Butterfly Dust X Encirclement and Interception

"So, do you have any special potions or Nen ability that allow you to control these Chimera Ant without anyone noticing?"

Kite, who was perched in the tree, asked quietly.

On another tree branch next to him, Kevin squatted down and nodded slightly.

"Yes, but whether it will be discovered is uncertain, so we have to try."

To be honest, it's best to let Pairo handle intelligence like this kind of reconnaissance.

Let Pairo make contact with other people's eyes, and then steal through their vision.

This is a very covert and difficult-to-detect channel for information theft.

However, firstly, Pairo isn't here, and secondly, it's difficult to determine the Nen ability of other Chimera Ant simply by observing them. At most, one can only get a general idea of the situation inside the nest.

It was almost noon.

The Chimera Ant have started moving again.

On the other side, Morel had already started working, and a large amount of purple smoke suddenly filled the air, engulfing the Chimera Ant army that had run out.

On the other hand, unusually, there were no Chimera Ant in Melusina's territory. Perhaps the situation there was so dire that the Chimera Ant chose to detour.

Meanwhile, Kevin and his team were waiting on this side.

Perhaps because Chimera Ant had safely returned here before, making it a bit safer than other places, several groups of ants have headed this way.

"What level of Chimera Ant do you think are leading these teams?"

Kevin asked.

He wasn't an expert in this area; with the naked eye, he could only tell how much Nen Aura the Chimera Ant possessed.

Moreover, this kind of judgment is inaccurate; it relies more on feelings and intuition.

If Division Leader and Army Leader both learn Nen ability, it seems that it wouldn't be so easy to distinguish them just from their outward Nen Aura.

"They are all Army Leader, not Division Leader."

When Kite ventured deep into enemy territory alone, she encountered many Army Leader, including some powerful Soldier Ant.

I also faced the Division Leader once, but no battle ensued because he hadn't yet learned Nen ability at the time, so he retreated.

"However, these Army Leader have now learned Nen ability, and they seem to be much stronger than the ones I've encountered before."

He had previously used his Scythe to wipe out large numbers of these enemies.

However, at this stage, some powerful Soldier Ant no longer seem weak.

"Nen ability became their catalyst."

Kite said helplessly.

He had experienced it firsthand, so he could clearly feel the difference in strength between Chimera Ant before and after Nen ability.

"In that case, I'll pick one team. As for the other two teams, consider them lucky."

Kevin jumped to a higher position and began to carefully observe the three teams from a distance.

"Let's go with the one that Monkey; it seems a bit smarter."

For these Chimeric Ant, a more intelligent brain makes it easier to learn and effectively utilize Nen ability.

This way, their strength might be even greater.

Once they decided on their goal, the two set out to act.

They quickly landed around that group.

"Be careful, everyone. There are enemies around here. You've all seen how many people have died recently, so don't run around like you used to."

The Monkey -like Chimeric Ant leading the way kept talking to the Soldier Ant around it.

"Ugh, running out now is practically suicide, what a hassle."

Kite, who was hiding nearby, turned her head slightly to look at Kevin and asked him what his plans were.

Is it going to involve a violent arrest, or are there other plans?

Kevin didn't say much, but slightly extended one finger.

The Nen Aura surged out from his fingers, then transformed into a dust-like structure in the air, drifting forward.

He fanned himself slightly with his other hand.

A gentle breeze began to sweep through, carrying withered leaves and dust towards the direction of the Chimeric Ant colony.

This wind also carries the dust composed of Nen Aura, making it difficult to detect as it mixes with the sand and gravel.

The Monkey -shaped Chimeric Ant, seemingly oblivious to anything amiss, simply fanned itself haphazardly in the face of the sudden breeze and plucked a leaf from its head.

Completely unaware, invisible particles of Nen Aura flowed into his body through his nasal cavity.

"Hmm--It's a little easier than I thought?"

After the dust rushed in, Kevin reached up and rubbed his chin, feeling it.

Thinking of this, he beckoned to Kite.

"Let's go, we'll go to the other two teams."

If plans change, you can choose more goals.

They quickly circled back.

They hid again.

"Is that all?"

Kevin nodded and explained briefly, "That kind of Nen ability allows Nen Aura dust to flood into their brains."

