Waiting X the Unexpected

Deep within the Palace.

Silence reigned, save for the soft thud of chess pieces hitting the board.

The Ant King sat upright before the chessboard, a cold chess piece hovering between his fingertips.

His gaze swept across the battlefield, and he calmly delivered the final blow.

"I am dying."

You lost.

As soon as he finished speaking, the chess player sitting opposite him suddenly opened his mouth wide, his forehead instantly covered with large beads of sweat, and he gasped for breath, frantically trying to beg for mercy or explain himself.

However, the only response he received was a sharp whistling sound that tore through the air.

The speed was so fast that it almost exceeded the limits of visual perception, leaving even the afterimages blurry.

"Pfft!"

With a muffled thud, the chess player's head exploded like a watermelon smashed by a heavy hammer, splattering red and white matter everywhere.

The headless corpse remained stiff for a moment, then slumped softly onto the carpet, leaving behind a mess.

"This is... the country's top chess player?"

The Ant King's voice was devoid of emotion, only a faint hint of weariness lingered within it.

Youpi had been standing by his side with a book in his hand, rose gracefully and bowed respectfully.

"Yes, Your Majesty. This man is indeed a chess master who has won the national championship three times in a row."

"Too weak."

The Ant King shook his head slightly, his fingertips unconsciously tapping the edge of the chessboard.

"Looks like we need a new 'game'."

He has already reached the top in this game.

"Humans—what incredibly weak and pathetic creatures."

He casually picked up an open book from the table, his eyes sweeping over the dense text.

"His strength is negligible, and his character is riddled with flaws, filled with greed, cowardice, stupidity—such despicable defects."

In the eyes of the Ant King, humans are not only vulnerable in terms of physical strength, but also limited in the realm of intelligence and skill by their own inescapable "flaws".

"That's entirely because you're too powerful, too perfect."

Youpi's tone was filled with a sense of self-righteous reverence, as if he were reciting a sacred hymn.

"Go and find me outstanding individuals in other fields."

The Ant King commanded, his voice leaving no room for argument.

Upon hearing this, Youpi paused slightly, a barely perceptible look of difficulty crossing his face. Without hesitation, he knelt on one knee, bowing his head deeply, his voice filled with an overwhelming sense of guilt and self-reproach.

"I am deeply sorry, Your Majesty! The Palace's communication network has been cut off by the enemy. As the entire nation converges here, we are trying to find top masters in other fields..."

Youpi controlling a few free officials and having the head of state, who had been completely turned into a puppet, deliver seductive televised speeches, he was able to temporarily maintain control of this small country.

However, this method of control is like walking a tightrope; it has inherent fragility and can only maintain a brief window of opportunity to barely prevent the entire national machinery from collapsing instantly.

Although East Gorteau is a small country, its large population and social structure relative to individuals constitute a huge burden in itself.

If it weren't for that mandatory televised address, and the country's long-standing tradition of iron-fisted rule and blind obedience, it would have been difficult to even drive the entire nation to relocate to the Palace on a large scale.

Now, the cunning enemy has pinpointed their location and launched a precise and efficient Blockade.

The primary objective is to cut off their ability to transmit information outwards.

This has resulted in them now only being able to maintain the most basic and sluggish control over the military.

The only thing that could be done was to ensure that the movement of people toward the Palace did not come to a complete standstill; any other plans or actions would be like trying to navigate a boat in quagmire, making it impossible to move forward.

"You mean—the enemy has already launched an offensive against us?"

The Ant King finally raised its head, its golden vertical pupils turning towards Youpi, its deep gaze devoid of any emotion.

"It is our incompetence that has allowed such a minor ailment to trouble Your Majesty's heart!"

Youpi's voice trembled slightly with self-reproach.

In his mind, this kind of external harassment should have been silently resolved in its infancy by the three guards, but now it has developed into a factor that is troubling the king, which is an unforgivable dereliction of duty.

It's alright.

The Ant King's tone was unexpectedly calm, even carrying a hint of worldly wisdom.

"After all, we are facing a large and well-organized human group, and given our manpower shortage, setbacks are to be expected."

At this moment, the Ant King, through absorbing a great deal of human wisdom and engaging in "games" with top humans in different fields, is developing increasingly profound and broad thinking.

They also gained a broader understanding of their own responsibilities and situation as "kings".

He clearly saw the resource and information dilemmas his side was currently facing, and also recognized the enormous advantages that humans have in terms of organization, coordination, and information transmission efficiency.

"You are truly of unparalleled kindness and wisdom!"

Youpi's voice rose in pitch with excitement and reverence.

"Step back. I will await their arrival."

The Ant King waved his hand, his gaze returning to the scroll in his hands.

The Ant King is by no means stupid.

As the amount of information he absorbed increased dramatically, like rivers flowing into the sea, his understanding of the world also expanded and was reconstructed at a rapid pace.

Based on limited intelligence analysis, he deduced that the Royal Guards must have encountered setbacks, or even failures, in their previous confrontations with humans, which forced them to hastily flee their old lair with the Queen.

