"Yes, they are indeed loyal, and their strength is undeniable," Ronnel said, pausing before continuing, "but it's a pity—they have a reason to die."
He looked at the Chimera Ant King and added, "Just like you."
This was a war between two races—humans and Chimera Ants. In a war of races, positions were everything. Right or wrong didn't matter.
"Eat them."
Ronnel's words sent a shockwave through those present, including Morel and the others.
"I can see the injuries accumulating in your body. Some are even visible on the outside."
"Your three Royal Guards are the strongest Chimera Ants in your army besides you."
"If you consume them, not only will you fully recover, but your strength and abilities will be enhanced beyond measure."
"Once you reach that point, you can fight me again."
Ronnel fell silent after that, waiting for the Ant King's decision.
This was the very reason he had collected the bodies of the three Royal Guards.
This was why he had Morel and the others ensure their bodies remained intact.
Touching corpses was just a basic act, but Ronnel's real intention had always been for the Ant King to devour his own guards.
...
In the original events, the Ant King had been blown apart by Netero's Poor Man's Rose, his limbs and tail completely obliterated, leaving behind only a charred torso. He had been on the brink of death.
Had Youpi been even a second late in retrieving him from the sea of fire and magma, the King would have perished entirely.
And yet, in that desperate moment, both Youpi and Shaiapouf sacrificed the majority of their own bodies to sustain him.
As a result, the Ant King's grievous injuries healed almost instantly. His limbs, tail, and appearance were fully restored, and his strength—his aura—grew exponentially.
His speed and power broke all previous limits. Upon returning to the palace's central hall, Shaiapouf and Youpi couldn't even react to his movements. It was as if he had teleported, appearing outside the palace in an instant and striking down Knuckle effortlessly.
Even his En expanded to an unimaginable range, covering the entire country—perhaps even further. More than that, his En became so refined he could detect the emotions of those within it.
Along with his heightened abilities, he gained advanced versions of both Shaiapouf's and Youpi's Nen techniques.
And all of this came from consuming only a portion of two of his guards.
His body had been critically wounded, meaning much of the energy he absorbed was used for healing rather than enhancement.
But what if that weren't the case?
...
What if he used all the power gained from consuming his Royal Guards purely for strengthening himself?
What if he didn't just consume a portion of Shaiapouf and Youpi—but devoured all of them, along with Neferpitou?
How powerful would the Ant King become then?!
Take En, for example. Among the three Royal Guards, Neferpitou had the greatest range.
And just from consuming most of Shaiapouf and Youpi, the Ant King's En had already expanded beyond the borders of an entire nation.
What if he absorbed Neferpitou's abilities as well?
The Ant King's Nen allowed him to grow stronger by consuming the flesh and blood of Nen users.
This wasn't a simple 1+1=2 kind of enhancement. No, this was a geometric progression—a terrifying exponential surge in power.
That was why Ronnel had gathered the bodies of the three Royal Guards and offered them to the Ant King.
He wanted to push the King beyond all known limits—to create a combat power that stood at the absolute pinnacle of the world.
...
Even after consuming most of Shaiapouf and Youpi's bodies, the Ant King had already reached an untouchable level—an existence far beyond anything the six continents had seen.
But if he consumed all three guards?
To put it simply—he would become invincible among the invincible.
Ronnel had no ulterior motive in strengthening the Ant King.
For one, as he had already stated, defeating the current Ant King meant nothing.
After everything he had gone through—the countless strong foes he had fought, the corpses he had touched—
The Shadow Beasts. Uvogin. Nobunaga. Pakunoda. The Bone King. Jed, who had stood at the peak of power alongside Netero. The strongest Chimera Ant officers. And now, the three Royal Guards.
Alongside all the countless tombs and burial grounds he had passed through, Ronnel had absorbed the essence and energy of the world's strongest fighters.
His power had already far surpassed the limits of the six continents. His aura and Nen had reached the pinnacle of existence.
And beyond that, after refining his physical condition to its peak, his body had become the most formidable in the world.
The moment he had completed his training, he had already surpassed the Ant King.
Even in the original timeline, after consuming most of Shaiapouf and Youpi's bodies, the revived Ant King would not have posed a real threat to Ronnel.
...
The Ant King's greatest strength was his physical body. His greatest weapon was raw speed and strength.
And yet, in those very aspects, Ronnel had already surpassed him.
If the Ant King was the ultimate evolutionary product of the Chimera Ant species, then Ronnel was the culmination of the strongest warriors across the six continents.
The current Ant King was no longer a threat to him.
And with his injuries still lingering, there was no challenge in fighting him now. There would be no sense of satisfaction—only a hollow, meaningless victory.
But an Ant King at his absolute peak—that was an opponent worth facing.
A battle against an overwhelming force, like his fights against Overlord and Jed—that was what truly excited Ronnel.
...
And then there was the matter of practical benefits.
With Gravekeeper's Grasp, Ronnel could extract the most valuable elements from the dead.
However, his own power had grown so immense that there were few worthwhile gains to be found in his opponents' remains anymore.
Still, along the way here, he had already touched the bodies of the three Royal Guards…
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Fanfic is completed on patreon.com/FanficsHub (799 chapters in total)