Resentment and God Cult

PS: First, let me clarify that I did update on the 31st in the early morning. Second, I said I'd add an extra chapter if daily recommendations hit 100, but it seems that's never happened. It's not that I don't want to add more—I have about ten chapters stockpiled. It's up to you whether you can force them out of me. I worked overtime yesterday, and today I didn't even rest before coming home to post this chapter. I'll take a nap soon and check today's recommendations. The data says this month's recommendations are at 2, meaning just two on September 1st. Whether I add a chapter depends on whether you can push that number to 100.

Finally, thanks to Cjso, Ji Ming, and Renpin Ah Ah, as well as the book friend "Chong Zhong Zi You Er Shou Fang" for their tips. Thanks again to book friend sar0825 for the tip. That's all.

"Good, you've handled this well. Once those three Squad Leaders have digested that thing, bring them to me. I have further orders for them." Meruem's voice drifted lightly, yet every ant present heard it clearly. Standing beside the throne where Meruem sat was Neferpitou, the cat-woman and one of his three most trusted Royal Guards.

Knowing the plot, Meruem was well aware that among the three Royal Guards, only the cat-woman could fully carry out his commands. Though all three were utterly loyal, willing to sacrifice their lives for him without hesitation, the butterfly-man Pouf had a habit of twisting his orders and adding his own interpretations to stir up small schemes. While his intentions were always for Meruem's sake, that was precisely what made him most troublesome—punishing him felt wrong, and praising him felt off. As for Youpi, the rabbit-like brute, his mind was simple. If you wanted him to fight or destroy, he'd handle it easily. But ask him to manage something complex? Well, haha. Pitou was the most satisfying subordinate among the three for Meruem to use, though that definitely had nothing to do with Meruem having a soft spot for cat-girls. Ahem, take that hand off her tail first.

Of course, beyond the Royal Guards, there were also the Squad Leaders. Some of them harbored their own little schemes, but nothing too harmful. Still, when it came to trust, Meruem favored the cat-woman Pitou, whether for her abilities or her appearance.

"By the way, how is that matter progressing?" Meruem suddenly asked, turning toward a shadowed corner.

"Your Majesty, no issues. The church is fully established. In East Gorteau Republic alone, we've already developed one hundred thousand followers. Among them, a thousand have become Core Believers willing to undergo Chimera Ant modification," a low voice replied.

"Only one hundred thousand? That's not enough! Continue spreading our doctrine and expand the range. Soon, someone will draw the humans' attention. That will be the perfect opportunity for your missionary work." Meruem sat on his throne, propping his head with his left hand while his right hand toyed with the cat-woman's tail, a playful expression on his face.

"Yes." Though the reply was decisive, the voice from the shadows paused briefly, as if hesitating to say more.

"Speak your mind. I, your King, pardon you."

"Your Majesty, why do you place such importance on this so-called church? If it's just about modification, there's no need to care about human consent, is there? To increase our fighting force with modified ant soldiers, we could simply summon more humans, then have Lord Pouf..."

"Hypnotize them, and then have Pitou perform large-scale modifications, right?" Meruem cut off the shadowy figure before he could finish. The figure's idea aligned perfectly with the original Chimera Ant Remade plan. That approach, while fast, had many fatal flaws. In the original story, the Ant King and his Royal Guards were far too arrogant, believing themselves the strongest in the world with no one to stop them. That's why they acted so brazenly, stirring up such a commotion that humans had no choice but to respond—leading to the Rose Bomb. Don't take everyone for fools.

"That flaw is just one of many. I've told you before: we Chimera Ants are not the strongest beings in this world. There are probably quite a few ants who share your way of thinking, and you're their representative, aren't you?" As he spoke, Meruem rubbed Pitou's tail against his cheek, then brought it near his nose and took a deep breath. Mm, this scent was wonderful. Pitou, standing beside the throne, remained expressionless and upright, but a faint blush crept onto her cheeks.

"I am terrified, Your Majesty. We don't mean to question your methods, only to voice some doubts," the figure in the shadows said, too preoccupied with Meruem's teasing of Pitou to notice, trembling as he hurriedly explained. Meruem had little tolerance for Squad Leaders gathering to conspire.

"No need to be so tense. I am no tyrant; I won't take out my anger over such trivial matters." The texture is really good. He continued stroking Pitou's smooth tail as he spoke.

"It's natural for you to have doubts. What I just mentioned was one flaw in the suggestion you raised. Now, the second flaw: after modifying humans under these non-consensual conditions, have you considered the reaction of those modified when they wake up?"

