dimensional apartment, stepped inside, closed it, opened another door, and closed that one as well.
In the next moment, he arrived at the Hunter Association headquarters.
President Netero was already waiting.
When Netero saw Knov emerge from the four-dimensional apartment and noticed the unease on his face, he immediately understood.
Knov bowed respectfully.
"The Chimera Ants have eaten humans and possess human genes now. If they learn to read, they'll become extremely dangerous. That message wasn't exaggerated."
President Netero replied calmly.
"I knew that long ago. It was never an exaggeration."
Knov was puzzled by Netero's certainty.
"Why?" he asked.
Netero answered simply.
"Intuition."
Earlier, when Knov fired at the Chimera Ant, he had opened a button-sized spatial window within the four-dimensional apartment. This allowed Palm to observe the outside world and fulfilled the prerequisite for activating her telepathic monitoring.
At the same time, Netero had already completed his arrangements.
Funeral preparations were in place.
Once Knov and Palm confirmed the Queen Ant's nest, they were to immediately open the space and allow Netero to enter.
Authorization had also been requested for the use of the Poor Man's Rose.
If Netero was defeated, he would use his own life to restrain the Ant King.
After resting for a full day and night, President Netero appeared even more energetic than before.
At that moment, Knov sent a message.
The Chimera Ants had returned to the nest.
Without hesitation, Netero passed through Knov's space and arrived directly before the Chimera Ant Queen.
A terrifying aura erupted from his body.
"Recall all Chimera Ants immediately," Netero said. "Have them all return and be eaten."
"I can allow you to give birth to an Ant King and let him fight me."
"Or you can die right now."
The Queen Ant stared at the terrifying humanoid creature before her.
Her instincts screamed a single truth.
If she disobeyed, she would die.
The Queen Ant's duty was to give birth to the King. The other Chimera Ants were nothing more than consumables.
She let out a deafening roar and issued the order to recall all Chimera Ants.
One by one, they returned.
One by one, they were eaten.
There was little resistance.
Throughout the process, Netero closed his eyes and rested. He neither spoke nor moved.
When the Queen Ant finished consuming the last Chimera Ant, an arm suddenly burst out from her abdomen.
Netero opened his eyes.
His expression was solemn, but there was a trace of excitement.
"So you've arrived," he said softly. "The Ant King."
The Ant King tore his way out from the Queen Ant's body and immediately began devouring her, consuming her completely.
He could feel it.
The terrifying killing intent.
The overwhelming strength of the man standing before him.
Netero observed the Ant King carefully.
What a terrifying creature.
Even without Nen, he possessed such overwhelming power.
In Netero's perception, an invisible aura spread outward from the Ant King's body.
At the same time, the killing intent in Netero's heart steadily rose.
After watching the Ant King finish devouring the Queen, Netero finally spoke.
"Being the strongest is very boring."
"But now, you're strong as well."
"It's a pity you only have a powerful body, not a powerful mind."
The Ant King frowned.
"What is Nen?" he asked.
Netero's eyes sharpened.
"You'll find out soon."
The moment he finished speaking, Netero activated his signature technique.
The Hundred-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva.
The 99 Palms.
Blow after blow rained down, shattering the Ant King's body. His limbs were torn apart. Even his head bore deep palm-shaped imprints.
Yet he survived.
Even reduced to only a head and torso, he remained alive.
And not only alive.
Violent waves of energy surged outward from his body.
This aura made even Netero feel a chill.
What an enormous amount of energy.
What terrifying potential.
What a terrifying creature.
Was it because he had consumed human genes?
Or because he was born with the capacity to awaken Nen?
Netero watched as granulation rapidly formed on the Ant King's severed limbs.
This was bad.
"I can't play around anymore," Netero thought.
He unleashed the 99 Palms again.
Smoke filled the battlefield.
This time, the Ant King was unharmed.
Netero frowned.
"Ken…?" he thought.
No.
It wasn't Ken.
It was an overwhelming amount of energy forming natural armor across the body.
Absolute power.
Without hesitation, Netero activated his true final technique.
The Hundred-Type Guanyin—Zero Hand.
Time itself seemed to freeze.
Even the Ant King sensed it.
The concept of death.
In an endless dark void, only a single blood-red word appeared in his consciousness.
Death.
"This attack will kill me," the Ant King thought.
Born prematurely.
Malnourished.
He had never reached his true peak.
And so, the Ant King died at the hands of the strongest human.
When everything ended, Netero's muscles shriveled. His body became thin and frail.
He sighed softly.
"Ah… I really am old."
Then he laughed.
"At least it was after the battle."
Some time later, Knov arrived.
The scene before him was horrifying.
He didn't even notice his glasses slipping off.
He looked around in shock.
Netero called out to him.
After drawing Knov's attention, Netero spoke weakly.
"Throw the Poor Man's Rose here. Detonate it."
Knov stared at him in disbelief.
"What? Didn't you kill the Chimera Ant King?"
Netero replied calmly.
"Even until the final moment, I wasn't completely certain. His energy was too vast."
"The only thing I'm sure of… is that he hasn't left this area."
After hearing this, Knov threw the malicious super-biological weapon known as the Poor Man's Rose, then immediately entered the four-dimensional apartment.
When he emerged again, the two of them were already standing on a distant hill.
Far away, in the sky—
A black rose slowly bloomed.