The Returnee X A Shattering Upheaval

Inside the nest, the tense atmosphere had not completely dissipated.

"What do we do now? Should we prepare to escape from here?"

Morel frowned, his gaze sweeping over everyone present, and asked in a serious tone.

As he spoke, he subconsciously turned to the side and glanced warily out of the blasted-open hole.

Although his perception range was limited, he could confirm from Kevin's words that some Division Leader would be returning soon.

If they didn't want to encounter these Division Leader rashly, they would have to consider leaving this place.

After all, they had just gone through a fierce battle. Although they were in relatively good condition at the moment, no one knew exactly how many Division Leader had returned.

He had no idea what their Nen ability were, and the pressure of the unknown weighed heavily on his mind.

Although Kevin just said that he has the ability to track down the Royal Guards and the Ant Queen who escaped.

But now, looking at the empty nest and the receding dust, it was clear they couldn't catch up.

We have to decide whether to stay here or deal with the returning Chimera Ant.

Their primary target is the soon-to-be-born Ant King.

"Now that the Chimera Ant Queen has been taken away, what will happen to these Division Leader?"

Melusina frowned, a hint of anxiety in her eyes, and pressed for an answer.

"Given their habits, do they have some kind of vague connection, and then recklessly chase after it?"

These Division Leader are also extremely dangerous individuals. Although they are certainly a level below the Royal Guards, they are among the elite in the Nen user group and should not be underestimated.

Regarding Melusina's question, Kite had a better understanding of the characteristics of Chimeric Ant, crossed her arms, frowned in thought, and finally shook her head, her tone tinged with caution. "We can't completely apply the inherent habits of Chimeric Ant to them. After all, we've already suffered a great loss once, and the lesson of underestimating our enemy is still fresh in our minds."

"However, the Ant King should not have been born yet," he paused, seemingly calculating the time, "Based on the lowest possible timeframe, it should be about a month from now."

"Without the Royal Guards hindering us, it will be much easier for us to deal with these scattered division Division Leader."

Of course, all of this is based on the premise that the Division Leader will return on their own initiative.

Once the work is dispersed, the difficulty will increase many times over.

Kite's gaze also fell upon the cave entrance.

If they have some kind of subtle connection, they might discover that the Ant Queen has been taken away and is no longer in the nest, which would be troublesome.

Those Chimera Ant that manage to break through may begin to gather on the other side, posing a new threat.

Moreover, they will be more cautious and more difficult to deal with.

"That's easy," Men Qi said, hands on her hips, chin raised towards the hole, head tilted, with a hint of decisiveness.

"Why don't we just wait here and see? We can wait and see if those Division Leader turn back will foolishly rush into the nest to protect their now-defunct Ant Queen. That's the best way to verify it."

After listening to everyone's analysis and suggestions, Kevin nodded slightly and looked sharply outside.

"Okay, let's go outside and wait a bit to see if they come back. Be prepared for any eventuality."

Following instructions, everyone moved and arrived outside the spacious Incubation Hall.

The stunned German Shepherd Chimeric Ant lay motionless in the pile of rubble at their feet.

"Huh, they didn't kill him?"

Melusina looked down at the unconscious Chimera Ant and said with a hint of surprise.

Morel simply shook his head silently, offering no further explanation, his gaze fixed intently on the Chimeric Ant on the ground.

But since he has made this choice, the others, out of trust, will not do anything at this time.

When faced with an enemy that has lost the ability to resist, the outcome will be clear.

Just then, a series of loud noises approached from afar, breaking the brief silence.

The fastest group of division Division Leader seems to have already reached the outskirts of the lair.

They began to surge into the nest from the bottom entrance, with hurried steps and the sound of flapping wings.

Among the flying Chimera Ant, Rukira frantically flapped his wings and flew away.

His gaze instantly locked onto the shockingly huge hole at the top of the nest, his pupils suddenly contracted, and his face was filled with horror and foreboding.

Because that was the very place where the incubator was located, but now there was a hideous hole that shouldn't exist at all.