This is sufficient proof that the human faction possesses powerful individual strength comparable to, or even threatening, the Royal Guards.

But the Ant King has an absolute, instinctive confidence in his own power.

He was convinced that he could easily take on three guards at once, and even eliminate them completely without any effort.

The fact that humans failed to inflict a devastating blow on the hastily retreating Royal Guards suggests that the combat capabilities of top human individuals may not have exceeded those of the Royal Guards by much.

Therefore, he felt only surging confidence and a hint of excited anticipation for the upcoming decisive battle, without the slightest fear.

Judging from the speed, precision, and decisiveness with which humans discovered and launched the Blockade, the other side clearly has a deep understanding of Chimeric Ant.

Therefore, the decisive final collision is not far off.

Logically, humanity would never stand idly by and allow them to successfully complete their plan to select soldiers and expand their military.

This nationwide movement will inevitably be the catalyst for the final battle.

This was the first real test he had to overcome on his path of conquest and to establish the Chimeric Ant Dynasty.

Until then, he only needs to wait.

Respond to all changes with constancy, and wait patiently for the enemy to tire themselves out.

The Ant King calmly turned a page, his deep gaze flowing between the lines, as if the storms and thunder outside were nothing more than dust stirred up by the turning of the page.

Below the magnificent and spacious hall, Youpi, with a burly and robust figure resembling a pile of red boulders, sat squatting like a statue.

--

He listened to the off-key, neurotic humming of Youpi beside him, watched him jump around like a puppet, and watched the violin he was playing creak and make a jarring noise.

His huge brows were tightly furrowed, and his scarlet eyes revealed undisguised confusion and a hint of irritation.

Finally, he turned his face away decisively, with a hint of disdain, ignoring his companion whose behavior always baffled him.

Youpi possessed an astonishing patience, as solid as a rock.

He could stand guard here for days and nights like a real stone statue, his gaze as sharp as that of the most vigilant eagle, scanning every entrance and shadowy corner of the Palace.

He would also wander silently, like a ghost, randomly among the columns and courtyards of the vast Palace, his heavy body moving with extraordinary lightness, making almost no sound.

Youpi's body contained not a single trace of human genes; he was a weapon of war formed purely from the aggregation and sublimation of countless ferocious beast genes.

Therefore, he possesses a terrifying, innate endurance, like that of a top predator hunting, capable of lying in wait for a long time in preparation for a fatal blow.

In his previous, devastating battle with Kevin, which nearly tore him apart, he was forced to learn to think and to control the raging fire within him that could consume everything.

The king is inevitably the enemy's ultimate and sole target.

And the Youpi is the second indestructible barrier guarding the Throne and leading to that supreme being.

As for Youpi is almost inseparable from the Ant King and is like the most magnificent shadow, he is the last and closest line of defense to the King.

"This time----"

Youpi's rough, gravel-like fingers clenched unconsciously, producing a teeth-grinding grinding sound, the deep, resonant voice booming and echoing in his broad, cavern-like chest.

"I will tear every single insect that dares to approach me—to shreds! Crush them into mincemeat!"

His eyes burned with the flames of revenge, but deeper in his heart, he intensely and almost desperately hoped that the first enemy to break through all obstacles and finally roar before him would be Kevin himself.

Only by tearing the figure that brought him endless shame to shreds with his own hands and washing away his failure with the other's blood could he quell the raging fire that never died in the depths of his soul.

In the open square surrounding the Palace, the tallest tower pierces the sky like a sharp sword.

Neferpitou remained crouched like a frozen statue, standing steadily on the narrow edge of the spire.

Her amber cat eyes gleamed with a cold light in the night, sharp as knives, piercing through the distance and precisely locking onto the Palace of the nearest brightly lit city.

Her vast, invisible "circle," whose boundaries expand and Boundary like a living thing, has its farthest perceptual tentacles reaching even the hustle and bustle of the city's edge.

"Another one—disappeared."

Her thin lips moved almost imperceptibly as she clearly sensed yet another "soldier" created by Youpi's abilities, its faint life force completely extinguished.

She never had any expectations for these hastily manufactured consumables.

"So, when exactly will you get closer?"

She murmured almost silently, the night breeze ruffling her fine hair.

"How will they challenge this fortress this time? Will they launch a reckless assault like last time?"

Neferpitou waited quietly, like the most patient Hunter x Hunter.

She knew that a fatal collision was not far off.

And in the distant, dark forests.

Several pairs of eyes, like lurking stars, were fixed intently on the blurry figure at the top of the tower.

Morel, Nobu, Men Qi, Buhaci, Melusina, Kite.

The Hunter Association's elite, along with Kevin's powerful companions, a group of six, have quietly gathered in the area surrounding the capital of East Gorteau.

At this moment, they were hiding in the shadows of an abandoned building, discussing in hushed tones.

"Neferpitou's number of Clone is definitely far more than two," Kite said confidently, her long silver hair fluttering slightly in the night breeze. "There's no doubt that she concealed the number in order to transfer the Queen."

