By the time Joey realized that the key to this Extermination Mission had never been Meruem, but Neferpitou, only one minute and seven seconds had passed since the Extermination Team stormed the palace!
It was also then that Joey fully realized his own importance and understood that the entire direction of the Extermination Team's plan was wrong!
But Joey alone knew all this.
If they could not eliminate Neferpitou, all the Extermination Team's efforts might come to nothing.
How far would Meruem have evolved by then-B+ or A Rank?
Based on the joint analysis of Chimera Ant experts and Nen users, the highest danger rating for Chimera Ants, which reproduced through phagogenesis, was B Rank.
That assessment had accounted for the possibility of Meruem growing stronger after acquiring Nen.
But there were three gaps in it.
The first was the nature of Meruem's Nen Ability: devouring the strong made him stronger, an ability with the potential for limitless evolution.
The second was Neferpitou's existence.
The last was the ability to perform Exorcism.
Meruem's ability to gain others' aura and abilities by devouring them was a dangerous ability that far exceeded that assessment.
Neferpitou's powerful healing ability, developed specifically for Meruem, made killing him more difficult.
Finally, the ability to perform Exorcism might become the crucial factor that made it difficult for even the V5 to deal with Meruem.
And all those conditions had already come together in the palace.
There was Meruem's own strength, Neferpitou's willingness to sacrifice for him without hesitation, and finally, if Joey remembered correctly, another Chimera Ant in the palace who specialized in Exorcism.
Of course, truly surpassing a B Rank rating would not be easy.
The energy of the Three Royal Guards might also be indispensable, and even whether Meruem would eat the Chimera Ant