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Chapter 123: Last Words?
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"I can't become any stronger, in fact, I'm becoming weaker and weaker and no amount of training was enough to counter this... I'm just too old... Knowing the dark continent will never become anything but survival to me and that the surviving will only become harder the more time passes isn't a good feeling you know..."
"There might be some method to stop this out there but it's just not for me... I don't think I will ever find a challenge that'll get rid of that feeling within me... Makes sense? Do you think I gave up too early?"
Calmness is all that could be seen on Netero's face as he performed a smile punching motion with the golden statue behind him doing the same sending Meruem away yet no damage could be seen on the latter's body.
All of this was happening while he uttered those tranquil words expressionlessly.
He likes challenges, ones that could lead to his death even but that doesn't mean he likes losing, he wants to face a challenge then against all the odds.
He wants to step on that challenge in triumph yet he couldn't against Yasuo and he knows he'll never be able to do so and now he faces another challenge.
Yet the challenge before him seems so far... So foreign like an untouchable bird flying endlessly through the sky getting stronger and stronger while he in contrast to the flying bird before him is but a Mayfly...
The sun rises as the egg hatches, not long after the immature form called nymph show itself only to turn into what's called an imago not long after as the mayfly spread its relatively small wings flying around.
But... no matter how much it flew, the mayfly knows it will never catch up to the bird.
And time isn't on its side as the mayfly's lifespan is no longer than 24 hours so how can it face the bird? The situation here however is a bit different but that should give an accurate description of how Netero feels.
The king is a bird that was born... well, a bird and a grown one at that... while he was born a mayfly and he had to work himself up.
But even with that, he was never able to become a bird even though he was born 24 hours before the bird yet the bird in those few minutes became and was already something he can't touch.
And so he experienced such a thing in the last minutes of his life, the minutes where his body started deteriorating as he became weaker and weaker increasing the distance between him and the king even more.
As for the distance between him and Yasuo... He doesn't know the latter's full power so he really can't judge.
There is however something the King didn't take into account... There are too many mayflies and they'll only continue to reproduce in bulks.
A never-ending stream of mayflies can even consume a bird no matter how big it is especially considering the mayflies we're talking about are intelligent and curious creatures... Humans.
We can think... We are curious and creatures with desires and emotions and goals so we thought and asked ourselves repeatedly... How can we be better?
How can we make something or doing something more convenient? How can we live through deadly diseases and sicknesses? How can we heal ourselves faster and safer?
And how can we cause more damage?
Our thinking process brought us so far and one of its results is the deadly device within Netero's stomach waiting to engulf the whole surroundings in its embrace... waiting to consume everything its clutches can reach... and waiting to reap all the souls within and paint a beautiful yet a horrifying picture...
And among humans, there are anomalies that are rare and few in between that can become more than just a mere mayfly, and among the few anomalies, there is one that stands out.
The human that spoke the following words, "No... It doesn't make any sense to me but I understand other people think differently than me..." That is all Yasuo had to say as he just waited for the man to make his decision.
Netero let out a small smile hearing that as he narrowed his eyes saying, "I really thought you'd want me dead, after all, you do want to go to the dark continent and me being alive is a barrier for that happening unless you want to go alone..."
Yasuo just shook his head without any change in his expression, "It doesn't matter much to me, I can make that happen without the need for you to die, and it's actually not that hard. By this time, a lot of people still owe me even after my latest request..."
A casual chat in such a situation in their mysterious language, their words were a bit vague but they understood each other perfectly though that's mostly due to Netero already knowing of Yasuo's latest course of action.
Actions which showed just how horrifying his influence over the known world is, a simple word coming out of his mouth and everyone that ever owed him will deliver.
In contrast to what he told Pitou however, they'll deliver not because of his conjuration ability forcing them to do so as that is simply a lie he told.
No, it's out of fear, the fear of what happens to those who went back on their word as beneath that harmless exterior of his, there is a being that has no compassion for human life whatsoever except the select few he deems important.
"You're right, that you can do... But I think I reached my end, I stalled for too long so it's time to let the younger generation explore what's beyond. Beyond, Hopefully, he succeeds in what I couldn't.
Hee is much more optimistic than me and much much more stubborn than me so If you can help him a bit, I'll appreciate it and gladly welcome you in hell if you ever die... Good luck."
A serene smile surfaced on the old man's face saying that, a smile hiding what's beneath, the darkness within the human heart that he knows too well.
And the fact that he already decided what he wants to do long ago, this current situation is just a convenient one for him suiting his goal though he hoped the fight would be more enjoyable than it is now as even the King doesn't seem to be enjoying it.
Netero stated his last words to Yasuo in what could be noted to be a satisfied tone as if his hidden goal will soon be achieved.
"I hope you deliver on your end of the bargain, the payment for this job should be delivering at the moment as per my instructions, just make sure no Ant that'll endanger humanity is left alive."
"I'm not sure if it's really needed but I gave some advice to the V5 about you which will make things much easier as even though they wouldn't have been able to do anything significant to stop your plan, they will still make it harder as they don't want your organization to become stronger than it already is."
"And just so you know, the hunter association will no longer operate on the Island which means any hunters that were here will leave after this so the whole Island will be under your complete control, and good luck on whatever it is you want to do... But for now, give me some time to try a few more things."
Yasuo nodded before disappearing as across the entire conversation, his expression didn't change making what he is really thinking a mystery...
Only then did Netero state something completely different than what he said earlier as his expression changed into a stern one.
"He's troublesome, isn't he? While what I said earlier wasn't a lie, the most important reason is quite simple, if I lose the fight, I die if I win, I live so please humor my next attack."
Meruem seem to get out of his daze, he wasn't at all offended by their casual chat in front of him, in fact, he was completely focused on himself as he started the process called visualization.
An ability is being created and creatures such as Chimera Ants, they find creating ability much easier than humans and that's especially easier for the king as he stands atop Chimera Ants but that also depends on the ability one wants to create.
The one he has in mind is quite simple as he wants to create it to solve the problem before him and possibly any problem he might face in the future.
Only Netero didn't give him much time as the moment he finished talking, he activated his most dangerous ability... 'Zero Hand' Then before Meruem can react, a golden statue seems to ignore the laws of space appearing behind him.
The massive golden statue whose hands started moving with what appeared to be a slow speed which in reality was a speed fast enough to not allow Meruem to do anything as the statue held Meruem gently in its hand.
The statue opened its mouth which is but a black hole facing Meruem who is inside its hand unable to resist, the black hole that seemed to want to devour everything around except that's not its purpose as the next scene testifies to that.
The scene of every last ounce of Netero's aura focused in the statue's mouth before mercilessly firing it as an enormous flare of unparalleled destructive power...