Monster Heart X Reaching the Battlefield
The headless, red body lay silently amidst the ruins.
The blood vessels were completely blocked by the instantaneous high temperature, and not a single drop could flow from the neck. The edges of the wound had a charred color.
But even without a head.
The corpse was still instinctively repairing its wounds, but without a brain, the process became slow and chaotic.
Kevin looked down at the corpse at his feet, his face expressionless.
He simply killed a Chimera Ant that was destined to die at his hands.
He squatted down with remarkable agility, extended his fingers, and precisely tore a deep, bone-revealing gash in the other man's muscular chest.
Without hesitation, the arm reached out like a precise surgical instrument and ripped out a non-human heart that was still pulsating slightly but had completely lost its vitality.
Feeling the faint yet unique material fluctuations emanating from my palm, it was a cold touch containing a violent Life Force.
The heart is still beating.
"It really is the heart, just like a person's."
He muttered to himself, a hint of wistfulness in his voice.
This perfectly confirms our previous conjecture.
Just like the only organ in a person's body, or rather, in Nen user's body, that can sense material fluctuations.
The only organ in these Chimera Ant that can sense fluctuations in material is their heart.
Apart from the previous Queen.
Perhaps it's because the Queen doesn't possess Nen ability at all.
Regardless, this A-rank heart, brimming with the essence of life, is the core spoils of this battle.
The smoke of battle had not yet dissipated, and the pungent smell of burning permeated the rubble.
Just then...
A figure flapped its large wings and flew over, cutting through the night sky.
It was Rukira.
He cautiously folded his wings, landing with a hint of wariness and doubt, and solemnly surveyed the battlefield before him.
The sight before him made him gasp, his expression one of undisguised, utter shock.
He had just dealt with a modified soldier blocking his way when he heard the earth-shattering commotion and couldn't help but come over to take a look.
In this raid, the main task of these Chimeric Ant was to eliminate the modified soldiers, so they were generally free to act, clear out enemies in the Royal Palace, and cooperate with Kevin and the others.
If he remembers correctly, this should be the location of the Palace.
But now, diagonally to the left from the center, the entire Palace structure has completely vanished, utterly destroyed by the violent force.
In other words, one-third of the Palace is completely gone.
Everywhere were collapsed ruins, shocking deep pits, and scattered rubble. The ground was covered with cracks like a tortoise shell and shattered stones.
The entire area was in ruins, as if it had been subjected to a long and intense carpet bombing.
He saw Kevin standing in the middle of the ruins.
Then, his gaze was involuntarily drawn to the red corpse lying at Kevin's feet.
In an instant, he froze on the spot as if he had been frozen in place, stunned.
Guards!
One of the Ant King's Royal Guards!
That was their former boss, someone whose terrifying strength was ingrained in their very being, someone whose mere presence was enough to inspire despair, someone they could never defeat and could only submit to.
But now, that body that symbolized strength and Loyalty has been transformed into a headless, chest-open, and gruesomely deceased, cold corpse.
The corpse's vitality still kept it wriggling.
Now let's look at Kevin.
His body was spotless, not even a speck of dust remained, and his clothes were impeccably neat, as if he hadn't been in any battle at all.
Kevin stood there calmly; if one hadn't witnessed the devastating battlefield firsthand, no one would have guessed that Kevin had experienced such intense fighting.
"I was just thinking about that, you've come at the perfect time."
Kevin looked at Rukira, a slight smile playing on his lips, and casually tossed the heart in his hand over.
Almost reflexively, Rukira rushed forward a few steps to catch the still-warm, gently beating heart.
"Please keep this safe for me. I'm heading to the real battlefield now." Kevin's tone left no room for argument.
"Yes." Rukira almost instinctively, with heartfelt respect.
Before he could even properly feel the pulse of the strange heart in his hand, or ask for details, he was left speechless.
A suffocatingly hot aura, as if emanating from the core of a furnace, swept over us.
