True and False

"This is a bit troublesome..."

A faint glimmer of dawn appeared on the horizon.

Oboro walked to the edge of the ants' territory, to a dilapidated village that had been ravaged and slaughtered by the ants.

Hearing footsteps, Anthony and Fante came out of a wooden house.

"Team leader!"

They were greatly surprised when they saw what Oboro looked like.

Because at this moment, Oboro looked extremely disheveled, barely clothed, and covered in a lot of blood... clearly having been through a major battle.

Long's injuries had almost healed. He found a few ants along the way and used their Life Steal ability to recover.

However, the damage caused by Neferpitou should not be underestimated. He still needs to recuperate for a period of time. The current vitality has only repaired the wounds on the surface of his body and part of the damage to his internal organs.

"Fine."

Long smiled slightly.

"You..."

Fante realized something.

They were surprised because, according to the plan, they didn't need to get involved in anything that happened in the ant territory; they could simply observe.

Oboro's task is simply to collect souls.

"Hmm... I killed that Neferpitou." Oboro nodded.

"Hiss..."

Anthony's eyes widened in disbelief.

He and Fante knew about Neferpitou.

Fante read Long's expression and said in a deep voice, " With Neferpitou dead, the rest of the plan needs to be changed..."

Yes, that's the main reason why Oboro didn't want to confront Neferpitou head-on at first.

First, Kite's soul was absorbed by him, which means that Kite cannot be reborn... Even if his body is eaten by the queen ant and he is reborn with some of his genes, he will not be able to awaken his memories of his previous life and will just be an empty shell.

Secondly, the reason why Chairman Netero and Morel didn't immediately attack the ant colony was because the old man sensed Neferpitou's power and realized that a hasty attack might not be enough for him to win... not to mention the presence of high-ranking ants like the Squadron Leader within the colony. Therefore, he began to adjust his strategy. Furthermore, compared to the number of ants, the Hunter Association had far too few members, and those capable of joining the battle were extremely limited.

Therefore, everything must be planned carefully and acted with caution.

Now that Neferpitou is dead, even if the timeline is delayed and Shaiapouf and Youpi hatch, they pose far less of a threat to Netero than Neferpitou.

Given the chairman's personality, once he realizes that the two members of the Royal Guards pose no threat to him, Netero will definitely nip the danger in the bud before the Chimera Ant King is even born.

There probably won't be a training period of about a month...

And Netero can do that too! This means that the subsequent relocation of the Chimera Ant King, Shaiapouf, Youpi to the new stronghold of East Gorteau may not happen.

It wouldn't be good for Oboro to take down the remaining Squadron Leader...

"Yes, to make Netero wary, we need to at least wait until the Chimera Ant King is born."

"I say calmly."

"With only the remaining number of ants in the ant colony... even the guild leader wouldn't dare to act rashly, right? After all, even if the Association sends out a small team, the number of people won't be too many, and the grassroots Hunter x Hunter don't have much combat power," Anthony said.

Despite how easily and enthusiastically they killed the Oborogurants, dealing with some Fante Chimera Ant at the Squadron Leader level was not a big problem for them either.

But they are all star Hunter x Hunter... there aren't many of them in the Association to begin with.

Moreover, star rating does not represent strength. After being trained and educated by Oboro, the two of them are fully capable of rivaling some Two-Star Hunter, especially the Enhancement Fante.

"The president's strength is at least comparable to yours, captain..."

Fante glanced at Long.

Long smiled but didn't say anything.

Anthony, on the other hand, kept his mouth shut; Fante's meaning couldn't be clearer.

What Oboro can do, is probably not that difficult for the president either...

Quantity may sometimes be useful, but in the face of absolute strength, it can only cause a slight ripple at most.

We need to find a way to delay it.

Fante lit a cigarette and took a drag.

His brows were furrowed.

Their teammates all knew something about Oboro's Nen.

Although there weren't many, we became familiar with them.

Oboro once said that the Chimera Ant King would spontaneously burst out of its abdomen, making it a premature baby... but that doesn't diminish its terror.

