While the high-ranking officials, noble ladies, and socialites inside East Gorteau's luxury hotel began to dance gracefully to the music, an interesting chase was unfolding in the outskirts of a small city in Rokario.
Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! Why? Why can he see me? I've clearly used God's Accomplice! He shouldn't be able to perceive my existence at all!
Meleoron (the Chameleon) sprinted through the forest while holding his breath, not forgetting to steal a glance back at the human youth following unhurriedly behind him.
No matter how he shifted directions or hid behind trees, the opponent always managed to find him instantly.
Naturally, the person pursuing him was none other than Allen, who had traveled from afar. As for the Officers and soldier ants under the Chameleon's command, they had been dealt with at the very start.
It is common knowledge that strenuous exercise consumes a massive amount of oxygen. Consequently, in less than a minute, Meleoron could no longer hold out. He threw his mouth open and sucked in a lungful of fresh air.
Along with that intake of breath, God's Accomplice vanished, and his entire form was exposed once again.
"Stop running. You can't escape. Rather than continuing this pointless struggle, wouldn't it be better to accept your fate quickly?" Allen said meaningfully.
Hearing this, Meleoron stopped in his tracks. He turned around, gasping for air as he questioned, "How did you find me after I turned invisible?"
Allen explained with a smile, "Simple. You've been marked by me. As long as this mark remains, I can find you effortlessly no matter how many times you turn invisible."
In truth, in Allen's eyes, a large red arrow pointing downward was currently hovering over the Chameleon's head. It was as conspicuous as could be, even when God's Accomplice was active.
Regrettably for Meleoron, no one else could see it.
This arrow was, without a doubt, the skill Hunter's Mark.
It served two primary purposes: one was to increase the intensity of ranged attacks, and the other was to counter invisibility. Unless it was a Rogue's Vanish, other forms of invisibility were futile; the Hunter could still track them with ease.
Clearly, God's Accomplice did not possess the specific mechanics of a Rogue's Vanish. Thus, once a target was hit with Hunter's Mark, they could forget about escaping.
"A mark? Is that one of your abilities? I really am unlucky to run into an opponent who counters me perfectly," Meleoron muttered, sitting on the ground and clutching his forehead in frustration.
"Something like that. Actually, you could carry a small oxygen tank and take a breath when you're preparing to hold your breath for your ability; it would effectively increase your duration. Now, are you ready to face death?"
Allen drew a Thorium Arrowhead and quickly empowered it with more than two types of Nen.
Meleoron looked up with a bitter smile. "Can't you let me go? You should know I'm just following orders, and my attack didn't actually cause many casualties."
Allen shook his head without hesitation. "Sorry, no. Unless you haven't killed a single human or eaten a single bite of human flesh since you were born, I refuse to accept any form of surrender. I will not leave a single Chimera Ant prisoner."
"Hahahaha! That is strict indeed. It seems my life ends here. Do it."
Meleoron spread his arms and closed his eyes, accepting his mortal fate. From the moment he realized God's Accomplice couldn't deceive the boy, he knew he was finished.
"Farewell."
Allen threw the arrowhead with great force, tearing a massive hole in the other's chest and destroying all vital organs, including the heart and chest cavity.
The Red Dragon followed suit, rushing forward to turn him into a cocoon and swallow him in one gulp.
Feeling the new ability added to his repertoire, a playful smile appeared on Allen's face. "God's Accomplice, huh? Truly an interesting ability. Beyond Netero, the Kakin Royal Family... you probably never imagined how many incredible abilities these ants would provide me. It won't be long before these abilities are used against you."
Without a doubt, Meleoron's ability was top-tier among the Squadron Leaders. Specifically, its ability to completely bypass En detection and its undetectability even upon physical contact made it a god-tier skill for assassinations and sabotage.
Just as Allen was about to test how long he could personally hold his breath, the phone in his pocket rang.
With a sigh, he pulled it out and answered. Instantly, Baise's voice came through the receiver.
"Guess what we discovered while investigating East Gorteau?"
"Go ahead, I'm listening," Allen replied flatly. No matter what they found, he wouldn't be surprised.
"According to the high-ranking officials and generals, the behavior of the supreme leader, Ming Jol-ik, has been quite abnormal lately. Not only does he lock himself in the palace all day, but he's also frequently mobilizing the military. After every mobilization, a large number of people vanish into thin air. We suspect those people are being eaten!" Baise's voice carried a hint of excitement.
Allen's expression shifted to one of slight surprise. "Roughly how many have disappeared?"
"Around two to three thousand people!" Baise provided the estimate without hesitation.
"Two or three thousand? Based on the Queen's eating speed, she shouldn't be able to consume that many. Could those ants be..."
Allen instantly recalled the original plot, where Pitou and Pouf collaborated to screen the millions of people in East Gorteau, intending to use genetic technology to build a vast army for the King to conquer the world.
"What are you thinking of?" Baise asked curiously.
"Something very troublesome. For now, do not act rashly. Especially do not try to approach the palace. If I'm not mistaken, the Royal Guards and the Queen are all inside."
After saying this, Allen hung up and immediately called Chairman Netero.
The reason he called it "troublesome" was because these victims, transformed from humans to ants through genetic modification, were impossible to categorize as purely human or purely ant.
First, genetically speaking, they were hybrids of humans and Chimera Ants. From the moment their transformation was complete, they were natural Nen users, making them prime targets for exploitation by those with ill intent. In the anime, Pariston had taken back thousands of eggs to use as pawns for his games and as capital for his expedition to the Dark Continent.
Second, it was impossible to be sure if these victims would be unconditionally obedient to the Queen or King like ordinary ants, or if they would retain part of their self-awareness and memories. If it were the former, they would need to be eliminated. If the latter, how could they be freed from their controlled state?
Finally, and most importantly: would they prey on humans after hatching?
Until he could confirm they had lost their humanity and committed unforgivable crimes, Allen truly couldn't bring himself to slaughter thousands of innocent victims.
This matter had to be left to the Hunter Association to handle. Of course, the prerequisite was that Pariston must not be allowed to know, and he certainly must not be allowed to get involved.