A tremendous panic gripped him, and without hesitation, he flapped his wings with all his might and flew straight into the hole.

What came into view was an empty, lifeless Incubation Hall.

The Ant Queen he swore to protect has vanished.

Faced with this despairing scene, he seemed to have been struck by a heavy hammer, his face blank, his legs went weak, and he almost collapsed to his knees.

Finally, he forced down the bitter taste in his throat, forced himself to stay alert, and quickly scanned his surroundings with piercing eyes.

Upon discovering no obvious signs of a fight, he shook his head violently, as if grasping at a straw.

"No, there are no signs of a battle. The Ant Queen should be alright."

He muttered to himself, his voice trembling almost imperceptibly, as if trying to reassure himself.

The absence of signs of combat implies two possibilities.

Either the Royal Guards would have been dealt with outside.

Either the enemy launched a surprise attack and kidnapped the Ant Queen.

In addition, thanks to his faint perception from his special Nen ability, the being he was protecting was not in immediate danger.

This can barely be considered good news.

However, a chilling and dangerous aura emanated from outside, making the hairs on his body stand on end.

This means the enemy hasn't left yet; they're currently lying in wait! What exactly is going on?

He took a deep breath, his eyes hardening with determination.

He had to face it, he had to understand the situation here.

He needs to know where the Ant Queen has gone.

With a death-defying resolve, he mustered his strength and walked slowly and resolutely out of the Incubation Hall.

The pressure from the enemy made it exceptionally heavy.

Kevin did not launch an immediate attack on the Chimeric Ant that suddenly flew in from the large hole.

He merely narrowed his eyes slightly, and like everyone else, his sharp gaze was fixed on the doorway like a nail, as if the air had frozen.

"Do you think he'll run away?" Men Qi held her breath, lowered her voice, and asked with a hint of curiosity and wariness.

Before anyone could answer, footsteps sounded.

Rukira's slightly stiff figure emerged from behind the door.

He warily scanned the crowd outside, his gaze lingering for a moment on his unconscious companion at their feet, a complex light flickering in his eyes.

"Hehe, congratulations, you're the first one back."

Morel grinned and let out a soft, ambiguous laugh, while casually bringing the huge Pipe he was carrying on his shoulder to his lips. His posture appeared relaxed, but in reality, he was poised to strike.

Rukira's muscles were tense, and his sharp gaze swept over everyone like a probe, without launching an attack rashly.

He was fully aware of the danger at that moment.

His gaze instantly locked onto Kevin.

Kevin had just gone through a fierce battle, and his still-unreserved aura emanated like an invisible storm, filling the air with a suffocating sense of oppression.

This sense of oppression is immense for the enemy.

The moment Rukira saw his opponent, an instinctive fear made him instantly realize that he was no match for him and would not be able to escape from his grasp.

Therefore, he suppressed the turmoil in his heart and did not launch a frenzied attack. Instead, he forced himself to calm down and observe the desperate situation before him.

The scattered corpses of the Guard Regiment and the massive damage outside were clearly visible, indicating that a fierce battle had taken place here.

He opened his mouth with difficulty, his throat felt like it had been sanded, and his voice was as dry as a broken gong.

"Where is our Ant Queen? Where did you take her?" Every word seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth.

In fact, he already had a vague guess in his mind.

Looking around, he saw neither the Royal Guards nor their corpses.

The Ant Queen was most likely taken away by the Royal Guards. Although this goes against the general habits of the Chimeric Ant, it is not impossible for those three maverick guards with unfathomable strength.

After all, the vast majority of the risks fall on the Ant Queen's shoulders, while the Royal Guards —perhaps not so loyal to the Ant Queen.

But now, he has no way out and can only seek an answer.

He had come to this realization: even in death, he could find peace of mind.

"You're quite calm," Kevin raised an eyebrow with interest, scrutinizing Rukira with a hint of inquiry in his voice. "And it's really strange, your hostility towards us—it's only so faint."

In his eyes, there are two kinds of Chimera Ant.

Chimera Ant that considers itself human.

