Joey stopped dwelling on the question of why he could see Nen.
He suddenly remembered that among the Chimera Ants, individuals with sufficient strength could also perceive Nen—even without formal training.
Compared to that, something else concerned him more.
After recalling Killer Queen, his body felt noticeably lighter.
At the same time, the energy replenished through his wallet was gradually restoring both his physical strength and mental state. Though fatigue still lingered, he was in far better condition than he had been when he first escaped the pursuing Chimera Ants.
By the time they reached the camp, the setting sun was already sinking behind the treetops, and the forest was quickly being swallowed by darkness.
Traveling under such conditions was far from ideal.
But a battle had just taken place nearby. Staying put would be even more dangerous.
The group wasted no time. They quickly gathered what they needed, packed up, and under Pokkle's lead, set off once more.
Before long, Joey realized something was off.
They weren't heading toward the base.
"Where are we going?"
"To another suitable hiding spot nearby," Pokkle replied, glancing up at the sky. "Night travel in the forest isn't wise—even with a moon like tonight."
The clouds drifted apart, revealing a bright, full moon.
Soft silver light spilled through the canopy, gradually replacing the fading sunlight. The forest no longer felt as oppressive, though danger still lurked beneath the calm.
Joey silently agreed with the decision and didn't press further.
The group moved with clear coordination.
The two accompanying hunters guarded the flanks, scanning for danger. Pokkle led at the front, while Ponzu stayed close behind him.
Bees buzzed gently around Ponzu, weaving through the air as if relaying information.
Now that Joey had already noticed the connection between her and the bees, Ponzu no longer bothered hiding her ability.
She used it openly.
Joey followed not far behind her, his gaze drifting toward the girl more than once.
Ponzu seemed to sense it. She turned slightly and offered him a sweet—but distant—smile.
Joey didn't mind.
His curiosity wasn't directed at her personally, but at her ability.
She had died in the original story—shot through the head—yet now she stood here, commanding bees with ease.
It seemed the bees were hidden beneath her hat.
If that was the case…
Did Pokkle, who wore a similar hat, also carry bees?
And just how effective were they at transmitting information?
With five people moving together, the danger had noticeably decreased. Joey couldn't help but feel that sticking with the group had been the right choice—for now.
But his thoughts soon shifted to something more troubling.
According to the original storyline, the Chimera Ants had learned about Nen by extracting knowledge from Pokkle's brain.
If he could somehow save Pokkle…
That might delay the ants' understanding of Nen.
But what would that change?
If he remembered correctly, Kite encountered Neferpitou after the ants had already begun mastering Nen.
If Pokkle survived, would that timeline shift?
Would Kite's team push too far in before encountering Neferpitou?
And if Neferpitou hadn't fully grasped Nen yet… could Kite even win?
Joey unconsciously raised his hand, about to bite his nails—then stopped midway.
He had already noticed the changes within himself.
Ever since absorbing Kira Yoshikage's soul, certain habits had begun to surface.
When he was nervous or deep in thought, he would instinctively bite his nails.
Worse, his gaze had occasionally drifted toward Ponzu's pale, delicate hands as she directed her bees.
That wasn't a good sign.
Joey wasn't Kira Yoshikage.
He didn't have a fixation on hands.
And he certainly didn't want to become some twisted version of him in another world.
He had his own interests.
Before being transported here, he had loved photography and travel.
Now, in this vast and unknown world, those interests could easily grow into something greater.
If given the chance, he wanted to become a Hunter—specifically, the kind who traveled the world capturing breathtaking landscapes and exploring the unknown.
A scenery hunter.
The benefits of being a Hunter were excellent, and with his abilities, obtaining a license shouldn't be too difficult.
Perhaps, over time, he could redirect those intrusive impulses—turn them into a passion for capturing beautiful images instead.
As for nail-biting… that would have to be corrected gradually.
Not all of Kira Yoshikage's traits were entirely foreign to him, though.
Joey had his own tendencies.
He could be meticulous—though not to an obsessive extreme.
He preferred to stay out of the spotlight—though not to the point of paranoia.
He enjoyed solitude—but not in the warped way Yoshikage did.
Joey didn't need severed hands to feel at peace.
What he wanted was simple.
One day, he hoped to meet someone interesting—someone meant for him—and welcome her into his life.
And when he grew tired of wandering, perhaps he could settle down in a quiet town and live peacefully.
But first—
He had to leave NGL alive.
If he could do that, then his future in this world might truly become something vibrant… even extraordinary.
As for his previous world…
Perhaps he would think of it in quiet moments, deep into the night.
But after five years of surviving in this new reality, he had come to terms with it.
Though he felt a trace of guilt, all he could do was hope his family believed he had simply disappeared into another world.
Which, in a sense, was true.
Except—
This place was no heaven.
"Ponzu, have you managed to contact the other teams?"
Pokkle's voice suddenly cut through Joey's thoughts.
Joey blinked, realizing he had nearly drifted off while running.
A flicker of unease passed through him.
He forced himself to stay alert and turned his attention forward.
From Pokkle's words, it seemed there were multiple teams operating in NGL—something Joey didn't clearly remember.
"No contact yet," Ponzu replied. "It's been over two hours since the last response."
Pokkle's expression darkened.
"Do you think… they were attacked by those things?" one of the men asked nervously. His messy gray-brown hair swayed as he glanced around.
The question brought silence to the group.
After running a while longer, Pokkle finally spoke again.
"Ponzu, keep trying to reach them. If those creatures are only as strong as the ones we encountered before, our combined strength should be enough to handle them. Still—we need to stay cautious."
He paused briefly before continuing,
"We'll head to the backup camp and rest for the night. If we still can't establish contact by morning… we return to the checkpoint."
The decision clearly hadn't come easily.
Pokkle was the only licensed Hunter in the group.
The others—including Ponzu—had not mastered Nen. At best, they were amateur hunters.
Without support from the other teams, continuing deeper into NGL would be too dangerous.
Even if he desired the achievement, Pokkle wouldn't gamble with their lives.
Especially now—when the lack of communication carried more weight than Joey's warnings ever could.
Otherwise, if firearms had been proven consistently effective—and if they had secured enough weapons—Pokkle would have undoubtedly pressed forward.
Yet despite the rationality of his decision…
A heavy, unspoken pressure settled over the group.
The forest grew quieter.
And the night ahead felt anything but safe.
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