From this moment on, Law gave up any expectations.
If a hundred games couldn't end it, he would decisively erase Meruem's Nen.
With this thought, Law placed his piece.
The response from Komugi was a merciless killing move.
One step established the path to victory.
Soon, a new game began again.
Law looked at Komugi. A smile had appeared on her face.
Seeing this, Law continued playing with mixed feelings.
Playing another hundred games… would anything change?
Judging by the increasingly intense obsession, it probably couldn't be digested anymore. He could only give it a try.
Inside the Gungi room, only the sound of pieces hitting the board and the voices of the two remained.
Late into the night, the wind and rain continued, and Komugi's body finally couldn't hold on any longer.
Law then took Komugi to her bedroom and personally cooked a bowl of porridge for her.
Komugi didn't know there were no servants in the palace, so she didn't expect it to be Law who cooked.
Eating the steaming porridge, she thought it tasted better than before.
'Indeed, in a place like the palace, the food was delicious.'
Komugi happily finished the porridge. Sensing Law still beside her, she felt embarrassed but also excited. "Supreme Commander, let's continue playing Gungi!"
"We'll continue tomorrow morning. You rest now."
Law refused, then turned and left the room.
Komugi felt quite disappointed upon hearing this, but it was an order she had to obey.
Law walked out of the room, coming to the corridor at the other end of the building, looking at the curtain of rain right before him.
"Seventy-two more games."
Law muttered softly to himself, then suddenly raised his right hand, saying calmly, "Stop hiding. I know you're awake."
As soon as the words fell, wispy black smoke rose from the tattoo on the back of his hand, instantly transforming into the form of a black cat.
Those silver eyes were still bright, but other parts of its body were slightly different.
An extra pointed horn appeared on its forehead, its ears became pointed and long, adorned with several diamond-shaped silver patterns… the same went for its tail. Other changes were very subtle.
Kuro floated in the air, lazily saying, "It's been so long since we last met. How did you get uglier? By the way, I ate a little something. You probably don't mind, right?"
Law's eyebrow twitched. He reached out, grabbed Kuro, and slightly sensed the contents of the space… the stored food was basically gone.
'A little something?'
Law glanced at Kuro and casually tossed it aside.
"Damn it!"
Kuro only had time to curse before flying backwards into the rain, instantly becoming a drenched cat.
"What do you mean by that?! So what if I ate a little of your stuff? Is it necessary?"
Kuro rushed back angrily, its cat face full of rage.
"Idiot, it was all, not a little."
"I haven't eaten for so long. Can't I eat it all back at once?"
Kuro said righteously.
"Was my praying and making offerings not sincere enough, or was it simply useless?"
Law glanced at Kuro and walked towards the other end of the corridor.
Kuro followed, puzzled. "What do you mean?"
"Nothing much. I just prayed that you'd simply not wake up."
"What?!"
Kuro floated beside Law, furious.
"Pulling up your pants and not recognizing people, huh? I never thought you were that kind of person!"
"..."
Law couldn't be bothered to engage.
But Kuro kept chattering nonstop, as if wanting to clear out all the words accumulated over this period in one go.
One person and one cat passed through the long corridor and entered a cylindrical building.
"If you can't get rid of that obsession, just let me handle it."
Kuro suddenly changed the subject, mentioning the obsession Meruem left within Law.
"Even if you eat it, it's useless," Law said, glancing at Kuro.
"Just to taste it," Kuro replied.
"I'll think about it."
"Don't think about it, it's settled!"
"Hey, say something! It's wasted anyway!"
Law ignored Kuro's pestering, directly returned to a room, didn't even change clothes, and went to bed.
After several intense battles, the side effects of the Autopilot Mode hadn't worn off, and he had also played Gungi with Komugi for so long. His body and spirit were quite exhausted.
Right now, he just wanted a good sleep.
But Kuro was relentless, like a haunting spirit, constantly talking about this matter.
Law suddenly opened his eyes, glaring fiercely at Kuro. The latter, assessing the situation, wisely shut its mouth.
With the noise pollution from Kuro gone, Law quickly fell asleep.
Early the next morning, Law woke up, raised his hand to look… Kuro was gone.
"That guy..."
He muttered to himself, got up to wash up, thinking to find some food first.
He arrived at the modern, super-sized kitchen in the palace, only to see the kitchen in complete disarray. The huge, side-by-side freezers were open, empty inside. Almost all the untouched reserve ingredients had vanished.
Seeing this, Law's face twitched slightly. Who else could be responsible for this?
"Woke up and immediately turned into a starving ghost?"
Law sighed softly, and based on his senses, immediately found Kuro, sound asleep in some room.
Law kicked Kuro awake. The latter woke up groggily.
Seeing Law's expression ready to demand an explanation, Kuro sobered up considerably, then immediately transformed back into black smoke and retreating into the back of Law's hand.
Law shook his head helplessly, directly took out a phone from Kuro.
Ding ding ding...
Messages kept popping up.
It was because phone calls couldn't get through, so people trying to call left messages instead.
Law took out the phone just to ask about Netero's situation.
Now seeing so many messages, he checked them one by one.
Quite a few people had sent messages: Machi, Kurapika, Uvogin, Nobunaga, Morel...
Going through them one by one, the content of Machi and the others' messages mostly explained their mission progress.
The scattered Squadron Leader Chimera Ants had been mostly dealt with. A portion had broken through the Hunter Association's defense lines and entered the Yorbian Continent.
A small number of Chimera Ants remained in the Mitene Union.
If Law hadn't called Machi and the others for help, likely even more Chimera Ants would have invaded human society.
Regardless, some Chimera Ants had broken through the encirclement, so Netero would undoubtedly be held responsible.
Law finally read the message from Morel, paused, and called back.
As soon as the call connected, Morel's excited and worried voice came from the other end.
"Law, how are things on your end?"
"Didn't Ging tell you?"
"No!"
Hearing this, Law narrowed his eyes slightly and replied, "The Ant King has been dealt with."
"..."
In the hospital corridor on the other end of the phone, Morel took a sharp breath, then completely relaxed.
The most troublesome was solved, so the rest would be much simpler.
But the fact that Law could take down the Ant King made Morel's mood difficult to calm for a moment.
As if suddenly remembering something, Morel quickly asked, "Then are you injured? Do you need me to send a medical team over?"
"I'm not injured. I'll handle the remaining tails here. I'll leave Netero's side to you all, and have Ging contact you about follow-up matters."
"And you? When will you come over?" Morel asked.
"I'll head over after sweeping away the tails. That's it for now. I'll call you if anything comes up."
After saying this, Law hung up. Then, he replied to Machi and the others via text one by one, finally sent a message to Ging, and then tossed the phone back into Kuro's space.
"Get out."
Law called out Kuro.
Sensing Law's unfriendly tone, Kuro didn't dare hide anymore and obediently emerged.
"Go out and find some food, then bring it to the Gungi room," Law ordered.
"Fine, I'll go find it."
Kuro grumbled and floated towards the outside.
Seeing this, Law headed towards the Gungi room.
Kuro looked back and suddenly asked, "Law, do you still remember that crow from the dense fog forest?"