Chapter 5: Didn't You Say You Were Going to Crush Me?
It was the dead of night, and the empty, deserted street was only faintly illuminated by moonlight slanting onto the stone pavement.
Ivan strolled into the casino with his hands in his pockets, completely at ease as if he were returning home, without a hint of caution.
Gardevoir, ready to emerge from within him at any moment, was the confidence that allowed him to come here!
Not to mention Gardevoir's formidable combat strength, her ability to ensure survival was top-notch.
As long as they didn't encounter enemies far beyond Gardevoir's capabilities, escaping with Instant Move would be effortless!
After scanning the surroundings,
Ivan fixed his gaze on the two figures standing at the center of the hall.
One was tall, the other short; one fat, the other thin.
The short and fat one was naturally their acquaintance Piers, who was now looking at him with smug satisfaction.
As for the other tall, lean man, he was a complete stranger—unremarkable at first glance, but with a prominent hooked nose that made him look untrustworthy!
Using Gyo, Ivan clearly saw a smoke-like airflow naturally dissipating from the top of Piers' head.
Ordinary people who couldn't use Nen were unable to control it, causing their life energy to continuously and slowly scatter from their heads.
Piers wasn't the main concern; he was just an ordinary person.
What mattered more was the tall, lean man beside him—no life energy was escaping from his head, and his aura clung closely to his body's surface, indicating he was a Nen user!
Ivan noticed that the exposed skin on the tall, lean man appeared abnormal, like shattered glass, covered in fragmented cracks.
The only reason Ivan could think of for such a condition was—Baptism!
The term "Baptism" first appeared during the Heavens Arena arc, when people who reached the 200th floor would encounter Nen users.
Some low-tier Nen users, lacking in skill, could only challenge ordinary people. When these ordinary individuals reached the 200th floor, they would be assaulted by the malicious Nen of these scum.
Only a very few with high talent or sheer luck could grasp Nen through this ordeal.
Most, however, suffered severe physical damage—if they didn't die, they were left critically disabled! But those who survived might still wield a trace of Nen.
This was the "Baptism"!
"Hahaha, kid, your time is up!" On the other side, Piers, seeing Ivan dare to stride in so boldly, couldn't help but mock him derisively.
As he laughed, the fat on his face jiggled incessantly, making his already ugly visage even more repulsive.
The tall, lean man beside him glanced at Piers but said nothing.
"I knew you weren't simple, so I went to great expense to hire this gentleman to deal with you!"
"Just wait quietly for your death—this is the consequence of humiliating me that day!"
At this, a flicker of pain crossed Piers' eyes; hiring a Nen user didn't come cheap.
Especially after all the casino money had gone to Ivan, it was adding insult to injury.
But Ivan had to die! Not just to vent his anger, but to protect his reputation.
In Piers' eyes, everything that day had been Ivan humiliating him, though Ivan had done nothing—Piers had tripped himself and knelt to beg for mercy.
"Clap, clap, clap. A petty man remains a petty man... I was too lenient with you that day. If only you'd just done your job properly, now my poor Gardevoir has to deal with trash again."
Ivan applauded Piers' change of attitude while speaking in a regretful tone.
If this guy were on Earth, he'd definitely be a top-tier hypocrite.
"You!..." Piers, on the other sid,e wanted to say more, but the tall, lean man beside him stopped him.
"Enough chatter. I don't have time to waste here," the tall, lean man said sinisterly, pointing at Ivan across from him.
"Kid, don't think you're invincible just because you used Nen to intimidate a few ordinary people and knock them down."
"I don't even need to get close to you to crush you. Of course, to satisfy my employer's request, I'll take my time torturing you."
"I'll crush every bone in your body and make you die in agony!"
At this, the tall, thin man cracked his lips into a bloodthirsty grin, making him appear even uglier.
Those who failed the baptism often developed twisted personalities.
As he finished speaking, streams of white Nen energy began seeping from the cracks in the tall, thin man's body.
The sparse Nen energy gradually formed a massive, white swirling palm above his head, charging directly toward Ivan.
Just as it approached Ivan's vicinity, a pink psychic force shot out in the form of an arrow.
The swift arrow cut through the air with a sharp whistling sound, effortlessly shattering the white palm into nothingness.
Seeing Ivan still standing completely unharmed, the tall, thin man's face fell, unable to hide his disbelief as he asked:
"How are you still fine? You should have been crushed by now!"
"Huh? Wait? Why is your attack so weak?"
Hearing this, Ivan frowned and countered the tall, thin man's question.
Ivan didn't waste any more time and directly activated his Pokédex function on the tall, thin man.
[Name: Hose]
[Strength: D]
[Nen Ability: None]
...
Ivan couldn't help but facepalm with a bitter smile. It seemed he had been too cautious, originally thinking that since Hose had undergone the baptism and remained physically intact, he might possess considerable strength.
But he never expected... his strength was only D-level, and he couldn't even use Gyo, nor had he developed any Nen Ability.
That Nen palm wasn't even a proper Nen Ability—it was just gathering Nen energy and throwing it at the enemy.
"Kid, you..." Hose from across still wanted to say something, but Ivan had already reached his limit.
"Shut up! You trash, you're nothing but a failed product of the baptism, still spouting nonsense here!"
Suddenly, a flash of white light appeared as Gardevoir emerged, releasing her Nen energy at full power. An immense pressure surged toward the two opponents.
In Ivan's eyes, Gardevoir at this moment was like a blazing sun, radiating dazzling light!
The release of Nen energy stirred the surrounding airflow, and the entire casino felt as if it were in the midst of a storm. Chairs and tables were overturned, and lightweight chips flew everywhere.
Hose was forced to his knees by this tremendous pressure, while Piers on the other side was in an even worse state—completely flattened on the ground like a squealing pig awaiting slaughter.
"H-how... how is this possible! How can you possess such overwhelming strength!"
Hose's face was filled with terror and fear; under the immense pressure, his features began to contort, and he spoke through gritted teeth.
With a full two major tiers of strength difference, Gardevoir merely transformed her Nen into pressure, making it impossible for Hose to even lift his head.
"Oh? Why are you kneeling? Weren't you going to crush every bone in my body..."
"One! By! One!"