Starting the Sweep

Soon, the Fills Family's spaceship entered the Mitene Union region and headed towards the entrance outside the NGL country.

Because they were based on the Fills Family's mafia background, not government officials, and because they were there under the pretext of funding Gyro's factory, they entered the border smoothly. However, they still had to undergo thorough checks, involving more and stricter regulations for outsiders than those in East Gorteau.

Forget about all high-tech equipment; entering NGL is equivalent to temporarily cutting off contact with the outside world.

"This place... is even more backward than East Gorteau..."

The only advantage is that after entering NGL territory, unlike in East Gorteau where there are soldiers standing guard, you can move around relatively freely, but you need to report to the NGL people every once in a while.

The six of them traveled for a while, walking along a country road. Menchi, carrying a bundle on his back, looked at the farmers working in the fields not far away and said softly.

Along the way, they saw very pristine natural landscapes.

There were no towns in sight, only villages.

There were no prominent buildings either. It should be noted that even in East Gorteau, there are still some urbanized territories that are much more developed than NGL.

"My impression is that the soldiers here are more like a privatized armed force..."

Fante said casually, rolling a smoke ring.

All foreign items would be taken away, including his cigarettes and lighter. Fortunately, he had prepared some special tobacco in advance, which he could wrap in paper and smoke, as he was a heavy smoker.

NGL soldiers wore white combat uniforms and masks. Their weapons were not sophisticated and were even inferior to those of outside gangs. Moreover, due to the lack of proper facilities and sites, they simply carved out various types of factories into caves for convenience, creating natural shelters.

It's a completely different world from the outside.

The villagers in the distant fields also saw them, casting strange yet curious glances their way.

"Let's go."

He urged her softly.

Menchi and his group had been to NGL before, but last time they smuggled themselves in using the connections of the Fills Family... without being discovered. Besides investigating the Chimera Ant breeding situation, they also wanted to figure out the route.

Therefore, with a few people leading the way, they can easily reach the ant nest as quickly as possible.

A few days later, one night.

The six people stepped into the heart of a mountainous region.

This is currently the most dangerous area for NGL, and also the range where the ants are active.

Prior to this, the soldiers entering the country had warned them not to approach the area, saying they would not be responsible for any consequences.

Oboro and his team ostensibly used the pretext of inspecting factories in various locations.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Under the cover of night, flashes of light and gunshots rang out from ahead.

Long raised a finger, and the six people standing on the ground simultaneously turned into black shadows and disappeared.

A moment later, several white-clad soldiers, covered in blood and armed with guns, came running towards them screaming, occasionally turning back to fire. But soon, a whooshing sound filled the air, and some creature attacked with astonishing speed, instantly decapitating the fleeing soldiers.

It is a Chimera Ant that is a head taller than a normal person and walks upright.

The Soldier Ant glanced at the corpses at its feet, stretched out its long, segmented legs, and used its hooked fingers to grab the human skeleton. It then slowly turned and walked into the depths of the forest.

"Hiss... It's really different now. It seemed to be thinking about how to take away so much food... I saw human-like wisdom in its eyes." A moment later, Oboro and the others emerged from the shade of the trees above and landed.

Anthony exclaimed in surprise.

"Their physical strength is so much greater than when we first came here; their speed is incredible, they could even react to a bullet..."

Menchi read it aloud.

"Gyro has realized that these humanoid ants are a problem, but given NGL's situation on the mainland and the international situation, he has no way to ask for help from the outside world, nor will anyone help him! If word gets out, it will only expose his weakness and give the outside world an opportunity to take advantage of him..."

"Long said in a deep voice."

"Judging from the lives of the people of NGL, although this country is like a malignant tumor on the continent, as its leader, Gyro seems to treat his people quite well... very generously. If we don't consider that the things they send to the outside world are all contraband... actually... he is a pretty good king."

"Fante said."

"Are we almost there?"

Oboro suddenly asked.

"It's not far, we'll be there in another hour or two..." Menchi nodded.

"Very good, let's start planning."

Hazy.

They were still quite far from the ant nest, but they were already in the ants' hunting grounds.

Lone had no intention of searching for and killing the Chimera Ant colonies one by one.

That would be too slow.

He needed an obvious location, no hiding, just staying in the enemy's camp... That way, ants would come to him in droves. Menchi and his four companions would act as the lure, drawing ant swarms from various places to him.

