We went to the horse farm and rented four horses to travel the NGL. Lynn was riding one while I sat behind her. I was completely astonished after seeing Killua stand on the horse he and Gon were riding. Man, he was a natural.

We were inspecting a map of the NGL to figure out which route we should take.

"We should follow along the coastline and check out the villages. If there aren't any unusual sightings in any of them, then it's possibly not even here in this country." Gon suggested.

"Maybe, but that's assuming that those guys were telling the truth back there." Killua replied, referring to the two interpreters that came with us in case we ran into some locals along the way.

"They're still following us, aren't they?"

I turned my head around and saw the interpreters on the edge of a short cliff.

"I see them." I muttered.

"They said they're here in case we meet unknown tribes, and need interpreters or intermediaries. But they're obviously spies." Killua stated.

"I never expected the people here to be of any help." Kite spoke up, making us turn our attention to him. "But I can sense it somewhere. I trust my instincts."

We tensed up, realizing that we were getting closer to finding an actual Chimera Ant.

A bee gave us a message written with red blood. It read, 'Help! Chimera Ant Nest; Rocky Area; Notify Hunter Association!'

"It'll be very risky. Are you sure you guys want to come?" Kite asked us one last time.

"Yeah." Gon answered.

"We're pros, aren't we?" Killua replied with a smile.

"And we're here to help." Lynn added.

"Just leave it to us!" I winked, forgetting about my fears.

The bee flew away from Gon's finger, and we watched it fly high in the air until it disappeared from our sight.

"I'm sorry Ms. Interpreter, but we must hurry right away." Kite told her.

"No problem. I'm sure the horses can go a bit faster now." She said, stroking its neck.

"They still won't be fast enough."

"Huh?"

"I want you to return to the border and meet up with everyone else. Then notify the Association of the current situation. These gigantic insects are dangerous." Kite ordered Stick and Podungo, who were both worried.

"Okay." Stick nodded.

"Be careful, Kite." Podungo told him.

"I will." He then turned to us warming up. "Try to keep up, or else I'll leave you four behind."

"Yeah. Right back at ya." Killua replied, finishing up his stretches.

"Got it." Lynn added, doing her last lunge.

"Uh-huh." I said, standing up after doing a squat.

"Okay. I'm ready." Gon firmly stated, and Kite chuckled.

The five of us prepared ourselves to go further into the NGL, taking a huge risk to discover a Chimera Ant.

"Let's go." Kite announced, and we took off running in an incredible speed, flabbergasting the female interpreter.

We had reached a forest in a short period of time, and a chill had reached my spine when I saw a puddle of blood on the ground along with some torn clothes.

"Oh...my...God." I whispered, absolutely shocked.

The bloody yellow hat reminded me of someone who took the Hunter Exam with us last year, but I couldn't remember her name. I believed she was there when I got stuck in that cave with my friends, trying to get past those venomous snakes without getting bitten by one.

Lynn scowled at the bloody scene, and Gon grunted softly in anger and disgust. This was almost as worse as seeing my parents' blood around their beheaded corpses.

Killua picked up something and observed it. "It's a bullet casing."

"Bullets? But no one was allowed to bring weapons in here, right?" Lynn questioned.

"That means the underground rulers of the NGL weren't only manufacturing drugs, but weapons, too." Kite claimed.

"Yeah, but judging by this..." Killua paused, unable to find his next words.

"This wasn't done by a human."

We tensed up.

"I'm almost certain that a Chimera Ant did this. If my instincts are correct and the Chimera Ants are using firearms now..."

I started to quiver, and I tried to keep myself together.

"I hate to say it, but the Queen has already devoured the underground rulers of the NGL. What would happen if the Chimera Ants were born with their genes? The NGL and the Chimera Ants, it's the worst combination imaginable. This will be an unprecedented biohazard."

We continued running through the forest to head to the Queen's nest. Every time I thought about the ants eating humans, my heart pounded rapidly. I had absolutely no idea how strong these ants were, and I feared that if we didn't stop them, no one else would, and it would be the end of all humanity.

"It's safe to assume that the Chimera Ants have taken full control of the NGL's interior. The only question is whether if we can reach the nest before the Queen gives birth to the King." Kite explained as we tried to keep up with him.

