Chapter 182: life and death - HxH : Pokemon Master - NovelsTime

HxH : Pokemon Master

Chapter 182: life and death

Author: NoobTranslator
updatedAt: 2025-08-02

CHAPTER 182: LIFE AND DEATH

Netero’s expression was stern as he firmly rejected the Ant King’s request.

Hearing Netero’s refusal, the Ant King showed no emotional reaction and simply remained seated in silence.

Only a faint trace of regret flickered in his eyes.

It seemed he would have to seek out someone else to teach him.

Seeing that his refusal had no effect on the Ant King, Netero scratched his head, his face twisting into a frown.

If they couldn’t even fight, what was he supposed to do?

Netero had never imagined that, despite being prepared for death, the problem would lie in the other party not wanting to fight.

Now, whether in terms of strength or words, he was no match for the Ant King.

In terms of strength, his full-powered strike had left the Ant King completely unharmed.

In terms of words, the Ant King’s mindset had shifted, embracing ideals that were both beautiful and naive—something Netero couldn’t correct.

Even if he attacked first, the Ant King wouldn’t care, since it would hardly cause any damage to him.

’Wait... Words, huh?’

Netero hunched over, his face shrouded in shadow where the moonlight didn’t reach, but a glimmer of excitement flashed in his eyes.

He had found his opening!

If nothing went wrong, he could persuade the Ant King to fight him!

"Ant King, do you want to know your name?" Netero slowly straightened up, looking down at the seated Ant King as he spoke in a low voice.

"How do you know my name?!" The Ant King stiffened, his gaze sharpening noticeably and even his tone grew heavier.

At that moment, he recalled how Komugi had once asked for his name—she had one, but he didn’t.

Ever since then, he had longed to have a name of his own.

Did this old man before him truly know his name?

’Oh? This might work.’ Netero’s lips curled into a triumphant smile.

’This old man really has it hard—even trying to get a fight before death is this difficult.’

From the Ant King’s subtle reaction, Netero could easily tell how much importance he placed on his name.

Now he was even more confident.

"My subordinate witnessed your mother’s death." Netero stroked his beard, speaking at a measured pace.

"Your name was spoken by her just before she died. So? Do you feel like fighting me now? If you can make me admit defeat, I’ll tell you your name."

He would use the Ant King’s name as bait to lure him into a fight.

The Ant King’s expression shifted slightly before he finally stood up from the ground, striding toward Netero with a powerful gait.

"So, I must defeat you without taking your life, is that it?" With each step the Ant King took, eerie dark-purple Aura began emanating from his body.

Merely looking at this aura was enough to induce extreme discomfort.

This was Aura more terrifying than even Death Aura!

In an instant, the Ant King became completely enveloped in this dark-purple energy, resembling a flickering will-o’-the-wisp.

The Ant King positioned his legs and arms in a combat stance, one set forward and the other back.

’Finally, we can fight!’

Netero stood with his legs apart in a horse stance, his refined Aura first condensing inward.

The next moment, an intense golden light erupted from Netero’s body, illuminating the entire wilderness.

"BOOM!"

The golden Aura represented by Netero and the dark-purple Aura of the Ant King instantly clashed.

A clear boundary formed between the two.

The collision of these two supreme Auras created tremendous shockwaves.

Dust storms surged outward from the epicenter as if a sandstorm had been unleashed.

Before the Ant King could react, Netero propelled himself into the air with a powerful leap.

He assumed a posture resembling the Buddha—one foot tucked in, the other resting on its knee, hands pressed together, eyes closed.

Amid the golden radiance, the Ant King seemed to see Netero standing atop a vibrant lotus

flower.But the vision vanished in the blink of an eye.

Suddenly, Netero’s eyes snapped open—wide and filled with fierce battle intent.

Like an angry deity, Netero exuded overwhelming pressure, intent on subduing this "little ant."

Hyakushiki Kannon!

Time seemed to freeze in that instant as the Ant King’s dark pupils were illuminated by the blinding golden light.

Before him loomed a massive thousand-armed statue, its countless arms striking toward him.

The 99th Hand!

The towering statue rained down blows upon the Ant King, all arms converging on a single point.

The Ant King’s pupils contracted slightly, his muscles instinctively tensing as he summoned more Aura for defense.

In that moment, countless palm strikes materialized in rapid succession, overwhelming the Ant King at the center.

"Boom! Boom! Boom..."

