Hunter x Hunter : Germain Joins The Hunt

That was a good question.

Germain took out his triangular hat from his chest and put it on, casting a shadow over half of his face.

He really wanted to answer that he came to stop Netero from potentially going down the path of destruction alongside the Ant King.

But he knew that the answer Zeno was looking for wasn't that one.

"Because they are like humans, but they are not humans. They won't commit suicide or sign a surrender agreement after losing."

"They eat humans. Humans are on their menu, and to them, humans are the most delicious food. As long as they are alive, they will keep hunting. It never stops."

"Humans don't eat certain meats simply because they taste bad, are poisonous, or there are better alternatives, not because they are dangerous. The chimera ants are the same."

"They are Chimera Ants, a species that evolves at an incredibly fast rate. If we don't eliminate them in time, it will be the end of humanity."

Germain wasn't exaggerating.

In a timeline known only to him, Netero ultimately used the Poor Man's Rose explosion to defeat the Ant King, Meruem.

However, after the explosion, the Ant King, Meruem, actually revived.

The revived Meruem gained a terrifying ability: instant teleportation. As long as it was within the range of its Nen, it could teleport there in the blink of an eye.

After its rebirth, Meruem's Nen extended far beyond the entire palace of the East Gorteau Kingdom, far beyond Neferpitou's, and reached an extremely terrifying level.

In other words, if the revived Ant King was in the presence of Poor Man's Rose, even if it exploded right in front of him, he could instantly teleport to a safe place, completely unharmed.

Against such an Ant King, all of humanity's conventional weapons would be useless.

Moreover, the Ant King's intelligence was also continuously improving, making it extremely difficult to trick it into a trap again.

In fact, if it weren't for the small wheat (referring to the situation with Meruem's human interaction), the Ant King might not have even willingly left with Netero to engage in a one-on-one battle.

The reason Netero, V5, and the Hunter Association chose Poor Man's Rose was to ensure its poison would eliminate all possible future threats.

In hindsight, that decision was absolutely correct.

Zeno chuckled a few times.

"Germain, don't you feel any sympathy for these creatures, who possess intelligence similar to ours?"

Germain shook his head.

"I feel sympathy for stray cats and dogs because, within my sight, they do not pose a threat to me."

"My sympathy for them satisfies my own spiritual needs, making me feel a sense of pleasure from knowing I can control them, and it gives me a sense of social and familial status that I can't find elsewhere."

"Chimera Ants cannot be pitied. They have their own pride, and their species' talents far surpass ours."

"Our advantage lies in the evolved and mature human societal system. Individually, the vast majority of humans are no match for them."

"They could easily replace humans, become the new rulers of the Six Continents, and sit at the top of the food chain."

"In other words, humans are not special. Other species can evolve, they can also dominate the world. That is what humans fear the most."

"As a 'stray cat' and 'stray dog,' I will not pity 'humans.'"

"Even if the Ant King is a benevolent ruler, not wishing for humanity's extinction after victory, such feelings are only temporary… because it, along with the other Chimera Ants, will soon feel the same fear."

"They will worry that one day, after humanity evolves, humans will reverse and dominate them."

"From the very beginning, there was no other choice—only the path of total eradication."

"Knowing full well that their growth could destroy human society, wipe out humanity, and replace humans, yet still worrying about their future? That's either stupidity or arrogance."

Zeno couldn't help but chuckle a few times. He was pleased with the answer he had heard.

"It seems the Chairman Netero called you here not just because of your fighting ability… but because of your clarity of mind."

"Well then, our 'play' is over. Let's wait for Netero to return on the airship. I have a feeling he knows the result and will mock me mercilessly."

But that night, Netero did not return, nor did he leave any messages for them.

The group calmly waited, neither hurried nor anxious.

It wasn't until November 13th that Netero suddenly returned to the airship, appearing as if he had never left, completely at ease.

Just as Zeno had predicted, upon learning the results of the fight, Netero did not hesitate to mock Zeno.

Zeno couldn't even be angry, as Netero was far older and of a much higher status than he was.

Then, Netero informed Germain, Zeno, and Silva of three things.

The first matter: the three royal guards began a large-scale selection and transformation of the people within the Republic of East Gorteau.

These people would be transformed into Chimera Ants to live their second lives.

Humans, especially Nen users, when transformed into Chimera Ants, would see their abilities amplified. An ordinary Nen user could suddenly become much stronger.

This focused selection and transformation process is dangerous.

The second matter: the final battle against the Chimera Ants has been scheduled for November 23 at midnight.

Netero has already communicated with Morel, Knov, Shoot, and the others.

At that time, no matter what happens, everyone will launch an attack on the palace where the Ant King and the three royal guards are located.

The third matter: Netero informed everyone that if he is unable to defeat the Ant King in the final battle, he will use his ultimate weapon—the Poor Man's Rose bomb—to take both himself and the Ant King down.

This decision was made in a combat meeting far from the Republic of East Gorteau, in a safe location.

Zeno's mission has been updated.

In addition to stopping the three royal guards from interfering with Netero's battle with the Ant King, he is to use his Nen ability to transport both Netero and the Ant King to a wild area above the underground weapon test site, some distance from the palace.

This wild area is open, with only a few mountains, and no nearby villages. It's a perfect place for battle.

Netero had been gone for a few days because he had undergone surgery to implant the Poor Man's Rose into his body. The detonator was connected to his heartbeats.

If his heart stops beating for more than two seconds, the detonator will activate, triggering the explosion of the Poor Man's Rose buried inside him.

This small bomb has terrifying power, capable of destroying the entire underground weapon test site, taking both him and the Ant King with it.

The reason it won't be detonated inside the palace is that there are still many humans alive inside.

The people in the operation meeting didn't want to take responsibility for the aftermath.

Since Netero wanted to face the Ant King himself, it was a perfect opportunity to let Netero take full responsibility.

This way, everything should go smoothly.

Zeno remained silent for a moment before agreeing.

Netero gave a look that stopped Germain from speaking.

"I know why Linne sent you here. But, if you don't have a better method, then there's no need to say anything more."

"Just raising problems without offering solutions is meaningless… and I have a clear task for you to handle."

"Theoretically, the explosion of the Poor Man Rose and its poison should be enough to kill the Ant King. However, since this Ant King is the most unusual one we've ever seen, it needs to be handled differently."

Netero stroked the short beard on his chin and looked out of the airship's window at the night view.

"According to intelligence, one of the three Royal Guards, Neferpitou, has a Nen ability that can repair and modify the body…"

"Although it's unlikely, it's possible that Neferpitou could repair the Ant King's shattered body and remove the Poor Rose's poison, allowing the Ant King to survive."

"Even if this chance is very low, it must be completely eliminated."

Netero's tone became cold and unwavering.

"Germain, your target is Neferpitou. You must either stop it from reaching the Ant King before the Ant King dies, or kill it to end the matter."

"If you can't do this, then there's no point in thinking about anything else."

Germain wasn't someone to act on emotions. He didn't hesitate for long and agreed.

Because Netero's words weren't random guesses.

The Ant King had eaten two of the three Royal Guards, gaining their Nen abilities upon rebirth. What would happen if it ate all three?

The next day, Netero took the initiative to propose a martial arts competition with Germain.

Zeno and Silva came to watch the battle.

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