And the Chimera Ant that consider themselves no longer human.

The most obvious difference between the two lies in their attitudes toward humanity and the constraints they place on their own behavior.

The former will restrain their actions, strictly follow orders, and even find loopholes to make themselves feel better.

The latter will completely unleash their behavior, revealing their past as human and allowing their dark side to fully erupt, transforming them into beings even more monstrous than monsters.

This might be hard for others to discern, but it was exceptionally clear to Kevin.

In his eyes, malice was as tangible as a physical entity, its strength and intensity easily discernible.

It's perfectly normal for Rukira to be hostile towards him at this point, since they are absolute enemies.

But Kevin had seen far too many Chimera Ant harboring overwhelming malice towards humans, like a hungry predator eyeing its easily obtained prey—a malice so thick it was impossible to dissolve.

That was a malice that wouldn't even appear in hostility between different races.

This situation only occurs in Chimera Ant that have opened their minds, possess a human soul, yet are completely mired in darkness.

The fact that Rukira is in this state suggests that his soul may have revived to a certain extent and has begun to be influenced by human souls, causing it to waver.

The main point is to restrain one's own behavior.

"I only want to protect the Queen," Rukira's voice was low and firm, like Vow, but his body leaned slightly forward, ready to erupt at any moment, "Answer me! Did you take her away? Or—did the Royal Guards take her away?"

Kevin narrowed his eyes, his body seemingly casual, but he had actually taken in every subtle movement of Rukira's, and asked in return.

"Oh? You've already guessed that the Royal Guards might have taken her away? Then why did she come back? Don't you have some kind of subtle connection? This doesn't make sense."

Rukira silent.

He didn't answer, but instead lowered his body slightly, tensing his leg muscles, clearly having silently begun to gather strength, preparing for a battle that could erupt at any moment.

From the other party's brief, non-denying answer, he was basically certain that the enemy had not taken control of the Queen — the Queen had indeed been taken away by the Royal Guards.

This is good news for him.

He was able to face death peacefully.

"Oh dear, it seems he's already figured out the key. This is troublesome."

Morel sighed softly, shrugged, and silently straightened the huge Pipe he was holding in his mouth. He quietly gathered his Nen Aura at the pipe bowl, ready for battle.

The only good news is that the enemy doesn't seem to have any direct connection to the Queen's location.

In this light, the enemy forces that arrive later are likely to converge here, which would actually give them an opportunity to deal with the situation in one go.

However, at that moment...

Rukira's huge eyes widened suddenly, his expression instantly changing from wary to utter terror, as if he were witnessing the most horrific sight in the world.

His body trembled violently, as if all his strength had been drained, and he collapsed to his knees with a thud, his hands gripping the cold ground tightly, his entire ant-like body trembling uncontrollably.

It seems to have completely collapsed.

"No—impossible! Impossible!"

His voice was hoarse and trembling, filled with endless despair and disbelief.

"The Queen! Wasn't the Queen taken away by the Royal Guards? You... you captured her? You—what have you done to her?!"

He suddenly raised his head, his eyes almost entirely bloodshot, and stared intently at Kevin and the others.

This sudden change stunned everyone, leaving them looking at each other in bewilderment, completely unaware of what had happened.

What's wrong?

Why did Rukira, who had been barely managing to stay calm just moments before, suddenly break down like this?

Kite keenly sensed something was amiss, and without making a sound, she gently nudged Kevin's arm with her elbow.

Feeling the touch, Kevin seemed to realize a possibility, and his brows furrowed tightly.

He stared at the completely devastated Rukira before him, hesitated for a moment, and decided to tell the truth.

This was a choice driven by intuition; his intuition told him that something enormous had happened and he needed to know.

Indeed, we failed.

"Your Queen," his voice was steady and clear, "Was secretly moved away by one of the guards, that Cat Woman who can Clone, long before we stormed in. We were fooled by her illusion."

Kevin had no intention of provoking the other party at this moment; he needed to know the reason for the drastic change in the other party's attitude, as this information was crucial.