At this moment, Knov had already reached the central staircase on the second floor.
Everything about the infiltration had gone smoothly so far, without any obstacles whatsoever.
However, judging from Knov's heavy breathing, it was clear what kind of psychological pressure he was under.
"This is it... This is as far as I can go..."
Feeling his mindset on the verge of collapse, Knov was keenly aware of his own limitations.
He understood that this was his limit and there was no way he could go any further.
"Besides, before the infiltration, Lan had also sent me a message, reminding me to know when to stop and not to be too greedy for distance..."
While panting heavily, Knov recalled the message Lan had sent him.
The message essentially told him not to go too deep. If he risked everything just to get a little closer, it would not be worth it.
Knov's ability was crucial to the entire Extermination Team, and he knew that well.
But he still wanted to push just a little further to increase their chances of success.
However, the next part of Lan's message made him fall silent: "If everything has to be done by you and the risks have to be borne by you, then what are the rest of us here for?"
Lan had made it clear that Knov was a part of the Chimera Ant Extermination Team.
He only needed to do his part, and the rest would be handled by the team.
Even for someone as composed as Knov, reading those words made him pause.
At the very least, Lan had considered things from his perspective.
Knov had originally not planned to retreat so soon; he truly wanted to give his all.
But…
"The power of that Ant King... is even more terrifying than mine... I need to think this through."
That final message from Lan left Knov in deep thought.
Admittedly, he knew that the Ant King might be very strong, but if he was more powerful than Lan, who made him feel completely unpredictable…
Then, preserving himself so he could use his ability to open a portal for the team during the operation was actually the best course of action.
Thus, after estimating a safe distance, Knov stopped moving forward.
After quickly setting up an exit, he instinctively glanced toward the palace above the stairs.
And then…
"What is that aura?! What's going on?!"
Unlike before, he didn't get close; he only observed from a distance. But just this one glance made Knov extremely frightened.
But even from that distance, just one look sent chills down his spine.
"It's like all the misfortune in the world is concentrated there... Such a dense, overwhelming malice..."
Without any further hesitation, Knov immediately activated the portal to his 4-dimensional apartment and retreated back into his safe space.
The moment he landed on the blank floor of his ability's room, his legs gave out.
Then, he gasped for breath as if he was trying to catch up on all the air he would ever need for the rest of his life.
"That was close... Just a little more and..."
Gasping like a winded animal, Knov was filled with relief.
He was lucky he hadn't gone any closer.
Otherwise, under the influence of that aura, he might not even have been able to stand up again.
People who had never faced such a presence could never truly understand it, and as a veteran hunter, someone who had experienced countless battles, he knew all too well just how terrifying it was.
"If I had gone any further, my mentality would have completely collapsed."
"And worse... I might have been killed on the spot."
"At this point, I'm not afraid of death, but what scares me the most... Is the enemy inside that palace..."
"Some of them might have the ability to interrogate or extract information from others."
"Before taking my life, they would do everything in their power to squeeze every last bit of intel about our Extermination Team..."
"They wouldn't hesitate to use the most brutal means possible. If I were captured, there would be no turning back..."
Knov deeply understood just how close he had come to disaster.
Even though he had escaped, he knew he might never be able to recover mentally from this.
If he had stayed a second longer, he would have lost the will to fight against the Chimera Ants.
Thanks to Lan's message, he had managed to pull himself back from the brink.
More than just saving his life, he had saved his future as a hunter.
"Now... I just need to clear my mind and shake off the influence of that aura."
"When the day of the extermination comes, I'll use my ability to support the others..."
Having made up his mind, Knov slowly calmed his breathing.
Then, gradually, he closed his eyes.
He desperately needed to rest, to recover from everything he had just experienced.
"His mental state is still too weak..."
In front of a luxurious screen, Ging gave his evaluation.
"But at least he didn't let it break him completely and withdraw, right?"
Lan didn't seem too concerned. As long as his message had done its job and prevented Knov from crumbling at this crucial moment, that was enough.
As for how someone with such a weak mindset had managed to become a hunter in the first place, that wasn't his concern.
Still, if Knov's ability caught Ging's interest, and he wanted to help him develop it further in the future… that would be up to him.
… … …
Meanwhile, inside the palace, now that Knov had finished setting up the entry points, a convoy full of women and livestock for consumption arrived.
The underground commander, Bizeff, was in charge of receiving them.
After a brief and superficial inspection, he let the truck carrying the food drive deeper into the palace.
Then, while grinning from ear to ear, Bizeff personally climbed into the driver's seat of the fourth truck and headed toward his private quarters.
His mood couldn't have been better.
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