As Joey walked, he had no objection to sharing information. Although he knew quite a lot, he was certain he wouldn't reveal everything.
His main concern was how to subtly adjust the information he provided—just enough to make Pokkuru and the others want to leave NGL as soon as possible.
After all, if nothing unexpected happened, these people would most likely die the very next day.
Joey had no intention of dying. He needed to either mislead them or find an opportunity to separate from the group.
However, they had already encountered the Chimera Ants. That meant they must have formed their own preliminary judgments.
This left Joey feeling somewhat helpless.
Clearly, events had already begun deviating from the original plot—simply because Pokkuru and his team had been drawn in by Joey's earlier battle.
In the original storyline, they were supposed to encounter the Chimera Ants the next day—and be wiped out while attempting to escape.
Joey had mentally prepared for changes, but he hadn't expected them to happen this quickly.
From his understanding, as long as he survived until meeting the main characters, the future would inevitably diverge from the original plot.
But if things didn't diverge… then he might have to consider a far worse possibility—
That some invisible force of fate would forcibly "correct" the story, even if it meant erasing him.
That thought sent a chill down his spine.
At the same time, the appearance of Pokkuru's group reminded Joey of something important:
His original destination—the base linked to Zazan (Zairo in his memory)—was likely already compromised.
Based on the timeline and his current observations, that base had probably already been taken over by Chimera Ants.
A battle might already be happening there.
If he continued heading there recklessly, the chances of encountering Chimera Ants would only increase.
---
If he were alone, his best option would be different.
He would approach cautiously, stay at a safe distance, observe the Chimera Ants' movements, and wait for Kite and his group to arrive.
With Kite around, Joey believed he could survive—at least until someone like Neferpitou appeared.
But now?
There was no way he could explain this to Pokkuru.
---
"We should leave this place quickly," one of the bystanders said—a man with thick gray-white eyebrows.
"The explosion made too much noise. There could be monsters nearby."
No one objected.
After briefly assessing the situation, Joey quietly abandoned his idea of heading to the base.
After all, Pokkuru and his group already knew the location of the checkpoint leading out of NGL.
---
Despite his young age, Pokkuru carried himself like a leader.
However, instead of retreating, he led the group back toward the previous battlefield, collecting fragments of Chimera Ant corpses and placing them into a cloth bag.
Joey couldn't help but speak:
"If you just need proof or information, taking photos would be enough. Carrying corpses is unnecessary—and dangerous."
"The smell of blood will attract more enemies. And this forest is full of insects."
As he spoke, Joey took out his phone and handed it over.
"There are even more corpses in the direction I came from—both human and insect. You can also find weapons there."
He paused slightly.
"But honestly, that's not important. The priority right now is to leave this area."
---
Pokkuru's eyes lit up slightly at the mention of the phone.
He took it, then handed it to Ponzu, who quickly left with two others.
After that, he turned back to Joey with a serious expression.
"Are there many of these insects?"
---
"Many," Joey replied calmly.
"More than just one village has been attacked."
"When I escaped, I saw flying Chimera Ants carrying people away."
He paused, then added:
"And didn't you notice? They're… human-like."
"They have intelligence."
"And there are stronger ones among them."
---
Pokkuru frowned.
"It seems things are getting serious…"
But Joey could clearly see the hesitation in his expression.
They had only faced Chimera Ants once—and won easily.
They didn't fear them yet.
---
"But if we can gather more information… or even locate their nest," Pokkuru continued,
"That would be a major achievement."
"And we're not the only team in NGL right now. If we coordinate with others…"
---
Joey immediately understood.
That look in Pokkuru's eyes—
Ambition.
Desire.
---
From Pokkuru's perspective, his decision wasn't foolish.
It was simply a matter of incomplete information.
He didn't fully trust Joey.
And more importantly, he trusted his own strength.
---
Joey let out a quiet sigh.
Trying to persuade him further would be pointless.
Only despair could change his mind.
---
"Then let's go to the base," Joey said.
"It's probably already under attack."
He took out the map and handed it over.
If they insisted on moving forward, then so be it.
---
Pokkuru took the map… then hesitated.
He shook his head.
They needed to return to their temporary camp first—there were still supplies to retrieve.
---
Soon after, Ponzu and the others returned.
They handed Joey's phone back—having found others.
Judging from the weapons they carried now, they hadn't wasted the trip.
However, none of them looked well.
The battlefield had clearly left a psychological impact.
---
Pokkuru went personally to inspect the area.
It took longer than expected.
---
But when he returned, the decision was clear:
They were not leaving NGL.
They intended to push deeper—and contact other teams.
---
Joey understood something in that moment.
You can't convince someone who has already chosen to risk their life.
---
So he said nothing more.
And silently followed them.
His mind, however… was anything but calm.
___________________________
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