That's right, only horse-drawn carriages are allowed.
Although the airport is located quite close to the NGL entrance due to the influx of tourists wanting to experience life in NGL, the recent increase in visitors has led to a significant rise in the number of vehicles heading there, causing the area near the NGL entrance to be filled with car exhaust.
As a result, a decree was issued allowing only purely eco-friendly transportation methods, among which horse-drawn carriages are considered the fastest.
Inside the carriage, Netero sat quietly with his eyes slightly closed, savoring these few hours of rest. Meanwhile, Morel and Knov, seeing Netero seemingly in a state of conserving energy, couldn't help but let their minds wander, speculating that this mission might not be simple.
The carriage fell into an extreme silence, so quiet that even breathing seemed exceptionally soft. Under the vast, star-studded sky, the group journeyed towards NGL.
The night was the hardest time to endure. At the moment, Killua was just outside the entrance to NGL, feeling the profound impact. He had never experienced anything as unsettling, terrifying, and chilling as this night.
Not even his brother Illumi or Jed at the top of the Heaven's Arena tower had ever made him feel this way. The former was reluctant to harm his brother, and the latter's main target was Netero, with them merely being collateral. But the feline-ant they encountered tonight made Killua truly understand what oppression and despair meant!
At that moment, the signal of death was wildly alarming in his heart! Neferpitou's terror was deeply etched in everyone's minds, causing their spirits to tremble!
They realized that they had truly experienced Jed's power up close and, comparing it with the ant they encountered, reached this conclusion: was this nen user as formidable as Jed?
Morel and Knov exchanged glances, noticing the gravity on each other's faces. It was at this moment they began to appraise Killua and Gon with the eyes of experts. Naturally, they noticed the extraordinary aspects of Killua. Even though Killua was currently not in the best state, with no display of nen or aura, his physical condition was undeniable.
"At such a young age, having this level of physical fitness, his potential aura can't be too weak either. He's completely different from ordinary kids, another genius perhaps?" After assessing Killua's physique, Morel came to this conclusion.
From what they could observe, they could roughly gauge Killua's level. To have faced Jed directly and survived already indicated Killua's extraordinary nature. Therefore, he couldn't be treated as an ordinary child. Based on Killua's experiences, he was worthy of being examined as a competent nen user.
"Stronger than the resurrected Jed?" Even Netero's eyes flickered slightly at this thought. And at that moment, two figures suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
"Stronger than Jed? Then I must see for myself," Morin said with a smile after arriving. He had heard Killua's words before arriving.
"Yay, the last member has arrived, we can set off," Netero chuckled warmly upon noticing Morin's sudden appearance.
"Long time no see, Chairman Netero," Morin greeted Netero directly.
"It's only been a little over a month since we last met," Netero replied with a smile. Then he turned his gaze to the other figure Morin brought along.
"Oh, so you went to pick him up, which is why you're late?" Netero inquired.
"Ah, this guy got lost in the desert, quite difficult to find," Morin responded with a knowing expression.
"What do you mean lost? I was exploring too deeply, and even if I ran at full speed, I couldn't catch up with your mission. Otherwise, I wouldn't have called you," the person replied confidently, extending an arm to greet Netero. "Long time no see, old man, you're still as spry as ever."
"Yay, you haven't changed much either, Ging." Clad in simple white attire, who else could it be but Ging Freecss? Morin had delayed meeting Netero and the others because of picking him up. But it seemed it wasn't too late after all.
While Netero chatted with Morin and Ging, Morel and Knov discreetly observed them. They were familiar with Ging, this guy who was the Boar of the Zodiac Twelve, with countless remarkable achievements, although his equally notorious stubborn and reckless personality matched his accomplishments.
---
Morel and Knov had never interacted with Ging, but from the rumors they had heard, it seemed that within the Hunter Association, Ging Freecss had quite a few adversaries and people who disliked him and wanted to cause him trouble. They only glanced at Ging briefly before shifting their gaze to the other person.
