Chapter Summaries

Oboro’s team continued killing Chimera Ants and harvesting their souls and black mist while he assessed the colony’s size and the power of its strongest members. He weighed the risk of fighting Meruem, ultimately deciding to wait and see as Anthony brought more Ants to him.

• Oboro absorbed souls from the Chimera Ants his team had lured into the spectral mist and judged them far more valuable than ordinary magical beast souls.
• Oboro inspected his system panel and planned to use the Ants’ black mist to raise his life steal to 100%.
• Oboro estimated that the Chimera Ant nest held at least two hundred thousand Ants, while the Queen was already nurturing Meruem and the Royal Guard remained dormant in their eggs.
• Oboro considered fighting Neferpitou, Shaiapouf, Youpi, and Meruem to gain powerful souls, but recognized the danger to himself and the Association members, including Netero.
• Anthony told Oboro that he had brought a few Ants over, and Oboro turned his attention back to the hunt.

Peggy and Kourudo discussed the mysterious humans who had killed thousands of Chimera Ants, but Rammot set out to attack them alone. Oboro defeated Rammot and wiped out the ant swarms with his Ghost Mist, while Kourudo escaped; Oboro dragged the unconscious Rammot back toward the mountain.

• Peggy warned Kourudo that the unknown human enemies had overwhelming power and had caused nearly ten thousand Chimera Ant deaths.
• Rammot dismissed Peggy’s concerns and went to retrieve the humans’ corpses, so Kourudo followed him.
• Oboro spotted Rammot and more than two thousand approaching Chimera Ants, then left Menchi and the others safe at the mountain and confronted the army alone.
• Rammot charged Oboro, who struck him into the ground with one blow.
• Oboro released his Ghost Mist, which killed the surrounding ant swarms and knocked Kourudo from the sky.
• Kourudo recovered enough to escape, and Oboro pulled Rammot from the ground and dragged him toward the mountain.

Oboro interrogated and killed Rammot, then used the Chimera Ant’s memories to hunt the swarm around its territory. More than half a month later, Oboro had greatly increased his Nen attributes but remained at Third-Order Superhuman, and he prepared to send the ants a “little white mouse.”

• Oboro’s group captured Rammot, and Oboro used his Nen to frighten him into submission before extracting his soul and memories.
• Kourudo returned to the ant nest and warned the Squadron Leaders about Oboro and Nen, but most dismissed his account and mocked him.
• Oboro led his team around the Chimera Ants’ activity zone for more than half a month, killing wave after wave of ants.
• Oboro checked his system panel and found that his attack range, life steal, armor, and ability power had risen while his combat ranking advanced from eighth to seventh.
• Oboro concluded that reaching the fourth order would require breaking the limits of life and decided to send the Chimera Ants a “little white mouse.”

Oboro’s team slaughtered a massive Chimera Ant force inside the Ghost Mist while keeping their plans hidden from the Hunter Association. From afar, Squadron Leader Nairo witnessed Oboro’s terrifying power, recognized him as a being above the ants, and fled.

• Anthony and Fante helped Oboro kill more than ten thousand Chimera Ants inside the Ghost Mist while Menchi’s group carried out a diversion elsewhere.
• Fante asked whether Kite would keep their secret, and Oboro said Kite would not expose them without proof and that Pariston would not discover their plan.
• Anthony questioned why the Chimera Ants had not sent stronger fighters, and Oboro revealed that a concealed Squadron Leader was watching nearby.
• Nairo watched the battle from a distant hillside with two Captains and realized Oboro had noticed him.
• Nairo sensed Oboro’s overwhelming aura, called the battlefield a forbidden zone, and ordered his group to retreat.

Oboro ended his Chimera Ant hunt after raising his abilities and hid with Anthony and Fante, leaving the Association to take over. Pariston received conflicting clues about Oboro’s whereabouts and had to choose between pursuing him near NGL or at the transit station, knowing either decision could shape Netero’s fate.

• Oboro concluded that his Chimera Ant hunt had achieved its purpose and led Anthony and Fante into hiding.
• Anthony warned that the ants might expose their presence to the Hunter Association, but Oboro said the people who learned the truth would not survive long enough to matter.
• Pariston reviewed a report confirming the Chimera Ant nest in NGL and questioned how Kite’s team had found it before reaching the region.
• Pariston received word that Oboro’s team might be heading toward the transit station, raising the possibility that Oboro intended to reach the Dark Continent.
• Pariston weighed whether to focus on NGL and leave Netero exposed or pursue Oboro at the transit station, then murmured that he had to adapt.

