Divergent Thoughts and Decisions

Chapter 13: Divergent Thoughts and Decisions

Joey did not continue dwelling on the issue of being able to see Nen, because he suddenly remembered that among the Chimera Ants, it seemed that as long as an individual's strength was sufficient, they were also able to see Nen.

In any case, he was much more concerned with the fact that with the recall of Killer Queen, his entire body felt much lighter.

At the same time, replenished by the wallet in his bosom, his physical strength and spirit were also gradually recovering. Although the fatigue still lingered, his overall state was much better than it had been right after dealing with the pursuing Chimera Ants.

By the time they reached the campsite, the setting sunlight was mostly blocked by the trees, plunging the forest into dimness.

Continuing to hurry onward under such circumstances was not actually a wise course of action.

However, a battle had just taken place nearby, and the danger of staying behind was obviously even greater. Therefore, the few of them quickly packed up the things that needed to be carried away from the campsite, finishing in just a moment and setting off running once more under Pokkle's lead.

Only, after Joey identified the direction, he discovered that this was not the way toward the base: "Where are we going?"

"Another nearby hidden location suitable for a campsite. Nighttime is not suited for traveling and fighting in the forest, even if tonight's moonlight is quite nice." Pokkle looked up at the sky, seeing that the bright moon had poked out from behind the clouds at some unknown point.

The clear moonlight was gradually replacing the sunlight as it spilled down onto the nighttime forest. Although it could not reach the brightness of daylight, it still made the forest look less gloomy and terrifying.

Joey raised both hands in approval of this decision, so he said no more.

The division of labor for the group's actions was very clear. The two background extras were on guard against dangers that might appear from either side at any moment, while Pokkle took the lead at the very front to protect Ponzu behind him. At the same time, bees would constantly buzz and fly around near Ponzu, as if they were continuously transmitting information to her.

Clearly, knowing that Joey had discovered the relationship between the bees and Ponzu, the latter no longer concealed it and openly began using her ability.

Joey followed closely not far from Ponzu, unable to help casting a few extra glances at this sweet- and cute-looking girl.

Ponzu turned her head as if sensing it and flashed Joey a sweet yet distant smile.

Joey did not mind; he was merely curious about how this girl who got her head blown off controlled bees. It seemed the bees on her body were all hidden inside her hat. If that was the case, would there be bees inside the hat of Pokkle, who wore the same style of hat as her? And how was the bees' ability to transmit information?

The danger of the five of them moving forward together through the forest was much smaller, and Joey felt somewhat wise about his choice.

Yet in his mind, he was also pondering what to do next.

According to the progression in the manga, the Chimera Ants obtained the knowledge of cultivating Nen from Pokkle's brain.

Therefore, as long as he found a way to save Pokkle, it should stall the time it took for the Chimera Ants to figure out Nen. However, what would the consequence of doing this be?

If he remembered correctly, Kite was the one who encountered Neferpitou after the latter finished processing Pokkle's brain and grasped the knowledge of Nen abilities.

If he saved Pokkle now, would it cause Kite and the others to venture too deep before coming into contact with Neferpitou's obstruction? And under the condition that Neferpitou had not figured out Nen, would Kite have a possibility of winning?

Unconsciously, Joey wanted to raise his hand to bite his nails, but halfway up, he stopped himself.

He had already discovered that after devouring Yoshikage Kira's soul, he had clearly been affected.

Not to mention that he would unconsciously bite his nails when nervous or thinking about problems, while running he would also involuntarily let his gaze sweep over the fair, tender hands Ponzu waved as she commanded the bees.

This was hardly a good sign; Joey was not Yoshikage Kira, and he had no hand fetish whatsoever.

What was more, he had no desire to be an otherworldly version of a man with lingering vices.

He also had his own preferences. Before transmigrating, Joey particularly loved photography and traveling. Now that he had come to this world where the unknown and technology coexisted, he could completely become a qualified scenery enthusiast.

If the opportunity arose, he wanted to become a Scenery Hunter-the kind of Hunter who traveled specifically to various parts of the world to photograph beautiful landscapes and unknown things.

As for why he wanted to become a Hunter, it was because a Hunter's perks were very good, making things extremely convenient for him.

Moreover, he was confident that with his own strength, obtaining a Hunter License would also be relatively simple.

At that time, transforming that lingering obsession with opponents into an obsession with good cameras or good photographs shouldn't be considered too difficult, in Joey's view.

As for biting his nails, he could only change that bit by bit in his daily life. As for some of Yoshikage Kira's other habits, Joey felt they were not entirely unacceptable; in fact, when he compared them carefully, he discovered that he and Yoshikage Kira had quite a few similarities in many aspects of life.

He also had obsessive-compulsive disorder, but not to the hopeless degree of Yoshikage Kira.

He didn't like standing out either, but not to the insane extent of Yoshikage Kira, who constantly kept his score controlled down to the exact points.

He also liked being alone, but not to the degree where he would need a severed hand for comfort like Yoshikage Kira. He hoped even more to encounter the interesting soul destined for him at some casual moment in the future, gladly accepting the presence of a her in the rest of his life.

Of course, if possible, when tired he could also find a small town and spend a spell as an office worker enjoying a peaceful life.

If he could leave NGL-as long as he could leave NGL-Joey felt that his future in this world would be colorful.

As for whether he would miss his pre-transmigration world, perhaps in the dead of night in his dreams he would. But after going through five years of soul devouring, Joey had also seen through it all. Although he felt somewhat guilty toward them, he could only let his family and friends assume that he had simply gone off to "another world" in his sleep!

And indeed, he had just woken up in another world after falling asleep, only this place was not paradise.

"Ponzu, have you made contact with any of the other squads?"

Pokkle's words interrupted Joey's divergent thoughts, giving his spirit a jolt and making him realize that amidst his fatigue, his mind had involuntarily wandered.

Secretly reminding himself to remain cautious and maintain vigilance at all times, Joey forced himself to pull his spirits together and look at Ponzu.

Judging by Pokkle's words, it seemed that more than just their squad had come to NGL, a detail Joey did not really have an impression of.

"I couldn't get through. Counting the time, we haven't made contact for two hours already." A trace of unease carried within Ponzu's expression.

"Do you think they might have encountered an attack by those monsters?" Hiding at the edge of the team with little presence, Extra Number 2-who had a head of grey-green messy hair-wore a somewhat nervous expression.

Yet his words inevitably made everyone in the team fall silent.

After running onward for a short distance, Pokkle spoke up once more: "Ponzu, keep trying to contact them. If the monsters are only at the previous level, given the squad composition of those who came together, they shouldn't be easily wiped out, but we must also be all the more careful.

Let's head to the alternative campsite location to hide for the night. If we still can't make contact with the other squads early tomorrow morning, we'll head back to the checkpoint first."

Hesitating over and over, Pokkle made the final decision.

He was the only licensed Hunter in the squad, and the rest of the people, including Ponzu, had not mastered Nen, making them amateur Hunters.

Without other teams to mutually look out for one another, the risks taken by his teammates if they continued exploring were too great. Even if Pokkle coveted achievements, he wouldn't make a joke of his teammates' lives, especially since the fact that they couldn't contact others was far more convincing than Joey's testimony.

Otherwise, upon confirming that firearms could inflict damage on the bugs and obtaining sufficient firearms from the previous location, Pokkle definitely would have insisted on continuing the exploration.

Yet Pokkle's words also added an inexpressible sense of oppression to the team.

If you have recommendation tickets, feel free to cast them. Thanks, otherwise it feels like playing a single-player game~ Though indeed not many people are reading~ Never mind, whatever~

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