He recounted the key intelligence that Kevin had previously analyzed.

--

After numerous tests and clashes, the intelligence framework regarding the Royal Guards' current Nen ability has gradually become clear in their minds.

In their view, the ranking of strength was without any suspense.

Neferpitou is the strongest, Youpi, with Youpi bringing up the rear.

Of course, this refers to direct combat capabilities.

"The one standing on the High Tower should be her true form."

Nobu pushed up his glasses, the lenses reflecting a cold light.

"Based on our previous experience of forcibly raiding the Ant Nest, only her main body can release and maintain a circle of that size," her Clone do not possess this core ability.

"The problem is," Morel said, clutching his signature huge Pipe, his brow furrowed, "this circle"—its area is too vast and its shape extremely irregular, completely enveloping the core area of the entire Palace.

"We simply couldn't find any gaps or blind spots that we could exploit."

The repeated attacks had honed Neferpitou to be incredibly cautious.

Now, even if her prey has entered the range of her "circle" of perception, Neferpitou's main body will remain motionless as long as they do not show a clear intention to force their way into the core of the Palace.

Even if she takes action, she will only send Clone to intercept and drive them away.

Unless they can instantly penetrate deep into the Palace and directly threaten the Ant King, Neferpitou's true form will never easily reveal itself.

This means that their plan to secretly infiltrate the core area of the Palace before the final battle begins is virtually impossible.

"Then—shall Melusina try a forced assault?"

Morel tentatively suggested it, but even his own tone sounded somewhat unsure.

Nobu immediately shook his head, categorically rejecting the idea.

"Absolutely not. Even if Miss Melusina manages to force me into the Palace, even if we can create an exit as quickly as possible, there are just too many variables involved!"

"What if the Ant King is alerted and rushes out? We know almost nothing about his personality. What if he's arrogant, violent, and bloodthirsty?"

He glanced around at everyone, emphasizing his words, "This could very well lead to severe casualties for us instantly, or even total annihilation!"

"Moreover," Nobu continued calmly, "Even if we manage to establish a temporary exit by chance, it will be under someone else's nose, and that place will inevitably become an area that Neferpitou will focus on monitoring and guarding against."

"If we attempt to use this exit for a large-scale surprise attack, we will instead fall into the enemy's pre-set encirclement and completely lose the initiative."

Such tactical discussions are like getting lost in an unsolvable Labyrinth, going around in circles without finding a truly safe and feasible breakthrough.

Neferpitou's vast and impeccable "circle" was like an invisible Wall of Sighs, standing between them and their goal.

The group eventually realized that perhaps the only way was to gather all their strength and force a frontal breakthrough when the final battle broke out, just like they had done when they raided the old lair.

After listening to everyone's repeated discussions, Men Qi waved her hand impatiently, her short pink hair swaying in the breeze.

"Alright, alright! After all this talk, the conclusion is that we can only wait, right?"

"When the chairman and Kevin Chairman, those two will be the key to deciding the outcome of this war, won't they?"

These words were like a bucket of cold water, instantly silencing the room.

The group exchanged bewildered glances and ultimately could only remain silent.

Because that's the harsh reality.

Kite could only nod helplessly and add.

"Gon and his group, along with their Chimeric Ant companions who defected, have now basically succeeded in disrupting the trend of the people gathering in large numbers towards the Palace."

To be honest, no one expected that these defected Chimeric Ant would play such a crucial role at this moment.

Their strength is formidable, and their appearance is extremely intimidating. To ordinary humans, they are nothing short of monsters, enough to cause immense panic.

These Chimeric Ant are currently launching a relentless attack on various military nodes, while simultaneously harassing the human forces advancing towards the Palace.

They didn't even need to cause casualties; simply damaging some key facilities, showing off in front of the procession, and creating occasional chaos and fright was enough to hold back the vast majority of the procession trying to reach the Palace.

Through sustained intimidation, creating localized chaos, and sabotaging military equipment used to maintain order, they directly paralyzed the entire process of public gatherings.

The army, originally responsible for maintaining order and guiding troops, was itself stretched thin due to being overwhelmed with tasks.

The entire situation was brought under control in a state of sustained, low-intensity chaos and panic, which completely paralyzed the movement toward the Palace.

All sorts of urgent inquiries and reports flooded into the Palace through the only remaining secret communication line.

However, they had long known that although the officials in the Palace who handled these matters were highly capable, they were ultimately only human and were simply incapable of efficiently dealing with such a massive and complex number of problems.

This caused the entire command system to become stuck in a quagmire, operating at a snail's pace.

Therefore, the scales of time are undoubtedly tipped in favor of the Hunter Association.

"What we need to do now," Kite concluded, glancing at her companions, "Is to surround the Palace securely, monitor the situation inside constantly, and make sure the Ant King and his three guards are still inside."

"This is a test of patience. Both sides know that the final showdown is inevitable, and everything we do now is adding to our chances of victory at that moment."

After all, they are not without the strength to fight a direct confrontation.