Kite led Gon and Killua into NGL to investigate the Chimera Ants, suspecting Oboro might be involved. In ant territory, they found large numbers of dead ants, and Kite warned the boys that an unknown force had changed the situation and they needed to proceed carefully.

• Kite recalled Ging's warning that the Chimera Ant mission could be deadly and that Oboro likely knew the truth about the ants.
• Kite took Gon and Killua through NGL's border checkpoint and set out with them to investigate the Chimera Ant territory.
• Kite and Killua found dead Chimera Ants with no obvious wounds, then discovered a clearing filled with more corpses.
• Kite said one person had killed the ants, and Killua suspected Oboro had used his soul-related ability.
• Kite told Gon and Killua to stay close as they continued their cautious investigation.

Kite, Gon, and Killua investigated the Chimera Ant territory and realized the Association’s earlier Hunters had left no markers, suggesting they had been killed. At the cliff near the nest, they encountered Nen-using Squadron Leaders, and Kite attacked with Crazy Slots as the ants recognized him as a threat.

• Kite led Gon and Killua in killing a squad of soldier ants and warned Gon to target their heads and prevent them from retaliating.
• Killua reasoned that the missing markers meant the earlier Hunters had either been killed or their signs erased, and Kite warned the boys that stronger ants might be nearby.
• The trio traveled deeper, saw human corpses gathered as food, and reached a mountain near the ant nest, where Kite found a dead Hunter’s shoe and the warning “Death!”
• A line of more humanlike, speaking Chimera Ants appeared atop the cliff, including two Squadron Leaders who had learned Nen.
• Kite activated Crazy Slots, drew a giant scythe, and leaped up to confront the Squadron Leaders, who realized they might face another human as terrifying as Oboro.

Kite used his Nen to destroy most of the Chimera Ants and let Gon and Killua fight the survivors, while suspecting Oboro had deliberately drawn Hunters into danger. After Gon and Killua won, Kite led them onward, believing retreat was impossible and that Oboro’s scheme might keep them from escaping.

• Kite killed the Chimera Ants with a sweeping scythe attack, then left four survivors for Gon and Killua to fight.
• Kite suspected Oboro had planned to lure Association members into the ants’ territory and considered whether the plot served the Chairman.
• Oboro watched Kite and the boys from concealment and noticed that Kite had begun to suspect him.
• Gon and Killua defeated the four Chimera Ant squadron leaders, and Kite pointed out flaws in their fighting.
• Kite decided the group had to press forward because retreat could be even more dangerous, and he concealed his suspicions from Gon and Killua.

Oboro watched Kite, Gon, and Killua approach the Chimera Ant nest, where Neferpitou’s overwhelming aura terrified them. Though Oboro intended to follow his plan and let Kite die, his desire to challenge Neferpitou battled his caution, leaving him wavering.

• Oboro observed Gon and Killua’s improved strength and kept his distance from Neferpitou near the ant nest.
• Oboro stopped at a safe distance and waited for Kite to die so he could collect what remained of his soul.
• Kite sensed danger as the group neared the nest, then he, Gon, and Killua felt Neferpitou’s aura and froze in terror.
• Oboro felt an urge to fight Neferpitou but argued with himself over whether to follow his plan or face her.
• Oboro calmed himself and returned his hands to his pockets, but remained uncertain about what to do.

Neferpitou killed Kite and pursued Killua and Gon, who reached Oboro for help. Oboro faced Neferpitou and, after declaring himself humanity’s strongest, struck her with overwhelming force.

• Neferpitou sensed Kite, Gon, and Killua, then rushed in and gravely wounded Kite with a single attack.
• Kite used Crazy Slots to summon a magic wand and ordered Killua to flee with Gon while he held Neferpitou back.
• Killua knocked Gon unconscious, carried him away, and called for Oboro when he feared Neferpitou would catch them.
• Oboro comforted Killua, promised to protect Gon, and sent the boys away as Neferpitou arrived.
• Oboro declared that he had hidden because Neferpitou was not worth his time, then struck her with a powerful attack and followed with a devastating punch.

Oboro fought Neferpitou, survived her lethal assault by using stored life force, and exploited her injured eye to slow Terpsichora. He concluded that his ghosts had a subtle effect on her and prepared to turn the fight around.

