Chapter 139: Heading to East Gorteau
Republic of East Gorteau, the Royal Palace.
The King of Ants and his followers had completely taken control of the place. Standing on the second floor of the palace, the King looked down at the square below and remarked, "The view is nice, and it's quite spacious."
"Let's name this place the Meat Tree Garden and use it as the processing ground for humans."
The Royal Guards kneeling behind him responded in unison, "Yes!"
Meanwhile, the extermination team, having obtained the exact whereabouts of the King of Ants, embarked on their journey to the Republic of East Gorteau.
Inside a speeding train.
Knuckle adjusted his glasses with a finger and said, "Is it really alright to bring the two of them along?"
"No problem," Kite replied from across the seat. "After the intensive training I've given them over this period, they've grown into capable hunters who can hold their own."
Morel glanced at his disciple and the younger generation like Gon in the distance and chuckled. "We should have faith in the youth. We were once like them too. As Kite said, their progress these days is evident to all."
Kite remained silent, gazing out the window at the passing scenery.
The enemy was now right before them.
Would that man come?
...
Kukuroo Mountain, Zoldyck Family.
After finishing today's sparring session with the Chairman, Mord returned to the villa, took a shower, and went to the living room. Netero was already sitting on the sofa, watching international news on TV.
"Recent frequent political movements in the Republic of East Gorteau—what could they mean?" the hostess on TV said.
"Today, General Ming Jol-ik personally delivered a televised speech, strongly urging all citizens to participate in the National Foundation Day ceremony to be held in the capital, Peijin, ten days from now."
As she spoke, footage of Ming Jol-ik and his army appeared on the screen.
"Has there ever been a precedent for a gathering of this scale?" the hostess shifted the topic, addressing the guest beside her.
The guest, bearing the title of international affairs expert, replied, "Yes, there have been a few gatherings in the past where all citizens were called to participate."
"However, previous events only lasted one day, and workers in hospitals and service industries were specially permitted to be absent. The actual attendance rate was generally around 70%."
"This convention lasts for three days, requiring nearly 100% attendance—even infants and the sick must participate. This is an extremely rare occurrence."
"To facilitate this convention, public transportation like trains and buses have been made completely free—something unheard of. This naturally leads one to suspect that the purpose of this convention is entirely different from previous ones."
"What do you think its purpose is?" The host on television and Netero outside spoke simultaneously.
The international affairs expert inside gave his answer.
"Well... if they announced the transfer of power simultaneously with the first revelation of the successor, it would have a strong impact. However, I don't believe Ming Jol-ik would step down voluntarily. Of course, this could also be a deceptive strategy to mislead the enemy."
Unaware of the truth, they naturally associated it with a transfer of power.
Mord remained silent for a moment before speaking. "The reason the Chimera Ants are holding this national convention is to 'select'."
"Select?" Netero asked, puzzled.
Mord casually tossed a can of drink over and continued explaining, "The Chimera Ants know how to awaken Nen Ability in humans."
This was all thanks to Mord.
"They will use the Nen Ability baptism method to screen all citizens of the Republic of East Gorteau. I don't know what they plan to do with those who awaken, but one thing is certain—99% of people will be killed during this selection process."
Netero stroked his beard and laughed: "So we only have ten days to stop them."
As he spoke, he emailed Mord's deductions and subsequent arrangements to Knuckle.
"By the way, I forgot to mention—you won't need to continue as my sparring partner starting tomorrow." Netero closed his phone and looked up at Mord.
"What? Have you recovered to peak condition already?" Mord took a sip of juice as he spoke.
"Pretty much. You've worked hard these past days." Netero smiled.
For Mord, it couldn't be considered hard work at all. The opportunity to spar with a martial artist at the pinnacle of combat wasn't something just anyone could get.
During this period, Mord had also made significant progress. Not only had he initially grasped the essentials of Heart Drop Fist, but his martial techniques had become more refined as well.
Many ordinary flaws can't be discovered without real combat experience.
Now Mord's blade path had become purer and more lethal than before.
"It's about time we set out," Netero said.
"So soon?"
Netero nodded. "We'll go to the Republic of East Gorteau first and find a place to lay low. I want to use the remaining time for meditation to adjust my condition to perfection."
"I'll go with you."
Mord had originally thought Zeno would use his ability to carry Netero all the way from the Zoldyck Estate to the Republic of East Gorteau.
But now it seemed he had overthought it. After all, the distance from the Zoldyck Estate to the Republic of East Gorteau spanned almost the entire human continent from north to south.
...
Several days later.
Morel and his team, who had successfully infiltrated East Gorteau, gathered to discuss their next moves.
"Speaking of which, what's the chairman doing?" Kite asked.
"I received an email earlier saying he had already infiltrated East Gorteau, but there's been no news since," Knuckle replied.
Killua, who was listening nearby, curled his lip at Knuckle's words: "The old man hasn't been killed already, has he?"
"According to our prior agreement, today is the deadline. If we still have no news from him, we'll assume he's dead and begin operations on our own." Knuckle said calmly.
No sooner had he spoken than a phone rang.
Knuckle opened it and glanced at the screen. "Speak of the devil."
Morel complained: "That old man must have the ears of the wind."
Knuckle tossed the phone toward Morel and the others, a slight smile curling at the corners of his mouth.
"Everything is within his expectations. He anticipated you would come, and he knew Morel would speak ill of him."
Morel caught the phone and opened it. The text message read:
"Morel and his apprentice as one team, Kite's team as another. Knuckle provides central support. Split into two routes to lure away two of the guards from the King of Ants. Operation begins at midnight two days before the assembly."
"From the old man with ears of the wind."
Seeing the words "Old Man with the Wind Ear," Morel's expression immediately darkened. What a nasty old man.
But what concerned him more was the line above it.
"Why does the Chairman only want us to distract two of the guards?"