Rocks shattered into fragments, then disintegrated into fine dust that scattered everywhere.

A thick storm of dust and debris engulfed the entire area.

Each strike from the thousand-armed Guanyin carried the force of a missile.

Yet Netero unleashed these attacks with machine-gun-like speed.

Under such relentless assault, even the hardest rocks were pulverized into nothingness, carried away by the shockwaves.

Naturally, the Ant King at the epicenter bore the brunt of the damage—far greater than the surrounding destruction.

****

Elsewhere in the digital world, two figures observed this astonishing spectacle.

"Crunch!"

Ging took a hearty bite of the pear, its crispness audibly evident.

As he chewed, a sigh escaped him.

"The 99th Hand of Hyakushiki Kannon? Its power is terrifyingly high~ Never thought the old man would go straight to the Ninety-Ninth Hand, huh?"

Having sparred with Netero often, Ging was well aware that Hyakushiki Kannon comprised one hundred techniques.

Apart from the almost-never-used Zero Style, he had witnessed everything from the First to the Ninety-Ninth Hand.

The Ninety-Ninth Hand ranked second in destructive power within Hyakushiki Kannon, surpassed only by the terrifying Zero Style.

Essentially, it unleashed all preceding techniques in rapid succession.

Despite knowing Chairman Netero for years, Ging had never seen him open the fight with the Ninety-Ninth Hand.

"Then again, the opponent is the Ant King," Ging mused.

"The old man’s First Hand landed cleanly earlier, but barely made an impact. To deal real damage, the Ninety-Ninth Hand was necessary—anything else would just waste energy."

Akira studied the battlefield intently, fully understanding Netero’s decision to lead with his ultimate move.

Against the Ant King, lesser techniques were mere scratches.

"True enough," Ging nodded.

"Better to go all out than waste effort on ineffective attacks." He agreed with Netero’s approach—the enemy was simply that formidable.

"Your ability’s really something though" Ging remarked, gesturing at their surroundings.

"This viewing experience is top-notch."

The two sat cross-legged in the digital world, surrounded by massive "screens" displaying the battle outside.

It felt like having a private theater.

Normally, observing the real world from cyberspace required physical screens like TVs or monitors as intermediaries.

But after reaching S-rank, Porygon-Z could project these holographic displays without external hardware, even providing multiple camera angles for comprehensive coverage.

"Turns out calling me here was the right move after all," Ging said between bites, leaving distinct tooth marks on the pear.

His presence here stemmed from an earlier agreement with Akira when transporting Chimera Ants to Greed Island—if possible, bring him along for the Ant King showdown.

He’d wanted to witness this so-called king’s capabilities.

One glance at the screens confirmed the title was well-earned—this was a truly formidable foe.

***

Under the thousand-armed statue’s relentless assault, the Ant King could only raise his arms defensively against the barrage.

The overwhelming force drove him backward, his feet sinking deeper into the ground with each impact.

BOOM!

With a thunderous crash, the earth gave way.

A crater formed and expanded rapidly as countless rock layers shattered.

Losing footing, the Ant King plummeted downward amidst cascading debris and dust.

The Ninety-Ninth Hand’s power had obliterated the hardened surface, revealing an enormous subterranean cavern beneath the wasteland.

Beneath the ground stood countless thick pillars, but nothing else could be seen.

Perhaps it was a storage facility for weapons of war, or perhaps it served some other purpose. But at this moment, in Netero’s mind, this place held only one meaning.

"This is a graveyard." Netero stared at the still-standing Ant King before him, his gaze sharpening as he lowered his voice and spoke gravely.

"You will die here!"

***

"Even after taking the Ninety-Ninth Form of Hyakushiki Kannon, he’s practically unharmed?!" Ging’s pupils constricted as he fixed his eyes on the image of the Ant King on the screen, unable to suppress his shock.

Despite enduring the Ninety-Ninth Form of Hyakushiki Kannon, the Ant King showed no visible signs of damage.

The dark purple Aura around his body remained extremely steady, showing no signs of having just endured a fierce attack.

Moreover, enveloped by the swirling Aura, the scattered debris and dust had no effect on him whatsoever.

His body remained spotless, not a speck of dirt to be seen.

"Tsk tsk tsk, truly a creature of the Dark Continent." Ging shook his head and continued eating fruit, though he had switched from a pear to an apple now.

Even while spectating the battle, he never forgot to snack.

If Akira had to describe it, Ging was the type who ate popcorn while watching movies and chips while binging shows at home.

