Joey was crystal clear on the direction of his Nen development. He wouldn't waste effort spreading himself thin across multiple Nen types.
Emission-type Nen and the advancement of Killer Queen — these were his long-term, overarching goals.
Along the way, he would gain a rough grasp of Enhancement and Manipulation, but he had no plans to seriously invest time into developing those categories.
The small animals scattered through the terrain while Joey carefully placed the Wallet aside.
To avoid forcibly entering Specialization Mode, he had to leave the Wallet detached for a few hours each day.
Joey had little experience with pursuit-based combat. Once everything within his control was set, there was nothing left to do but wait.
And the first to return was the hummingbird he'd sent out.
He had programmed it with a simple command: return upon spotting anyone. From the direction it flew back from, Joey could determine the enemy's approach — northwest.
At this time, he doubted anyone else would be nearby.
Killer Queen appeared. Joey brushed the hummingbird's feathers, imbuing it with Sheer Heart Attack, the First Bomb.
The hummingbird rose once more, but instead of flying far away, it began circling the rocky area nearby.
Then, several figures came into Joey's line of sight.
Not the four or five-person team he had anticipated.
Just three people, including Pokkle.
The other two made no effort to disguise themselves—casual clothing, but the gear they carried—boxes, bags—clearly meant they either skipped official entry procedures into NGL, or had some kind of spatial ability to smuggle gear in.
Joey didn't think it was the latter. Given the current state of NGL, its infrastructure was in shambles.
Even the status of checkpoint staff was in question.
For a capable Nen user, sneaking in supplies was trivial.
He could only confirm their numbers from this distance, but Joey wasn't aiming for precision—this was all part of his play.
The hummingbird, now transformed into a First Bomb, was his opening gift to the trio.
As it flew overhead, one of them—a man with silver-framed glasses—suddenly looked up, directly at Joey's hiding spot.
I've been spotted.
Joey's heart skipped, but he didn't run. Instead, he activated Ten and Gyo, and stared back coldly.
The bespectacled man adjusted his glasses, then made a throat-slitting gesture.
Just as the golden experience dissolved and the coin dropped from the hummingbird's body.
Before it could hit the ground, it was noticed.
"Watch out!" Pokkle shouted.
Joey, listening from afar with aura focused on his ears, heard it clearly—and frowned.
Something was off.
As his warning rang out, the three scattered, dodging the coin's fall zone.
Joey didn't have Killer Queen detonate it. The coin simply clinked across the rocks, landing harmlessly.
Touching the coin would trigger the bomb—but falling alone wouldn't.
Yoshikage Kira had demonstrated that in the manga when he casually dropped his Wallet.
Since the coin wasn't triggered, Joey couldn't assign another First Bomb to anything else for now.
Still, he wasn't worried. He didn't believe they'd just let the coin sit there. In fact, he hoped someone would try to pick it up.
But no such thing happened.
Instead, one of the men pulled out a pistol and shot the coin.
The bullet's power exceeded Joey's expectations, gouging a small crater and shattering most of the coin.
Joey narrowed his eyes.
This wasn't just physical force—the bullet had been imbued with Nen.
No standard handgun could do that, not even a modded one.
Enhancer? Emitter? Transmuter? Or was the gun itself conjured?
Dozens of thoughts passed through his mind—but one thing he was sure of:
That shot was meant to mislead him.
There was intent behind it.
When the enemy made no further moves, Joey turned and left.
He had to relocate and set up for further ambushes. He also needed to detonate his other First Bombs in a subtle way to regain versatility.
So far, two possible scenarios explained Pokkle's behavior:
He joined the Kakin duo willingly and disclosed everything he knew.
He was being controlled, with all hid actions coerced.
The second theory gained weight thanks to prior intel from Kite and André, whom Joey trusted more.
Joey had also spotted an oddity in Pokkle's behavior.
They had once fought together—albeit briefly. Joey knew his tells and small habits.
Could one of the two be a Manipulator?
If so, and if Pokkle had revealed any details about Killer Queen, then the pieces lined up.
His warning, "Watch out!" had been too deliberate.
But if he's under control—what was their goal in using him ?
A sudden buzzing broke Joey's thoughts.
A bee landed gently on his arm.
"Ponzu's here too?" Joey muttered.
This rocky terrain wasn't exactly bee-friendly. He hadn't seen a single flower or hive on the way in.
The bee danced, clearly trying to lead him somewhere.
Joey declined.
His first priority was to trigger his earlier bomb and keep the Kakin duo guessing.
He'd only made it thirty meters when part of his Nen aura vanished.
The First Bomb had detonated.
Someone had touched the coin fragments.
Why? What happened? No time to think.
A sharp pop pierced the air. Joey whipped around.
Pain bloomed in his abdomen.
"A bullet? From where?"
He scanned the direction—but only saw a solid stone wall.
Emission? Cross-space tracking? What's the trigger? Visual? Audio? A signal?
He confirmed the wound—no bullet lodged. While running, he pressed his palm to the injury and activated his Specialist-type Nen.
Golden Experience responded. Flesh knitted over the hole.
The pain brought clarity.
The wound wasn't fully healed yet, but it was no longer a hindrance.
"Glasses? Coin? Hand signs? Her warning? What triggered it?" He was piecing it together.
Then—a second bullet tore through space, aimed straight at his forehead.
But before it could connect, Killer Queen manifested.
The Sheer Heart Attack insignia on its right hand clashed with the bullet midair.
Sparks flew—the bullet was deflected.
Joey didn't stop. He scrambled up the cliff wall. As his head crested the top, a third bullet appeared at his side.
But again, Killer Queen's aura shield held.
And now—Joey saw.
The Kakin duo and Pokkle were gone.
Only the scattered fragments of the shattered coin remained.
But near those shards, tiny Nen constructs shaped like miniature humans were collecting the pieces, ferrying them behind a boulder.
Joey's thoughts spun—then stopped.
A cold smirk tugged at his lips.
He turned and followed the anxious bee without hesitation.
"Nen beasts, coins, spatial projection... Tch—I've seen through your game!"
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