The raging heat made Rukira's skin feel as if it were being pricked by countless tiny needles. He had to quickly pull his heart out and instinctively cross his arms to shield himself from the heat.
This heatwave not only burned the skin but also brought a heavy sense of oppression.
The surrounding darkness was instantly shattered by a sudden, intense burst of red light, which pierced the ground with scorching rays—a phantom image of Blazing Phoenix formed from pure energy, transformed from pure thought energy.
The red light coalesced into a shape, like a shooting star moving in reverse, carrying Kevin as it soared into the sky. In the blink of an eye, it traced a beautiful yet deadly arc, trailing a long fiery tail, before disappearing into the deep, distant horizon.
Rukira slowly lower his arm, which had been blocking his view and was burning hot from the heat.
As the red light disappeared and the figure vanished from sight, his mind went blank for a moment, and he could only stand there dumbfounded.
Silence enveloped the ruins, with only the faint echoes of the battle reverberating in the distance.
He was jolted awake from this incredible shock only after hearing the hurried movements of soldiers nearby.
"Is this... is this really a power that humans can achieve?"
He murmured absentmindedly, his voice filled with confusion and awe.
Those vague fragments of childhood memories simply cannot provide any matching cognition to explain what is happening before our eyes.
A sense of crisis instantly drew his attention back.
At that moment, a noticeable commotion came from behind.
A poisonous stinger flew through the air with a whooshing sound, forcing him to dodge it by tilting his head.
His expression instantly turned to cold anger, and his sharp gaze swept over.
These were the modified soldiers who had just made the noise; they had somehow been drawn over by the earth-shattering roar.
Rukira's wings flapped suddenly.
His movements were as swift as a ghost, creating a gust of wind.
It flew through the air in a swift black arc, directly behind the modified soldier, and with a kick imbued with the power of its entire body, filled with offended rage, it sent the opponent's head flying like a ripe watermelon.
Looking at the decapitated body, slumped over.
Rukira looked down at his blood-stained hands and feet, then glanced in the direction Kevin had disappeared, and murmured to himself.
"Were you, me, and him once the same race?"
A complex and indescribable emotion welled up within him, and he couldn't help but sigh.
Just how terrifying is the potential of the human race?
The original corpse had already turned to ashes in the previous high temperature.
What I'm seeing is beyond my imagination.
A dazzling dragon of light, formed from Zeno's immense Nen Aura, soared steadily through the deep sky.
Netero sat calmly on the broad back of the light dragon, while the Ant King wrapped his strong tail securely around the dragon's claws, his hands naturally clasped in front of his chest.
Even in the high-speed flight of the sky, his posture remained as upright as a pine tree, exuding an innate kingly majesty.
By this time, the light dragon had flown quite a distance forward, and the surrounding area had completely turned into a deathly still place.
A desolate land devoid of life.
Looking out, there is not a trace of greenery in the barren environment; it is an endless expanse of pure sand and gravel Gobi.
Desolate and lifeless, devoid of birds and human habitation, a scene of utter devastation.
They seemed to have reached the designated location. The light dragon carrying the two of them transformed into specks of golden light and dissipated into the night sky. The two of them then gracefully descended from the sky together.
The Ant King set foot on this unfamiliar land for the first time, observing the drastically different environment around him.
To be honest, it seems he has never left the Palace and the surrounding area since his birth.
So this was definitely the first time he had ever seen such a scene since he was born.
A place abandoned by civilization, devoid of any vitality.
Seeing the Ant King's slightly curious expression, Netero kindly explained with a hint of amusement.
"This is a testing ground for human weapons, so you can do whatever you want here without worrying about damaging anything." His voice was exceptionally clear in the vast Gobi.
Upon hearing Netero's words, the Ant King slowly turned his head to look at him.
His pupils held a hint of inquiry, and his voice was deep and questioning.
He asked, "Why do you want to fight me?" as if this was a question he needed to ponder.
"Um?"
Netero raised an eyebrow, seemingly surprised by his question, his doubt evident.
"You can't beat me, so don't go throwing your life away."