"Depending on the enemy's intelligence and strength, the effect varies. If it's a low-intelligence Beasts, I can almost completely control it."

"As for intelligent orcs, I can make them act according to my commands, but it's more troublesome with humans or beings of equal intelligence. I can only try my best to influence them, which can be understood as limited hypnosis."

The abilities granted by the [Dream Controller Potion] are derived from the Butterfly that first arrived on the Dark Continent.

When Kevin was building his own level of the exam, he used this ability to control the beasts within the level.

The original Butterfly used its Butterfly Dust to invade Butterfly Dust while they were asleep.

Victims will feel as if they are dreaming, and then become addicted until they suffer brain death.

Kevin discovered this when he was using this material in medicine.

Essentially, it seems to be a process of deceiving the body by inducing the other person into a dream through a more realistic experience. It's about using the brain to deceive the body, making them truly believe they are dead.

Therefore, when you wake up the next morning, your companion is already dead, with no external injuries and no apparent cause of death.

However, since it is only the original ability of the main ingredient, it will not be completely restored when it is added to other medicines.

So it turned out like this.

The intensity varies depending on the individual's brain.

"So you're thinking of hypnotizing them and getting them to tell us what they know?"

Kevin shook his head. "No, it's not that simple. Achieving the effect we want is quite complicated."

"First, we have to wait until they go back to rest, and then slowly influence their brains as they rest, until the influence becomes more profound."

"By using dust, we can slightly control some of their tendencies and behaviors, such as making them unconsciously aware of the Nen ability of their companions."

"Given the social structure of Chimera Ant, they are unlikely to keep their Nen ability from their companions at this stage. Of course, they might hide some of it, but the general situation will still be revealed."

"Once they have obtained this information, when they come out, we will then guide them to talk about this topic with their companions."

"If two of my chattering companions happen to be targets I control, they will start talking according to the desires and inclinations I provide. At that point, all we need to do is stand by and eavesdrop."

After listening to Kevin's words, Kite nodded in understanding.

Although it's troublesome, you have to admit that the ability is incredibly well-concealed.

Because even the affected party may not be aware of their own problems.

Perhaps experienced and vigilant Nen user would be suspicious if this happened, but for these Chimera Ant, the possibility is extremely low.

Although they incorporated human genes, and even their souls, they possessed human memories, thoughts, and independent personalities.

But ultimately, they still have the genes of Chimera Ant in them; some underlying rules and logic still make them rather rigid.

Are there no target restrictions?

Kite asked.

If there were no specific target to limit it, then this ability would seem incredibly powerful.

"Of course it exists, but essentially it doesn't. However, the more creatures affected, the more precise my control becomes."

"This dust doesn't increase the precision of any particular target just because I focus on it; rather, it's distributed equally among all affected targets."

"I see."

The three Chimera Ant continued their movement outwards from the area blocked by Kevin and his friends.

However, under Kevin's influence, the Chimera Ant team gained nothing and was even terrified.

They returned to their lair that very night.

A few days later.

Kevin and his friends gathered together once again, as usual.

"The Chimera Ant have completely retreated; now you might not see a single ant moving around for a day or two."

Morel spoke about the situation over the past week.

On the day Kevin and his companion arrived, they disturbed a few Chimera Ant, but then resumed their hunting as usual.

The three teams practically surrounded the entire lair; of the ten teams that went out, whether any one of them could return depended on luck.

Even Chimera Ant cannot withstand such losses.

After a week of intensive hunting, the Chimera Ant completely gave up on the idea of moving outwards.

"Do these Chimera Ant have enough food stored?"

Standing on the edge of the cliff, gazing at the distant nest, Men Qi couldn't help but ask.

The fundamental reason they surrounded the ant in this way is that the queen Ant Queen, who is nurturing the Ant King, needs a lot of nutrition.

This causes the Chimera Ant in the nest to constantly send out teams to hunt for food in more distant places.

Having tasted the high nutritional value of human food, they would absolutely find it impossible to accept wild plants and animals.

Moreover, the ecosystem of this place has been almost completely destroyed by Chimeric Ant.

It's not just humans; the animals are the first to suffer.

These animals were all eaten long ago.

While the Ant Queen is eating humans, most of the other Chimera Ant are actually eating the animals in the surrounding area.

There are now two possibilities.

Nobu adjusted his glasses and said.

