Morel lit his pipe again and frowned deeply, smoke curling from his mouth. "Can you believe it?" he said. "The king actually turned on his own people." He understood why the remaining chimera ants like Colt had surrendered.
Most of the once aggressive and ambitious ants had been wiped out by Larry. Those left were loyal only to the queen, without any grand ambitions of their own.
The king's brutal actions had terrified them, pushing them to send Colt, their division commander, to surrender. "It's not surprising, despite having human genes, they still think like beasts."
The Ant King never really saw himself as part of the same race as the other Chimera Ants. Maybe the three royal guards feel the same way.
Compared to the rest of the Chimera Ants, these four seem like a completely different species, so they don't care at all about how many of other ant get hurt. After putting together the information Colt brought, Knov finally reached this unexpected but reasonable conclusion.
"So, can I ask you to save the queen? She's on the brink of death. If she dies, it could lead to a huge disaster," Colt said anxiously.
"Could it really be that bad?" Morel asked.
"Yes. They're all Chimera Ants, and they probably share the same habits. If the queen dies, it's definitely a problem," Knov suddenly exclaimed as he recalled what he knew about Chimera Ants and quickly explained.
"Once the queen dies, the Chimera Ants who depended on her will lose their focus. They'll scatter to other places and wreak havoc on those ecosystems. They can even force females from other species to mate, which results in a new generation of Chimera Ants."
At that moment, Larry, who had been quiet until then, spoke up, "In that case, just take out the soldier ants, and handle the rest, the ones with human-like emotions, however you see fit."
Knov looked at Larry and felt reassured. "Yeah, Mr. Larry has already wiped out most of the Chimera Ants, so this shouldn't be too hard. As long as he takes action, I don't think it will be a problem."
Colt glanced at Larry with a mix of fear and respect. He hadn't expected that so many of his comrades had been killed by Larry, who had even taken down powerful division leaders.
"President, what's your decision? Are we going to help her?" Morel slowly put down the big pipe he'd been holding and called out into the depths of the cave.
"Hohohoho…" A meaningful laugh echoed from within, though President Netero hadn't appeared yet.
It wasn't good for the Chimera Ants to have so many humans among them, but fortunately, the Ant King was ruthless. That way, when the fight came, Netero could go all out without holding back.
"Colt, right? I have a question for you."
President Netero emerged slowly from the shadows, the smile fading from his face as his expression turned serious. Beneath his thin sportswear, his well-defined muscles stood out even more, emphasizing his already strong physique. His hands hung naturally by his sides, but his entire body was clearly tensed, radiating a familiar energy that Nen users immediately recognized, the kind of focus used when preparing to perform a technique.
"You've seen the Ant King up close," Netero said, "so I want to hear your thoughts. Who do you think is stronger, me or the Ant King?"
As soon as he finished speaking, an overwhelming surge of aura burst from Netero's body. To everyone watching, he suddenly looked like a blazing ball of fire, his aura blazing brightly and lighting up the previously dim cave.
The intense energy created strong gusts of wind that whistled through the space, a sharp contrast to the usual calm. The force was so powerful that the people standing nearby were pushed back, their hair standing on end like characters from an anime. Knov and the others had to brace themselves, shielding their eyes to get a clear view of Netero.
Among them, only Larry remained completely calm, standing there as if unaffected by the powerful aura or the fierce wind. His own mental aura formed a protective barrier around him, blocking the impact of Netero's overwhelming presence.
As one of the world's top five nen users, Larry's strength rivals, and even surpasses, Netero's. So even as Netero trained, Larry showed no reaction, not even the slightest flicker of emotion.
"You're incredibly strong," Colt said with narrowed eyes, clearly acknowledging the terrifying presence Netero exuded. His aura was so intense that from close up, it felt like countless needles were pricking your skin, causing a dull ache throughout the body. "But… I'm afraid you don't even come close to the Ant King."
Colt's words left Morel and the two others standing beside him completely stunned. Could even a aura hardened a thousand times over affect the Ant King?
"I suppose he'll be taken down by the royal guards before even come close," Colt said with some hesitation.
Though blunt, his statement was undeniably true. Considering President Netero's current strength, defeating the Ant King was simply out of the question. A heavy sigh escaped the group, and just then, the intense aura they had been feeling suddenly vanished, as if the brilliant light had been snuffed out.
The cave gradually returned to its usual calm. President Netero scratched his face and smiled softly as he said, "I really am getting old. More and more people now are stronger than me."
Though his tone was light, those around him could sense a hint of melancholy, the unmistakable feeling that even a hero can't escape the passage of time. No matter how powerful someone is, aging eventually catches up with everyone.
"I didn't expect I'd still be able to challenge others at my age," he continued with a brief sigh. "I need to prepare myself properly now."
Returning to his usual thoughtful demeanor, Netero stroked his beard, pondering where he should go next to build up his strength. He had already decided to wear the heart T-shirt and take some time to get into peak condition before facing his final battle.
A twinge of regret crossed his mind, he wished he'd been able to wear that shirt in a fight against Larry before now. Glancing over at Larry beside him, Netero's eyes reflected that same lingering regret. If only he had mentioned it sooner... but there was no time now.
Larry, catching Netero's gaze, nodded with a flash of determination. "Colt, right? I have the same question," he said. "Why don't we see which is stronger, me or the Ant King?"