Youthful! That was the first impression Morin gave to Knov and Morel. Compared to the three of them, Morin indeed appeared quite young. However, as seasoned hunters, they wouldn't judge someone's strength based on age alone.
After all, the Zodiac Twelve included many young individuals. The Rabbit and the Tiger were both relatively young, and even more astonishing was the Boar, Ging, who was probably not even thirty yet. With such examples before them, they weren't too surprised.
After noting his youth, their second impression was familiarity. Where had they seen this person before? The more Morel and Knov looked, the more familiar Morin seemed. As Morin approached, revealing his full face and attire, a spark flashed in their minds. A familiar figure surfaced in their thoughts.
"It's Morin! The man who defeated Jed!!" Recognizing him, Morel and Knov stood in respect. They had learned about Morin's exploits from the incident at Heaven's Arena over a month ago.
As the mentor of Kastro from the Zodiac Twelve, alongside Chairman Netero and the Boar Ging, he was one of the world's top five nen users. Moreover, he had repelled a formidable foe even Chairman Netero couldn't handle, earning the legendary title of the world's strongest man!
Currently, Morin was nearly a living legend among hunters due to his mysterious background and immense strength. His reputation was rapidly catching up to that of Chairman Netero.
Seeing Morin's youthful appearance on television was one thing, but meeting him in person, he seemed even younger! If his appearance reflected his true age, he might just be around twenty years old.
Most people believed Morin had some secret to maintaining his youthful looks, appearing in his twenties while actually being at least forty or fifty. However, Morel and Knov, interacting with him directly, could clearly sense that Morin's age matched his appearance without any disguise!
To possess such power at such a young age, what kind of strength would he have at his peak in his thirties or forties?! They couldn't even imagine. This was also because they were unaware of the magical effects of the items Morin possessed.
"Since everyone is here, and with an extra member, our team is even more secure now. We can set off," Netero said, noticing the odd expressions on Knov and Morel's faces. He smiled but didn't elaborate.
"But before that, let's introduce ourselves," Netero continued.
"Morel, one-star Marine Hunter," Morel was the first to speak after Netero, his voice steady.
"Knov, one-star Ruins Hunter," Knov adjusted his glasses, calming his surprise before speaking calmly. His gaze flickered as he looked at Morin and Ging. As a Ruins Hunter himself, he was well aware of their achievements!
Ging's work on the Ruluka Ruins was world-renowned and historic, an achievement no one, especially a Ruins Hunter, could ignore. Morin's name was also associated with this development and restoration. Not only were they powerful, but they also had exceptional expertise, earning Knov's respect.
"I'm Morin, currently a three-star Ruins Hunter, I suppose," Morin said with a slight smile, noticing the curious looks from Morel and Knov. He didn't elaborate further. Netero had granted him the three-star title as a favor for information he had obtained from V5. Although he didn't care much about it, it was still a three-star title.
For Morel and Knov, knowing Morin's name was enough. It really was him! Even though they had confirmed it by appearance, hearing it from Morin himself was still remarkable. Their knowledge of Morin extended beyond his hunter profession and rank.
However, amid their amazement, another question arose. "If it's just some ants, wouldn't the three of us be enough? Why did they bring Morin along?" Morel and Knov had been informed about the giant Chimera Ants' human-eating incidents.
Despite Netero emphasizing the ants' mastery of nen and their exceptional strength, their human superiority complex made them underestimate the ants. In their view, even if the ants learned nen, they were still like children with knives—mere beasts with no intelligence.
Yet, with Morin's appearance, they suddenly realized this mission might not be as simple. Especially with the presence of Ging Freecss, who had just introduced himself as a two-star Ruins Hunter, with seemingly little presence but undoubtedly strong, part of the Zodiac Twelve and one of the world's top five.
What kind of ants could warrant the attention of Netero, Morin, and Ging, seemingly three of the world's strongest individuals? Such a lineup indeed added a bit of pressure to Morel and Knov. However, this pressure quickly faded. With Chairman Netero, Morin, and Ging Freecss present, they believed any opponent could be handled effortlessly. That was Morel and Knov's shared belief.