CHAPTER 186: THE PANICKED ANT KING!

"So he really had such a powerful trump card?" Ging watched the overwhelmingly dominant Mega Tyranitar on the battlefield, his jaw nearly hitting the ground.

Though he had known Akira for a long time and had even explored the "Ancient Labyrinth City" with him, Ging still hadn’t felt confident.

Only after witnessing Mega Tyranitar send the Ant King flying the moment it appeared did Ging finally relax.

Moreover, this was a Nen beast he had seen before—the one called "Tyranitar."

Except now, its appearance and power had undergone some changes.

While Ging was reassured, Netero’s hand which had been stroking his beard, suddenly paused before resuming its motion.

Truthfully, he wanted to say that the strength he had referred to wasn’t this one—but an even more terrifying Nen beast.

Something far more powerful than this "Desert Monarch"!

But as things stood, it seemed Akira didn’t need to deploy that Nen beast.

Was this transformed Tyranitar alone enough?

As Ging and Netero marveled at Tyranitar’s astonishing power, Akira quietly admired Mega Tyranitar’s majestic form.

After Mega Evolution, Tyranitar’s appearance had changed somewhat—overall, it looked even more imposing.

The sheer energy of Mega Evolution had split open its back, forming six irregular spikes along its sides.

The exposed plating on its abdomen and back had shifted from blue to red, brimming with violent energy, granting it even greater power.

Its entire body was now encased in indestructible armor, making Tyranitar truly worthy of the title "Iron Colossus."

The soft moonlight spilled over Mega Tyranitar’s metallic sheen, sending chills down the spines of onlookers.

Its massive frame stood where the Ant King had once been—only for the ground beneath its feet to crack once more.

Just by standing there without even moving, the ground beneath it couldn’t bear the weight, showing cracks that continued to spread.

At the same time, as if to welcome the appearance of the desert king, piles of yellow sand suddenly emerged from the surrounding ground.

Tyranitar’s Mega Evolution ability was still ’Sand Stream’.

Compared to its normal state, the environmental changes around it were faster and more impactful after Mega Evolution.

Previously, it was just grains of sand appearing out of thin air, but now even the ground was being assimilated, transforming from stone into sand.

This was somewhat similar to the awakened Devil Fruits in the One Piece world, which could assimilate the surrounding terrain.

This was true terrain alteration!

No matter what the original terrain was!

As long as Tyranitar appeared, the area would become a "yellow ocean" formed by sand!

At this moment, the Ant King embedded in the pillar was repairing his body.

Countless muscle tissues wriggled across his form, as if insects were crawling beneath his skin.

As the muscle tissues converged towards his chest, the shattered torso instantly restored itself to perfection.

This was Menthuthuyoupi’s ability—even after suffering massive damage, he could recover through muscle movement.

After consuming the three Royal Guards, the Ant King not only gained a massive increase in Aura but could also use their abilities.

In the original story, the Ant King grew wings on his back using this method.

’What kind of monster was that?’

The Ant King’s eyes darkened, still unable to believe that his opponent could possess such strength.

Tyranitar’s appearance instantly shattered the Ant King’s dream of world domination.

He wasn’t as invincible as he had believed.

But precisely because of this, he had to kill these people!

They were obstacles that must be eliminated on his path!

***

"He doesn’t seem damaged at all?" Akira watched as the Ant King walked step by step from the depths, feeling somewhat surprised.

There wasn’t a single injury on his body, as if he had never been hit by Tyranitar.

"After consuming the three Royal Guards, even his recovery ability has become this terrifying." Akira muttered to himself, recalling the Ant King’s performance in the original story.

Such rapid recovery might also be related to the abilities of the Royal Guards.

The Ant King emerged from the depths as casually as taking a stroll, his face still wearing that cold, stern expression.

"Whoosh!"

Suddenly, the Ant King took a swift step forward, vanishing from his original position in an instant, his body shooting towards Tyranitar like an arrow.

His fist was enveloped in dark purple Aura, his power countless times greater than Uvogin’s Big Bang Impact!

Even from a distance, Akira and the others could feel the force of the Ant King’s punch.

"BOOM!"

The ultra-fast fist shattered the air, producing a deafening sonic boom as the attack was about to land on Tyranitar!

If this strike had hit a mountain, it could have blown the entire peak apart.

But his opponent was Tyranitar!

A flash of savagery gleamed in Tyranitar’s crimson eyes as dense Aura surged around its sturdy arms.

Normal-type move—Mega Punch!

Just as the two fists were about to collide, a dark green figure suddenly leaped down from above.

It was none other than the second Ant King!

In an instant, the second Ant King landed behind Mega Tyranitar, its spiked tail completely dyed purple by Aura.