"Reaction? Shouldn't they fight for our race and become our combat strength?" The shadow replied with a tone of utter certainty.

"How could that be? If it were you, and you were suddenly turned into that creature humans call a pig, would you calmly eat and wait for humans to kill and eat you?" Meruem's tone carried a hint of exasperation. These ants still didn't get it—the hardest thing to predict in this world was the human heart. Turned into a monster, how could anyone wholeheartedly serve the one who made them that way?

"I would definitely find a way to kill that human."

"There you have it. You feel that way, so humans do too. If we turn them into ants, their most likely response is to become our enemies."

"But we could still—"

"You mean hypnotize and control them?"

"Your Majesty is wise."

"Naive. Setting aside whether we Chimera Ants have the technology to perfectly control an opponent without damaging their combat power, if we did, wouldn't it be better to directly control the upper echelons of human society and make them fight among themselves? Besides, hypnosis has its limits. Once they awaken, our race will face even fiercer retaliation." Just like Welfin and Gyro in the original story—after regaining their human memories, they immediately betrayed the Chimera Ants. The human heart, a trait unique to intelligent beings, could never be perfectly controlled.

"But there is something in this world that can make humans willingly give everything—even kill their own offspring or sacrifice their own lives." That thing was religious faith. The brainwashing of religious belief was far more terrifying than pyramid schemes. In his past life, Meruem knew of many who had killed their children or spouses to prove their faith. Yes, developing followers and establishing a church was one of Meruem's plans. Faith could drive people mad, especially fanatics—beings with whom no normal human could reason. In other words, if Meruem's plan succeeded, he would gain a loyal army of fanatics, humans who willingly accepted modification. Their loyalty would surpass even that of many Squad Leaders. Most importantly, Meruem had noticed that in the Hunter World, there were almost no large-scale religions. Only a few ethnic minorities or primitive tribes had simple beliefs. Most humans in the Hunter World had no faith at all. This was an opportunity. Meruem intended to give them faith, and the god they would worship—was himself, Meruem Yang. The Hunter World was different from peaceful worlds; it was filled with sorrow and injustice. For example, Meteor City.

Where there were people, there was oppression. Where there was oppression, there was injustice. Where there was injustice, there was resentment. Want power? Then join our divine church! Our church aims to create a fair and just world, free from oppression and hunger, where everyone is happy. Want revenge? Then join our divine church! Our almighty Ant God will grant you strength. That face unlike a human's? That's the mark of an Ant God Envoy—you should feel honored. After death, you will return to the Ant God's embrace and gain eternal life in the divine kingdom.

In his past life, this kind of propaganda was common and no one would believe it. But this world was different. Religions existed but were small and obscure. Many humans were as blank as white paper, making this the perfect time and soil for spreading the church. While it might be hard to establish a church in the most developed cities and nations of the Hunter World, backward countries like East Gorteau Republic were the best soil for growth. With a little hypnotic guidance on the side, once Meruem built and expanded his church in the Hunter World, the effects would be devastating. Then, even the leaders of various nations wouldn't dare act against the Chimera Ants lightly—at least not openly.

But though Meruem thought this way, the other ants didn't understand why their King was going to such lengths for something they considered "simple."

"Forget it. You probably still don't get it. Just do as I say, and that'll be fine." Meruem's tone carried a hint of frustration at their lack of understanding. The entire Chimera Ant race lacked a true strategist—not that there were no smart individuals, but no one with a vision for sustainable, long-term development. Open strategy was the true path to victory!

"Yes, Your Majesty." The shadow listened for a while, still looking impressed but clueless. One more thing: the figure in the shadows was named Snake. He was one of the Anbu Twelve Stars, codenamed Already Snake, and along with four other members of the Twelve Stars, he was specifically tasked with handling church affairs.

"Then, according to plan, the only thing left is news of that person. Hmph, finding that person has been assigned to six members of the Anbu Twelve Stars. Each of those six is a powerhouse who could go toe-to-toe with the Phantom Troupe—they might not win, but they're far stronger than any Shadow Beasts Squad. I'm sure news will come soon." Meruem muttered to himself. The person he spoke of was also a remarkable existence. And in Hunter x Hunter, he had appeared—though only in the Movie Version. This man's domineering presence and strength were, in a sense, even greater than Netero's, at least as the movie portrayed it.

Do you know about resentment? That's right, this man was the big boss in Hunter x Hunter: The Last Mission, a powerful villain who effortlessly toyed with Heaven's Arena and sealed Netero's Nen. The user of resentment abilities—Jed.

At the same time, three massive surges of Nen erupted from the palace council chamber.