Except what he ate was healthier—mostly fruit.

"From the moment he was born, he possessed power that stood at the pinnacle." Akira commented.

Though Akira had already witnessed the battle between the Ant King and Netero back on Earth, observing it now gave him an even deeper understanding.

The Ant King’s strength was genuinely horrifying.

He was a warrior without weakness, excelling in every aspect.

Not only was he fast, powerful, and durable, but his regenerative abilities were also top-tier.

Even if he took damage, his body would instantly repair itself.

No wonder Netero was struggling so much.

***

Hearing Netero’s "grand declaration," the half-crouching Ant King slowly rose to his feet, the emotion in his eyes completely shifting.

His originally purple irises were instantly dyed crimson and an overwhelming surge of dark purple Aura erupted from his body.

With a fierce flick of his arms, a terrifying mass of Aura enveloped the Ant King’s entire form.

Under the extreme pressure, even the rocks beneath his feet groaned and cracked apart.

A piercing wave of killing intent instantly filled the entire underground space—everything in sight was bathed in dark purple aura!

Netero raised his alert to the highest, his throat tightening as his eyes locked onto the Ant King.

If the Ant King had previously straddled the line between human and Chimera Ant, possessing the thoughts of both—Now, provoked by Netero, he had fully embraced the mindset of a Chimera Ant.

A beast that devoured humans!

Even after taking such an attack, he still looks completely unharmed?

It’s not just that I’ve grown old—the Ant King is simply that strong.

I really did pick a formidable opponent~

Netero’s expression remained unchanged as he observed the Ant King, silently reflecting to himself.

This Ninety-Ninth Hand was already his second most powerful technique, yet even this had failed to leave a mark.

To face the Ant King, he had even spent a long time adjusting his state, ensuring the attack was far stronger than usual.

Now, it seemed he had only one option left—his final, ultimate technique.

Slowly, Netero raised his lowered hands, forming a triangular shape in front of him.

Ant King, I am grateful to you.

Through the triangular gap between his hands, he could clearly see the Ant King, his killing intent soaring as he strode toward him step by step.

Then, Netero shifted his hands to his chest, forming a heart shape over his left breast.

For our meeting.

And for everything we’ve experienced up to now.

For all of it—I am endlessly grateful!

In the dim underground space, only the faint, gentle moonlight spilled over Netero’s face and body.

Though it was just a subtle expression, the Ant King saw it clearly.

He was smiling.

Netero, who had lived for over a hundred years, had transformed from a strict martial artist to the Chairman of the Hunter Association.

His personality had also shifted from being stern to becoming fond of laughter, turning into an old prankster who loved seeking amusement

. But at this life-and-death moment, his smile was genuine—a true, heartfelt smile.

He was grateful for everything he had experienced up to now.

Whether sorrow or joy, in this moment, he would sing praises in his heart.

Because after this, he would face his own death.

The instant he assessed the Ant King’s condition, Netero knew he could never defeat him.

Not even with Zero Hand!

But as a martial artist, he would never retreat.

Instead, he treated this as his final battle.

To enjoy it to the fullest!

The next second, the killing intent radiating from the Ant King suddenly paused as he turned to look behind him.

A colossal Thousand-Handed statue had abruptly appeared behind him!

Previously, it had only manifested behind Netero, but this time, it loomed behind the Ant King himself.

"BOOM!"

The Thousand-Handed Guanyin gently swung its palms, enclosing the Ant King’s body between them.

Strangely, the Ant King felt not a trace of killing intent—only an overwhelming aura of benevolence emanating from the statue.

Hyakushiki Kannon—Zero Hand!

In an instant, Netero channeled every ounce of his Aura, his spirit, his very being—all of it poured into the statue, solely to unleash this one, all-out strike!

Then, the Guanyin mouth opened wide, aimed at its own palms.

From the dark abyss within, faint ripples of energy flickered.

A radiant, star-like blast of colossal light erupted forth in a single breath.

The deafening explosion of light illuminated the entire underground space.

An endless, ocean-like torrent of Aura surged towards the imprisoned Ant King!

Trapped, the Ant King’s instincts screamed in alarm as he frantically mobilized the vast reserves of Aura within him.

All to withstand this one strike!

The Ant King could clearly sense that this attack was unlike any before.

They were not on the same level!

This was Netero’s ultimate technique, unleashed with the resolve to die—Zero Hand!

After this, life or death would be decided instantly.

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