The tail lashed out like a whip towards Mega Tyranitar’s side, creating sonic booms in its wake.

For a moment, Mega Tyranitar found itself caught between two foes!

Facing Mega Tyranitar, even the Ant King, who usually relied on brute force to defeat enemies, had to strategize.

As the king of the Chimera Ant race, the Ant King’s intelligence was undoubtedly top-tier.

However, most enemies he encountered weren’t worth the mental effort—even Netero had been no exception.

Especially after consuming Shaiapouf, the Ant King’s intellect had reached new heights, his brain now operating like a supercomputer.

Running at full capacity, the Ant King analyzed every move of his opponent and reacted

His current ability to create clones was also derived from Shaiapouf’s power—Beelzebub!

Using Beelzebub, the Ant King could create countless clones, but his Aura would be divided among them.

To ensure sufficient strength, he only created one clone.

To avoid arousing suspicion, he even used himself as bait, launching the initial attack.

All to create the perfect opportunity for his clone.

So far, the plan was progressing flawlessly—he was about to deal a devastating blow to Mega Tyranitar.

Yet, even when attacked from behind, Mega Tyranitar had a countermeasure.

Sensing the sudden presence behind it, Mega Tyranitar remained unfazed, continuing its Mega Punch.

At the same time, its thick tail swung violently towards the Ant King behind it, gleaming with a silvery metallic sheen.

Steel-type move—Iron Tail!

"BOOM!!"

Their tails collided instantly, but the clash was far from even.

The moment the Ant King’s tail met the Iron Tail, it was obliterated and the Iron Tail continued unimpeded, smashing into the clone.

With a single strike, the clone was annihilated!

Despite the Ant King’s clone launching a sneak attack, Mega Tyranitar’s reaction was even faster.

’Damn it!’

A flicker of frustration crossed the Ant King’s cold expression, his face darkening further.

Just as his plan was about to succeed, he had been countered and defeated.

He couldn’t afford to dwell on the clone’s loss—his main body was also struggling to hold his ground.

"BANG!!"

Another deafening impact sent shockwaves through the area, stirring up violent winds that whipped sand and debris into frenzy.

A towering sandstorm formed in an instant.

When their fists clashed, the Ant King’s expression twisted in shock—an overwhelming force bore down on his arm.

Despite channeling all his Aura, his body was still forced back.

In this contest of strength, he was still at a disadvantage!

After holding out for a few seconds, the Ant King could no longer withstand the steel behemoth’s punch.

His right arm was crushed by the Mega Punch, twisting into an unnatural shape—no amount of Aura could protect it.

Once again, his body was sent flying!

But this time, he refused to be sent sprawling.

Mid-flight, the Ant King suddenly unfurled a pair of massive wings from his back, flapping them forcefully.

Using the wings’ counterforce, he finally stabilized himself in midair, avoiding another humiliation.

***

"What just happened?" Ging scratched his head, looking at the sudden change on the battlefield, utterly confused.

Among the three, only Akira could clearly perceive every detail of the clash and understand what had transpired.

"Just now, the Ant King used Shaiapouf’s ability to create a clone for a sneak attack, but it was instantly destroyed" Akira explained casually, his attention mostly fixed on the airborne Ant King.

"Even his main body had one arm shattered."

In the brief moments he spoke, the Ant King’s right arm had already fully regenerated!

Although the Ant King struggled to inflict damage on Mega Tyranitar, his regenerative abilities were alarmingly strong.

Possessing Neferpitou’s ’Doctor Blythe’, Shaiapouf’s ’Body Reconstruction’, and Menthuthuyoupi ’Metamorphosis’, the current Ant King might not match Mega Tyranitar in raw power, but his endurance was far greater, with regeneration capabilities leagues ahead.

He was exceptionally adept at drawn-out battles!

"Human, your methods have indeed far exceeded my expectations," the Ant King coldly declared, trying to regain some ground.

"But you still stand no chance of defeating me! As the pinnacle of my species, I possess far too many abilities! Not only do I have extreme regenerative power—even if you destroy my head, I can recover instantly. Even if most of my body is obliterated, I can fully restore myself in a short time. In terms of life and death, I am the victor!"

"You’re not wrong," Akira nodded slightly, acknowledging the Ant King’s words.

"After absorbing the three Royal Guards, your regenerative abilities are truly remarkable."

Putting aside other factors, with all these abilities combined, the Ant King had become an incredibly difficult entity to kill.

To exaggerate a bit using xianxia novel terms—it was almost at the level of regenerating from a single drop of blood.

Eradicating such a creature completely would be exceedingly challenging...