Oh, man. It would definitely be over for everyone in this world if she gave birth to the King.

We had arrived at a village, and we noticed there were ripped up clothes and baskets everywhere. I took in a low gasp of horror, thinking that the Chimera Ants were responsible for this mess.

"Nobody's in here." Gon said after taking a look inside one of the houses.

"I don't think anyone's around here." Lynn pointed out, checking her surroundings.

"Hey, I smell something bad." Gon pointed at the direction where it was coming from. "Over there."

We followed the awful stench until we found a trail of blood. I tried my best not to throw up as I followed the trail through the forest. When we got out, all we saw was three horses impaled on tree branches. My eyes widened as soon as I saw them.

"It's like what a shrike does." Gon muttered.

"Huh?" Killua turned to him, lowering his arm down from his nose.

"There are birds called bull-headed shrikes. They often impale their prey on sharp objects." Kite stated.

"Hey!" Someone shouted, and we turned around to see a weird creature with rabbit ears, feathers, and thick thighs. I stood in my place with my face looking rather alarmed.

"AHHH! It can talk!" I cried.

"What the hell is that thing?" Killua grumbled, his face scrunched up with disgust.

"It looks really creepy." Lynn cringed at its bizarre appearance.

All of us shuddered. The creature pointed at the horses behind us, its expression looking angry.

"Dirty scum. Hands off my prey." It growled, making me step back a bit.

Kite remained expressionless as it focused its attention to him. Then it attempted to attack him, but instead, it attacked Gon and Killua, sending them flying a couple of feet. It turned to me and punched my stomach, sending me flying as well.

"Guys!" Lynn cried, then she activated her earth ring and created a defensive wall in front of her. But the creature broke through and landed a punch on her face. The force launched her back a few meters, and she landed on her feet.

Kite released a murderous aura, and then walked back to the four of us, leaning on a tree.

"Gon, Killua, Lizzy, and Lynn. The four of you take care of him." He ordered us, and the creature growled.

"That is a Chimera Ant soldier. We will encounter many more like him along the way. I will not be able to help you during combat. If you can't defeat him, leave. You'll just be in my way." He explained.

I took a deep breath and released my aura, getting ready to fight. The humanoid ant was quite surprised from noticing all of our strength.

"I've already told you, Kite..." Gon started, stepping up along with the rest of us.

"All of us are professionals, too." Killua replied.

"We're not weak in any way." Lynn added.

"We have the potential to become stronger, and we're not letting anyone take away that potential." I stated, moving closer to the ant.

"So don't treat all of us like kids!" We shouted in unison.

Our auras were intense, and the boys launched themselves at the ant. The ant punched them out of the way, and then Lynn and I attempted to land a hit on him. I tried to kick him, but I ended up earning a punch to the gut. Lynn tried to land a punch on his face, but he attacked her first.

Killua charged towards the ant, only for him to be knocked down again. Gon did the same thing, and the ant landed a powerful blow to his back, knocking him down as well. I dashed straight to the ant, and he dodged my attack. Then he punched me in the air and punched me in the gut again, sending me flying and crashing into a tree.

"Scorching Inferno!" Lynn chanted, activating her fire ability. She moved her finger around in circles, and fire started spreading from her finger to the ant in a spiral shape, causing him to scream in pain from the blazing heat. When he got roasted enough, she stopped using it.

Killua jumped up high, and the ant looked up to see him charging up his electricity.

"Thunderbolt!" He yelled, directing the electric current to the ant. He screamed again, and eventually became paralyzed by Killua's attack.

It was my turn to attack. I focused my Nen on the tree behind me, causing it to move upwards. The ant was unable to move when I prepared to attack him with the tree. Using my ability, I swung it down and crushed him on the spot. I moved it back to see him still conscious, trying to stand up, and Gon prepared to charge up his attack.

"Show me Rock! Jan! Ken! Rock!!" The boy punched the ant in the gut, sending him flying high in the air.

"Yes! We did it!" I cheered.

"That was a perfect shot!" Killua commented, landing on the ground safely.

Suddenly, another ant snatched the injured ant away, and we gasped. The ant exploded in anger and roared at us.

