"These reports could greatly enhance Neferpitou's strength."
Ron continued deeper into the inner zone.
.........
.....
.
"Ron is approaching," Morel noted. The moment he sensed Ron drawing near, he immediately relayed the message to Netero.
"Bring him here."
"Yes, Chairman."
Before long, a cluster of white smoke condensed in front of Ron.
"Senior Netero is looking for me?" Ron's brow twitched slightly.
"Lead the way."
He followed the cloud of smoke until he reached an open clearing, where three men sat on the ground.
"Ron," Netero called, beckoning him closer.
"Senior Netero."
"Ron, you came to NGL seeking inspiration, didn't you?" Netero already knew the path Ron was walking: the Nen Beast system—traveling to different places to seek inspiration, creating beasts, and fighting with them.
Ron had already visited many places: Heaven's Arena, the nation of Taris, Meteor City, the Fiora Kingdom, the United States of Saherta, Greed Island, Begrossé, and Gourmet Paradise.
Ron nodded. "Yes. At first I only came to check on Killua and Gon, but after learning about the situation in NGL, I grew interested and wanted to see it for myself."
Knov couldn't help but interject. "The inner zone is very dangerous, nothing like the outer area. You must have seen the Chimera Ants by now."
"I'm mentally prepared for that. Kite, as Ging-senpai's disciple, certainly isn't weak. Now that so much time has passed without news, the likelihood is that he has already met misfortune. Anyone capable of killing Kite would not be simple."
"Ron, would you like to work with us?"
"Work with you?"
"The pace is a little too slow right now," Netero explained. "If you join us, you can make up for a gap in our current arrangement. Observing the Chimera Ants will also help you. It would benefit both sides."
Ron thought it over. Their division of labor was clear: Morel handled intelligence, Knov handled transport, and Netero executed the kills. The only missing piece was capture.
With Morel spreading smoke over such a wide area, it was unrealistic to expect him to also handle capture. Knov was not especially adept at combat, and his mental resilience was lacking. In the original course of events, he was the one who lost his hair in terror after sensing the King's aura. Morel and Netero also recognized the King's overwhelming presence, but neither to that extreme.
"I can," Ron agreed.
"Good. Then I'll leave it to you," Netero said with a smile. "Morel, when you spot isolated Chimera Ants, tell Ron. Once Ron captures them, Knov will send them to me."
Morel and Knov exchanged a glance, then nodded.
"Am I allowed to kill?" Ron asked.
"Kill?"
"In some cases, killing them directly would be more convenient."
"As you like."
"Then there's no problem. By the way, Senior Netero, what's the current state of the Ants?"
Netero looked toward Morel. "Morel, you explain."
Morel nodded. "Because of our actions, the Ants range of activity has shrunk considerably. Many have already died at Chairman Netero's hands, though plenty still roam outside. What strikes me as unusual is that the risks they're taking don't match the gains. Their behavior seems disproportionate. And they don't appear to be targeting us specifically."
Ron added, "Before coming here, I encountered over a dozen Ants. I killed some, spoke with others. Their intelligence is very high—some are in no way inferior to humans. They wouldn't engage in something where the risks outweighed the benefits. If they are doing it, then it means they must have some agenda we don't know about."
As he spoke, Ron secretly watched Netero's expression to test his theory. But Netero's face did not change at all; he remained calm and unreadable.
"Some other agenda?" Morel frowned.
"The nest's defenses are extremely strong," Morel continued. "My smoke cannot penetrate far, so the information I can gather is limited. Chairman, what do you think it could be?"
Netero shook his head. "I don't know. But let's stick to our plan. If we alter it recklessly because of suspicions about what might be happening inside, the consequences could be worse."
Their group of three became a group of four, but no one felt out of place. Even though this was Ron's first time working with Morel and Knov, as an experienced Nen user he adjusted quickly. At first, Morel and Knov were not fully confident in Ron's ability, but after watching him fight, they realized his strength far exceeded their expectations—surpassing the two of them by a wide margin.
"What Chairman Netero said was true," one murmured. "Ron's strength is incredible. He could easily join the Hunter Association's Zodiacs. Among the combat-types, he would rank near the top. And he's not even twenty years old yet. Terrifying."
Both were shocked.
Ron glanced at the crystal ball in front of him. Since joining Netero's operation, its absorption rate had increased rapidly. The deaths of Chimera Ants provided excellent traits—division leaders were the best, squad captains next, and grunts the least valuable.
A smoke rabbit appeared before Ron.
"Lead the way."
The rabbit bounded ahead, and Ron followed closely. Soon, three isolated Chimera Ants came into view.
This time, however, the situation was unusual. Of all the Ants Ron had encountered in these operations, these three were the strongest. One division leader, accompanied by two squad captains.
The leader bore distinct cockroach features—towering antennae, multiple arms sprouting from its torso, and wings unfolding at its back, making it clear it could fly. Its movements would likely resemble those of a cockroach to a significant degree.