This is similar to luring monsters together in a map instance in a game, where a mage then waits and unleashes area-of-effect damage skills.

One scan and you've got a whole lot!

How delightful!

After a while, Menchi, who was very familiar with the area, led Long to the foot of a mountain.

This mountain stands out starkly in the vast forest... like a spire rising up in the middle of a verdant sea of trees, nearly a hundred meters high.

The mountain is steep, barren, and devoid of vegetation... and unlike typical mountain formations, it is a single peak.

A satisfied expression appeared on Long's face.

With a swift movement, he instantly dashed towards the summit.

At the summit, where the cold wind howled, he stood with his hands in his pockets, beneath the full moon in the night sky, able to see an area spanning several kilometers around him.

Long slowly sat down and called down the mountain, "Let's begin!"

Menchi and the others first hid their packages and belongings, and then began to warm up, stretching their hands and feet.

Gabe Vich used his Nen on the group, allowing him to communicate telepathically at any time.

Once they were ready, the group exchanged glances, then quickly dispersed, each heading off in a different direction into the forest.

"What a beautiful view..."

On the mountain peak, Long sat cross-legged, took off his sunglasses, rested his chin on one hand, and smiled.

It wasn't long before Rita was the first to discover the traces of the Chimera Ant.

Her Nen is incredibly convenient for finding targets.

When she arrived, she happened to see a dozen Soldier Ant gathering the human corpses together in one place, piling them into a small hill.

It must have been the destruction of a nearby village.

Because they demand large amounts of food, the territory of Chimera Ant must be constantly expanding... Within a fixed area, not to mention humans, even some wild animals would probably be wiped out by them.

Rita walked straight out of the forest and waved to the ants guarding the food.

"Hello! My name is Rita! I am a human female!"

"My captain wants to see you!"

Rita shouted in a silly voice.

With such a loud voice, it's not just the ants in front of it that can hear it clearly; it could probably be heard by tiny creatures a hundred meters away.

Several Chimera Ant immediately rushed over without saying a word.

When ordinary Soldier Ant hunt, they will temporarily place the food in one place, and then carry the food back to the nest after clearing a section of the area... This is what makes them different from ordinary ants; they possess intelligent thinking.

Rita dodged the ants' attacks, engaging them in a struggle... Soon, the lead Chimera Ant, realizing it couldn't handle the human, squeaked, signaling to its companions. Their methods of signaling had evolved beyond simply using antennae...

Another Chimera Ant escaped to find nearby companions to come and help.

Rita was surrounded by more than a dozen ants.

However, she handled it with great ease.

Oboro had already instructed them that after finding the ants, they should not kill them, but rather cause them trouble first, and then attract more Chimera Ant.

Rita is executing Oboro's plan very well.

In less than ten minutes, a rustling sound came from the nearby woods.

Immediately afterwards, Rita saw that twenty or thirty more Chimera Ant had appeared around her, forming an even larger circular array without her noticing. The array was shrinking as it gathered towards her.

Seeing this, Rita knew it was time to leave.

She bent her knees and jumped, instantly leaping up the tree trunk several meters high. Then she scurried back and forth across the branches, deliberately slowing down so that the ants could catch up with her and thus not lose sight of her target.

"Captain, I'm three kilometers away from your position. I'll be there in a few minutes. There are about thirty ants, heading southeast!"

"Captain, I have twenty-four here, a little further away, on the back!"

"Report, Captain! I've attracted nearly forty of them!"

"Captain... I... I..."

Half an hour later, the voices of several teammates echoed in Long's mind.

The first batch of goods has been delivered.

"We don't have to drag it all the way to the foot of the mountain, just within a kilometer or so is fine..." Long replied.

"Yes!"

The five responded in unison.

Then, Long turned his neck and said jokingly, "Time to get to work!"

He stood up, his eyes sweeping across the forest, confirming the direction and location of his teammates.

The next second, his expression darkened.

An endless stream of Nen power erupted.

Under the full moon hanging in the night sky, the figure standing on the mountain peak suddenly stirred up a thick, dark fog, as if spreading clouds and rain over the forest. The vast sea of fog rolled in all directions, engulfing an area of more than a thousand meters in a short moment.

