Absolute control achieved with only one hand was clearly insufficient. But after managing to enter Zetsu with a single hand, Joey finally grasped the key to regulating his aura nodes.
By guiding that faint thread of energy from his wallet, he could repeatedly reproduce the sensation of sealing his aura pores.
From that point on, his progress accelerated dramatically.
It began with his palm. Then it spread to his entire arm, then across his torso—and finally, when the flow reached his legs, he successfully entered a full-body state of Zetsu for the first time.
During the latter half of this process, however, his mind remained preoccupied with a troubling question:
How had Kite noticed something was wrong with his Nen?
Was it simply because Kite had observed the "Nen Beast" and deduced that Joey had once activated Nen, only to later seal most of his aura nodes?
Or… had Joey made a mistake by using his ability too carelessly?
He replayed the earlier events in his mind.
Before Kite had Gon and Killua deal with the Chimera Ant, he had clearly intended for the unqualified members to withdraw toward the border. At that moment, only Joey, Ponzu, and Pokkle were present—yet Kite hadn't paid Joey any attention at all.
So the problem must have appeared after he used his ability.
Which meant…
Joey's expression darkened.
Was it his ability itself?
Had Kira Yoshikage exposed his Nen ability outside NGL?
The thought struck him like lightning.
He suddenly recalled the severed hand he had seen when he first woke up.
Though shriveled, its skin had been smooth—far too refined for someone who lived and worked within NGL.
That hand… must have been brought in from outside.
Which meant Kira Yoshikage had committed murders beyond NGL—and left traces behind.
Joey's heart sank.
If that was true, then Kite's promise to "take him out of NGL" might not be as reassuring as it sounded.
After all, Kite had only promised to get him out—not to guarantee his safety afterward.
In the end, if Joey wanted to survive, he would have to rely on himself.
But that raised an even more pressing problem:
How could he escape from Kite and the others?
Joey clenched his fists.
He wanted—desperately—to tell them the truth:
That he wasn't the killer.
That the real culprit was Kira Yoshikage.
That he had already dealt with him.
But both logic and reality told him the same thing:
No one would believe him.
Worse, things had probably already escalated beyond repair.
Even if he stayed silent, Pokkle likely suspected something.
Joey remembered that Pokkle was particularly skilled at gathering intelligence. His earlier shift in attitude now made perfect sense.
Everything connected.
Pokkle's suspicion likely stemmed from witnessing Joey's ability when his Stand destroyed the Chimera Ant.
Kite's reaction came after seeing the same ability used again.
One coincidence might be chance—but several in a row?
That was evidence.
The only reasonable conclusion was that Kira Yoshikage had already exposed this ability somewhere outside NGL. And in a world where Nen abilities varied wildly, it wouldn't be difficult for someone to investigate and draw connections.
A sudden numbness in his right shoulder snapped Joey out of his thoughts.
His concentration broke—his Zetsu nearly collapsed.
"Sorry," Ponzu's voice came softly from behind him.
"It's fine," Joey replied, shaking his head as he re-stabilized his aura.
If she hadn't touched him, he might have forgotten about his injury altogether.
The wound had bled heavily earlier, but the tight bandaging had dulled the pain into a faint numbness.
Of course, that numbness was also due to tension.
No—now that he understood the implications of Kira's exposed ability, his anxiety had doubled.
He had no intention of living like the Phantom Troupe.
He wasn't a criminal.
He wasn't Kira Yoshikage.
He forced himself to calm down and carefully checked his shoulder.
After loosening the bandages slightly, he confirmed that the bleeding had stopped.
For now, all he needed to do was avoid infection—and avoid straining his right arm.
He recalled a few medicinal herbs from the forest that could help treat wounds. If he had the chance, he would search for them. Of course, finding proper medicine at the base would be even better.
Unfortunately, NGL's strict isolation policy meant hunters couldn't bring in medical supplies.
Otherwise, none of this would be necessary.
As Joey's aura settled back into a controlled Zetsu, slowly flowing across his body, Kite spoke at the right moment:
"Good. Now extend the duration. Try controlling partial closures—get used to maintaining Zetsu while leaving some nodes open."
Joey found Kite's cold, unreadable demeanor strangely reassuring.
There was nothing to read from that expression—no hints, no intentions.
Just silence.
Joey nodded and closed his eyes again, continuing his training.
But part of his mind drifted elsewhere.
What would he do after leading them to the base?
He didn't even know what Kite was truly searching for.
If he told the truth, he would almost certainly be detained.
If he didn't… how could he ensure his escape afterward?
Traveling alone through NGL was practically a death sentence.
And then there was the timeline.
If his memory was correct, one of the Chimera Ant King's Royal Guards—Neferpitou—should already have been born.
Even if Pokkle's presence delayed her mastery of Nen, how long could that delay last?
There were other hunters in NGL.
If even one of them fell into her hands…
She would learn Nen at terrifying speed.
If Kite continued deeper into NGL, encountering her was inevitable.
Joey felt a headache coming on.
There were too many unknowns.
Neferpitou was far beyond his current level. Even Kite himself was difficult to measure.
At best…
He'd just be choosing between dying intact—or dying in pieces.
"…This is ridiculous," Joey muttered under his breath.
Still, worrying about escape could wait.
Right now, the priority was information.
Since Kite seemed confident, Joey assumed Kira Yoshikage must have known something important.
But with Kira gone, Joey had only one option:
Search his belongings.
There weren't many.
Weapons were out of the question.
That left only two things:
A wallet… and a map.
He had already examined the map several times. Nothing stood out—and it had been stained with blood, making it even harder to decipher.
If there had been clues, they were likely ruined.
As for the wallet…
Aside from some loose change, the only unusual item was an ID card.
Joey considered it carefully.
Perhaps he could hand it over to Kite—and see if it revealed anything.
He let out a quiet sigh.
If only I had inherited Kira's memories when I absorbed his soul…
That bastard must have left behind more than enough trouble to bury me alive.
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