Chapter 1: I'm Laughing at Your Lack of Vision!
In a casino town within the United States of Saherta, located in the central part of the Yorbian Continent.
"Seven points, all-in."
The quiet casino erupted like a bomb with its fuse lit, filling with roaring chaos.
"I'm all-in too!"
"Who's pushing me? Move aside, I'm going all-in too!"
Unlike the excited, flushed faces of the surrounding gamblers, Ivan calmly watched the dice cup on the table.
For others, this was a matter of probability, but for him, the outcome had long been decided.
The attractive dealer clutched the dice cup tightly; the lightweight cup now felt as heavy as a thousand pounds, making it impossible for her to open.
As chips of all colors piled higher and higher on the "seven points" section of the table, even forming a small hill, the dealer knew her career was over.
No, it might be worse. After all, the casino she worked for was run by the mafia. With such massive losses, her life was likely in danger...
Thinking this, the dealer stared intently at the composed Ivan, her eyes gradually turning red. She couldn't understand why this was happening.
The handsome young man before her had already won eight rounds in a row, each time guessing the exact number instead of just high or low.
She couldn't calculate how minuscule the probability was; she only knew that, at her level, she couldn't tell if Ivan was cheating...
Ivan didn't care, allowing the dealer to stall for time.
But others weren't having it.
"What are you doing? Hurry up and open it! I'm waiting to collect my money!"
As the dealer delayed announcing the result, the surrounding gamblers began to curse, pressuring her to open the cup.
Many had already rolled up their sleeves, as if preparing to use force to threaten her.
Just then, a voice came from the back of the crowd, "The casino is closed for today. Guests, please leave!"
Following the voice, a portly middle-aged man stood in the center, flanked by several burly men in suits.
The middle-aged man, with a stubbled face and a cigar in his mouth, looked like Capone Bege from One Piece at first glance.
The newcomer was the town's notorious mafia boss—Piers.
Seeing the casino's owner appear, some decided to quit while they were ahead, but many more were greedy fools blinded by money.
To them, this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity they couldn't bear to walk away from—until they saw the guards pull pistols from their coats.
The gamblers who had been snarling viciously moments ago instantly transformed from ravenous wolves into docile sheep, slinking away without daring to utter a single threat.
Under the guards' expulsion, the once bustling casino was left with only the dealer and Ivan remaining in place.
Seeing the boss step in, the dealer finally breathed a sigh of relief. With a hint of hesitation on her delicate features, she swallowed hard and slowly lifted the dice cup.
One, three, three—seven points!
Meanwhile, Piers approached Ivan with his guards, cracking his knuckles with a menacing grin: "You've got some nerve, kid, causing trouble in my casino?!"
As he spoke, Piers gestured for the dealer across the table to step away.
"So you're refusing to pay out today?" Ivan raised an eyebrow, pointing at the mountain of chips piled on the table.
"Hahaha! You still think you're getting paid? Not only are you leaving the money behind today—you're leaving your head too!"
No sooner had he spoken than the gangster guards surrounded Ivan in unison, raising their pistols toward him.
Though faced with multiple dark gun barrels, Piers failed to see the panic he expected on Ivan's face.
"You brat! What are you smiling about?!"
Ivan looked at Piers, a contemptuous smile playing across his sharply defined features: "Me? I'm laughing at your lack of vision. It's just a measly few million jenny—and you're already losing your composure?"
"Since you won't follow the rules, I don't need to hold back either. Right, Gardevoir!"
Gardevoir?
Piers' beady eyes, nearly buried in layers of fat, flickered with confusion as the word registered.
In that instant, waves of pink aura invisible to ordinary perception radiated from Ivan toward the guards.
The robust guards who had been full of vitality moments earlier collapsed to the floor.
Breathless, trickles of crimson blood seeped from their five orifices. Their mouths hung agape, eyes rolled back white.
Several burly frames slumped like puppets with their strings cut, hitting the ground with heavy thuds that stirred clouds of dust.
"Agh! M-monster!"
Taking in the scene, Piers scrambled backward, muttering words like "monster" through chattering teeth.
But in his panic, his obese frame couldn't maintain balance, sending him crashing heavily to the floor, layers of facial fat jiggling violently.
The fall shocked him back to clarity.
As someone of considerable influence, he'd heard certain rumors—and now realized he'd crossed paths with someone far beyond his league.
"So, can I take this money now?" Ivan's flippant tone sounded like demonic whispers in Piers' ears.
"Y-yes..."
"Take whatever you want, sir! Just spare my life!" Piers knelt on the ground, tears and snot streaming down his face as he desperately begged Ivan.
He didn't want to die! He hadn't indulged enough in life yet!
The wealthier one is, the more one fears death...
"Oh~ I can take whatever I want? Then I'll take all the money you have here."
Piers' face stiffened at the words, his mind already calculating potential loopholes.
"Ah, and if even a single jenny is missing, you won't live to see tomorrow. Don't doubt my ability to tell the difference."
Ivan watched the panicked Piers with amusement.
This reversal of hunter and prey was truly satisfying—no wonder so many people enjoyed playing the meek to devour the arrogant.
A few minutes later, Piers returned carrying two large suitcases of money, his face ashen as if he had just lost his parents.
"One more thing—how quickly can you get me an identity document?"
Identity documents were quite important in the Hunter x Hunter world, necessary for transportation like airships and for registering for the Hunter Exam.
This was the perfect opportunity to have this pawn handle the matter.
"A... about a week."
Ivan stared at the sweat-drenched Piers, who didn't dare even breathe heavily, before finally breaking into a smile.
"Fine, I'll give you one week. I'll be staying at the hotel next door during this time. Notify me when it's done."