Oboro needs to ensure that the Chimera Ant King can perish together with Netero without losing power, because the quality of the fallen souls is directly related to an individual's vitality and strength. If the Chairman were to storm the Chimera Ant hive, judging from the Captain's description of the Chimera Ant King, Meruem would likely be born even sooner after sensing the enemy's presence... Although he would ultimately fight the old man, his strength might be affected.

Then... the 'soul weight' that the captain cares about most will probably weaken as well.

"Don't worry, I have a way..."

Long patted Fante on the shoulder and walked towards the cabin. "I'm so tired, I'm going to take a nap."

Fante and Anthony exchanged a glance.

They followed.

Meanwhile, after Killua escaped NGL with Gon, he contacted the members of Kite's Biological Investigation Team and immediately sent a notification to the Association.

This quickly attracted the attention of the Association's headquarters.

The Association would naturally need to relay the information to v5.

V5, true to form, immediately gave Netero a death order...

There are no plans for him to take action personally.

The Hunter Association has only gotten to where it is today thanks to V5's influence... However, to the outside world, the Hunter Association remains a private organization and is not affiliated with V5. From V5's perspective, this kind of thing... doesn't need to waste a single one of their own troops; they can just let Netero clean up the mess.

Besides... there's still that Oboro in the Association! Otherwise, wouldn't all the benefits and social status they've fought for for the Hunter Association over the years have been wasted? Netero knew exactly what V5 was up to, but he didn't care... since the younger generation couldn't handle it, he had a responsibility and an obligation to step up.

In addition, he also wanted to see what this creature called the Chimera Ant was capable of.

"President, this is the data sent by Killua and Kite's team..."

In the headquarters office, Beans took a document from the fax machine and placed it on Netero's desk.

The president stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing at the city view, lost in thought.

Upon hearing the sound, he turned around, sat down, and picked up the documents.

The paper was filled with information about Chimera Ant... such as their habits and characteristics, including the genes they have fused with from other organisms, their hierarchical structure, and of course, the Neferpitou was also mentioned.

"Kite ..."

Netero asked as he watched.

"Killua said...that Neferpitou's strength is extremely terrifying. In order to cover his and Gon's escape, Kite chose to stay behind...her fate is unknown and we can't contact her." Beans truthfully recounted.

Then, he put down the document.

Netero took out his phone and dialed a number.

Then, they contacted Killua.

Ask some questions in person.

"You mean... Kite didn't even have time to react before she was seriously injured in a single exchange?" Netero narrowed his eyes and chuckled as he confirmed this after hearing Killua's description.

"Yes."

Killua responded.

Even though the situation was already fraught with danger, Netero could still sense the lingering fear in Killua's terrified tone.

"Thank you for your hard work."

The president comforted her.

"So, if it were me... who do you think would be stronger, that ant or me? Judge based on your intuition..."

"Is that so? Hehe... That's something to look forward to."

Clearly, Killua provided the answer.

"You should leave now and wait for the Association's next steps."

After chatting for a while, Netero hung up the phone.

Then, he looked at the Beans and said, "Call them all here... everyone."

"Yes."

The Zodiacs!

It was midday, inside the meeting room.

All Zodiacs gathered, and even Ging Freecss and Pariston made an appearance.

Everyone has heard about the ants, and about Kite ...

Kite is now very likely dead... but Kim, as her teacher, remains unmoved. Not long after entering the room, she sits down in a chair and falls asleep.

This scene greatly displeased several sensitive women, including Yorkshire, Cluck, and Gel.

They couldn't see a trace of worry or sadness on this man's face... He was truly awful!

No wonder he's so annoying! Soon, the president arrived late.

It was called a discussion, but in reality, he unilaterally issued an order to make arrangements regarding the Chimera Ant matter.

Ging Freecss still seemed somewhat distracted, while Pariston, sitting opposite him, had a broad smile on his face.

Neither of them came today to discuss the ants.

Because... they had anticipated this scene long ago.

Kim glanced at Pariston, his gaze calm...

Beep beep beep...

