Gon sat there, carefully observing Killua.
"You're a bit different from before... The cautious Killua who always chose the safest option in dangerous situations isn't quite the same now..."
Different from before? Even Gon could tell…
Killua slightly averted his gaze; it looked like the fear he'd been showing earlier had been too obvious.
He gave a somewhat self-deprecating smile.
But from now on, everything will be different.
Killua thought to himself silently.
He couldn't help but recall the moment in the four-level mansion when he faced the intense pressure Kite gave him.
At that moment, he didn't disappoint Kite and finally pulled out the needle embedded in his forehead.
In the original timeline, even when facing a mere Shrike Chimera Ant, he could feel enough of a threat to trigger removing the needle.
Let alone the terrifyingly powerful Kite, whose pressure was far more intense than a Shrike Chimera Ant.
Killua had shown the potential he was meant to have, breaking through his mental blocks and inner fears.
Especially the pressure from his older brother Illumi, who had placed limits on him, and he had finally broken free.
Now, compared to the assassin who once hid in the shadows, Killua had become a true hunter.
He could now continue on this path, accompanying Gon as a genuine hunter.
"Ah, just a bit of a personality shift, that's all."
Killua put his hands behind his head, trying to act as casual as usual.
Then he asked lightly: "What do you think of my change?"
"I'm not sure what exactly changed in you, Killua..."
Gon looked him over seriously, then suddenly smiled brightly: "But I can tell that your current self... It's way better than before!!"
Way better... Huh?
Killua's face also lit up with a smile. He gently closed his eyes, choosing not to say anything more.
… … …
Meanwhile, on the other side, Knov had successfully infiltrated the underground palace where Bizeff's selection process took place.
But before he could enter the room, he heard a faint cry for help coming from the end of the hallway.
"Someone... Save me..."
The voice was weak, desperate, and filled with a tearful plea for life that it made Knov pause.
"Is that Bizeff?"
When he reached the source of the voice, he found Bizeff pinned beneath a massive stone slab.
He had been caught in the shockwave of the Shinra Tensei attack earlier, and his lower body was completely trapped.
Covered in dust and debris, Bizeff was wailing and begging for help.
Unfortunately for him, no one else was around except the intruders like Knov.
"Where is Palm?"
Knov stepped up to Bizeff, looking down coldly and asking flatly.
"Palm? You mean that woman who snuck in?!"
Seeing someone appear, Bizeff's face lit up with excitement.
His mind turned quickly; he realized he must've been drugged when he had fallen into such a deep sleep before.
And the only suspicious person... was that girl who brought him a drink and came looking for him.
Bizeff, being cunning, realized something was wrong when he woke up but acted like nothing happened.
He wouldn't dare expose the incident otherwise the royal guards wouldn't have let him off.
But he had firmly memorized that girl's face, the one who had drugged him.
Now, hearing the name Palm from this obvious infiltrator confirmed his suspicions.
"She's been staying in her room the whole time, never coming out."
Bizeff quickly said. "I didn't bother her after that, so I don't know what she's been doing."
He wasn't lying.
Once he suspected the woman was part of the enemy group, he didn't dare make any moves.
If he got caught up in the conflict, his life would be the first to go.
Whether it was the cold-blooded Chimera Ants or these intruders, neither side looked like they would spare him.
So he chose to act as if he saw nothing, to stay neutral and unnoticed.
That was his survival tactic, a classic small-fry's way of staying safe.
Now that he saw an intruder calmly walking through the underground palace, he realized…
The battle above must be turning in a direction very bad for the Chimera Ants.
And since he desperately needed to escape his predicament, Bizeff didn't hesitate to sell out everything he had, including his massive underground treasure hoard of gold and silver.
He explained it was located at the furthest end of the bomb shelter, the commander-in-chief's private storage vault.
He was the only one who had been managing it, so only he had unrestricted access.
Knov wasn't particularly interested in any of the treasure or riches.
But hearing that Palm was safe made him breathe a sigh of relief.
As for why Palm hadn't contacted them, Knov quickly understood.
Once she realized things were off, the best choice would've been to lay low and avoid alerting anyone.
"Being within Neferpitou's En range... Of course, she had to play dead and not make any moves at all."
"Any attempt to make a call or send a signal could've drawn Neferpitou's attention."
That's why Palm made herself appear as lifeless as possible, not attracting the slightest notice.
Crack!
Knov used his ability to effortlessly remove the huge stone that pinned Bizeff, and then the man scrambled out in a panic.
Oddly enough, he was mostly unharmed despite being crushed by such a massive rock.
Other than being dusty and sore from the pressure, he was basically fine.
Maybe it's like the saying goes: only the good die young; the wicked live forever…
Soon, Knov found Palm's location and expressed comfort and appreciation for her actions.
She was able to keep her mind calm and not continue to mess around and expose herself when she was deep behind the enemy.
Such ability is already very valuable.
In response, Palm just smiled bitterly and shook her head.