When dealing with a high-intelligence individual like Pariston Hill, the most effective approach is undoubtedly to break the existing rules and strike where he least expects it.
If you restrict yourself to a specific framework, you will soon find that no matter what methods you employ, your opponent has already made exhaustive preparations. To put it simply, one must use "out-of-game" tactics to perform a dimensional strike. It's much like realizing you cannot win against a grandmaster at a chessboard; in that moment, the best move isn't to continue a meaningless struggle on the board, but to simply raise a fist the size of a sandbag and use force to compel a surrender.
While it may sound barbaric, crude, and underhanded, there is no denying its efficacy. Allen was currently preparing to deliver a massive "surprise" to Pariston using exactly such a tactic.
After staying at the Hunter Association for two days, waiting until the "Dragon," "Ox," and "Rabbit" of the Zodiacs had returned, Allen set out alone for the city housing the V5 headquarters.
Upon his arrival, Slean, who had received word and had been waiting for some time, immediately came forward. He opened his arms and laughed in greeting. "You've finally arrived, my great hero! So, how does it feel to have eliminated yet another threat and saved the human world?"
"Saved the world? Don't make me laugh," Allen said, rolling his eyes. "The Chimera Ant incident was man-made from the very beginning. Besides, they never posed a truly world-ending threat; at most, it was an invasive species incursion."
"Hahahaha! Your sense of humor remains intact. However, given that we lack tangible evidence and that Kakin is neither a small nor a weak nation, it's best to keep those words to yourself. Remember, officially, we have classified the Giant Chimera Ants as a threat from the Dark Continent. Don't go looking for trouble for yourself," Slean cautioned meaningfully.
Although the V5 had launched a secret investigation into Kakin and Beyond Netero, Slean knew that even if they found results, the matter would likely be swept under the rug. There was no other way. Kakin was arguably the most powerful nation in the world outside of the V5, bar none. Especially after the reforms and diligent governance of the current King, the entire country was flourishing. Their finances, technology, and military were now on par with the V5.
Even more terrifying was that as an ancient superpower, the secret of Nen was no mystery to the Kakin Royal Family. The top-ranked princes even possessed private Nen-user units that followed their every command. This meant that even if the Chimera Ant Queen had been intentionally released by the Kakin royals, the V5 would likely feign ignorance for the sake of geopolitical stability. After all, the devastating blows were dealt to marginal, minor countries like NGL and East Gorteau. Even if they were wiped out, it wouldn't shift the global landscape of human society.
"Relax, I'm not a fool. I wouldn't do something so thankless," Allen said, shrugging indifferently.
Slean breathed a sigh of relief at this answer, then asked impatiently, "Everything we discussed over the phone... did you bring it all?"
"Of course. It's right here." Allen shook the Fun Fun Cloth he was carrying.
"Excellent. Follow me." Slean wasted no time. With a quick glance, he signaled for all uninvolved personnel to leave immediately. He then activated a secret entrance requiring multiple layers of verification: password, fingerprints, and iris scans.
Two or three minutes later, the two of them arrived at a vast, empty underground warehouse in the deepest part of the facility. Unlike a standard warehouse, the walls were lined with a dense array of cameras and surveillance equipment.
Slean pointed to an empty space behind them. "Place them here. I'll send a specialized team later to care for the eggs and the victims inside. I promise you, the V5 will provide them with basic human rights protections."
"As you wish." Allen gave the cloth in his hand a light flick toward the front.
Instantly… a dense cluster of egg-shaped cocoons covered the floor. Through the semi-transparent shells, one could see the gestating humans who had already begun to take on Chimera Ant characteristics. However, with the death of the Queen and the King, their thoughts and consciousness were no longer subject to external interference or control. Their danger level had dropped to a minimum, making it possible to reintegrate them into human society.
"Incredible. That the Chimera Ants could produce so many Nen users in such a short time... if only we had such technology and ability," Slean marveled, lightly patting an egg near him.
"If you don't care about quality, human technology could actually achieve something similar. But the most impressive thing about the Ants is their ability to screen and guide subjects before the transformation, weeding out the weak and keeping only the minority with the potential to be strong," Allen said, piercing to the heart of the matter.
To be precise, the transformation technology designed by Neferpitou was essentially built upon Shaiapouf's scales and abilities. Without that power, there would be no guarantee that the modified soldier ants could meet the King's standards. Therefore, to the Chimera Ant army, Pouf's importance far exceeded Pitou's.
"Screening and guiding?" Slean caught the keyword.
Allen nodded with a smile. "Yes. One of the Royal Guards possessed an extremely specialized ability. He could hypnotize and guide others, forcing them to manifest their inherent potential and continuously develop various abilities. This way, those with insufficient potential are eliminated immediately, and those selected don't have to worry about 'insufficient memory' due to taking the wrong path in their training."
"That sounds truly horrifying. It's a relief the Chimera Ants were wiped out; if they had been allowed to keep developing, they would have become a massive threat to humanity," Slean said, his voice laced with genuine fear.
In the world of Nen, a user's "memory" refers to the maximum capacity for abilities their talent can hold. Generally, most Nen users can only accommodate one primary Hatsu and two or three derivative techniques. Take Morel as an example: his primary ability is smoke manipulation. Turning smoke into rabbits, soldiers, or mimicking others' appearances are all derivative applications.
This is why, in the original story, Hisoka didn't hesitate to kill Kastro once he discovered the latter had trained in the wrong Nen category. Kastro's "memory" was full, making it impossible for him to develop other abilities suited to his natural Enhancement category; his ceiling was effectively locked.
But Shaiapouf's ability? He could ignore the memory limit, helping others develop Nen abilities without restriction. In some ways, this was the strongest support ability in all of Hunter x Hunter, bar none. Under Pouf's guidance, Cheetu had even developed three completely different abilities in rapid succession. In the eyes of a human Nen user, such a feat was almost unimaginable.