Even severed and scattered, the surviving limbs still twitched. It was a clear testament to the Chimera Ants' incredible tenacity and vitality.
This scene didn't scare the rest of the Chimera Ants off—instead, it triggered a swarm. What began as a small group quickly turned into a full-on encirclement, as all the Chimera Ants in the area that hadn't already left were now gathering.
It looked like there were two choices:
One: Kill all the Chimera Ants outside.
Two: Do absolutely nothing and let the ants surround them—maybe, just maybe, they'd get bored and wander off.
Cyr lazily stared at the grotesque ants outside, chuckling to himself at the thought.
"Looks like we'll need to change locations," he muttered, eyes drifting to the scene outside. The Chimera Ants didn't all bleed red—some bled yellow, green... Even though the barrier kept it from splattering inside, just seeing it made his stomach churn.
Clearly, leaving the airship parked here wasn't a smart move.
He raised a hand, dispelling the barrier. The Chimera Ants, sensing the invisible wall vanish, all reflexively stepped back in unison.
Then they saw the people standing where the wall had once been—and it clicked:
Humans.
And not just any humans—rare-quality humans.
After eating so many people, the Chimera Ants had begun ranking the quality of their food.
Old people—little to no nutrition, barely edible.
Children—tender texture, but not filling.
Adults in their prime—not as tender as children, but full of vitality, chewy, and large in size.
And beyond all those were the rare types—humans who possessed some sort of special power.
Those were worth multiple times the energy of an average human. Dozens of times, even.
"These Chimera Ants… their evolution's half-baked. Not human enough, not beast enough…" Cyr thought aloud, unimpressed. "They're just poorly stitched together. Most of them are just disposable grunts—less refined than that spider-ant I killed earlier."
They weren't smart. They had no concept of evaluating strength.
Any smart human would've run by now. Any wild beast with good instincts would've at least backed off slowly.
But these Chimera Ants? They saw Cyr's group and swarmed in like they were starving.
Pokkle immediately drew his bow and fired, nailing a monster dead-center and taking it down in one shot.
A part of him wanted to prove that he wasn't useless.
But then his next arrow struck another monster—and did nothing.
Clenching his teeth, he fired again and again—no effect.
Worse yet, he'd just pulled all the aggro. The monster he struck now had tunnel vision, charging straight at him and ignoring everyone else.
Pokkle's stomach twisted in panic.
Was his power really that weak? He couldn't even scratch this one?
Then—
A massive ice spear, gleaming and deadly, slammed down from above, impaling the monster straight through. The sharp end pierced its head and burst out through its tail.
"Know your place. You're better off clearing small fry," the blond youth who had conjured the spear said coldly, not even glancing at Pokkle.
Realizing his role wasn't to face elites, Pokkle quickly tightened his grip on his bow, casting aside any disappointment.
Cyr hadn't moved. The grunts had already been wiped out. Even the white tiger beast stirred up a gust of wind, blowing the ant corpses far away to keep the space clean.
But the blood remained—a thick, foul stench that clung to the air. Far more pungent than human blood.
It wouldn't be long before the smell attracted more ants.
"Ants at the squad-leader level already seem stronger than the average human ability user," the silent brother-sister duo finally spoke up. Throughout the battle, they had pretended not to exist.
They were always watching.
They had once observed strong humans—and ordinary ones too.
So naturally, they were now observing this battle between humans and ants.
They didn't help.
They didn't attack from behind.
They simply watched.
From what they had seen earlier, if the number of ants increased just a bit more, humanity would lose—
of course, that was assuming the white-haired human didn't get involved.
If he did step in, then no matter how many of these soldier ants showed up, it would be pointless.
The strongest human and the King of the Chimera Ants were destined to clash.
And that battle would decide which side would be the victor.
So...
Aime and Eili both glanced at the white-haired boy who stood off to the side, looking bored.
Who was stronger—him or the Chimera Ant King?