• Oboro battered Neferpitou into a crater, but she activated Terpsichora and wounded him with a burst of speed and strength.
• Neferpitou tore open Oboro’s abdomen and prepared to search his head, believing his injuries would kill him.
• Oboro restored himself with life force he had stored by using Life Steal on other ants, then struck and blinded Neferpitou in one eye.
• Oboro explained that he had planned the fight and that repeated strikes had disrupted Neferpitou’s movements by targeting her acupoints and meridians.
• Oboro confirmed that Ghost Mist had a weak effect on Neferpitou and announced that he would begin hunting her.

Oboro and Neferpitou fought to the brink as their injuries and abilities shifted the advantage back and forth. After using Chronobreak to restore his arms and reverse the battle, Oboro seized Neferpitou and unleashed Thresh's power to overwhelm her soul.

• Oboro exploited the souls entering Neferpitou's body to disrupt her focus and land a devastating kick, while both fighters pushed their bodies toward collapse.
• Neferpitou endured Oboro's ghosts and countered his Flash, shredding both his arms before he escaped her tail's restraint.
• Neferpitou questioned how Oboro could use so many Nen abilities and advanced on him, believing his injuries had left him helpless.
• Oboro activated Chronobreak, returned to the point before his arms were destroyed, and struck Neferpitou with the ability's area attack.
• Oboro caught Neferpitou by the head and summoned Thresh, sending a torrent of ghosts into her as she screamed.

Oboro defeated Neferpitou by trapping and burning her soul, then absorbed it and gained power. After he left the battlefield, Kourudo and the other Squadron Leaders found Neferpitou’s corpse and realized humans had begun an organized attack on the ants.

• Oboro used Cursed Grudge and his ghost swarm to overwhelm Neferpitou, then imprisoned her soul in Rigge’s Lantern and killed her body.
• Exhausted, Oboro reflected that Neferpitou’s death might change what happened to Gon and considered Meruem’s human emotions a weakness.
• Oboro’s system increased Armor and Ability Power by two points each, strengthened his Ghost Mist, and raised his Nen ranking from seventh to fourth.
• Oboro left Neferpitou’s corpse and Kite’s remains behind, and the Squadron Leaders arrived more than an hour later to investigate.
• Kourudo recognized Oboro as the likely killer and concluded that humans had begun an organized offensive; the Squadron Leaders worried about the Queen and the nest’s safety.

Oboro returned from NGL after killing Neferpitou, forcing him and his team to reconsider how to delay the Hunter Association’s assault until the Chimera Ant King was born. As Netero gathered the Zodiacs and prepared the response, Oboro called to warn them about the ants; Ging began to suspect Oboro had prevented Kite’s soul from being reborn.

• Oboro reached the ruined village, told Anthony and Fante that he had killed Neferpitou, and said they needed to delay Netero until the Chimera Ant King was born.
• Killua contacted the Association after escaping NGL with Gon, and Netero reviewed the reports about the Chimera Ants and Kite’s likely death.
• Netero summoned all twelve Zodiacs and arranged the Association’s response to the Chimera Ant threat.
• Oboro called Netero from NGL, warned that the ants were more dangerous than expected, and urged the Association to train before attacking.
• Pariston suspected Oboro’s claim about being in NGL was a deception concealing a journey to the Dark Continent, while Ging wondered whether Oboro had extinguished Kite’s chance of rebirth.

Oboro misled the Hunter Association about the Chimera Ant threat while secretly managing the timing of its response. Ging confronted him over Kite and challenged him to a struggle for the Association’s future, and Oboro accepted.

• Oboro warned the Zodiacs about the King and Royal Guards but refused to join the mission, while Netero chose to handle the threat himself.
• Pariston questioned the timing of the information Oboro had provided, and Oboro revealed to Fante and Anthony that he had staged the exchange to make the Association delay its assault.
• Ging asked Oboro whether he had taken Kite’s soul, and Oboro admitted he had been unable to save it from the Royal Guard ant.
• Ging accused Oboro of pursuing souls in NGL and using the Dark Continent as bait to distract Pariston, then offered to make Oboro Chairman if the Zodiacs held the Association’s real authority.
• Oboro rejected Ging’s offer and Ging’s request to spare Pariston, accepted Ging’s challenge, and ended the call.

