As they ventured deeper into the Chimera Ants' territory, Kite discovered a fact.
The ants' territory was vast, but the outermost areas showed little sign of ant activity… In other words, all the hunter teams that came to investigate would unknowingly enter the core territory of the ant colony.
They mistakenly thought they had reached the hunting grounds on the periphery of the ants' territory… but in reality, it was due to Oboro and his team's actions. Something had happened, forcing the ants to shrink their activity area and adopt a defensive stance.
This was truly shocking…
Single-handedly instilling fear in the entire ant colony.
"Soul-based Nen ability…"
Kite recalled the information Ging Freecss had mentioned.
This ability… let alone ants, even other Nen users would find it difficult to defend against.
Soul-based abilities have their inherent uniqueness, but the difficulty of development is also proportional.
However, perseverance pays off. Kite began to follow the clues, tracing some subtle hints to find the ant hunting parties.
He deduced that even if the Chimera Ants acted cautiously, they couldn't completely cut off their food source.
"There are twenty in total… I'll handle the ones in the middle, you two clear the left and right. Be quick, Chimera Ants communicate signals… that we can't perceive." The three entered 'En' state, hiding under a patch of shade. After Kite gave instructions, he instantly burst forth.
Killua and Gon followed, charging towards the ants from different directions.
Twenty-odd Chimera Ants posed no threat to the trio…
Compared to the two youngsters, Kite didn't use Nen abilities, relying solely on hand-to-hand combat. But his movements were extremely sharp and fluid…
Punches, dodges, knee strikes, leg sweeps, almost every blow landed on the Chimera Ants was fatal, causing them to fall to the ground instantly.
In contrast, Killua and Gon each unleashed their Nen abilities. Killua's hands crackled with electricity… moving as fast as lightning.
Gon's fists were charged with Nen.
The two youngsters appeared formidable, but their speed in eliminating enemies was more than a beat slower than Kite's.
Gon almost let an ant escape. If Kite hadn't intervened in time, it might have attracted more ants from the vicinity.
A few minutes later, the battle ended.
Kite glanced at Gon, who gave an embarrassed smile. Instead of criticizing, he spoke like an elder and teacher, summarizing, "These humanoid Chimera Ants have extraordinary physical strength. To defeat them instantly, you must use Nen, and aim for their weak points… Although their physical structure is different, they still have weaknesses. The best spot… is the head. Don't give them any chance to breathe or counterattack."
"Yes."
Gon replied earnestly.
"Something's a bit strange…" Then, Kite reached up and adjusted the brim of his hat.
"What's wrong?"
Killua asked.
"I can confirm that person hasn't been to this area. They likely deliberately let the ants out to hunt for food…"
That person.
Without needing explicit mention, Killua knew he was referring to Oboro.
"I submitted the report to the Association some time ago. If they departed from the Association, they would have arrived faster than us… which means some hunter companions have already arrived here before us." Kite gazed ahead.
"Because the ants have reduced their activity range, outsiders are easily misled into thinking this is the periphery of the ant colony's territory, when in reality, the danger exceeds expectations… Most importantly, there are no markers!"
Mature hunters, when carrying out missions… consider all aspects comprehensively.
Given the danger level of this investigation set by the Association, all participants were aware that other companions would arrive later.
And the hunters who arrived earlier would definitely leave some markers during their exploration… to provide information for those who followed.
"They might not have taken the same route as us, right?" Gon asked doubtfully.
The territory was so vast; it was impossible for everyone to explore in the same direction.
"No, Gon."
At this moment, Killua also touched his chin and said seriously.
On the contrary, even without markers, everyone would invariably choose this route… because there are no signs of ant activity in other areas. Our mission is just to investigate, so… everyone's primary goal is to find the area where ants appear. The other directions are filled with the corpses of ants killed by Oboro, not living subjects for observation…
Although it seems harmless, this situation is actually more worrying. Other people's thinking is the same as ours, gradually delving in from the periphery, rather than rushing directly to the ant nest, which would be suicide… Everyone is pursuing information, not speed.
As expected of a genius nurtured by the Zoldyck family, Killua displayed a level of maturity far exceeding Gon's in this regard.
"But no matter how many people came before us… the key is, there are no markers."
After speaking, Killua looked at Kite.
"Continue."
Kite, like a teacher testing his student, looked at Killua with an appreciative gaze.
"There are two possibilities. First, the ants have already sensed our intentions and erased the markers, preventing us from going deeper and approaching the nest. Second, the people who came before us were all killed… before they could familiarize themselves with the area, find a 'safe house' to hide, and leave markers… This indicates that there must be some very dangerous power nearby."
"Regardless of which possibility…"
Killua took a deep breath, his expression filled with alarm. "It means that the people sent by the Association… have already sacrificed themselves."
Kite nodded. "Your analysis is good… Chimera Ants have a hierarchical structure, far more complex than ordinary ants. The ones we killed were just ordinary soldier ants; there should be threats stronger than soldier ants."
"Therefore, you two must be extremely vigilant. If you encounter danger and become a burden, I might not be able to save you…"
Kite's voice was heavy. "I'll ask you again, are you sure you want to continue? It's not too late to turn back now."
Killua and Gon exchanged glances but said nothing.
