Waiting for Plan X

He looked in the direction where Youpi had disappeared.

A barely perceptible worry spread through Neferpitou's amber cat-like eyes.

She lazily flicked her fluffy tail, arched her body, and stretched.

The sharp claws unconsciously scraped against the cold stone bricks, making a faint sound, and muttered under their breath, "Isn't the king being a little too arrogant?"

From a physiological and genetic standpoint, and from the perspective of an instinctive Loyalty ingrained in her very being, she is undoubtedly the guardian of the Ant King, devoted to him wholeheartedly.

I have felt more acutely than anyone else the unfathomable power of the Ant King, as deep as Abyss, and its terrifying potential that is almost limitless.

However, psychologically, it stems from that little bit of "cat-like" nature—that cautiousness and suspicion that originates from the feline instinct.

She desperately hoped that the Ant King could at least slightly lower his arrogant and domineering attitude.

We must truly take seriously those cunning humans who are as persistent as maggots, lest we make the fatal mistake of underestimating them and becoming arrogant.

She has truly suffered a major setback at the hands of humans.

Cunning! So cunning!

Damn humans.

The restless feline genes within her always plunged her into a seemingly contradictory, yet deeply felt, vortex of inner conflict at crucial moments concerning the survival of her species.

Deep within the royal palace.

The Ant King Meruem sat casually cross-legged on a luxurious silk carpet, surrounded by mountains of human books and various electronic devices that shimmered with light.

The air was filled with a strange smell, a mixture of old paper and precision components.

Youpi knelt Humility on the floor in front of the Ant King, his head bowed deeply, his posture impeccably respectful.

"Wang, Neferpitou has detected unusual energy fluctuations. There seems to be some unusual activity on the human side. They—may launch an attack soon."

His voice was steady, as elegant as an aria.

Upon hearing the report, a hint of amusement, like a child discovering a new toy, finally appeared on the Ant King's usually expressionless, perfectly sculpted face.

"Heh, after such a long wait, are you finally losing patience?"

Youpi maintained his Humility demeanor, adding in a steady voice, "Those humans clearly also deeply understand your greatness and invincibility, and therefore are most likely doing everything in their power to make what they call thorough preparations, in order to gather that pitiful amount of Courage to cautiously meet this ultimate challenge that you have bestowed upon them."

There was a subtle hint of warning in his words.

However, his words, which carried a deeper meaning, had barely finished when...

The Ant King's gaze sharpened, and an invisible yet terrifying pressure, as solid as a collapsing mountain, suddenly poured down on Youpi.

Feeling this immense pressure, Youpi's body tensed instantly, and the magnificent butterfly wings on his back trembled slightly, unable to withstand the pressure.

This tremor did not stem from pure physical pressure, but rather from Wang's sudden and undisguised displeasure.

Are you questioning my power, Youpi?

The Ant King's voice wasn't loud, but it was as cold as ice, "Do you think those insignificant humans, with their laughable 'meticulous' preparations, have the potential to shake me?"

The implied meaning in Youpi's words was clearly suggesting that humans might possess some means that could threaten him, which explained his "caution."

"No! The King is invincible! He is supreme! Any challenge before you is like a firefly compared to the bright moon!"

Youpi said quickly, his voice filled with unwavering certainty and fervor.

"Snort!"

The Ant King snorted coldly, his arrogance and disdain palpable.

"Humans, such a lowly race, can never surpass me. I will utterly and without suspense crush them in every field—intelligence, strength, and dominance—and let them witness what true kingship is."

Just like those so-called human world champions he had previously defeated as if they were children.

Whether it's the pinnacle of chess or the hall of competitive gaming—he only needs to casually flip through a few related books and understand their intricacies to easily crush those champions who have spent decades of hard work and possess top talent to reach the top, as if crushing ants.

The absolute power contained within him is irrefutable proof that he is invincible in the world.

Even if powerful guards like Youpi and Neferpitou stood fearlessly before him, he was absolutely confident that he could completely crush them and erase their existence.

Thinking of this, he clenched his well-defined fingers into a fist, the knuckles making a slight popping sound.

This power is the very reason to be king.

Although he was born recently, his innate, all-seeing wisdom made him understand one thing with absolute clarity:

His "arrogance" and patience were not blind pride, but rather a clear understanding that his own absolute power was as solid as a rock.

