Disclaimer: I don't own Hunter x Hunter

Note: This takes place 1 day after the attack on the palace. Meaning Meruem wakes up and leaves before authorities can search the area. He spent few hours carrying Komugi and now in this story's current time, we're about 2 days after the attack.

It was just about time for the sun to begin rising. Meruem hadn't ceased in all that time and was void of all thoughts. He hadn't seen a single household insight and activated his En every so often. He flew above a forest, heightening his senses to make sure he didn't miss a single thing. It was during this one moment when he decided to reuse his En, he picked up on something on his far left that he was able to make out something, something alive.

Without hesitation, he flew down at a blinding speed and landed with a loud crash. The creature was completely unguarded and the crash gave it immense shock. His landing was so powerful that it knocked whatever it was holding out of its hands.

Meruem looked up at the creature and unintentionally exposed his horrific Nen. His Nen if put into words, would be compared to that of a mountain balancing on a grain of sand.

That was the difference between them.

"Oi...where am I?" The King asked. When The King looked up, he was quite surprised to see that the thing he sensed was actually a Chimera Ant. A Squadron Leader to be exact. If he remembered correctly then his name was...

"A squadron leader?" Meruem said unconsciously. Bloster the Chimera Ant that resembled a huge blue lobster was quaking with fear. When he failed to notice the lack of the King's presence along with the humans, he assumed it ended in the humans' victory. Yet standing in front of him was the King himself.

"Oi, were you one of my previous Squadron Leaders?" Meruem asked as he took a step forward only for him to take two.

"Why do you fear me? I am your King, not your enemy," Meruem stated, a bit sternly. Bloster was incredibly perplexed as to figuring out what he should do. Engaging in battle would only end in his death but he didn't want to let the King become aware of the village nearby. If he told him there was also a chance that he would still be killed. As things stood, his very life was in grave danger.

"If you won't say anything..." Meruem said as he began to radiate his Nen. Bloster feeling an incomparable amount of dread course through him began to shake violently and lost all thought process immediately.

"Y-YES! I am a Squadron Leader my King!" he spat. Meruem stopped his Nen and gazed at him questioningly.

"Why didn't you answer me the first time I asked?" Meruem asked suspiciously. Bloster was a nervous wreck and he was failing to contain his composure.

"I-I-I am just surprised to see you alive and well my King, considering the humans w-won," Bloster stammered. Meruem kept his gaze on him with a stare so heavy Bloster felt himself being crushed from the sheer intensity.

"Very well, now then." he took a step.

"Have you come into contact with any humans since the attack on the palace, " Meruem asked. The pressure from this gaze was somehow even more intense than the previous one. He felt like he had just gripped his would and was now slowly draining him of all his composure. Booster heard the question loud and clear, but he did not know how to answer it. The answer was yes but he had just made a sort of truce with them, promising that no more casualties would be harmed. Yet his promise could go flying out the window thanks to the unknown actions his King would make.

"Well?" Meruem said which made Bloster flinch hard. Those deep shaded purple eyes of his made it seem like he was piercing through him with just his gaze alone. Bloster got a sinking feeling that even he lied, the King would know. He thought about the humans back in the village, the fact that they welcomed him even after everything causing them lots of suffering. If his King so much decided to wreak havoc, the blame would fall on Bloster and not the King. He would have to live with that knowledge for the rest of his life.

"So you have huh?" Meruem said, tearing his soul-latching gaze away from Bloster and looked around.

"Would you mind telling me which direction? If you lie I will make sure your death is brutal, " Meruem stated calmly. Bloster couldn't wrap his head around it, damn it! If only his brain was more like Welfin's, he would've come up with something on the spot. Another thing bugging him was how the King suddenly figured it out. He felt like he would pass out soon since his breath was caught in his throat and he was practically suffocating from the situation at hand.

And then one of his pincers was torn off.

"AGGHHH!" Bloster screamed as he fell back. Blue blood splurted and even when all of his attention was focused on the pain, one loud crunch made him look back at his King,

Who was now eating his pincer.

"Hmmm, it's as I expected, " he stated nonchalantly. The King's Nen was activated but Bloster could've sworn he felt it rising.

"Now then, you've helped me answer another one of my questions. Yet you've avoided all of the questions I asked. I will not repeat myself and I'll make sure to continue eating you limb from limb until you decide to tell me where they are, " Meruem threatened. Bloster gulped, it was either the death of him or the death of the village.

He answered immediately by spraying bullets at Meruem as he leaped back. Small bright yellow explosions clouded the King's vision but his instincts allowed him to leap in the air and strike down on Bloster, tearing off his other pincer rendering him to be completely useless.

He took a bite out of it, savoring the delicious taste of Nen and feeling it flow through him like a river. Bloster was bleeding out of both arms but would endure the punishment, whatever it was. Meruem leaned over him and slowly stretched his hand out forward. Bloster wasn't afraid anymore, for he had accepted his fate.

At a nearby village...

Shidore couldn't have been any happier. Not only was she able to reunite with her mother, the villagers also didn't treat her like some type of monster. It was more than what she could've asked for and it was all thanks to Bloster who went through the risk of his own life just for her own ideals. It was thanks to him that she was able to eat with all the villagers right now.

"Reina, could you pass me a load of bread dear?"

"Yes ma'am." she preferred to be called Reina instead of Shidore for obvious reasons. Everything was absolutely perfect...aside from the fact that Colt wasn't with them.

Reina's heightened senses were put on alert from the sound of faint rustling leaves...could it have been Bloster? No, these footsteps were much softer. Yet Reina got the sudden urge to give the thing all of her attention.

"Well this is something I certainly didn't expect, " came the authoritative voice of her King. The villagers immediately went stiff, unable to decipher whether the King was here to attack or seek forgiveness.

"A Chimera Ant that seems to enjoy spending its time with humans. Though I can't say I'm particularly fond of this relationship." Meruem said as he made his presence known. The same lady who went and risked her life to hear Bloster's offer did the same to Meruem.

"Good morning, are you a friend of that blue lobster-looking fellow?"

"I wouldn't necessarily call us friends, considering I am his King, " Meruem said unphased. He stretched his tail and shook the lady's hand when she outstretched it. He shook it firmly and that's when she noticed the blue blood on his hands.

"W-what is- what did you-?!"

"If you're referring to the Squadron Leader I met a while ago on my way here, let's just say he refused to take orders, " Meruem before grinning madly. Sidore shuddered uncontrollably, the man she arguably owed her life for was...?!

"It seems you understand the implications behind the meaning of my words. Very well then, now, " he radiated a murderous Nen. A Nen filled with absolute malice that stretched across the whole village and then some.

"Which one of you will answer me?"

A/N: Sorry, this took so long, my apologies. That being said, thank you for all the favorites and follows, I appreciate them dearly. Now if any of you are questioning why Meruem didn't disguise himself for these villagers, it's because they are still in NGL, an area where technology is forbidden. If you say Meruem doesn't or isn't aware of NGL's rules, I have this head anon where Meruem not only reads up on games as he did in his palace, would it be so hard to believe that he wouldn't read about the world he was planning on conquering? Rambled on a bit but whatever, all grammar mistakes belong to me, and please let me know what you think about the story's progression. We writers love to hear about feedback whether it's hate or love, I personally take both.