However, their determined eyes undoubtedly provided the answer.
Kite smiled with relief.
They continued forward…
"Mr. Kite…"
Along the way, Gon couldn't help but speak.
"Mhm?"
"Will Mr. Oboro and his companions have already found the ant nest?"
"As far as I know, they haven't received any commission or appointment from the Association…"
Kite said calmly.
"…"
Gon.
...
Time passed slowly.
More than half a day later, the three encountered several more Chimera Ant squads and witnessed the horrific scene of ants piling up human corpses.
NGL has a special national condition; it is not a formal country, making its management very lax and without regulations… It's more like Zege has gathered a group of private armed forces.
Lacking modern facilities and with backward information transmission, the citizens within the country still have no idea that ants are hunting humans.
It was also evident that the Chimera Ants had traveled long distances for hunting, and the piles of corpses the three saw were merely a food transfer point.
Gon was very angry… He couldn't accept the Chimera Ants' actions.
Kite also noticed Gon's expression but offered no comfort or extra words.
These… are all experiences one must go through to become an excellent hunter. There will be more… and more difficult challenges in the future.
By evening, Kite led the two to a hilltop.
The three stood at the foot of a steep cliff.
Crossing this mountain would mean leaving the forest and entering a different terrain.
Based on the number of ants they had encountered in recent times, they were likely approaching the boundary of the ant nest's main base.
Normally, it shouldn't be this fast… but the ants themselves had reduced their range, and Kite's experience and abilities had played a role.
Swish!
Just as Gon and Killua were about to climb, Kite suddenly raised his hand to stop them, his expressionless.
Then, Kite walked a few steps forward alone, bent down, and picked up a blood-stained shoe from the ground.
Victim from the Association… Kite's attention was not on this relic.
But on the ground, where a single character, 'Death,' was drawn with a finger.
This was undoubtedly a warning and a reminder from the deceased hunter to his companions.
Telling the Association members not to proceed further!
Then, without any warning, Kite unleashed his Nen ability, Mad Clown.
The clown opened its mouth and let out a mocking laugh at Kite. Then, the roulette in its mouth began to spin…
At the same time, Gon and Killua were startled, sensing a presence, and looked up. They saw a long row of black shadows appearing densely on the mountaintop of the cliff.
It was Chimera Ants!
But the appearance of these ants was completely different from the soldier ants they had encountered before. They looked more human-like, and their limbs had more obvious animal characteristics.
Most importantly… these ants could speak… Leading them were a toad wearing glasses and a guy with an octopus head.
Gon and Killua were on high alert!
They knew… the higher-sequence ants Kite had mentioned had appeared!
"Hmm… three special species… Oh no, according to humans, they should be called Nen users…"
The toad division chief looked down at the three of them and said calmly, "Judging by the aura, the most dangerous one… is you, isn't it?"
Saying this, the toad stared at Kite.
"Oh?"
Kite looked up at the ants standing above and smiled slightly. "It's truly incredible, you even know about Nen…"
Their learning ability was terrifying.
Kite had already sensed that most of the ants had learned Nen.
He appeared relaxed on the surface, but inwardly, his heart sank instantly.
The Association's danger assessment of the ants was wrong…
The situation had developed into a more perilous direction.
"We also have to thank you human Nen users… Oh, no, I should say we have to thank that person. If it weren't for him, we wouldn't have known about Nen. Although humans are a low-level species, in some aspects, you are still quite astonishing." The toad pushed up his glasses and said softly.
Standing beside it, another division chief added, "It's a pity that humans are limited by their bodies, so there's a natural gap in aura compared to us… This also means that you will always remain at the bottom of the food chain."
"Mhm… Mhm… Mhm…"
Kite responded perfunctorily.
At this moment, Mad Clown had rotated to No. 2. As smoke rose, a ridiculously large scythe-like weapon appeared in his hand.
Then, the ants' eyes blurred.
They saw the white-haired man who had been standing at the foot of the cliff moments ago suddenly leap several times, soaring above them like a black lightning bolt, moving so fast it was as if he had climbed dozens of meters in the blink of an eye, landing before them.
Kite slightly lifted the brim of his lowered hat, revealing a pair of cold eyes.
He looked at the two division chiefs who had involuntarily retreated.
"If I'm not mistaken… the person you mentioned hasn't appeared for a long time, right? That's why… you dare to show yourselves, right?"
"You think he's gone…"
"Could it be… his appearance hasn't made you realize one thing?"
"That is, among humans, Nen users… there might be more than one special existence like him…"
Oh no!
We're going to die… After speaking, with a sudden swing of the scythe, Kite raised it high.
The two division chiefs suddenly realized.
During this time, they had hunted quite a few human Nen users… but none of them could make them feel the same dread as that man.
This had made several division chiefs relax a little, because they found that even without learning Nen, they could kill some special human species with their pure physical strength… let alone after awakening Nen.
That man had disappeared, couldn't be found.
As they gained new strength, their inner ferocity was unleashed.
The frog and the octopus had never encountered the man Krowld described… they only heard his words, that the human was unimaginably terrifying.
But after all, it was just hearsay, not a personal experience.
However… now, this white-haired man wielding a scythe before them suddenly made them understand… what Krowld meant.
This was judgment!
A will they could not resist…
____________________
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