"YOU BASTARDS! I'M GONNA EAT YOU! YOU'RE ALL DEAD, YOU HEAR ME?! I WON'T FORGET ABOUT THIS!!" He shouted from above, and we watched in shock as the other ant took him away from us.

Did our attacks really work? I think not. We could have killed him by now.

"That one is smart. He let his lackey fight the four of you while he observed you using your abilities from a distance." Kite stated.

Damn it. I should have known about that sooner!

"Are you coming?" He asked us, and we turned around to face him. "Hey, don't be disappointed. Your attacks weren't that bad. You just need to work on them more. This is a perfect opportunity for the four of you to get stronger. I have to warn you though. If you're not prepared, you won't be able to deal with the trauma that lies ahead. From now on, it doesn't matter if we win or lose. It'll be absolute hell."

I was ready to take on anything that got in my way. I wouldn't run away from a fight. I wanted to get stronger so that I could be able to protect my friends. Together, we would save humanity.

"Okay, count us in." Gon said.

"Yeah." Killua replied.

Lynn and I looked at each other before nodding.

"We're in." We said together.

Kite smiled. "Alright. Let's go."

It was nighttime, and we came across many dead bodies thanks to the awful stench we'd been following.

"Ohhhh God." I muttered, slightly shaking from seeing all the carnage.

"This is horrible. We could have found them by the stench." Kite remarked.

"Look." Killua said, picking up two machine guns that were on the ground. "So this is the hidden side of the NGL, huh?"

"That's right."

"How shocking." Lynn commented.

"Guys!" We heard Gon shout, and we went to where he was. We saw a cliff with many openings, and we were suspicious of its appearance.

"Do you think that's..." I paused, not liking the ominous feeling in the air.

"The Chimera Ants' nest?" Lynn finished.

"No, it's not." Kite answered. "They don't normally dig holes like this. Their nests are made with mud and fecal droppings."

He took a step forward, tensing up. "Let's go. We'll see what's inside."

We went through one of the holes and started walking through a cave filled with nothing but dim lights.

"We don't know where and when they'll attack, so don't let your guard down." Kite advised us.

"Don't worry, we got it." Killua reassured him. "That other Chimera Ant concealed his entire presence."

"Yeah, right." Lynn replied, and Gon nodded.

We continued walking behind Kite until we reached some kind of broken-down factory. Machines were destroyed and there was blood on the floor. The scene was creeping me out. I had no idea that a place like this existed in the NGL.

"Wait a minute, is this...?" Gon paused, taking a look around this unfamiliar place.

"Yes, it's the dark side of the NGL." Kite finished, and I gasped.

"It's a drug factory." Killua pointed out.

"Exactly. The drug DD is mass-produced here. It is the hot new drug on the market. It is made from Bira trees. There must be a field close by. Given by their status as conservationists, it's ironic if you ask me." Kite explained.

"They're not just making drugs. Look." Killua pulled out a gun from a crate. "They're the same ones from earlier."

"I assume that only the leaders of the NGL know the truth. The residents were ignorant of the fact. They probably truly believed that this community was eco-friendly." Kite claimed.

"So this facility is the center of the NGL's underground." Killua stated.

"But if there's nobody in here..." Lynn began.

"It means that the Chimera Ants have completely wiped out the underground, and that amateurs with guns didn't have a chance against them." Kite asserted.

"What about their boss?" Gon asked.

"He either escaped or was eaten. This is bad news either way." Kite shrugged.

"What do you mean?"

"Shh, a few are coming." He whispered, and we all tensed up. We walked through the tunnel and saw three more tunnels ahead.

"They're slowly approaching through the middle tunnel." Kite whispered.

My heart was pounding from hearing strange noises coming from one of the tunnels. I hoped I was strong enough to take down the ants.

"There are more in the left and right." Kite added.

"What is your approximate search radius?" Killua asked.

"Everything within 45 meters."

"45?" Gon said, mind-blown from hearing that fact.

"That's incredible." Lynn remarked.

"I'm able to increase that by a few meters depending on my mental and physical state." Kite stated.

"I wish I could do that." I sighed.

"Here they come." He whispered, and we got ready to encounter them.