"Firstly, our hunting has indeed had a significant impact on them, to the point that they are no longer willing to send out more teams to find food in order to avoid losing manpower."

"But this is only possible if there is enough food. If there is not enough food, I don't think the Division Leader, their Royal Guard, or even the Ant Queen would take the Chimera Ant below seriously."

"Under the current circumstances, nurturing the Ant King is the most important thing, and the three Royal Guards were born specifically to protect the Ant King."

In other words, it's impossible that the reason for not sending out teams to find food was simply because of the high number of casualties.

Even if only one of the ten teams manages to return, as long as they bring back food, that will be enough.

Dead Chimera Ant can also be considered part of the food.

"The second possibility is that they do need food, but our encirclement has put too much pressure on them, and they may try to break out or take action against us."

"This possibility is not low, but we have the advantage. They are in the open while we are in the dark. They cannot leave the nest at this stage, especially since they are carrying the Ant King. Any departure from the nest could bring unpredictable accidents."

"Not to mention, it would be more beneficial for us to come out of the nest."

The analysis prompted everyone to reflect.

Kite frowned in thought, seemingly pondering something, before raising her head to look at everyone and speak.

"But after this period of fighting, I found that these Chimera Ant are becoming more autonomous, and their command system is becoming increasingly disorganized."

"The individual personalities and ideas of each Division Leader and each Chrollo are influencing their behavior, and they are breaking free from the framework of the Chimeric Ant."

"In this situation, they also possess a reverence for life and a fear of their own death. This may not completely free them from the Ant Queen's influence, but it will definitely strengthen their autonomy."

In other words, it's impossible to truly observe the colony in front of you as you would Chimeric Ant.

They might genuinely be held back by fear of death, or outwardly comply but inwardly resist.

Because not only Army Leader, but also division Division Leader, would face death once they went outside.

The Army Leader and Soldier Ant directly under each Division Leader are all their troops.

After determining that these intelligent Division Leader, Army Leader, and even powerful Soldier Ant possessed human souls.

You have to incorporate certain human elements into them.

For example, vying for power and profit, being blinded by greed, and being ambitious.

Learning to use the Nen ability words strengthens an individual's autonomy.

Nen ability itself is an expression of individuality.

"It's only been a day. Let's observe for a couple more days and see if they're really trapped in their lair."

That was all Nobu could say.

After all, if they were trapped inside the lair, they would indeed be unable to break in now.

This will lead to a stalemate.

At this moment.

Inside the nest.

The division Division Leader gathered together, with three Royal Guard standing in front of them.

What do you mean by this dance?

Youpi's voice was soft and effeminate as he looked at the Chimeric Ant before him with a cold gaze.

Rukira, a Chimeric Ant with a bird-like beak and wings resembling a kappa, is the leader of the Division Leader.

At this moment, he bowed slightly and spoke respectfully.

"I implore the three of you to intervene."

These words instantly triggered Neferpitou's reaction.

"No, we must stay in the lair to protect the king's safety; we cannot leave."

The enemies outside are clearly weakening them.

Next to Rukira, the Penguin-type Chimeric Ant is considered the Chrollo Strategist.

He said this at that moment.

"If the current situation continues, all the Chrollo and Division Leader will be eliminated in a little over a month."

"The enemy's objective is clearly to lure us out of the lair one by one to find food, so they can annihilate us from the outside and reduce the number of guards inside the lair."

"Ha ha ha ha!"

Of the three guards, the one with red skin and curved hooves, a humanoid Chimeric Ant, laughed heartily.

"You're all so weak, even if you lose everything, you won't be able to guarantee the safety of the nest."

The last born Royal Guard was named Menthuthuyoupi.

These words displeased some Division Leader, but they could only lower their heads and dare not utter a word.

The three Royal Guards were indeed much stronger than them; the two sides were not even in the same league.

Faced with the words of this brute.

Rukira sighed helplessly and continued, "But even if we all die, we still won't get enough food, which will also affect the Queen's pregnancy."

That's where the problem lies.

The encirclement formed by the enemy outside is too strong.

Whether they were Chrollo or Division Leader, they never returned.

The problem is that we still haven't gotten the food back.

The food they brought back was only a drop in the ocean.

After he finished speaking, he waited for his three Royal Guards to make their choice.