Chapter 39: Nen Ability
"You can place your bets now, young man."
Jack looked at Kyle, flashing a perfectly rehearsed, confident smile. A subtle, sharp glint flickered in his deeply set eyes. His long fingers tapped the table with the steady rhythm of a metronome.
Kyle smiled, not hesitating for a second, and pushed all of his chips toward the "Small" area. The cascade of chips hitting the felt made a clear, loud sound that cut through the casino's noise.
Jack's smile remained unchanged. "Such nerve," he complimented. But in that exact instant, a faint wisp of Aura silently leaked from his finger. This invisible energy rippled, piercing the dice cup, and silently changed the outcome inside—the three dice that were about to show 1, 2, 3 were instantly swapped to 4, 5, 6.
Kyle and Killua sensed the subtle shift in Aura at the same time. They exchanged a look, confirming that Jack was, like them, a Nen user.
Kyle activated his Nen and In simultaneously. His Aura surged, and the moment Jack lifted the cup, it instantly enveloped the dice, reversing the change.
"4, 5, 6. Fifteen, Big. House wins," Jack announced confidently, without even looking at the dice. He was so sure of his manipulation.
But Kyle and Killua weren't disappointed. They were grinning. The game had just gotten a lot more interesting.
Jack smiled, satisfied, and was already planning how to slowly reel in this "big fish" when his subordinate carefully nudged his arm.
"Boss Jack, it's 1, 2, 3. Six, Small," the subordinate whispered, embarrassment etched on his face.
Jack jolted from his thoughts and looked down. Three dice clearly showed 1, 2, 3. His confident smile froze, replaced by pure shock. He had total faith in his Nen ability. This was impossible.
"You're awake, Boss Jack," Kyle chuckled, his eyes gleaming.
Seeing Jack's confusion, Kyle realized the truth: this guy had only mastered a crude, surface-level Nen. His ability had likely manifested naturally out of his intense desire to gamble, but he lacked the systematic training to understand or control it fully.
Jack quickly recovered his professional demeanor. "Good luck, young man. You're having a lucky streak."
He signaled his subordinate, who quickly returned with a heavy metal case. When Jack opened it, even Kyle was slightly impressed—it was full of high-denomination chips, worth several hundred million Jenny.
Jack, unfazed, paid Kyle his winnings and loudly announced: "The game starts now."
As he spoke, a powerful surge of Nen burst from him. A bizarre, phantom-like creature, visible only to Nen users, materialized beside him. It radiated a potent sense of Vows and Limitations, giving off an unsettling aura.
Kyle glanced at Gon, who was excitedly staring at the materialized creature, and Killua, who was narrowing his eyes, analyzing the situation.
Jack shook the cup again, this time with simple, direct motions. He slammed it onto the table.
"Place your bets." Jack looked confidently at Kyle, his Nen beast flickering.
Kyle cautiously pulled a million-Jenny chip from his box and placed it on "Big."
The instant the chip settled, he felt a faint shift. The dice inside the cup silently changed from "Big" to "Small." There was no sound of them rolling, just a subtle, immediate shift.
Jack, still unconcerned by the small bet, announced, "No more bets. Open!"
The cup lifted. Just as Kyle predicted, the result was "Small."
Kyle and Killua exchanged a knowing glance. This ability clearly changed the dice based on the bets placed, and the shift was entirely silent. Even if Kyle used his Aura to cheat, the ability's rules would instantly override it.
"Boss Jack, your ability is quite impressive," Kyle said, his eyes sparkling with challenge. "Let me try to break it."
Jack subconsciously looked at his Nen beast, his face showing genuine shock for the first time. "You... you can see it?" His voice trembled—no one had ever seen his ability before.
"Whether I can see it is irrelevant," Kyle said, leaning forward. "All that matters is... I intend to win."
The entire casino seemed to quiet down. Other gamblers, sensing the unusual tension, backed away. The air between the two men crackled with Nen.
Jack finally let go of his professional smile. His eyes narrowed with intense gambling fever. "If that's how you want to play, let's play for real. I've never lost since I got this power."
Kyle could feel the Nen beast's power intensifying, fueled by Jack's resolve. This was now a true showdown between Nen users.
Killua leaned in. "Be careful, Kyle. This is serious."
Kyle just smiled. He pulled five chips from his box, stacking them neatly.
"I won't hold back this time," Kyle's voice was calm but powerful. "Let's see whose ability is stronger... yours, or my prediction."
The gambling table had become a battlefield. The two Aura pressures pulsed against each other. The real challenge was about to begin.