Ants Take Shape X Waiting (2-in-1)

As night fell, Oboro leaned back on the sofa alone, the whole room pitch black.

Outside the window directly in front, the lights of the palace square were twinkling.

His eyes were heavy as he thought about his fight with Beyond.

The two had similar Nen power strength, but there was a clear difference in their physical abilities... Just like when Netero fought Meruem, the Chimera Ant King, he could only suppress him with Nen, but still couldn't break through his defenses. The vitality of flesh and blood is directly linked to the amount of energy.

Of course, the physical difference between him and Beyond wasn't that obvious... but he was at a disadvantage.

In this battle, Oboro did not use Ekko's ultimate move, Chronobreak, because the enemy's reinforcements had appeared. With Beyond having deployed more manpower than before, Oboro was unsure whether Hui Guo Rou would also join in... So, to be on the safe side, it was best to leave first.

After all, given Kakin's national strength, it wouldn't be difficult for them to utilize some special scientific research weapons.

Beyond also has some trump cards he can't use... there's no point in continuing.

"My lord... your injuries..."

At that moment, David knocked on the door and entered, offering his reminder.

"It's alright, don't worry." Long waved his hand, telling him not to take it to heart.

Upon hearing this, David said nothing, turned and left, closing the door behind him.

The medical staff hired by the family only provided basic treatment for Oboro's wounds, as his injuries were too severe. Even though his knife wounds had healed before, they were not fully recovered. The doctor advised that Oboro go to a specialized hospital for further treatment and that he would need to rest for a long time.

"My chances of winning are slightly better..."

Long slumped on the back of the sofa, staring at the dim ceiling, and murmured.

It's said to be a little bigger, but in reality... it's not much bigger.

If we could manipulate soul power to damage and alter Beyond's soul, then we'd be set... Unfortunately, Thresh's Nen haven't been developed to that extent yet. The methods he used against Prince Benjamin required the target's mind to be unguarded, and he needed to be in contact with their soul for a certain period of time.

Before Beyond gains the ability to retaliate, it will be quite difficult to take advantage of the ability to control souls.

That's not enough... He wants to continue developing it.

Long's body was wrapped in bandages, and the scars extending down her shoulder still ached faintly.

Inside the wound, the remnants of Beyond's thoughts... continued to erode his flesh and blood.

The opponent's Nen, the blade energy they unleashed, was extraordinary...

To fully recover, you need to Exorcism... First, have Exorcism master remove the negative thoughts from your body, and then wait for your body to recover.

But Long doesn't need to worry, because he has the attribute of Life Steal. In the coming days, as long as he deals enough damage, he can absorb a certain percentage of life points to accelerate the recovery of his injuries... As for the remaining thoughts, they are not attached to any rules, but are simply Beyond's personal will, so they can be canceled out.

Otherwise, you really will need to find Exorcism.

The Kakin Empire's royal authority cannot be touched for the time being...

Fortunately, there is still the eldest prince, Benjamin. A part of his soul is still imprisoned in his lantern, which means that Oboro can sense everything happening around Benjamin through soul connection! Nasubi Hui Guo Rou can give up an eighth prince and a queen, but the eldest prince, Benjamin, is different from the other two. He is quite outstanding among the princes, and most importantly, he also holds a position in the military.

Oboro didn't believe that Hui Guo Rou would dare to ignore Benjamin's death as he had done with the Eighth Prince and the other two.

"Among humans of this era... the strongest in terms of physical strength..."

He mumbled incoherently.

Compared to Netero and Maha, he is even younger Beyond... His physical strength has not declined too much, and his level is indeed beyond Long's expectations, but it is also reasonable.

Because of this, Oboro knew nothing about Beyond's strength.

This was not revealed in the original work.

Aside from the first two, Oboro really couldn't think of anyone else who could surpass Beyond.

Ging Freecss, including the Dragon Botobai the Zodiacs, Oboro had all seen them... Their combat strength was not focused on physical strength, and the same was true for Zeno Zoldyck.

After much thought, Beyond's physique can indeed be considered the best in the human world at present.

