Balda's palms were sweating. He'd thought, after his previous experiences, he'd handle this situation better, but he'd overestimated himself
Balda's palms were sweating. He'd thought, after his previous experiences, he'd handle this situation better, but he'd overestimated himself.
Seeing one or two, three or four Chimera Ants wasn't a problem, but when their numbers increased, the terrifying aura they collectively emanated was something else entirely.
Stared at by so many eyes, Balda didn't know how Loki, Hisoka, Pakunoda, and Baise felt, but he was speechless.
He and the other two silently retreated to the back of the group.
They didn't need to fight; if Loki and the others died, they could escape first.
Hisoka, Pakunoda, and Baise easily saw through their little plan, but no one cared. The ants were simply courting death.
Loki stared at his system interface, a joyful smile spreading across his face.
Finally, after so long, a mission had been triggered. He'd thought no matter what he did, there wouldn't be any missions, but at the last moment, they had appeared.
Unknown to Loki, the missions triggered only after Gon, Killua, and Kite arrived. If he knew this, he would have understood that mission triggers required plot progression.
But for now, he was elated.
Killing the Chimera Ants before him would complete a significant portion of the first mission: Chimera Ant Elimination Operation.
There were at least thirty or forty Chimera Ants; the mission required one hundred.
He already had almost half.
"Well, humans, have you decided? We won't give you much time to think," the frog-like Chimera Ant said, flicking its tongue. "If you can't decide, we'll assume you chose option two."
"Speaking of which, you have quite a few this time. Besides food for the Queen, we might get to savor some human flesh as well." The frog-like Chimera Ant looked wistful.
"Humans, how long will you deliberate? Decide quickly!"
"Whatever you choose, the result is death. There's not much difference!"
The Chimera Ants grew restless.
The bizarre sight of non-human ants speaking human language filled the air with tension.
Balda and the others' expressions tightened, all waiting for Loki to speak.
Suddenly, Loki stepped forward, his white cloak billowing. He looked up at the ants, shifting his shoulders; crack crack crack, his bones creaked.
Hisoka's excited expression vanished, his smile fading. He sighed softly.
"Such a shame!"
Hearing Hisoka's murmur, Balda and the others exchanged glances, unsure what he meant. Pakunoda, however, frowned.
"Should we dodge?"
Baise also spoke. "If we don't dodge, will we be in danger?"
Hisoka, previously disappointed, perked up, looking uncertainly at Loki, who was steadily advancing.
"Probably… we'll be fine!!!"
Balda and the others didn't understand their conversation. Dodge? Escape?
And Hisoka and the others sounded… afraid? This was the first time they sensed fear in them. They hadn't reacted at all when they first saw the Chimera Ants, yet now they were afraid.
Are you guys slow? they thought.
The frog-like Chimera Ant looked at Loki. "You're the first human? Then let's draw lots to see who's the lucky first one!"
"This human brat doesn't look strong, but his death throes will surely be delightful."
The frog, holding the lottery drum, began to shake it.
Suddenly, it stopped, staring at Loki.
The air currents around Loki began to converge towards him.
Loki raised his left hand, placing it on his right shoulder, slowly raising his right arm, clenching his fist.
A faint red glow emanated from his fist.
In that instant, time seemed to slow.
Cold sweat broke out on the frog's face; a primal fear erupted like a volcanic explosion, a chilling aura spreading through its body.
It couldn't move. The other Chimera Ants also froze.
Loki leaped into the air.
Flames instantly ignited on his fist, spreading up his arm, flickering in the wind.
High in the air, Loki looked down, his cold eyes devoid of emotion.
He smiled faintly.
"I'm in a good mood," he said. "Let's make your deaths quick!"
The flames on his arm erupted. Loki grinned, extending his right arm back.
"Fire Fist!!!"
At the moment the flames erupted, time flowed incredibly slowly. The wind blew, but it couldn't be felt.
Dust particles drifted past with crystal clarity.
The Chimera Ants, looking up at Loki from the ground, stared at the figure in the sky.
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