Knov lay flat on the ground, crawling forward with his limbs curled in.
A little closer... just a little closer...
As Knov slowly made his way toward the palace, deep inside the palace itself, the underground commander of this country, Bizeff, was finishing up his day's work.
After helping the Ant King handle various tedious matters, he finally took some time to enjoy himself.
This job not only ensured his survival but also provided him with another advantage.
Click, click.
The sound of a mouse clicking echoed as the gray-haired Bizeff stared intently at his computer screen.
One by one, images of beautiful women appeared before him, granting him a feast for the eyes.
He continued clicking, occasionally licking his lips.
Selecting assistants was the privilege he had gained.
From a list of women displayed on the computer, he would choose one with exceptional beauty, sometimes even two or three, for his personal pleasure.
At this moment, the image on his screen was none other than that of Palm, Knov's disciple, who had infiltrated under the alias Sinker Belle.
She had disguised herself as bait and successfully lured in the big fish, Bizeff.
Meanwhile, Neferpitou had deactivated En to heal the Ant King's arm, creating an opportunity.
Covered in mud, Knov seized the chance and successfully infiltrated the palace.
Now, he was just over a hundred meters from the central staircase.
Blending completely into the darkness and rain, he panted heavily, trying to steady his breath.
At the same time, he did not forget to look up and take a look at the strange tree in the palace next to him.
On this tree, the human who was first selected was hanging.
There are about 500 fruits on a tree, each containing a human.
A total of 50,000 people were selected in one day, and only 1% could survive.
Fortunately, due to the disruption of their Chimera Ant Extermination Team, the selection plan was forced to terminate after only one day.
Once these human cocoons are hatched, they will become humanoid weapons with the Nen ability and become the minions of the Ant King.
As one of the three royal guards, the Catwoman clearly had an ability tied to manipulation.
So their goal was to have the Ant King lead this army to conquer the world.
"So... This is the Chimera Ants' true objective...?"
Knov took a deep look at the strange tree and the cocoons hanging from it.
"Is this also the goal of vice chairman Pariston and his associates...?"
Before, when he met with Lan and Morel, Lan had mentioned the characteristics and goals of the Chimera Ant.
In addition to the filthiness inside the Hunter Association, they would not send so many people to attack as if they had some purpose.
And now, with Knov's intelligence, after knowing that the Chimera Ant has started the selection activity and witnessing everything that happened in front of him.
He naturally knows what the vice Chairman of the Hunter Association, Pariston, and the group of guys behind him are thinking.
It seems that their main idea is to focus on a group of humanoid weapons that have mastered the Nen.
"If they conducted this brutal, inhumane selection process openly, the world would condemn and despise them."
"But with the Chimera Ants, a species seen as a disaster threatening humanity, they can use them to complete the selection first."
"Then, once the process is done, they can simply eliminate the Chimera Ants and claim the results for themselves."
Even someone as composed as Knov couldn't suppress his rage; his chest can't help but rise and fall slightly at this time: "Dirty! Shameless!"
He muttered these words under his breath.
No wonder most hunters in the association despised Pariston; this was the reason.
Yet, his actions would likely earn favor from V5.
Knov naturally assumed that Pariston was backed by V5, the only faction ruthless and pragmatic enough to endorse such atrocities.
What he didn't know, however, was that Pariston had other forces supporting him.
Still, despite his disgust, Knov didn't forget his mission.
At the palace entrance, he set up a long-range exit.
Next, he needed to get even closer.
He moved toward the palace doors.
The surroundings were shrouded in darkness, but luckily, nothing unexpected happened.
After advancing a few more meters, he tapped the ground with his fingers and quickly set up a mid-range exit.
Finally, the most dangerous step is the close-range exit.
Knov slipped inside the palace.
It was completely empty.
The Ant King's throne room was located deep within the central area on the third floor.
Even a delay of 0.1 seconds could be critical in a confrontation.
So, placing the close-range exit on the first floor was still too far.
The best position was the central staircase on the second floor.
Determined, Knov moved forward.
Although he was calm, he was not lacking in the courage to take risks, which was the most basic quality of an excellent hunter.
Soon after Knov passed through the atrium, the central staircase was in front of him.
Knov raced against time, and if he made a mistake, he would be noticed by the other party.
To be on the safe side, he decided to add another entrance, which would be set next to the central staircase on the first floor.
It would be best if he could go up the stairs to the second floor.
In Knov's eyes, his ability was truly convenient.
Inside a luxurious room, watching Knov's infiltration unfold in real-time, Ging and Lan observed closely.
"The ability itself is flawless."
Lan remarked. "But his mental resilience is questionable."
Watching Knov's increasing proximity to the palace and his gradually heavier breathing, Lan chuckled and shook his head.
"Maybe his ability was born from his subconscious fears and unstable mentality."
He speculated.
"It's a double-edged sword."
If his fear overwhelmed him, his mindset would completely collapse.
And at that point…
He'd be utterly useless.