Oboro held the Rigge's Lantern in her hand, took out the soul of Jed that had been imprisoned and transformed within the lamp, held it in her palm, and raised it in mid-air...

The countless ghosts, like cats that had smelled blood, all flew over, tearing and devouring Jed's black soul.

Then, these originally ethereal ghostly figures changed.

It seemed to be painted with a layer of ink, exuding an ominous aura somewhat similar to that of Cursed Grudge.

The ghosts roared, their howls invigorating.

The sound resounded through the sky.

"Go."

"Long spoke softly."

As soon as the words were spoken, countless ghostly figures, carried by the eerie mist, swooped down from the mountaintop to the earth.

One kilometer to the southeast.

Anthony could already see with his naked eye the mist that suddenly appeared on the distant mountain peaks, swirling between heaven and earth.

He laughed, then suddenly stopped running, turned around and looked at the ants that had been chasing him, spreading his hands. "You still want to gang up on me? Sorry, my companions have arrived..." As he spoke, he fell backward.

A thick, green fog, like a tidal wave, surged through the forest and instantly swallowed his figure.

Like soft cotton clouds, it supported and concealed his falling body.

A group of ants chirped and looked at each other, too busy to react... The thick fog had already rushed in front of them, brushed over their bodies, and enveloped the space.

Suddenly, everything around became foggy, visibility was extremely low, and nothing could be seen.

Immediately, a dark figure shrieked and darted out of the fog, lunging at them.

The Chimera Ant instinctively attacked, only to find that their limbs passed right through the black ghost, unable to touch it at all... as if the ghost didn't exist.

But... the black ghosts burrowed into their bodies.

The ant was struck hard; its body immediately froze on the spot, began to tremble slightly, and emitted a painful cry.

A few seconds later, the ghost emerged from its body again, but this time it held something in its hand... a soul! The soul of Chimera Ant.

Oboro's passive skill no longer seems to require killing the target and waiting for their soul to fall... but instead directly uses the soul to take it! The method of using Nen has become more brutal and simple!

All of this... is thanks to the Cursed Grudge power of Jed's soul.

Whoosh whoosh whoosh...

In the area where the Chimera Ant stood, one black shadow after another darted back and forth. Surrounded by mist, they had no way to escape. Their location had long been locked by the vengeful spirit, and they could not discern the direction.

The attack was rendered ineffective.

It only took about two minutes for the entire process to complete, as the mist rolled back and disappeared into the forest.

Anthony finally saw the scene left behind: dozens of Chimera Ant, their bodies unharmed, yet all lifeless, lying on the ground.

"Captain, am I seeing things? Your ghost... has it changed color? It feels different to me... what's going on?" Anthony exclaimed.

"Secret."

Hazy.

"... No way, Captain, even our own people are guarding against us!" Anthony said resentfully.

"It's not about defense... It's related to the development of Nen, and it also involves some rules on ability reversal and energy utilization. It's quite complex and cumbersome. Even if I explained it, you probably wouldn't understand it with your mind, so... let's save the trouble of talking."

"Well..."

Anthony: "Wow... that's impressive! It seems... you weren't entirely serious when you trained us before, yet we still suffered so much..."

"Stop babbling... hurry up and find the second wave of targets!"

Menchi's cold voice interrupted their conversation.

"How can this be called gossiping? Aren't you even a little surprised, woman? I feel that the captain's use and development of Nen is simply beyond our comprehension... How did he manage to cause such widespread damage? Before, these ghosts could only affect us mentally... This shows that Nen are of a single nature, but now it has changed. The further development of each Nen is exponentially more difficult than before... It's not that easy."

"Besides, the captain has been with us the whole time, but I haven't seen him..."

Anthony thought to himself, but he didn't stop and continued his actions.

"Shut up! You're really annoying."

Menchi said coldly.

"Waaaaah... I'm so sad..."

"Anthony ...Big Brother... Captain...is strong...isn't that something we...have always known...? Haven't you...accepted...this fact yet...?"

Gabe Vich stammered.

"You're kicking me when I'm down, aren't you? Can't you at least offer me some comfort?"

"Menchi often scolds you...we're all...used to it..."

"..."

Anthony.

Everyone knows how fiery Menchi is; only the captain can keep her in check.

If anyone else causes trouble, the woman will really take a knife and attack, showing no mercy to even her own family.