Oboro considered how Ging might challenge his bid for Chairman and concluded he could still turn the Association’s failures to his advantage. As Netero’s team investigated the Chimera Ants, Netero learned that Oboro had killed the Cat Girl but ordered Knov to keep the truth secret, while Oboro reflected on the old man’s resolve.

• Oboro reasoned that Ging and Pariston might try to damage his reputation or change the Chairman succession process, but he could rally the Association’s rank and file by demanding reform.
• Netero led Knov, Morel, Knuckle, Shoot, and Biscuit into the Chimera Ant investigation while Gon and Killua trained with Biscuit.
• Netero’s team captured and studied Chimera Ants, confirming their strength and discovering that a Nen-using Squadron Leader was only one part of a much greater threat.
• Oboro secretly confirmed that Shaiapouf and Youpi had been born, while the Ant Queen’s need for food drove the ants to expand their activity.
• After questioning an ant, Netero learned that Oboro had killed the Cat Girl and had come to NGL deliberately; he ordered Knov not to reveal anything about Oboro.
• Netero admitted that Oboro was gambling on his defeat by the ants, and Oboro later wondered why the old man had chosen to go so far when he understood the danger.

Meruem was born and left the ant nest with Shaiapouf and Youpi, while the Queen was left gravely injured and the colony began to fracture. Kourudo sought human aid for the Queen, but Oboro refused and moved to kill him.

• Meruem emerged from the Queen, killed two Squadron Leaders, dismissed Neferpitou as useless, and left the nest with Shaiapouf and Youpi.
• After Meruem departed, Kourudo decided to seek human help for the dying Queen, while Haggya, Zazan, Cheetu, and other Squadron Leaders chose to leave the colony.
• Oboro waited near the nest, sensed Meruem's immense aura, and kept himself concealed as the King passed.
• Kourudo flew out carrying a white flag and surrendered to Oboro, asking humans to help save the Queen.
• Oboro asked whether the Squadron Leaders remained in the nest and how many humans the ants had killed, then refused to cooperate and reached for Kourudo.

Oboro invaded the Chimera Ant nest and slaughtered the ants who gathered to resist him. He killed the Queen and left the nest with the colony’s remaining fighters dead.

• Oboro killed the winged ant outside the nest and advanced through the tunnels under cover of Ghost Mist.
• Haggya tried to flee with Flutter and Hirin, but Oboro killed all three after Haggya threw his subordinates at him.
• Oboro cornered Zazan after she transformed by cutting off her tail, then killed her with a single strike.
• Peggy offered the gathered ants’ surrender, but Oboro rejected his plea and killed the fighters in the Queen’s chamber.
• Oboro crushed the dying Queen’s head after she sent a final signal announcing that her mission was complete.

Oboro hunted the scattered Chimera Ants after killing the Queen, while Netero and his team discovered the ruined nest and realized Oboro was responsible. Half a month later, the Association learned that Meruem was in East Gorteau, and Oboro arrived in the city where the extermination team was stationed.

• Oboro continued exterminating ants in the chaotic nest, while Gyro escaped into the outside world and remained a possible target for later.
• Netero, Knov, and Morel found the ant corpses and empty nest, and Netero recognized that Oboro had killed the Queen and gathered souls.
• Netero said the Chimera Ant King had likely gone to East Gorteau, then hinted that he intended to confront Oboro himself.
• Oboro led Fante and Anthony in hunting the scattered ants, seeking as many souls as he could collect.
• Half a month later, the Association learned that Meruem had settled in East Gorteau's royal palace, and Oboro arrived in the city where the extermination team was stationed.

Oboro reviewed how the Chimera Ants had transformed his abilities and planned to secure influence over NGL while preparing to confront Meruem and his key followers. He believed that combining personal strength with political power would give him the freedom he wanted.

• Oboro refused Anthony's suggestion to seek out the extermination team, and the three checked into a hotel near NGL.
• Oboro examined his status panel and saw that his physical strength was progressing toward Tier 4, while his combat rank had risen to third.
• Oboro concluded that Don Freecss ranked first in the system's assessment and that Netero likely ranked second, though Oboro believed his own Nen intensity exceeded Netero's.
• Oboro considered Meruem too difficult to defeat even with his current strength and Nen foundation.
• David told Oboro that the Fills Family's people had entered NGL, and Oboro ordered him to organize civilian survivors and help them establish a leader before V5 could take control.
• Oboro planned to take the souls of Meruem, Netero, Shaiapouf, and Youpi, while using the Fills Family and political influence to secure the freedom he wanted.