Just as Allen and his group withdrew from the vicinity of the Chimera Ant nest, Killua was sprinting desperately toward the border between NGL and its neighbor, carrying the unconscious Gon on his back.
Not long ago, they and Kite had encountered Neferpitou, one of the Royal Guards. In a single instant, Kite, a seasoned Hunter, had lost an arm to the creature. The indescribable horror and the sheer chasm in power had stripped Killua of any courage to resist. It was as if every cell in his body was screaming that staying meant certain death.
Obeying Kite's final command, he had knocked out the impulsive Gon and chosen the shameful path of flight. After over ten hours of non-stop running through the dense jungle, Killua finally reached the border between the NGL Autonomous Region and the Republic of Rokario, utterly exhausted.
Gently laying his still-unconscious friend on the ground, he immediately pulled out his cell phone. Signal had finally returned. He dialed a familiar number without hesitation.
After he briefly explained the situation, a woman's agitated voice shrieked from the other end: "What?! You left Kite behind? What exactly happened? Explain yourself right now!"
"We encountered a terrifying enemy. Kite lost an arm in the first exchange. Based on his judgment, I had to retreat, staying would have only made us a liability. I'm sorry... I'm so, so sorry," Killua said, his voice thick with frustration, self-reproach, and regret.
Once, he believed that mastering Nen meant he no longer had to fear anything. But reality had just slapped him across the face again. If Kite hadn't sacrificed himself, both he and Gon would likely be dead, devoured by the savage ants.
"I see. I understand. For now, stay where you are. We are on our way and we've brought reinforcements. Also, don't beat yourself up too much. This wasn't your fault."
The speaker this time wasn't the temperamental woman, but a man with a mature, steady voice. Comforted by his words, Killua's emotions slowly stabilized. He sat under a large tree, patiently awaiting the arrival of the support team.
A few hours later, a green, vintage-style truck appeared at the end of the road. It pulled up shortly after, and three people jumped from the back.
Leading them was Netero, who had traveled from afar. To the Chairman's right was a tall, burly man carrying a strange, thick weapon wrapped in grey cloth over his shoulder. This was Morel, a master of the Manipulation category and user of Deep Purple. To Netero's left stood Knov, dressed in a black suit, radiating an aura of logic and composure.
Chairman Netero?!!
Killua's eyes widened in surprise. But before he could even offer a greeting, Morel spoke up with a groan of complaint: "What's this? Just kids? I bet you went charging in out of curiosity and a competitive streak, and that's how you got hurt. Go home! This isn't a place for playing house!"
"Now, now, Morel-san," Knov said, adjusting his glasses to stop him. "They're quite pitiable, aren't they? They're just children; don't be so harsh."
Feeling their condescending attitudes and blatant contempt, Killua was reminded once again of his own weakness and powerlessness. He didn't even have the heart to argue.
Chairman Netero saw this and said with a smile, "You seem quite depressed. Was the enemy really that troublesome?"
Killua took a deep breath, forcing himself to stay calm. He whispered, "Among those Chimera Ants, nearly a third have learned Nen. Especially the one who cut off Kite's arm! Their aura is more evil than any enemy we've ever faced. Compared to them, the malice radiated by my brother or Hisoka is like the difference between an adult and a child. I can tell you all are very strong, but even so... I don't think you can win against that thing."
"Hmph. People often overrate things they've never seen before. You're currently in a state of panic. We'll handle things from here. You and your friend should rest somewhere safe," Knov said, maintaining a sense of superiority, clearly unaware of the true horror of the ants.
Morel's reaction was similar. He laughed and teased, "Hahaha! You're sounding just like I did!"
However, his tone quickly turned didactic as he looked at Killua. "Kid, in a battle between Nen users, the moment you start wondering if you can win, you've already lost. Not knowing the opponent's ability is normal. But even a split second of slack, cowardice, hesitation, or lack of confidence will lead to a fatal injury you can't undo. Most importantly, don't obsess over the gap in Aura volume; do everything you can to play to your strengths. Victory and defeat are part of the game. No matter how strong the enemy or how dire the situation, you must fight with a 100% will to survive. That is the essence of Nen combat! Being suppressed by an aura and choosing to run... from that moment, you lost the right to fight. You're worse than a loser. At least a loser had the final courage to face a strong foe."
"Morel! That's enough!" Knov intervened again.
As they spoke, a flashy, big-wheel off-road vehicle suddenly charged from the NGL side of the border, smashing through the wooden fence between two large trees. The border guards, tasked by the NGL high-ranking officials to cover for drug trafficking operations, immediately pulled their guns to fire at the vehicle.
But before they could pull their triggers, they were wiped out by a flurry of playing cards and Nen needles launched from the side windows. The speed was so great that no one could react.
The vehicle came to a sudden halt with a beautiful drift, and seven people stepped out.
Allen, leading the group, appeared. At the sight of him, Killua was instantly reminded of the scene he'd witnessed not long ago. His body was drenched in sweat, and his breathing became rapid and heavy.
At the same time, Knov and Morel, who had looked so confident seconds ago, now wore expressions of utter disbelief. Their eyes were filled with horror, as if they were looking at a monster rather than a human.
Only Chairman Netero remained composed. He smiled and remarked, "Such incredible Aura! It seems you've devoured quite a few Chimera Ants lately. Tell me, are they really that terrifying?"
"Yes," Allen replied without hesitation. "The Chimera Ants have mastered the techniques of using Aura. Roughly a third to half of the soldier ants, and nearly all the Officers and Squadron Leaders, are now Nen users."
Allen didn't yet know if this was due to Hisoka's meddling or if some Hunters had been captured and, unable to withstand the fear and torture, had surrendered and taught the ants Nen in exchange for their lives.
Normally, even if an Officer learned Nen, it would be impossible to awaken such a vast number of soldier ants so quickly without a professional teacher. Allen had reason to suspect that inside the nest, there was at least one, if not several, individuals with a complete grasp of Nen pedagogy, who were constantly initiating the newly born ants and teaching them how to develop suitable Hatsu.
The most talented Squadron Leaders were already capable of using advanced techniques like Gyo, Ken, Ko, En, Shu, Ryu, and In in combat. While they were far from proficient, their speed of learning and progress was beyond what most humans could match.
If the Squadron Leaders were like this, the Royal Guards were on another level. Allen had taken a look from afar through binoculars. Whether it was Neferpitou or Menthuthuyoupi, who was created from magical beast genes, their Aura volumes were far beyond the 700,000 range described in the original story; they had reached a staggering 1,000,000 plus, overflowing with surging vitality.
It seemed an invisible hand was significantly strengthening and enhancing these Chimera Ants.