It was the dead of night.
The wide, empty street lay silent under scattered moonlight, the pale glow spilling across the stone-paved road.
Hands tucked casually into his pockets, Linck strolled into the casino as if walking into his own living room, utterly relaxed, no trace of caution.
The reason he dared to come here at all was simple: Gardevoir, ready to emerge from his aura space at a moment's notice.
Her combat strength aside, Gardevoir's survival abilities alone were top-tier. Unless they encountered someone vastly beyond her level, she could teleport them out of danger in the blink of an eye.
After a slow glance around the hall, Linck's eyes locked onto two figures standing in the center.
One tall, one short.
One thin, one fat.
The short, fat one was an old acquaintance—Pierce, currently smirking with smug delight as he stared at Linck.
The tall, lanky stranger beside him was a face Linck had never seen before. He looked unremarkable, but the sharp hook of his nose made him seem… not exactly the trustworthy type.
Activating Ren, Linck saw it clearly: faint, smoke-like aura drifted naturally away from the top of Pierce's head.
Ordinary people without Nen couldn't control this—life energy simply seeped out from them over time.
Pierce wasn't the one worth worrying about. He was just a powerless civilian.
The real problem was the tall man beside him. No aura was leaking from his head; instead, his Nen clung tightly to the surface of his body. That meant, he was a Nen user.
But Linck noticed something odd. The man's exposed skin looked… wrong. Like shattered glass, with web-like cracks running through it.
Only one reason came to mind—Baptism.
That term first came up back in the Heaven's Arena arc: once you reached the 200th floor, you'd encounter Nen users.
Some weaker, low-tier Nen users could only prey on regular people. When a non-Nen fighter reached the 200th floor, these bottom-feeders would attack them with malicious bursts of Nen.
A rare few with exceptional talent, or sheer dumb luck, could seize that moment to awaken Nen.
Most, however, suffered severe injuries. Some died, others were crippled for life. Those who survived might gain the barest spark of Nen.
This was called "Baptism."
"Hahaha! Boy, your time's up!" Pierce bellowed with laughter when he saw Linck saunter in.
His thick face wobbled with each chuckle, making his already unpleasant features downright stomach-turning.
The tall man at his side gave Pierce a single glance but said nothing.
"I knew you weren't some average punk," Pierce sneered. "So I spent a fortune to bring this man here."
"This is the price you pay for humiliating me that day!"
A flicker of pain crossed his face—hiring a Nen user wasn't cheap. And considering how much money he'd already lost to Linck in the casino, this was salt in the wound.
But Linck had to die. Not just for revenge, but to protect Pierce's reputation.
In Pierce's mind, that day had been pure humiliation. But in truth, Linck hadn't done a thing—Pierce had tripped himself and begged for mercy all on his own.
Clap. Clap. Clap.
Linck gave him a slow, mocking applause.
"A petty man will always be a petty man~ I was too kind to you that day. If you'd just done your job properly, my poor Gardevoir wouldn't have to deal with trash again."
Honestly, this guy could qualify as a full-on clown back on Blue Star.
"You!" Pierce started, but the tall man cut him off with a raised hand.
"That's enough talking. I don't have time to waste," the lanky man said coldly, pointing straight at Linck.
"Don't think knocking down a few normal people with your aura makes you invincible."
"I don't even need to get close to crush you. But… to satisfy my client, I'll make it slow."
"I'll shatter every single bone in your body… and let you die in agony."
His cracked lips pulled into a wide, bloodthirsty grin, making him even more hideous. Those who failed Baptism often ended up twisted—inside and out.
White aura began seeping from the fissures in his skin, gathering above his head into a massive, white, swirling hand. It lunged toward Linck.
Before it could reach him, a streak of pink Nen shot forward in the shape of an arrow, slicing through the air with a high-pitched whistle.
It struck the white hand cleanly, shattering it in an instant.
When the dust settled, Linck stood there unharmed.
The tall man's expression faltered. "How… how are you still fine? You were supposed to be crushed!"
"…Wait. Why is your defense so strong?!"
Linck frowned, tilting his head. "Why is your attack so weak?"
Without wasting another second, Linck activated his Pokédex ability and scanned the man.
[Name: Hoth]
[Strength: D]
[Nen Ability: None]
…Linck could only pinch the bridge of his nose and chuckle wryly. He'd been too cautious—he thought someone who survived Baptism with all limbs intact might be formidable.
Instead… this guy was only D-rank. Didn't even know Gyo. No developed Nen ability at all.
That so-called "aura hand" wasn't a technique—it was just raw Nen shoved at an enemy.
"You!" Hoth tried again, but Linck had heard enough.
"Shut it, you failure. Just another Baptism reject running his mouth."
A flash of white light—Gardevoir appeared at his side, unleashing her full aura in an instant.
The pressure rolled through the casino like a hurricane. Air surged, chairs and tables toppled, poker chips scattered through the air like confetti.
To Linck, she shone like a blazing sun.
Under that crushing force, Hoth collapsed to his knees. Pierce fared even worse—sprawled flat on the ground, squealing like a pig at slaughter.
"H-how… how can you be this strong?!" Hoth's features twisted in fear, teeth gritted as the sheer weight of her Nen made it impossible to lift his head.
The difference between their abilities was like a chasm—two full stages apart. She didn't even need to attack; her aura alone had him pinned.
"Oh? What's this? Kneeling already?" Linck stepped forward, voice dripping with mockery.
"Didn't you say you'd crush… every… bone… in my body?"