Vital energy overflowed from the newly restored hand and quickly merged with Joey's wrist.
The pain—sharp, searing—shot through his nerves, but then just as quickly, it began to fade, ebb, vanish.
Within a single minute, Joey flexed the fingers of his left hand—no discomfort, no stiffness, not even a scar where it connected.
His recreated hand wasn't just an imitation. It felt real. It was real—a perfect reconstruction made from Nen and something deeper.
And once fused with his body, it no longer reverted to lifeless matter. It became flesh and blood, no different from the hand he'd lost.
This exceeded what Joey thought Gold Experience could do. That level of integration pointed to some unknown property within the wallet's aura—something beyond Nen itself.
Something connected to the soul.
Most telling of all—Killer Queen's left hand had returned as well.
More than that, on its palm, the Heartpiercer War Chariot symbol once again glowed.
And in that moment, Joey even briefly entertained a twisted idea—he could cut off his own hand in battle to trigger a chain of uncontrollable Chariot detonations…
But then he remembered the agony of amputation. The excruciating pain of reattachment.
Yeah. No thanks.
Now that he had his hand back, Joey's attention naturally turned to Kite.
Creating replacement limbs didn't cost much Nen. Why stop at just himself?
Using what he'd observed and remembered, Joey began to recreate Kite's missing leg.
He had one intact leg for reference. He'd seen Kite walk, run, leap. Visualizing the structure wasn't hard.
Infusing a wooden rod with life energy, he molded it into a leg.
Kite didn't hesitate. He tore open the bandaged stump and attached it.
Minutes later, Kite stood, testing the limb.
"Feels pretty good. Not perfect, but with some training, I'll adapt," he said, flexing the new leg. "You poured more Nen into this one, didn't you?"
Joey nodded. "Yeah. I remembered how strong you are. Even a leg of yours can't be weak. That thought… pushed me."
"It's close," Kite admitted. "You didn't get the full specs, but it's damn close. Think you've got enough left for the rest?"
"I do."
Fifteen minutes later, Kite stood in the living room—whole again.
Scars still lingered, but none that would hinder his ability to fight.
Joey, now drained, used the last of his Nen to turn two water cups into cats just for fun before the wallet withdrew, sliding back into his chest.
He slumped into a chair, massaging his brow as fatigue settled over him.
Then he felt gentle hands on his shoulders.
He turned to see Miss Cookie, smiling warmly behind him.
"Biscuit, you're amazing," Joey murmured. "Cookie-chan is the best…"
And just like that, his eyes closed, and he drifted into sleep.
One hour later, he awoke to find everyone still in the living room.
"What's up?" he asked groggily, rubbing his face.
"Nothing," Biscuit said, far too casually. "We were just talking about your ability."
"Got any advice?"
Kite nodded.
"After the Chimera Ant mess is done, come with me. We'll explore the wilds, study massive creatures. It'll help your ability grow."
It made perfect sense.
The more Joey understood the diversity of life, the more versatile his Gold Experience could become.
Though… he never forgot: this Nen wasn't truly his. The Specialist aura came from the wallet.
"I'll keep training my Emission-type abilities," Joey said. "What I really want is freedom.
I, Joey, have a dream!
I want to explore the unknown. Film incredible sights. Capture the beauty of life. Taste every kind of cuisine. And finally… settle into peace.
That's my dream. That's the life I long for."
He said it simply, but in his eyes burned a quiet brilliance.
"Then welcome aboard," Kite replied with a rare smile. "I think the others will be glad you're joining us.
Especially Spinel. If she accepts you, you'll see a view like no other. A treasure only she and Stick share."
"I want to join too!" Gon suddenly said, eyes shining.
"Ging," Kite said, and Gon flinched slightly at the name.
Right. He still wanted to find his dad.
"But… it doesn't conflict," Gon smiled. "If I become someone better, someone stronger, finding him will mean more."
He turned to Killua.
"Killua!"
"Yeah," Killua grinned. "I'm in too."
Neither had any intention of backing out. Joey's dream was one they both found beautiful.
But first, they had unfinished business.
"We need to end the Chimera Ant threat," Kite said. "I've already spoken with Chairman Netero. Joey will join me as a special member returning to NGL. Killua, Gon, and Palm—same conditions as before."
"Ugh… fine," Gon pouted. "Knuckle's really tough though…"
"Feeling unsure?" Palm's voice cut in cold and sweet. "Maybe you should drop out now.
I've held back… but if you fail, I will kill you. I've been holding back… and I keep looking at knives more and more.
Either quit now or win. Because if you fail—I will kill you.
No matter what, I'm going to NGL."
"Don't worry, Palm! I'll take you there for sure!" Gon grinned confidently. "If you ever notice something's wrong, just tell me. I'll fix it!"
Palm went blank. His sunshine confidence hit her like a truck. Her heart skipped a beat.
And with that, Gon dragged Killua back into training.
"Still," Biscuit muttered, "I'm more worried about the current state inside NGL. What's the Chairman's plan?"
"Recon and thinning the herd," Kite answered.
"Charging in recklessly after seeing Pitou is the worst move. When I left, the Chairman had already started the purge. Some of it should be done by now.
Problem is—too many Hunters caught wind and are rushing in on their own. That might create chaos."
Biscuit scowled. Amateurs entering NGL wouldn't help. They'd become food for stronger ants. Or worse—new hosts for power.
"Damn that Pokkle," she hissed.
"You heard his name too?" Kite smirked. "Looks like he got famous."
"Love life's a mess, career's a mess—there aren't many idiots like that," Biscuit snorted. "And Netero sponsored him. Goes to show even old masters can slip."
But Kite's eyes narrowed.
"I've met Pokkle. He's a bit hasty, but not dumb. This might not be what it seems."
"You think he got played?"
"Yeah. He had primary intel from NGL. That kind of info… plenty of people would kill for it."
Joey quietly logged that thought in his mind.
While they drifted into small talk, he slid back into training mode.
Only this time, he wasn't channeling Nen into objects.
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