The Ant King looked at him and spoke in a calm tone, as if stating a fact.
The tone was matter-of-fact, carrying a sense of condescension.
These words made Netero frown slightly, and he couldn't help but reach out and symbolically pick his ear, as if amused by the other party's arrogance, yet also with a hint of displeasure at being slighted.
"How would you know if you haven't tried? Besides, this is the first time you've seen me, isn't it? Judging by appearances will only lead to trouble."
Netero's tone carried the teasing characteristic of the elderly, but his eyes were extremely serious.
After all, Netero's appearance was indeed that of an elderly man with white hair and beard.
It can instinctively give people the feeling that they are taking advantage of an elderly person.
However, the Ant King's expression remained calm throughout; he saw through the essence, not just the outward appearance.
"Facts are facts. You don't seem like the kind of person who can't see the bigger picture; you should be well aware of the chasm between us."
The Ant King's voice was completely flat; he was simply stating a conclusion that he believed to be correct.
Both were powerful figures standing at the pinnacle of their respective races.
Even without actual combat, they could clearly sense the fundamental differences between them, as well as the degree of their power levels.
From the moment their eyes first met, their souls knew clearly the difference in their strength.
"I was born to rule this world, and all things should bow down at my feet," the Ant King's voice carried an innate majesty. "However, I also understand that words alone will not easily convince others to submit."
"Especially you humans, foolish, ignorant, and unable to see the situation clearly," he commented mercilessly, then added, "However, you are not entirely useless; after all, even my guards were defeated by you."
He admitted defeat, but his tone was as if he were commenting on something that had nothing to do with him.
He made no attempt to excuse the failure of his guards; his very birth was due to their negligence and, at the time, perceived weakness.
Although he didn't punish them, deep down he didn't think his guards were particularly capable. The purpose of a guard is to protect; failure is a disqualification.
The fact that they were able to push their own guards to this extent is enough to show that although humanity as a whole is weak, the individual is not entirely weak.
Among them are some who are capable of fighting.
His value is truly revealed in ruling such a race; this is what a king should do.
Challenges bring a sense of accomplishment.
Moreover, during this period, he absorbed human knowledge at an astonishingly exaggerated speed, gaining a comprehensive understanding of human society.
He discovered numerous settings that he considered illogical and completely unreasonable.
Extreme polarization between the rich and poor, enormous waste of resources, and endless conflicts...
Therefore, it is only natural for him to rule the world and correct these mistakes.
This is his destiny.
That's his opinion.
"Someone like you is rare indeed. If you submit to me, you can escape with your life," the Ant King said, staring directly into Netero's eyes. "Why do you insist on being my enemy?"
This seemed like a real puzzle to him. Why would a Wise One choose a path that inevitably leads to death?
Just as Netero was pondering how to respond to this probing question that went straight to the heart, a sudden change occurred.
A fiery Fire Line flashed across the sky.
A scorching aura, like a miniature sun, was approaching at an alarming speed. The sudden event interrupted their verbal exchange, and both of them involuntarily turned their sharp gazes toward the horizon.
The flame was so dazzling and swift. At first glance, it was like a spark on the horizon, but upon closer inspection, it had torn through the sky and was right there.
The flame traced a precise arc, landing beside the two men, specifically behind Netero.
The scorching heat spread like a wave, then seemed to be gathered up by an invisible hand and vanished instantly; the flame dissipated as quickly as burning paper scraps.
A tall, imposing figure was revealed inside.
It was Kevin who arrived quickly.
"You came pretty quickly." Netero's tone carried a hint of approval, as well as a sense of relief that the plan was going smoothly.
Kevin's gaze swept over the Ant King, then landed on Netero, and he nodded.
"Looks like I'm not slow," he replied succinctly.
The distance here is not short, but the speed he was propelled by the Phoenix far surpassed that of the Nen Aura Light Dragon that had transported the two of them here before.
Although we were delayed a bit by dealing with Youpi, we arrived just in time and didn't miss this crucial meeting.
"Another human?"