The birth of the King was a monumental event for the entire Chimera Ant army. The three Royal Guards, in particular, would gaze at the Queen's growing abdomen every day, their faces blooming with irrepressible ecstasy. They were born solely to protect the King, and they were ready to sacrifice everything for him.
"How much longer do you think it will take for our King to reach full maturity?" Youpi asked without turning his head.
"Hmm, based on the current situation, probably another week to half a month. While emotionally I want the King to be born immediately, biologically speaking, the longer he gestates, the more nutrients he absorbs and the stronger he becomes. It's quite a dilemma," Pitou replied, rubbing her chin.
Lately, she had been devouring books on biology, medicine, and chemistry, effectively becoming the chief scientific expert of the hive. She had even begun implanting devices of her own invention into the brains of captured human Nen users, turning them into absolute slaves and tools for the ants.
Youpi nodded, only half-understanding. "Another half month? In that case, I'm heading out to patrol."
Before he could take more than a few steps, Pitou turned sideways and teased meaningfully, "Patrol? I think you just want to find that old man from yesterday and have another go at him!"
"Hehehehe! Don't tell me you don't? Especially that unbelievable striking speed! I'm dying to witness it again." Youpi bared his teeth in a bloodthirsty grin.
"True. I want to see it again as well," Pitou said, her cat-like tail twitching with excitement.
As the two guards spoke, an Officer suddenly rushed in, shouting frantically, "Pitou-sama! Youpi-sama! It's... it's bad! That group of humans that dealt us heavy losses ten days ago is back! Just twenty minutes ago, they annihilated all our perimeter guards. Squadron Leaders Bloster and Peggy have been killed."
"What? I stationed over fifteen hundred soldiers on the perimeter, and they were wiped out in twenty minutes?" Pitou's face registered genuine shock.
"Hmph! A pack of useless failures!" Youpi spat disdainfully.
Pitou nodded in grim agreement. "Indeed. They've disappointed me. But at least they had the backbone to fight to the last man. Summon all Squadron Leaders and Officers in the nest immediately. We cannot let these dangerous humans escape again."
"By your command!" The Officer bowed deeply and immediately activated his ability, whispering the command into the ears of every Squadron Leader.
Within five or six minutes, an elite force of two thousand Chimera Ants had assembled and began swarming toward the site of the incident.
…
Meanwhile, having just concluded a fierce battle, or rather, a one-sided massacre, Allen sat on the ground, flipping through the cards manifesting before him. He occasionally looked up to watch Vaelstrasz frolicking across the battlefield, incinerating the dying ants and swallowing their cocoons.
For the Red Dragon, this was a festive buffet. The battlefield was littered with delicious food; while the quality was slightly lacking, the sheer quantity was more than enough to satisfy her. As she feasted, her size grew at a visible rate, her crimson scales glowing brighter as she radiated the distinct majesty of a Great Dragon.
"You're a total madman! Launching a frontal attack against fifteen hundred Chimera Ants... even Chairman Netero wouldn't draw up a plan like that," Morel remarked with a wry smile.
If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he would never have believed a single person could be powerful enough to completely disregard numerical superiority. Due to the unpredictable nature of Nen, most users prefer one-on-one combat. But Allen? He used strategy to cluster the ants together and then, wielding his bow like a Grim Reaper from the heavens, slaughtered them all in ten minutes. No one knew what kind of abilities were imbued in that rain of arrows until it was too late.
Grim Reaper, indeed.
Allen shook his head dismissively. "No, you're wrong. It's not that Chairman Netero couldn't make such a plan; it's that he's grown old. Fifty or sixty years ago, I guarantee he would have been even more reckless than me. Besides, most of these were low-level soldier ants. The number of Officers and Squadron Leaders was pitifully small."
Just as physical constitutions vary, the gap between Nen users can be more staggering than the gap between a user and a normal person. During the Chairman Election arc, Hisoka slaughtered "Third-Rate" Hunters from the Association with ease. When the Aura gap exceeds a certain threshold, even a casual strike from the stronger party results in a fatal wound. When Allen went all-out, his arrows possessed destructive power far exceeding Hisoka's cards, easily shredding hundreds of enemies in a straight line.
"Even so, this is an incredible feat. After such a heavy blow, the ants shouldn't be so quick to send out large forces again," Knov analyzed, pushing up his glasses.
"On the contrary, I think it's more likely they'll come straight for us," Allen countered immediately.
"Oh? Why? If the King's gestation has reached a critical stage, shouldn't they be bunkering down in the hive?" Morel asked.
Allen held up two fingers. "First, the more dangerous the enemy, the sooner they must be eliminated, that is the ant mindset. Second, I am a thorn in their side. To ensure the King's safety, the Royal Guards will deploy, if only to probe my strength. So, get ready. Everything before was just a warm-up. The real battle is about to begin."
Before Morel could respond, Kalluto, who had been using his paper-cutting ability to eavesdrop on the guards, approached with a tense expression. "They're coming! Two Royal Guards, twenty-five Squadron Leaders, and two thousand soldier ants!"
"I suggest we retreat and avoid this head-on clash for now," Illumi proposed tonelessly.
"Retreat? How could we retreat when things are getting interesting? Right, Allen?" Hisoka's lips curled, his entire body radiating an intense bloodlust. The efficient slaughter from earlier had triggered his darkest impulses; he wanted to kill until he was buried in ant corpses.
"Knov, is the entrance to the Hide and Seek set up?" Allen asked without looking up.
"Yes. Per your instructions, it's placed over there. It can cover everyone's retreat at a moment's notice and allows for the quick retrieval of those items," Knov confirmed.
Allen nodded with satisfaction. "Excellent! Since the exit is secured, let's make a scene. If anyone can't hold their ground, retreat on your own. This time, I'm cutting their numbers by half."
As he spoke, he put two fingers to his mouth and blew a sharp whistle.
Lupos, who hadn't appeared in quite some time, manifested instantly. Curiously, the Shadow Wolf King wasn't alone. Trailing behind him was a small wolf pup with the same coat color.
After nearly two months of gestation, he had finally produced a male pup. Fascinatingly, the Hunter System seemed to treat the pair as a single unit. When summoned, they appeared together; when dismissed, they vanished together. This meant that once the pup grew up, Allen would effectively have two pets.