Joey didn't mind sharing intel.He knew a lot—but planned to say just enough.
The real challenge wasn't what to say, but how to shape it.Slip in just enough bias to steer Pokkle and his team—either into bringing him along, or better yet, leaving NGL altogether.
Because if nothing changed, these people would be dead by tomorrow.
Joey had no intention of joining them in that fate.
He needed to mislead, redirect, or—if it came to it—split off and vanish.Either way, he couldn't stay on the rails of the original timeline.
It was clear now—his clash with the Chimera Ants had drawn Pokkle's group too soon.In the original, they weren't supposed to die until tomorrow, after trying to retreat from the base.
But now?Joey had derailed the narrative early.
He'd always assumed that if he survived long enough to meet canon characters, the plot would bend.If it didn't—if the world still followed its original script regardless of his actions—Then that would mean some kind of fate or meta-cosmic force was keeping things in line.
Which would be terrifying.
But so far, the world was reacting to him.
Pokkle's early appearance proved that.
Which meant…
That base Joey had been heading to?Yeah. Definitely Zaiphra's HQ from the manga.And based on the timeline—confirmed now that he'd met Pokkle—it was probably already under siege.
That Centaur Chimera Ant.
The one who'd taken it over.
If Joey had kept going solo, the right move would've been to hang back near the base.Monitor from a distance.Wait for Kite's team to arrive.
Because with Kite present, Joey stood a chance.At least until Neferpitou showed up.
But with Pokkle and the others involved now?
He couldn't just blurt that out.
"We should move," said one of the nameless grunts.Grayish brows. Nervous. "That explosion made a lot of noise. We're probably not alone."
No one argued.
Joey, now fully convinced the base was a deathtrap, kept his thoughts to himself.Pokkle's team had the map, the route, and the checkpoint codes to leave NGL.
He needed them—at least for now.
Pokkle, surprisingly meticulous, led them back to the battleground.They began collecting remains of the Chimera Ants.
Joey was baffled.
"You could just photograph them," he said flatly, watching them bag meat. "You don't need to carry the stink with you. There are plenty of bugs around here."
He pulled out his phone and handed it to Pokkle.
"Back that way," he pointed, "you'll find a whole field of corpses. Human. Ant. Weapons. Gear. All of it. But I suggest we not waste time scavenging."
Pokkle's eyes lit up as he took the phone.
Anything remotely technological was contraband in NGL.Even dental implants or silicone materials were banned.
So this little plastic brick?Gold.
"Are there many of these ants?" Pokkle asked, scrolling through the barren screen before passing it to Ponzu.
"Too many," Joey answered. "More than one village's worth. I saw fliers carrying people off. And those ants… they're not dumb. They're part human. Some of them are smart."
He didn't hold back.
Pokkle's brow tightened, but he still looked… unconvinced.
To Joey's frustration, the guy wasn't scared yet.
"If we can get more intel," Pokkle muttered, "maybe even find their nest… it could be a major discovery."
There it is.
That gleam in his eyes.
Joey recognized it.
Ambition.
That old, familiar shine of someone chasing legacy.And it meant only one thing:Pokkle wouldn't back down unless he saw hell with his own eyes.
From Pokkle's view, this wasn't recklessness—it was calculated risk.He didn't trust Joey completely.He trusted himself more.His own skills. His judgment.
His Nen.
"Then let's go to the base," Joey said coldly.He pulled out the map. Handed it over."If you want despair—there's plenty waiting there."
He'd considered asking for the map and slipping off alone.
But he knew that wouldn't work.Pokkle wouldn't hand over a strategic asset.Not while Joey was useful.And not when Joey was still visibly exhausted from battle.
Pokkle nodded.
Then frowned.
"No. First we head back to our camp. Supplies."
Ponzu and the others soon returned.Joey's phone came with them, though they'd found others on the battlefield.
New weapons, too.
But their faces were pale.Joey could tell they'd seen it—the sheer carnage where humans and ants had clashed.
Still…They didn't suggest retreat.Didn't mention the checkpoint.
Instead, Pokkle was already trying to contact other teams.
Coordinating.Planning a joint infiltration.
Joey sighed internally.
"You can't warn the dead."
He said nothing.Just followed, expression cool and unreadable.
But inside?
He was weighing every move.Every variable.
The web had already begun to tighten.
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