As Joey moved through the forest, fragments of the manga's plot continued to surface in his mind.
---
Hunter x Hunter was an old series.
If not for its remake—and the rumors, before his transmigration, that Yoshihiro Togashi planned to continue it—he probably wouldn't have remembered much at all.
Even so, several years had passed since then.
Remembering anything in detail was already a small miracle.
---
Still—
Some scenes had left a deep impression.
---
Ponzu being shot and devoured.
Pokkle captured, his Nen extracted—leading the Chimera Ants to discover Nen itself.
Kite receiving a bloodstained message… leading his group to a base… and encountering the Chimera Ants.
---
Then—
The ambush after leaving that base.
---
And finally—
Neferpitou.
One of the King's Royal Guards.
Appearing.
Overwhelming.
Fighting Kite.
---
While Killua Zoldyck, under Kite's cover, knocked out Gon Freecss and escaped.
---
As for the rest…
Joey didn't dwell on it.
---
Instead, he looked down at the phone in his hand.
---
A beetle-shaped flip phone.
---
He recognized it instantly.
---
The model Leorio Paradinight once praised in the anime—long battery life, strong signal, affordable, and incredibly durable.
---
"…Not bad taste," Joey muttered.
---
He quickly checked through it.
---
Nothing.
---
The contact list was empty.
No messages.
No call history.
Not even system notifications.
---
No photos.
No records.
Nothing at all.
---
If not for the faint signal bar on the screen, he might have assumed it had never been used.
---
As for its functions—
They were simple:
Compass.
Alarm.
Blank notes.
Voice recorder.
Camera.
Calendar.
---
And…
A Snake game.
---
Joey glanced at the time, then slipped the phone back into his pocket.
---
Battery wasn't an issue.
At the very least, it could serve as a watch… or a flashlight.
---
The explosions in the distance had stopped several minutes ago.
---
Along with them—
The drain on his energy.
---
Either Sheer Heart Attack had completed its mission…
Or something had delayed it.
---
But from the way his body felt—
There was no backlash.
No pain.
---
Which meant—
It hadn't been damaged.
---
That wasn't surprising.
Even Jotaro Kujo, with Star Platinum, hadn't been able to destroy it.
---
Ordinary attacks wouldn't even scratch it.
---
Still—
Speculating was pointless.
What mattered now…
Was that it returned quickly.
---
Joey checked the time mentally.
---
It had been over ten minutes since he left the village.
---
No matter what happened there—
Once the Chimera Ants realized something was wrong…
They would investigate.
---
And those sent to investigate…
Wouldn't be ordinary soldiers.
---
They would be Division Commanders.
---
Far stronger.
Far more dangerous.
---
Which meant—
He needed to get as far away as possible before nightfall.
---
Because once night came—
This forest would become their domain.
---
Chimera Ants…
Were monsters that evolved through consumption.
---
The more diverse their food—
The more complex their evolution.
---
The Queen didn't need traditional reproduction.
She simply consumed…
And produced offspring.
---
And those offspring—
Inherited traits from everything she had eaten.
---
Meaning:
More humans consumed…
More intelligence gained.
---
And that—
Was exactly what Joey was facing now.
---
An army of intelligent Chimera Ants.
With biological abilities.
---
Hunting him.
---
A chilling thought.
---
Then—
A sound.
---
From behind him.
---
Joey stopped.
---
The ground trembled slightly.
---
Then he saw it.
---
Sheer Heart Attack.
---
Leaving twin tracks in the dirt—
It rushed toward him at high speed.
---
Killer Queen stepped forward.
Raised its left hand.
---
In an instant—
The miniature tank turned into a streak of blue light—
And merged back into it.
---
Silence returned.
---
But Joey's expression darkened.
---
His eyes fell on the ground.
---
The tracks.
---
Clear.
Undeniable.
---
The tank's return confirmed one thing:
The Chimera Ants in the village…
Had been wiped out.
---
But those same tracks—
Also revealed its path.
---
And possibly—
His location.
---
Joey didn't know if anything was already following them.
But there was only one option.
---
Leave.
Now.
---
He turned.
Tightened his bag.
And accelerated.
---
But after a short distance—
He stopped again.
---
His brows furrowed deeply.
---
Killer Queen…
Had moved.
---
A subtle gesture.
---
Behind him.
---
There was something there.
---
"…Damn."
---
He had been found.
---
Still—
Joey wasn't surprised.
---
In fact—
Turning his back earlier…
Had been intentional.
---
A test.
---
To draw out any pursuers.
---
And now—
He had his answer.
---
But that answer…
Was troubling.
---
Why weren't they attacking?
---
Were they cautious?
---
Or—
Could they see Killer Queen?
---
If it was the first—
He still had a chance.
---
But if it was the second…
---
Things just became far more dangerous.
---
Either way—
He couldn't let them keep following him.
---
Because once reinforcements arrived—
---
No matter what he did—
He would die.
___________________________
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