Oboro's own physical talent is also abnormal, as Netero himself admitted... but compared to Beyond, he is still a notch below. If it weren't for the attributes added to his ability, he wouldn't be able to go head-to-head with Beyond and could only resort to tricks.

"Let's wait a bit, we'll let you live a little longer..."

A cold glint flashed in Long's eyes.

His physical growth has stagnated, but his strength... has no upper limit.

As long as the attributes keep increasing, he will soon surpass Beyond... In terms of flesh and blood armor and the strength of his Nen, there is still a big feast waiting for him.

Chimera Ant! Not just Beyond, but also Kakin! This time, it's just a temporary halt, not the end.

At least, Oboro has gained a preliminary understanding of Beyond.

Next time, it will be a hunt.

Time slowly passed.

Two months later, in a deep mountain forest.

Several black figures darted swiftly through the forest, all heading in the same direction.

A moment later, on a high branch of a tree, one of the figures stood still, one hand on the trunk, gazing into the distance.

Several miles away, the lush trees trembled and roared like an earthquake, kicking up clouds of dust.

You can also hear the roars and screams of Magical Beasts.

"Hmm... I found him, he's there."

This person was none other than Menchi.

She pointed in a direction and turned to her teammates who were lagging behind her.

"Hunting Magical Beasts again... The captain's strength is already unimaginable. Looking at the entire Hunter World, there shouldn't be anything that can threaten him, right? Why are they still doing this... Is it just a warm-up?"

Anthony smoothed his flamboyant hairstyle with both hands and smiled.

"I heard that he was injured in the Kakin Empire some time ago..." Fante said in a deep voice with a cigarette in his mouth, "This shows that there are still some powerful people in this world that we can't imagine... Although the captain is powerful, he is not at the level to look down on the entire human world."

"No! In my eyes, the captain is the strongest!"

Rita's eyes sparkled with admiration as she shouted excitedly.

"... Hunter x Hunter ...aren't...invincible. The Kakin Empire ...is so powerful...it might have used...some kind of internationally...banned...large-scale weaponry..." Gabe Vich stammered in response.

"That possibility certainly exists, otherwise... besides the president, I really can't think of anyone else who could hurt him."

Anthony stroked his chin with one hand and pulled out a comb with the other, continuing to style his hair.

He was quite particular about his pompadour hairstyle.

Over the years, the team has been completely transformed. Menchi is Two-Star Hunter, and the four of them have long since become One-Star Hunter.

Moreover, their strength, experience, understanding of the Association's situation, and knowledge of the entire human world are all vastly different from what they were at the beginning.

The five of them have also undergone subtle changes in appearance. Although their personalities remain the same, their capable and mature demeanor, as well as their resolute eyes, clearly indicate that they have all become seasoned veterans among the Hunter x Hunter.

"They're gone."

Menchi finished speaking, he disappeared into the tree trunk.

The others immediately followed suit.

A moment later, they arrived at the battlefield.

Look at Long, dressed in a suit, sitting on the corpse of a purple-skinned Magical Beasts that resembled a rhinoceros but was much larger and covered in spikes.

Menchi was the first to emerge from the shadows of the woods and wave to Long above.

That was a way of saying hello.

"Team leader!"

Rita, who was right behind him, gave Oboro a loud salute.

Fante, who was always calm and collected, nodded in acknowledgment.

Gabe Vich is still as shy and timid as ever...

Anthony was the most active among them. He ran up and circled the Magical Beasts's corpse, marveling at it.

"How about it?"

Upon seeing his teammates again, Oboro didn't exchange pleasantries. With a smile on his face, he jumped off the Magical Beasts and landed on the ground, looking at the interim captain, Menchi.

"It's pretty much what you predicted." Menchi tossed a camera over.

Long reached out and took it, then opened it to look at it.

There are video recordings taken by several people inside.

This is the very event that is currently taking place in the Mitene Union, and which is unknown to the outside world.

"Are we really not going to report this to the Association? This is no ordinary matter... Those ants are life forms far beyond humans, and it's certain that they are an invasive species! Moreover, they reproduce extremely quickly... There is likely a large ant colony within the territory, and they reproduce by preying on humans... Not only that, these ants also have a clear hierarchy, and the higher the rank, the greater the danger."

