Bang!
The door finally gave way under the monster's relentless assault.
But before the creature could even reach Joey—
Killer Queen, standing silently behind him, pressed its prepared thumb.
---
In a flash of firelight—
The monster's entire body ignited…
And vanished.
---
Joey lowered the small map in his hand.
His eyes fixed on a name he recognized.
A country.
A detail buried in memory.
And in that instant—combined with the monsters outside—
Everything clicked.
---
Hunter x Hunter.
---
This world…
Was the one he knew best.
---
Joey's mind raced as fragments of knowledge surfaced.
The name on the map—
NGL Autonomous Country.
Neo Green Life.
A nation that rejected modern technology entirely, choosing instead a "pure," natural lifestyle.
No machines.
No industry.
Only farming, weaving, and primitive living from sunrise to sunset.
---
Officially, 99% of its population were devoted environmentalists.
The remaining 1% were volunteers from around the world, supporting its ideals.
---
But Joey knew the truth.
That was only the surface.
---
Beneath NGL's façade of nature and harmony…
Lay something far darker.
---
The globally distributed narcotic D2 originated here.
And most of its raw material—the pira tree—was cultivated within this isolated nation.
---
Joey's grip on the map tightened.
Then his gaze shifted slightly—
Toward the aftermath of the explosion.
---
That creature…
He recognized it.
---
Chimera Ants.
A quarantined species from the Dark Continent.
Danger Level: B.
---
Their biology was terrifying.
By consuming other species, they could inherit traits—evolving rapidly, growing stronger with every generation.
Fast reproduction.
Adaptive evolution.
Unpredictable growth.
---
And from what Joey could tell—
This was still the early stage.
The Queen's phase.
---
Otherwise…
They wouldn't be capturing humans.
They would already be exterminating them.
---
A storm of thoughts surged through his mind.
This world.
This timeline.
What was coming next.
He knew enough to understand one thing:
Things were about to get far worse.
---
But now wasn't the time to think about the future.
---
Joey forced himself to focus.
He stuffed the faintly glowing wallet into his pocket.
Then quickly gathered what he needed:
The pistol.
The grenade.
The phone.
The map.
---
He shoved several pancakes and basic supplies into a cloth bag, slung it over his shoulder, grabbed the pistol, secured the phone and map, gripped the grenade—
And rushed toward the back window.
---
He paused.
Looked outside.
No monsters in sight.
---
But he didn't move yet.
---
Instead, he turned to Killer Queen.
---
From its left hand—
Something detached.
---
A small, skull-faced vehicle.
Like a miniature tank.
---
Killer Queen's second bomb.
Sheer Heart Attack.
---
The tiny machine—smaller than a volleyball—dropped to the ground, its treads rolling forward.
It shouted loudly:
"The roast chicken's ready! Look over here!"
---
Its voice was absurdly loud.
Almost provocative.
---
But from Joey's angle—
The Chimera Ants showed no reaction at all.
---
"They can't hear it…"
Joey narrowed his eyes.
"So the rule still applies—only Stand users can perceive Stands."
---
As he watched—
The miniature tank rolled calmly toward a nearby Chimera Ant.
Then—
Detonated.
---
BOOM!
---
A violent explosion tore through the air.
Flames surged.
Smoke billowed.
Light flashed blindingly.
---
And yet—
From within the smoke—
The tiny tank rolled forward again.
Completely unharmed.
---
Sheer Heart Attack.
An automatic, heat-seeking bomb.
It tracks targets by temperature.
The higher the heat—
The greater the explosion.
---
It cannot be easily destroyed.
And it can attack repeatedly.
---
For Joey—
It was the perfect tool.
A distraction.
A weapon.
A chance to escape.
---
But he didn't stay to watch.
The moment the first explosion erupted—
He climbed out the back window.
---
He looked up.
As expected—
Flying Chimera Ants circled above the house.
---
But just as he had predicted—
The explosion had drawn their attention.
---
That was his opening.
---
Joey steadied himself—
Then slipped into the shadows beneath the eaves.
---
BOOM!
Another explosion.
Followed by sharp, insect-like screeches.
---
Watching carefully, Joey saw two flying ants circle the area—
Then shift direction.
Toward the explosions.
---
Meanwhile—
The small tank detonated again.
And again.
And again.
---
Fifth explosion.
---
Joy surged through Joey.
---
This was it.
---
The moment the flying ants moved away—
He ran.
---
No hesitation.
---
He sprinted toward the forest less than a hundred meters behind the house.
---
His grip tightened around the pistol.
Ready.
If anything went wrong—
He would fire.
Or throw the grenade.
Even if it meant exposing himself completely.
---
BOOM!
Sixth explosion.
---
Nothing followed him.
---
Joey reached the forest.
---
But he didn't slow down.
Not even for a second.
---
There was no guarantee it was safe.
There could still be Chimera Ants inside.
---
Behind him—
The explosions grew more frequent.
---
After the sixth—
Three more followed in quick succession.
---
The Chimera Ants seemed to be engaging the miniature tank.
But that didn't make sense.
They shouldn't even be able to see it.
---
So why were they reacting?
---
A question formed in Joey's mind.
---
But there was no time to dwell on it.
---
Recalling Sheer Heart Attack wasn't immediate.
And the command he had given it—
"Destroy all Chimera Ants in the village"—
Was vague.
Dangerously vague.
---
He wasn't even sure it would interpret it correctly.
---
He hadn't measured their body temperatures.
He hadn't accounted for the captured villagers.
---
It was entirely possible—
That the explosions would kill them too.
---
Joey's expression hardened.
---
In a life-or-death situation—
He couldn't even guarantee his own survival.
---
He had no room to worry about others.
---
Still—
From the first explosion—
He could tell one thing:
The Chimera Ants' body temperature wasn't low.
---
Joey licked his dry lips.
Sweat beaded on his forehead.
---
And as he pushed deeper into the forest—
His focus sharpened.
---
On one thing only:
Survival.
___________________________
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