In less than ten minutes, Netero had everything arranged. Just as the meeting ended and everyone was getting up to leave, the old man's phone suddenly rang.

Ging Freecss's expression changed.

Pariston also focused his attention on the chairman...

A thought simultaneously struck them: They're here!

"Is this Oboro?" Netero answered the phone and laughed in front of everyone.

"Heh heh... looks like you already knew..."

Everyone watched the president chatting with Oboro, each with their own thoughts.

Oboro... hasn't appeared at the Association for a long time.

Including Menchi and a few others.

The Association is currently unaware of what Oboro and his squad are doing... or where they are.

But at this sensitive time, a phone call came...

"Have you been to NGL?"

After a moment, Netero raised an eyebrow, and the Zodiacs also changed their expressions.

Then, the president turned on speakerphone so that everyone could hear Oboro's voice.

It seems... that Oboro made him do it.

"I'm currently in NGL!"

Oboro's words made Pariston and Ging Freecss stand up straight at the same time.

"I have more detailed information about the Chimera Ant, and I've already sent it over... We must be cautious about exterminating the Chimera Ant. If you, Chairman, are to personally lead the operation, I hope that all members, including yourself, will receive targeted training first... because these ants are more dangerous than you think. I've heard about Kite's situation... The ant he encountered was a member of the Royal Guards. To be honest, even in your current state, Chairman, the chances of winning a direct confrontation are slim."

"..."

The room was completely silent.

Silence reigned.

Pariston appeared calm on the surface, but his heart was in turmoil.

Is Ngl a blur?

Impossible! He's more likely smuggling himself to some sea area on the Dark Continent. Could I have guessed wrong?

Pariston didn't care about NGL and the ants at all... His energy had been completely focused on finding evidence of Oboro's smuggling. He had discovered that the Fills Family owned a private sea area in the Republic of Padokea, which was the location of Hero Island. Not long ago, a ferry, under the name of a company under the Fills Family, passed through the blockade of the Voyage Bureau, claiming to be mining offshore resources, and returned within a certain period of time.

He had obtained the ship's crew list, which included Menchi and Gabe Vich, though they were disguised and given false names... Menchi had even gone to Kakin to deliver information about the Chimera Ant to Kite, but it was clearly a smokescreen.

The starting point of their actual smuggling route... was the Republic of Padokea.

Moreover, given the current power and influence of the Fills Family, they can force V5 to make some concessions, namely the exploitation of offshore resources... However, when the ship goes and returns, the number of crew members may be the same, and their names and appearances may be the same, but it is unclear whether they are still the same people.

With Oboro's abilities, it is entirely possible for her to do so.

But why? Why did he have to admit to being in NGL at this particular time?

"He was... saying it to everyone, to fake that he had already gone to the Dark Continent, to buy time... There couldn't possibly be any signal outside the human world... He wanted the Association to focus on the ants. Calling now would make people believe he's near NGL, but in reality... it could very well be some kind of ability, or... it might not even be him!" Pariston thought to himself.

"Still confusing... There were only three people on the ship Menchi and the others, which made me mistakenly think it was an illusion, but it turned out to be a deception with the truth hidden within it..."

There's a very high chance that Kite is truly... dead! And after hearing Oboro's words, a thought instantly flashed through Ging Freecss's mind.

His face, which had been expressionless, finally showed a hint of... heaviness.

The ant was the killer of Kite ...

But the one who extinguished Kite's hope for 'life' might be Oboro! Kim... guessed it.

Although... I'm not entirely sure.

Because he was unclear about the limitations and specific effects of Oboro's soul -Nen...

Of course, Kim doesn't blame Oboro, because the main factor that killed Kite was the ants.

However, Kite's soul might very well be...

Before Jin arrived, he had already reviewed the information on the Chimera Ant ...

He realized something.

Since they have incorporated human genes, judging from the behavior of ants, some things are also attached to them... and they can't get rid of them.

There are some clues showing...

Soul!

The lingering resentment of the host that is inherent in the genes and cells... a kind of consciousness belonging to humanity.