Work?
Joey wasn't planning on clocking in anytime soon.
And even if he did plan to become an office drone, he'd first take a proper detour, get himself a Hunter license, and then go back to Mizai for a stable paycheck.
Mizaiastom didn't linger long.
After polishing off breakfast, he was out the door, back to his overloaded schedule—four cases waiting, zero time to waste.
And yet, he somehow still looked relaxed.
The intel he'd given Joey, however, had one glaring omission—no leads on who had been spying on him.
A bit of a letdown.
Joey suspected the 8th Prince might be involved.
But when he voiced that to Mizai, the man had merely shaken his head.
Apparently, any bounty hunters sent by the 8th Prince had already been handled… by the very bodyguards Joey had unknowingly hired from Mizai.
In short—the 8th Prince didn't care.
His "assassins" were just opportunistic thugs hoping for a quick buck.
Joey didn't know what to say to that.
But now that both royal threats were off his back, and Gerrard Martley had no reason to act again soon, Joey finally had some breathing room.
He made a decision.
He would travel with Kite for now, see where things led.
And if Martley dared send more after him—Joey would strike back.
Hard.
He didn't believe Martley's people would keep chasing him over a dead man.
And if they did—he'd bury them.
He had no ties. No regrets.
That resolve lifted a weight from his chest.
When he met Kite later, the man saw the difference instantly.
Of course, Joey didn't mention Martley.
He blamed the recent attacks on the 4th and 8th Princes.
It was a clean lie—after all, Ed had claimed to serve the 4th, and they had used the local mafia.
Pinning the later ambush on the 8th Prince was… shakier.
But hey, the guy was obsessed with women, not politics—hardly a stretch.
Kite didn't press.
He was sharp—Joey knew he could tell something was being left unsaid.
But he also knew Kite wouldn't force the truth out of him.
That was just how he was.
—
By evening, Andre arrived at the hotel—alongside two of his old friends:
Puhasit and Monji, both semi-famous Gourmet Hunters.
Dinner that night? Spectacular.
Joey got to taste Monji's cooking firsthand.
Puhasit, on the other hand, seemed like the kind of guy who'd eat anything.
The table was loud and packed—Biscuit, Ging, Sanbika, and a bunch of other Hunters Joey couldn't even name showed up to celebrate.
But Andre was still recovering—undergoing psychological therapy through the Association—so by 10 PM, the dinner wrapped, and everyone went their way.
Joey pulled Biscuit aside, curious about her plans.
She instantly called him out.
"You just want me to train you, don't you? Hmph! Always looking for shortcuts! Nen takes discipline, consistency, patience!"
Ten minutes later, she stormed off—lecture over.
Joey sighed. No shortcut this time.
He found Sanbika hiding in a corner, orange cat in arms.
She scribbled on a notepad and handed it to him:
"I can give you the virus.
You handle the animal and data."
At the bottom: her email and number.
"So you just forgot to tell me this last time?"
By the time he looked up—she was gone.
Watching her scurry away like he was some kind of contagious disease… Joey felt like one of them had to be cursed.
Either she was toxic, or he was.
He pulled out his phone and texted her.
Moments later—his inbox exploded.
Page after page of instructions, diagrams, comparisons, usage guides for equipment—data on cat species he'd never even heard of.
By the time he returned to his room, a delivery box was waiting.
Medical-grade instruments.
Labelled clearly:
"Experimental Equipment—Handle with care.
Sanbika Norton."
He organized everything, catalogued the orange cat's data, and only then did he look up to find dawn already creeping across the sky.
He yawned, texted Sanbika a good morning, and crawled into bed.
The cat's nen was growing. Slowly.
He recorded it all—but had no idea if it was normal.
—
With Andre's case resolved, and Joey's own enemies quieting down, it felt like a new arc was ending.
Kite's allies had gathered—preparing for their return to Shingon.
Gon and Killua were planning to part ways—Killua would travel with Alluka, and Gon would go visit Ging at the World Tree.
Later, he'd find Kite's group again.
The team was scattering.
But not for long.
Joey could feel it. They'd reunite soon enough.
As for him?
He planned to climb the World Tree too.
Not with Gon, though.
He'd wait till Gon finished talking to Ging.
Then he'd climb alone—camera in hand, appetite ready.
Before that, though, he had cat data to finish and a little peace to enjoy.
He stayed behind as the rest of the group departed on August 12th.
Packed up and left.
Joey stayed.
Just for a few more days.
He needed time to himself.
Ever since leaving NGL, someone had always been with him—East Gorteau, the Hunter Association—he hadn't had a moment alone.
Kite didn't pry.
He left Joey a date and an address, then took the others and left.
Joey remained two more nights.
Then, with the orange cat in tow, he checked out.
—
The TV was blaring as he walked through the lobby.
A declaration was echoing across the world.
"Abundant resources!
An untapped Eden for mankind!"
The speaker: a man with a mushroom haircut, thick moustache, and chubby face.
King Nasubi Hui Guo Rou of Kakin.
"Our glorious Kakin Empire, in the name of humanity, hereby declares:
We will enter the Dark Continent!"
The camera zoomed out to a map, arrows pointing beyond the known borders.
"The old nations have grown stale!
Enslaved by V5's fear-mongering!"
"Only new blood like us can lead the world forward!"
Behind him, a screen lit up.
A familiar face appeared:
Isaac Netero.
"We've secured the ultimate commander for this journey:
Legendary Hunter, war-forged veteran, and father of modern exploration—
Beyond Netero, son of the late Isaac!"
The man appeared: long beard, scarred face, X-shaped mark on his forehead.
He spoke calmly:
"My father once told me:
'The moment you stop challenging yourself is when your life truly ends.'"
"We now know—through myth, ruins, and relics—that our ancestors came from beyond.
From the Dark Continent."
"I will clear every path and every obstacle.
Nationality, age, gender—none of it matters.
As long as you have the heart to challenge fate—
Come.
To Kakin.
Together, we'll reach new lands!"
The declaration ended.
Joey watched.
But he wasn't moved.
He knew Kakin's motives were rotten.
He knew most wouldn't make it through the first trial—
The Succession War.
That was Nasubi's trap—and no one would escape it unscathed.
Even those who survived…
They wouldn't be going to the true Dark Continent.
First they'd arrive at a false frontier, guarded by Gatekeepers, regulated by V5.
The last lock before true exploration.
And if someone did make it through…
Would they even return alive?
Joey didn't know.
Didn't care.
He wouldn't be boarding that ship.
Maybe, if they returned victorious,
he'd consider the second wave.
But the first batch of heroes?
They could have it.
Joey had zero interest.