"However, as you instructed, we only conducted some investigations on the periphery of their activity area and didn't dare to venture deeper..."

Menchi crossed his arms and leaned against the Magical Beasts's corpse, glancing at Long.

She didn't even tell Biscuit about this... After these years of growth, she has realized that her relationship with Oboro is that of comrades who will advance and retreat together.

Moreover, Menchi understood that when she first joined the team, Oboro guessed the reason for her appearance and knew that Biscuit was involved, but she just hadn't exposed her.

The growth that Long brought to the group was real and tangible.

Although Long hasn't led the team in the last year or two due to personal matters, they wouldn't be where they are today without his help in laying the foundation.

Menchi felt that, with her past abilities, becoming One-Star Hunter was already her limit.

According to the Association's rules, One-Star Hunter is required to make significant achievements in their professional field; in reality, the requirement for strength is not that high.

But to become Two-Star Hunter, one must personally train a junior who can become a star Hunter x Hunter... namely Anthony and his group.

Long gave her the credit, which was a great favor.

Furthermore, through Netero's connections, Oboro got her into the Association's management team. Although she didn't reach the level of the Zodiacs, she still had some power.

This is the normal promotion process for Hunter x Hunter.

This does not apply to privileged individuals like Oboro.

As for whether Oboro would ask them to think carefully about going to the Dark Continent together in the future, after a period of deliberation... the five of them did not change their answer and still decided to follow Oboro.

Therefore, apart from Menchi, the majors they each chose were also for the purpose of preparing for their future journey to the Dark Continent.

Feelings are feelings, and bonds are bonds... The growth they gained following Oboro was visible to the naked eye.

The camera played a bloody scene of ants gnawing on human remains, along with images of people screaming as they fled for their lives... After watching for a while, Oboro turned it off.

"It seems there aren't many yet..."

Long smiled.

"If we follow the timeline you described, this number is already terrifying. And according to my investigation, as their social structure becomes more complete, their reproduction rate will increase exponentially over time. It may not even take half a year before it multiplies several times over... Don't forget, they initially only had one queen."

Menchi said.

"Why?"

After that, Menchi added a question.

He stared intently at Oboro.

Although she chose to side with Oboro and concealed the matter.

But as a Hunter x Hunter, she still felt a sense of responsibility... The sooner the authorities realized the danger of the situation, the easier it would be to handle.

Otherwise, even more people will sacrifice themselves.

The others also looked over.

She needs Oboro to provide a reasonable explanation.

"The Chimera Ant incident was orchestrated by Pariston and someone else... Their goal was to remove the chairman, which coincides with my plan, as I want to become the chairman of the Hunter Association. Furthermore, although I now have the ability to bypass V5 and the Voyage Bureau and take you to the Dark Continent on my own, that's not a legitimate method... because we'll always have to come back. Trying to explore the Dark Continent in one go and establish a foothold there is simply wishful thinking."

Long didn't hide anything. Looking at his teammates, he said frankly, "You know, over the years, looking at the entire history of mankind, generation after generation of strong people, including the military forces of various kingdoms, have only been able to wander around the most remote areas of that continent. If we go there, we will need time to adapt and understand the food chain and rules there... Just adapting will take at least a few years, or even decades... And that's putting it in the best-case scenario."

As he spoke, Oboro led the group away.

"Just look at Netero... He went to the Dark Continent when he was young, and now he's over a hundred years old."

"Ah?"

Gabe Vich looked completely bewildered. "According to... Captain... if you put it that way, even if... we manage to... come back alive, we don't have... that much lifespan to waste..."

"Will we... live until then?"

"Human life energy gradually diminishes over time, and the period of peak performance is not long... If it is prolonged, strength is destined to decline."

Menchi chimed in.

"No... one person did it. He should still be alive and should have already passed through the 'gate' and entered the core area of the Dark Continent."

"Is this the guy you mentioned before, Captain, the one called... Don Freecss?"

Anthony raised an eyebrow.

"Um."

"Lived for hundreds of years? Is there such a lifespan for humans?"