"So, there are two ways: either spend an extremely long time depleting your Aura, grinding you down to death" Akira laid out the options calmly.

"Or annihilate you completely in an instant, leaving no time for recovery."

Yet, even as he spoke these words, the Ant King saw no trace of hesitation, difficulty, or even fear on Akira face.

It was as if these were trivial matters he could accomplish effortlessly.

The Ant King’s words had actually reminded him—perhaps he could kill him while preserving his body.

Such a specimen still held some value.

"Hohoho, to think he grown to this extent?" Netero could still laugh, though even he was slightly startled upon hearing the Ant King’s capabilities.

In his distraction, he accidentally plucked a few strands from his newly grown beard.

"Old man, you really are something" Ging couldn’t help but tease, having seemingly come to terms with the situation.

He pulled out a piece of fruit and began eating.

The Ant King hovered mid-air, his sharp eyes glaring furiously at the three below, a hint of savagery flickering within.

Repeated failures had shattered his composure.

And here they were—one speaking calmly, another chuckling and now one even eating?

This was far too disrespectful.

Having devoured the Royal Guards, he had believed himself invincible, that no one in the world could possibly defeat him.

Who would have thought that before even a few words could be exchanged, he was suddenly sent flying by a punch from a colossal beast.

Having absorbed the abilities of the Chimera Ant’s Royal Guards, the Ant King’s mindset now leaned even more toward that of a Chimera Ant.

"You... all seem to be looking down on me!" The Ant King’s eyes once again filled with a crimson hue as dark purple Aura erupted violently from his body.

Strangely, alongside the dark purple Aura, waves of deep red energy also radiated from him.

At the same time, his body began to emit an increasingly bright glow and his aura surged once more.

’This is... the ability of Menthuthuyoupi!’

Akira stared intently at the Ant King’s transformation, recognizing it as Menthuthuyoupi’s Rage Blast ability.

The greater the anger in one’s heart, the more it could be converted into power.

And this wasn’t all.

The Ant King’s Aura madly converged behind him, countless strands of dark purple energy intertwining to form a purple silhouette!

The eerie figure extended countless Aura Strings, connecting to the Ant King’s joints and muscles.

"Terpsichora!" The Ant King growled, and the aura erupting from his body grew even more terrifying!

[Rage Blast] + [Terpsichora]

This was now the Ant King’s strongest state!

His aura continued to rise, finally stabilizing at a level comparable to Mega Tyranitar.

Through the abilities of the Royal Guards, the Ant King had finally reached the same level as Mega Tyranitar after ’Dragon Dance’.

Moreover, his incredible regenerative abilities could offset the side effects of using these powers, allowing him to wield them without consequence!

This was the strongest individual existence currently revealed in the world of Hunter x Hunter.

The ultimate enhanced version of the Ant King!

Under the overwhelming pressure of his boundless aura, both Ging and Netero felt as if a mountain were pressing down on them.

Their legs involuntarily buckled, forcing out muffled grunts.

The Ant King’s figure suddenly vanished, along with the sky full of Aura.

Mega Tyranitar scanned the surroundings but couldn’t detect his presence—not even with ’En’.

In an instant, the Ant King reappeared—right in front of Akira!

The fist controlled by Terpsichora loomed larger in Akira’s vision, nearly landing on him.

The Ant King had bypassed Mega Tyranitar entirely, choosing instead to attack Akira!

After observing for some time, he had discerned the connection between this human and the colossal beast.

Thus, he decided to eliminate the human first!

In that fleeting moment, the Ant King felt as if he had stumbled into some kind of space where everything around him slowed to a crawl.

This was the technique used by that old man!

’This human can use it too?!’

The Ant King’s expression flickered briefly, but he still paid it little mind.

After all, this person’s strength was far inferior to that of the beast.

Even if he employed such a technique, it would be useless.

Now that his power had increased countless times over, even the same technique only slowed time slightly.

Yet, though it lasted only an instant, the Ant King clearly heard the young human’s words.

"I knew you’d die eventually, but I didn’t expect you to come charging to your doom like this~"

"That was a fatal mistakes~ little ant."

As soon as the words fell, two figures suddenly materialized behind Akira.

One large, one small.

But they shared one common trait—their auras were overwhelmingly powerful!

In that moment, two waves of despair-inducing aura descended upon the Ant King!!

They were like two insurmountable mountains, pressing down on him relentlessly, leaving him unable to move!

’Impossible!!’

’How could such terrifying power exist?!’

The Ant King’s body stiffened instantly, like a tiny ant facing a colossal predator.

He could only roar frantically in his heart, his face filled with panic and desperation, yet utterly helpless.

All he could do was await the inevitable death!

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