It was late at night, and only a faint sliver of moonlight illuminated the empty stone road, casting a soft glow over the deserted street.
Ronnie walked into the casino with his hands in his pockets, exuding a calm, almost casual demeanor, as if he were returning home without a care in the world.
The reason for his confidence was Gardevoir, who was always ready to emerge and defend him when needed. Not only was Gardevoir a powerhouse in combat, but her life-saving abilities were also unmatched.
As long as he didn't face too many enemies stronger than Gardevoir, escaping with a single teleportation was a piece of cake!
After scanning the room for a moment, Ronnie's gaze landed on two individuals standing at the center of the casino hall.
One of them was tall, the other short. One was stout, the other thin.
The short, stout man was none other than his acquaintance, Pies, who was currently eyeing him with an air of smug superiority.
The other man, tall and lean, had an unfamiliar face. His features were striking, with a prominent aquiline nose, and he didn't appear to be someone Ronnie would want to trust.
Using the "Condensation" technique, Ronnie could clearly see a strange, smoke-like energy above Pies' head.
Ordinary people who lacked Nen abilities couldn't control this life energy, and it would gradually dissipate from the top of their heads. Pies was just a regular person; his life energy was slowly fading, as expected.
What caught Ronnie's attention, however, was the tall, thin man. Unlike Pies, he wasn't losing any life energy. In fact, his entire body was surrounded by a thin layer of Nen, suggesting he was a Nen user!
Ronnie noticed that the exposed skin of this man looked odd—almost like shattered glass, with cracks all over it.
The only explanation for this phenomenon was "Initiation."
Ronnie recalled the term from Heavens Arena. When someone reached the 200th floor, they would encounter Nen for the first time. Many unskilled individuals faced a painful and even deadly process during this "Initiation," but a select few with high talent or luck would be able to learn Nen. For the others, the result was often devastating. They might be severely injured, crippled, or, in the worst cases, die.
Those who survived would be left with a faint understanding of Nen.
This was exactly what had happened to the tall man in front of him.
"Hahaha, boy, your death has come!" Pies burst out laughing when he saw Ronnie walking toward him without fear. His laughter echoed through the hall, and his fat face trembled with each guffaw, making him even more repulsive.
The tall, thin man glanced at Pies, but didn't speak a word.
"I knew you weren't a simple boy, so I spent a lot of money to hire this expert to deal with you!" Pies continued, grinning maliciously. "Just wait to die. This is what you deserve for humiliating me that day."
Pies' eyes flickered with pain at the thought. Hiring someone capable wasn't cheap, and Ronnie's victory at the casino had only made matters worse. But Pies didn't care about the cost anymore. Ronnie had to die—this wasn't just for revenge, but to protect his own pride.
In Pies' twisted mind, everything that had happened was Ronnie's fault. He had humiliated him by winning the money. Ronnie hadn't even had to fight back—Pies had tripped and begged for mercy on his own.
"Pathetic... as always," Ronnie mocked, clapping slowly. "A villain to the core. I was too kind to you that day. Now, poor Gardevoir has to deal with this garbage again."
Ronnie's words were laced with sarcasm as he sized up Pies, thinking of him as nothing more than a joke. If he were on Blue Star, Pies would be a prime candidate for ridicule in the national service's lower ranks.
"You...!" Pies began to retort but was cut off by the tall, thin man.
"Enough nonsense. I don't have time to waste," the tall man sneered, his voice cold and menacing as he pointed a finger at Ronnie. "Boy, don't think you're invincible just because you've taken down a few ordinary people."
He paused, his bloodthirsty smile widening as he spoke again, "I don't even need to get close to you to crush you. But, to satisfy my employer's request, I'll enjoy torturing you first."
The tall man's voice grew darker as he continued, "I'll crush every inch of your bones and make you die in agony."
With that, the air around the tall man began to shimmer, and streams of white Nen energy poured out from the cracks in his body. Slowly, they converged above his head, forming a large, spectral hand surrounded by a white glow. It moved toward Ronnie with frightening speed.
But just as the hand neared, a flash of pink energy zipped through the air in the form of a telepathic arrow.
The arrow pierced through the white hand in a heartbeat, shattering it effortlessly.
The tall man stopped in his tracks, his eyes wide with disbelief. "How... how are you still standing? You should have been crushed by now, right?"
Ronnie frowned, his expression growing serious. He then asked the tall man, "Wait a second... Why is your attack so weak?"
Suddenly, he activated the picture book function, scanning the tall man for information.
Name: Hoss
Strength: D
Nen: None
...
Ronnie couldn't help but laugh bitterly. He had been too cautious. He had assumed that Hoss was someone who had been through Initiation, with sound limbs and considerable strength. But in reality, Hoss only had a D-class strength rating. He couldn't even use "Condensation" properly, and his Nen abilities were barely developed.
The Nen palm wasn't even true Nen—it was just concentrated Nen energy, hurled at its target with no finesse.
"Boy, you..." Hoss began, still struggling to comprehend what was happening, but Ronnie had heard enough.
"Shut up, you pathetic failure!" Ronnie snapped, his voice laced with contempt. "You're just a loser after Initiation, and you still have the nerve to talk like you're someone important!"
Before Hoss could say another word, a brilliant white light erupted from Ronnie's side, and Gardevoir materialized with a burst of energy. The immense force of her presence filled the room, sending shockwaves throughout the casino.
The air seemed to warp as Gardevoir's power overwhelmed the room. The chairs and tables were sent flying, and the sound of metal and glass crashing echoed through the casino.
Hoss, unable to withstand Gardevoir's power, fell to his knees, his body trembling under the overwhelming pressure. Pies, on the other hand, collapsed to the ground, helplessly lying there like a bloated pig awaiting slaughter.
"How... how is this possible?" Hoss gasped, his face contorted in fear as he struggled to speak. His features twisted as he fought against the pressure, but he couldn't even lift his head.
With Gardevoir's force bearing down on him, Hoss was left unable to even breathe properly.
Ronnie smirked, his eyes glinting with amusement. "Hey, why are you kneeling? Didn't you say you were going to crush me? 'Break every inch of my bones'?"
"Well? What happened to that?" Ronnie taunted, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
Gardevoir's presence continued to suffocate the room as Hoss and Pies were left to wallow in their defeat.
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