He was absolutely certain that ultimate victory would be firmly in his grasp.

His enemies will never be his match.

The old man who fought Neferpitou in the elite human attack team earlier.

The information he gathered clearly indicated that the old man was hailed by humans as the "world's number one" Nen user.

However, if humanity's so-called "world's number one" only demonstrates that level of power—then it's nothing more than a laughing stock.

After all, the opponent had led what was considered to be humanity's elite forces, yet they couldn't even defeat his three guards, who even managed to protect the queen Ant Queen and allow her to escape safely.

This is enough to show that the old man's strength was at most slightly stronger than the guards, not worth a second glance.

And him.

Yet it possesses the absolute power to utterly destroy the guards in the blink of an eye!

What exactly is the upper limit of his strength?

Only he himself truly knows the unfathomable Boundary of this question.

Three days later.

The largest room in Nobu's "Four-Dimensional Apartment".

The space was bright, and some necessary supplies were neatly piled up in the corners.

At this moment, all members involved in the final operation have gathered here, and the air is somewhat heavy due to their presence.

Kevin, Melusina, Kite, Morel, Nobu, Men Qi, Xiahara, Gon, Killua.

In addition, there are nine Chimeric Ant warriors who have completely sided with the human side.

They came in various shapes and sizes, some squatting, some standing, silently scattered around the room, bearing the characteristics of different creatures, sitting quietly and waiting for orders.

Looking at the large group of people crammed into the room, their auras varying in intensity, Buhaci scratched his head and asked in a muffled voice, his tone tinged with confusion. "Um—as an elite assault team tasked with Decapitation Operation, aren't we a bit too many people?"

After all, he had some understanding of the inner workings of the Royal Palace.

Although the number of enemies entrenched there is not large, the number of individuals that can truly pose a deadly threat is quite limited.

It seems unnecessary to have such a large and cumbersome team to deal with it; in fact, having too many people might hinder their movement.

Moreover, with so many people gathered together, the differences in individual strength are as significant as a chasm.

In particular, among the nine defecting Chimeric Ant warriors, there were indeed a few with fierce auras and strong physiques.

But Xiahara secretly assessed that even the strongest ones were at best only on par with him.

There were also some Chimeric Ant in the team whose auras were obviously weak, or even slightly weak. Xiahara had no doubt that if it were a life-or-death battle, he would have a good chance of killing them.

Buhaci was very self-aware; he knew that his overall combat ability was probably at the bottom of this elite team.

He considered it foolish and worthless to make too many unnecessary Sacrifice before the final battle.

Of course, the specific Operations Department can only be determined after clarifying each person's responsibilities and objectives, allowing for a more reasonable assessment and decision-making process.

Morel did not directly answer Buhaci's question. He strode to the center of the room, took out another thick, rolled-up piece of paper, and flicked his wrist sharply, the movement swift and decisive.

"Whoosh--!"

A massive map, incredibly detailed and meticulously labeled, was suddenly unfurled before everyone, occupying a significant portion of the ground.

This was clearly a carefully modified and supplemented version of the original architectural drawings of the Royal Palace, which clearly outlines each floor of the Royal Palace, the winding passages, the wide halls, and even some extremely hidden mezzanines and narrow ventilation ducts are clearly marked.

At this time, the map also used different colored markers to mark the known enemy distribution areas, fixed patrol routes, and most importantly, the core permanent stationing area of the First and Third Guards.

"First!"

Morel's voice was loud and clear, and his finger pointed heavily at a certain spot in the core area of the map.

"We need to clearly define our ultimate core objective in this operation— the Ant King!"

His finger then moved to an area marked with a bright red circle on the second floor of the Royal Palace, and his tone became more determined. "The target is inside the Royal Palace, although we cannot currently pinpoint its exact hiding place."

"But based on cross-analysis of all intelligence, feedback from Nen Aura perception, and deduction of behavioral patterns, there is no doubt that he is extremely likely lurking in a room within this core area on the second floor of the Royal Palace!"

This area is indeed not very large on the map, so theoretically it should be possible to pinpoint the target's exact location relatively quickly.

