Within the intelligence provided by the Squadron Leader, there was another key term: the one that got away.
From the initial encounter with that team of Nen Users, one had escaped. To this day, that individual had not been found.
There were two basic conclusions: first, the target had died in some unknown corner… second, the target was still alive, hiding with formidable skill, hence why they remained undiscovered.
At the very least, Pitou had not forgotten about this. However, bound by their duty, they could only operate near the nest and couldn't venture too far. So, they could only rely on the Squadron Leaders' actions.
Regrettably, the search results were zero.
Although the main task of the troops was to hunt food for the Queen, the number of squads responsible for searching was not insignificant. From this, it was evident that the one who got away was not simple.
But after today, perhaps this would no longer be an issue.
The Squadron Leaders gathered here, and Pouf, with a gentle smile, resembled a missionary spreading faith.
Fifteen kilometers from the nest, in the forest, beneath a rocky tree root, lay a narrow cave where Dafifi and Ponzu were hiding.
The entrance was blocked by shrubs, and upon close inspection, it was difficult to discern as an opening.
Since rescuing Ponzu that day, they had changed several temporary hiding spots.
Ponzu's physical condition was not suited for travel, and he had fallen seriously ill not long ago.
Fortunately, a Nen User's physical constitution was tough enough to avoid life-threatening injury.
At one point, when his condition was severe, Dafifi had considered carrying Ponzu and risking an escape from the Chimera Ants' activity range. But the number of Chimera Ants was simply too great, making progress nearly impossible.
Finding food was already difficult enough. Changing hiding locations also had to be done with extreme care, leaving no room for error.
Fortunately, everything had gone smoothly. As long as they patiently waited for reinforcements to arrive, they could escape this dangerous territory.
Dafifi guarded the cave entrance, constantly monitoring the movements outside.
Even when sleeping, he stayed close to the entrance. After all, they weren't cunning rabbits with three burrows; there was only this one exit and entrance.
Ponzu's complexion wasn't great, and he was quite weak. However, the safety of the past period had slightly improved his spirits, at least freeing him from the fear of death.
"When... will reinforcements come?"
Ponzu's voice was very weak, each sentence seeming to take his last breath.
He desperately hoped the reinforcements would arrive quickly, then annihilate those unknown monsters. If they were fast and efficient, perhaps they could still save his younger sibling.
Though the hope was slim, he still clung to it.
Dafifi didn't answer, merely shaking his head.
This exchange with Ponzu had happened many times before.
Simply by observing that the Chimera Ant's numbers hadn't diminished, it was clear reinforcements hadn't arrived.
If not for Dafifi's exceptional survival skills in the forest, carrying a burden like Ponzu, they might not have lasted this long.
"Hmm? Quiet."
Dafifi's eyes suddenly changed.
Killing intent.
Perhaps not an illusion… it was indeed directed at this place.
'Had we been discovered?'
Dafifi was exceptionally decisive and confident.
Without further thought, he turned, scooped up Ponzu, and swiftly shot out of the cave entrance.
Just as they left the underground cave, a tremendous crash sounded behind them. The large tree shattered, and the ground directly collapsed.
Looking back, they saw a Chimera Ant over two meters tall, with a tail like a crocodile's. At its tip was a bulbous mass with a diameter of about one meter.
The reason the tree shattered and the ground collapsed was that bulbous mass on the Chimera Ant's tail, infused with Nen.
This Chimera Ant was named Batta, one of the Squadron Leaders.
Seeing the sheer destructive power, Dafifi's eyes narrowed slightly.
Landing with Ponzu in his arms, he looked around. At least two hundred Chimera Ants formed an airtight encirclement.
"When…"
Dafifi's expression turned grave.
"Wagahaha!"
A sharp cry echoed through the woods.
Following the sound, they saw an unknown bird resembling a clown, with painted eye makeup, perched on the arm of another Chimera Ant with avian features.
"Seeker Bird, release."
The avian Chimera Ant sneered, watching the clown bird dissolve into an Aura Mass and return to its body.
This Chimera Ant was named Piper, also a Squadron Leader.
"I'm telling you, the Royal Guard ordered that we take them alive." A slender Chimera Ant covered in red fur, with fox ears, said seriously.
This Chimera Ant was named Nique, another Squadron Leader.
"Idiot, did you have to say it out loud?"
Beside him, a Chimera Ant with a distinctly serpentine, alluring form teased in a coquettish tone.
This Chimera Ant was named Capuas, yet another Squadron Leader.
"Even prey has the right to know. Besides, honesty is a fine virtue," Nique said lazily.
Capuas parted her lips, flicking out a serpentine tongue. "I think the only virtue you possess is idiocy."
Nique shrugged, unperturbed.
"This person isn't simple. Should we let the lower-tier soldier ants wear him down first?"
After his attack missed, the crocodile-man Batta didn't rush to attack. Instead, he retreated, putting distance between them, displaying a caution and meticulousness that starkly contrasted his burly appearance.
"That might be necessary. The life energy on this person is not weak," Piper opened his sharp beak, speaking in a piercing voice.
Dafifi clenched his fists, quickly taking in the entire situation at a glance.
'Four Nen Users. Such powerful Aura.'
'And nearly two hundred monsters. They don't seem to use Nen, but the Aura on them isn't weak either.'
'Carrying Ponzu, there's zero chance of breaking through.'
Dafifi took a deep breath, trying to calm his mind, allowing the aura flowing over his body to smooth out unimpeded.
Victory between Nen Users isn't determined by the quantity of Aura alone, but Aura quantity is one of the key factors influencing the outcome.
In terms of sheer quantity of Manifested Aura, Dafifi's decades of arduous training couldn't match any of the four Squadron Leaders. But when it came to real combat experience, that was another matter.
However, the opponent wasn't just four high-level adversaries… there were also two hundred lower-tier soldiers, each comparable to an ordinary Nen User.
The gap was too obvious...
A head-on fight would only lead to being worn down to death.
If he abandoned Ponzu, there would be a chance to break out.
Dafifi was clear about this, but he wasn't the type to abandon others and flee for his own life.
His breathing gradually steadied. The Aura flowing over Dafifi's body also began to exhibit a sharp, blade-like characteristic… he had entered a combat state.
This obvious change couldn't help but make the four Squadron Leader Chimera Ants take a few steps back.
"His life energy is clearly far weaker than ours..."
Aside from Nique, whose laziness seemed to weigh down even his eyelids, the other three Squadron Leaders displayed clear reactions.
In that moment, they sensed danger from Dafifi.
Lacking sufficient understanding of Nen Abilities, they had naively believed life energy was the sole measure of strength.
But now, their thinking underwent a slight shift.
Without a hint of retreat or fear-
The three Squadron Leaders almost simultaneously revealed fierce grins.
'We just needed to verify it.'
Harboring the same thought, they didn't attack immediately. Instead, they continued to retreat, ordering their subordinates to charge at Dafifi.
Seeing this, Nique curled his lip, also passively stepping aside, giving off a strong impression of slacking off.
Perhaps, even if the other three Squadron Leaders took action, he would likely just stand by, borrowing their authority.
Subsequently, nearly two hundred Chimera Ants, including Officer-level ones, surged towards Dafifi like a tide.