We gasped in horror when two men appeared crawling on all fours wearing nothing but a collar. They looked hideous with their teary faces and white hair. A centaur-like Chimera Ant emerged from the tunnel. He had a muscular body on his front half and horse legs and a tail on his behind. The two naked men were acting like they were his dogs, much to my extreme vexation.

"You two, shut it." He said, choking the poor men by harshly pulling onto the chain that was attached to their collars. Then he laid his eyes on the five of us and stuck his serpentine tongue out.

"Who the hell are you? How dare you intrude on my turf?" He spat, smirking at us.

"Help us, please! We beg you!" One of the naked men pleaded.

"Shut up, Spot! You're a damned little dog, remember?" The Chimera Ant raised his hoof and immediately crushed the head, causing blood to splatter on the floor.

Gon and I gasped in complete horror from what just happened. That bastard didn't show any regard for those humans, and it just made me sick of seeing him treat them like his slaves.

"Oops. I didn't mean to do that." He chuckled evilly. "Oh, well. It doesn't matter. I was getting bored with them anyway."

The other man whimpered, catching his attention.

"Guess I'll get rid of Rover as well." He said, referring to the other man. We watched as the poor man started behaving like a dog, panting helplessly.

"When you beg like that, it makes me wanna kill you even more." He stuck out his tongue again, and the man whimpered in fear for his life. The centaur-like ant was about to crush his head, but Gon stopped him.

"No! Don't!" The boy yelled and tried to attack the ant, but Kite grabbed his arm, keeping him back.

"Let me go." He told him.

"Don't move carelessly. There are more enemies here, and they want you to get closer to them." Kite advised.

Two other Chimera Ants appeared from the left and right tunnels. One was a mosquito with large breasts wearing a mask, and the other was a centipede with many arms and yellow skin. They laughed and cackled at our appearance.

"Now, bye-bye." The centaur-like ant began to lift up his hoof to crush the other man's head.

"Please, help me!" The poor man cried, and then he was instantly crushed by the ant. His blood was splattered on the floor, making me gag and look away.

"Don't look away. If they shoot, you won't be able to see the projectile." Kite advised us.

I slightly shook from fear as I stared at the three ants standing across from us.

"I've decided that all of you are gonna be my new dogs." The centaur-like ant stuck out his tongue, and I cringed from hearing that.

"They've always been aggressive, but consuming malicious humans has made them more evil." Kite stated.

"Huh?" Gon turned to the man in confusion.

"Phagogenesis, right?" Killua mentioned the word he talked about in the ride to the coastal city last month.

"Oh, yeah. That weird term." I clearly remembered that time.

"If we don't get rid of them here, more people will die." Kite spoke firmly. We then got ready for battle.

"Go, capture them!" The centaur-like ant ordered his two henchmen. They laughed as they headed for us.

"I'll take the one at the back. Two of you must deal with each of the ones rushing at us." Kite told us as we increased our aura to fight them.

"Got it." We understood and kept our guard up.

"Don't hesitate. Fight to kill."

"Bring it!"

I decided to take on the centipede ant with Gon while Lynn fought the mosquito ant with Killua.

The centipede ant delivered a series of punches at Gon before moving on to attacking me. I dodged almost all of his attacks and moved around him. When I found an opening, I tried to kick him in the side, but it was ineffective, and the centipede ant punched me out of the way before dealing with Gon again.

"Now, this one is just for you. My unblockable Thousand-Hand Fist!" He shouted, initiating the attack on Gon. I stood up and watched as the boy disappeared and reappeared beside him. Gon landed a punch on his side, sending him flying towards me. I realized that I could land another attack, so I gave him a good punch to the back, sending him flying back at Gon. The boy punched him again, and the ant crashed into the wall beside me.

"That was a close one. You guys have a lot more power than I was expecting." The ant remarked.

Oh God, these guys are strong. They're ants mixed with human intelligence. Not only that, but they're skilled fighters, too.

"Hmm, I wonder what you guys are thinking about right now."

"Now, show me Rock!" Gon chanted, preparing his attack.

"Huh?"

Right, don't hesitate.

I watched Lynn and Killua fight the mosquito ant while Gon was charging up his ability. They kept moving around while she attempted to attack them.

"What do you want your new names to be, little kids? Spot or Rover?" The mosquito ant taunted.