Or… could it be that there was someone even stronger than him on the human side?
"Are you the strongest human?" one of the non-humans asked boldly.
It wasn't exactly an easy question to answer.
People who wore the title of "strongest" didn't tend to meet very happy endings.
Was he the strongest?
Cyr asked himself honestly—and got his answer.
So he replied quite naturally, "I'm not."
"How strong is the strongest human?" Aime asked curiously.
"Never fought them. Don't know. You guys can go try," Cyr replied flatly.
"We're not good at fighting," the two non-humans said in unison.
They had never fought anyone before—not even the villagers back home.
Hunting didn't count as fighting.
"..." Cyr gave them a sidelong glance but said nothing.
Not good at fighting? Oh, right—Nanika inside Alluka wasn't good at fighting either. Didn't stop her from killing people.
If these two really had no ability, how were they allowed to stay by the Queen's side? Their original plan was to capture the Queen, wasn't it? Was she just a super chill monster that kept them around for fun?
Only an idiot would believe they couldn't fight.
---
"We're leaving NGL…" Pokkle suddenly spoke up.
He'd been quiet for a while. Now he had made up his mind.
"We actually came with a few other teams. I saw them all get captured just now."
The monsters that had taken their comrades were way out of their league. If he and Ponzu went after them, it would be suicide.
"We're going to leave NGL and contact the Hunter Association. Report what's going on here," Bokur said.
Since they had entered NGL legally, they weren't allowed to bring in any electronics.
Only by leaving could they use communication equipment and reach the Association.
"Ah, you don't have to tell me," Cyr waved dismissively, clearly uninterested.
If they were gonna leave, then leave. No need to announce it to him.
"Thank you for your help. Good luck. Goodbye," Pokkle said one last time before he and Ponzu took off toward the NGL border at full speed.
Along the way, they might run into more monsters. They might even die before getting out.
But someone had to get the message out.
They couldn't rely on those strong people who ignored the captured humans like it wasn't their problem. It was all on them now.
"This path's clear. No monsters. It's safe," Ponzu reported, sending her bees ahead to scout the route, helping them find a safer way out.
That alone raised their odds of success—just a little.
"…I think we do have a phone," Cyr muttered after they'd left.
As smugglers, they'd brought all sorts of stuff with them.
He just never considered their situation, so it never occurred to him that he could've contacted the Hunter Association too.
"Well, whatever," he said lazily.
Since those two had already taken it upon themselves to spread the word, there was no need for him to lift a finger.
As Pokkle and Ponzu prepared to escape the borders of NGL, yet another team appeared at the edge of the territory.
After completing the entry inspection, only three people were permitted to enter NGL.
"According to the investigation and analysis, this area is the most likely place for that kind of creature to appear…" the silver-haired man said quietly.
This large-scale biological investigation team had recently acquired some Chimera Ant bones. After thorough analysis, they concluded that the most probable location of the threat was—NGL.
So they rushed here without delay.
Although strict border policies meant only three members could enter, it wasn't a major issue.
After entering, Kite and his two teammates split up, each heading in a different direction.
Kite's En radius extended about 45 meters, and ever since entering, he had maintained it continuously.
From daytime into the night.
The fact that he could maintain such a long-lasting En without exhausting himself—even looking like he had energy to spare—was a testament to his strength.
Just as the team's findings suggested, the Chimera Ants had indeed come here. And judging from the signs, they had been active for quite some time.
The army dispatched by NGL had been completely annihilated by the Chimera Ants; the human soldiers had become their food.
Picked clean to the bone, their remains were now stacked like trophies by the ants, awaiting transport back to the nest.
Kite looked at the soldiers' fallen uniforms and weapons scattered nearby, then at the pile of bones, and couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
He was too late.
But sorrow served no purpose now. What he needed to do was continue his mission.
He followed behind the ants, intending to trace the location of their nest.