Morel raised his head, his gaze sweeping over the surrounding crowd like a hawk's, his tone carrying an unquestionable resolve. "And this ultimate goal will be personally handled by Chairman Netero; this is the core of our plan."

He paused, his voice becoming even more steady.

"What the rest of us need to do is to cooperate with the Chairman with all our might, at all costs, to restrain and divide him."

Even to completely eliminate all other key threats that could potentially interfere with the final showdown between the Chairman and the Ant King.

His eyes sharpened. "Especially those three guards! They are the biggest variable."

The sole purpose of their squad from beginning to end was to create a perfect, undisturbed space for Netero to engage in a battle with the Ant King.

After listening to what Morel had to say.

Kevin stood to the side, arms crossed, and calmly added.

"Based on an in-depth analysis of the Ant King's personality, given his pride, he will definitely choose to have a fair fight with Chairman Netero."

"Without a doubt, he's an arrogant fellow."

This is certainly true; the analysis of the Ant King's personality goes far beyond the deductions of their temporary team.

The information gathered during the previous skirmishes had already been sent back to the rear, where professional psychological analysts conducted multifaceted behavioral profiling.

The core conclusions reached were almost identical.

This is an extremely proud, even arrogant, existence, whose self-confidence in its own strength borders on conceit.

"So, creating an environment where the Chairman and the Ant King can fight one-on-one doesn't seem that difficult?"

Men Qi crossed her arms, her delicate brows slightly furrowed, and raised her question.

Kite frowned at Men Qi's optimism, his face full of worry. After a moment of contemplation, he said in a deep voice, "The problem is that if we, or rather the Chairman, really demonstrate the strength to defeat the Ant King, then the Ant King will definitely be at a disadvantage."

"And if the Ant King falls into a disadvantageous position, even if he is only injured, those three guards will absolutely intervene at all costs. Their Loyalty is unwavering, and they will never allow the King's safety to be threatened in the slightest."

That Loyalty might have allowed them to barely restrain themselves in the early stages of the battle and obey the Ant King's order not to interfere in the fighting.

But when Loyalty itself senses that the king is in danger, that Loyalty will transform into the most frenzied blade, and it will absolutely intervene even at the cost of its own life.

Morel understood immediately and then precisely marked three more conspicuous symbols on the map.

They represent:

Neferpitou stood like sentinels in the wide square outside the Royal Palace.

Menthuthuyoupi to guard the area surrounding the Royal Palace.

And Youpi was practically glued to the Ant King like a shadow.

"This is the core location of the Royal Guards that we have observed and confirmed over the past few days. Unless there is a major change, their area of activity is basically fixed and will not change easily."

He first pointed at Youpi right next to the Ant King's mark.

"This guy possesses the bizarre Nen ability to split himself into countless tiny individuals. He is the weakest of the Royal Guards, and his fighting style leans towards support and control. His Nen ability is extremely versatile."

"Based on his abilities, it's highly likely that the endless stream of Chimeric Ant soldiers hatching within the Royal Palace are his creation. He stays almost constantly by the Ant King's side, serving as the closest shield."

Although it provides close protection, from a combat perspective, it is actually the easiest target to eliminate.

Then, Morel's finger moved to the symbol representing Youpi.

"Then there's this one, Menthuthuyoupi. His fighting ability is extremely ferocious and powerful, and what's most terrifying is that his strength will surge wildly with anger."

"What's even more troublesome is that he's a monster who can perfectly control his anger and transform his emotions into fighting power. His close-combat ability is beyond doubt, and his destructive power is terrifying."

This opponent is very troublesome. Their overall strength may not be the best, but their ability to cause instantaneous destruction and disrupt the battlefield is absolutely top-notch.

Who should be responsible for restraining or dealing with him will be a difficult problem that requires careful consideration.

Finally, Morel solemnly pointed to the location marker of Neferpitou.

"Finally, and most troublesome and dangerous, is the Cat Woman Neferpitou." His tone carried a clear warning.

"Her overall strength is the strongest among the Royal Guards. Not only does she possess an exaggeratedly large field of perception," like an invisible giant radar covering the inside and outside of the Royal Palace, but she also has a ghostly speed.

"If she tries to run away, or tries to force her way through our Blockade, we have virtually no way to stop her."