Fante couldn't help but speak up as well.

"Normally it's impossible, but the Dark Continent is very special. That land is filled with unimaginable primal energy that nurtures all kinds of life... including a plant called Longevity Rice. Eating it can replenish vitality and extend lifespan... In other words, as long as you have enough ability to digest this rice, you can live forever. Isn't that amazing?" Oboro described it like a storyteller. "The five great calamities that humanity has encountered from the Dark Continent are actually tied to five great hopes, and Longevity Rice is one of them... V5 knows all these secrets, but has not made them public, for fear of arousing the ambitions of some countries and causing their treaties to lose their binding force. Human greed is not to be underestimated."

"Wow... that's amazing."

Anthony exclaimed in surprise.

Having decided to go to the Dark Continent together, Oboro shared his knowledge of the Dark Continent with everyone he knew.

"Able to digest?"

Menchi realized that there was a premise in Long's words that was easily overlooked.

"That's right."

With his hands in his pockets, Oboro walked under the shade of the trees. "Why is ability included among the conditions for going to the Dark Continent? Simply put, it's an energy mismatch... The Dark Continent is a higher-order existence compared to the human world. Humans are born and grow up in this world with scarce source energy, and their individual energy is inherently limited, extremely small... like a firefly. But the life forms on the Dark Continent are super-elemental matter. Don't underestimate a tiny grain of rice; the nutrients, that is, energy, contained within it... might not be digestible by an ordinary human body."

"Therefore, to reach the Dark Continent, one needs to undergo trials... On this barren land, strive to become the strongest, to obtain a ticket to the lowest level of the Dark Continent's food chain, and to join their game. Because of the inconsistency in energy, their life forms are also different... Don't use your common sense to judge the energy level and danger of some unknown things on that continent; these cannot be judged by their appearance..."

"Anyway, you'll understand when you get there..."

He spoke eloquently.

Where did you learn all this?

Menchi asked curiously.

"Captain, I feel like... you've been to the Dark Continent."

Anthony also swallowed hard.

"No... How could I have been there? I just know a little more information than you do."

Long chuckled softly.

"What's going on with the Kakin Empire?"

Menchi changed the subject.

"By Yondenitro... I exchanged blows with him, he's very strong, no wonder he came back alive from the Dark Continent."

"By Jandenitro?"

The group was surprised by the surname Netero.

"The president's son. Currently, no one in the Association is aware of his existence, except for Pariston and Linne, the most senior members."

"Long explained."

"..."

"Your injury?"

"It's all over now... However, it took me almost two months to get rid of the lingering thoughts he left on the wound."

Long sighed.

During this time, he hunted Magical Beasts mainly to heal his injuries.

The extent to which Magical Beasts's soul can be enhanced is now negligible.

Another aspect is to further develop Nen ...

Increase Thresh's abilities.

"It seems that person is indeed not simple..."

Fante exhaled a smoke ring and said in a deep voice, "In all these years... this is the first time I've seen you make such an evaluation of someone."

"How about you take us there again? And we kill him?"

Anthony looked eager to try, "I don't know what the point of killing him is... but since he's a nuisance, there's no need to keep him around."

"You'll only cause trouble if you go, and you might even hurt the captain. Do you think you're qualified to deal with someone like that?"

Menchi retorted without any politeness.

"Don't say that... We're different now. If a fight really didn't break out, nobody knows what the situation is."

Anthony was clearly used to Menchi's taunts, clicking his tongue as he said, "Exactly, I wonder if killing the chairman's son will provoke the old man to attack us... Captain, you're really bold! Your relationship with Netero is already quite delicate... If you kill his son, aren't you afraid that the old man will come after you?"

"Oh."

Oboro also laughed out loud.

The group didn't know much about Beyond; they had only heard a brief statement from him and thought the matter was very mysterious, which led to their judgment.

"After some time, once I've actually killed him, you can observe Netero's reaction."

"I say calmly."

These words caused the others to change color slightly.

They know each other too well now.

The fact that Long dared to say this meant that he was absolutely certain.

"I can't miss this kind of great show!"

Anthony whistled, clearly excited.