After tracking them through the night forest, he came upon a scene of devastation, as if a storm had torn through the area.
Disheveled grass, toppled trees, shattered branches, footprints, and multiple craters.
In the largest crater, the vague outline of a face could be seen.
A battle had taken place in this forest. These remnants were its scars.
To leave behind such destruction—only a Chimera Ant could have that kind of power in NGL. One side was likely a Chimera Ant… and the other, judging by the fight, must have been a human.
He just didn't know who had won.
That face-shaped outline in the crater—it looked suspiciously human.
As Kite was thinking this, he suddenly halted.
Ahead of him was something—an overwhelmingly powerful entity, radiating a malicious, monstrous aura...
Compared to the Chimera Ants he had been tailing, this presence was on an entirely different level—like heaven and earth.
That… was a real monster.
Run! I have to run!
Without hesitation, Kite turned and bolted.
"Human... a strong one?"
The figure with short, wavy white hair and crimson eyes locked on. She launched herself like a crazed beast, leaving only a shockwave behind.
Don't run, don't run, human.
Come play with me too.
She couldn't find that other human anymore, but this one should be just as fun.
"Hehehehe—" She laughed uncontrollably while chasing, her voice echoing through the nighttime forest like a phantom.
Behind him, Kite could feel it—the thing chasing him was a monster in every sense.
The moment he let his guard down, she'd catch up and tear out his throat.
No matter what awaited him on the path ahead—death or survival—it was hell either way.
Out of the corner of his eye, Kite caught a glimpse of her and a flood of thoughts rushed through his head.
Then—he noticed she vanished.
In the next instant, Kite shifted his weight and leapt away—just as the monster reappeared at his previous position, claws gleaming, a disappointed glint in her eyes.
If he had hesitated even a second, those claws would've ripped through him.
No time to rest. Just keep running.
"Run, run—being hunted means certain death."
Should I gamble? Draw a weapon?
A jester-like figure appeared at his side, muttering while a number spun on its body.
Kite's expression didn't change, but the number stopped—landing on a specific slot.
A long scythe—grim and sharp—appeared in his hand.
And just in time. He raised it and blocked the incoming blow from the monster.
"Let's see how strong I am now… Strong human, can you help me evolve again?" Neferpitou asked excitedly, unable to hide her eagerness.
Her fight with the last human had awakened a special, useful ability.
What might she learn from this one?
---
Meanwhile, several kilometers away from the battle zone…
Cyr's group was setting up camp.
The airship had been relocated to this area.
Though it was closer to the Chimera Ant nest, Cyr believed in the principle of "hiding in plain sight."
First, there were tents—blending in.
Second, the ants preferred to hunt in areas with more humans.
Leaving the airship out in the open would've made it easier for the ants to stumble upon it. Imagine an ant bringing prey back to the nest, only to run into a bunch of humans in the woods? Again?
Staying near the nest, ironically, was safer. No one would think to check there.
And finally—Cyr didn't want it to seem like he was hiding.
Living far away from the ants made it look like he was scared.
Which would've been embarrassing.
"That cat-like ant's fighting another human again…" The silver-haired boy looked into the dark forest. His cool blue eyes seemed to glow under the moonlight.
The battle wasn't exactly subtle. Anyone with decent strength would notice.
The energy of the person fighting the ant felt familiar.
Cyr dug through his memory—it was Kite. He remembered encountering him in the beast-filled forests of the Azian continent.
Oh yeah, Kite specialized in researching large biological organisms. Chimera Ants did technically qualify.
Some even looked vaguely human—though most were hideous, massive, and bizarrely shaped.
From a scientific standpoint, they were pretty ideal research specimens.
But the queen—she was the one worth studying. Her ability to produce ants resembling whatever she consumed… now that was a unique trait.
If anyone could crack that, they might be able to optimize the human genome.
Well—at least in Cyr's original world, that kind of experimentation was illegal.
°°°
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