At the frog's call, a short chimera ant with a long snout, a hunched body, and a back covered in hard scales stepped out of the crowd with a low chuckle. He looked like a pangolin.
"How lucky," he murmured.
The frog leading them remarked indifferently, "Oh, it's Baro."
At those words, the other chimera ants gathered around let out envious murmurs in unison.
The chimera ant named Baro smiled calmly, then walked up to Gon.
Meanwhile, Cordis had already hidden behind a large tree for fear of getting caught in the crossfire. Seeing the pangolin-like chimera ant, he couldn't hide the surprise in his eyes.
"A pangolin! They're so rare. A top-quality medicinal ingredient, too."
Kite, who had taken cover beside him, asked casually, "Huh? But this one probably can't be used for medicine."
Cordis sighed in disappointment.
As luck would have it, Baro, who had been brimming with confidence, heard every word of their conversation. Worse, he could distinctly feel Cordis's covetous gaze on him.
He couldn't help shivering.
Baro probably never imagined that, after eating humans for so long, he would one day find himself coveted by one.
Fortunately, Kite's words helped him relax a little.
Good, good. I can't be used for medicine.
After Kite said that, the gaze fixed on him quietly disappeared.
Baro breathed a sigh of relief, then looked back at Gon, who stood before him with a serious expression and a furrowed brow. His long, slender tongue licked his snout.
Just as he was about to attack, the big frog called out from behind him.
"What counts as winning?"
Baro chuckled, his eyes fixed on Gon. "Until one of us dies, of course."
Gon neither agreed nor objected. A flicker of disappointment passed through his eyes as he looked at Baro, then