HxH: Ryomen... Satoru?

Cyr slept from noon on the 28th straight through to the morning of the 29th, only waking up when the sound of knocking at the door signaled the arrival of breakfast.

Still groggy, he opened the door barefoot and shirtless, yawning as he greeted the server.

"Pardon me, your breakfast service," the server announced, briefly glancing at the black markings on the boy's chest and waist before quickly averting his eyes and wheeling the cart into the room. Then, he left quietly.

The luxurious and exquisitely prepared breakfast was well worth the substantial sum Cyr had left as a deposit the previous day.

The deluxe king-sized bed was just as comfortable. Although Cyr wasn't picky, his time in Meteor Street had nearly made him forget what decent living conditions were like.

"Perfect timing, I'm starving." After freshening up, Cyr sat at the edge of the bed and enjoyed his breakfast. He brushed his teeth again afterward and got dressed.

Underneath the breakfast tray, there was a train ticket—the one Cyr had asked the hotel front desk to arrange.

The cost of the ticket had also been deducted from the deposit.

This was exactly why he'd chosen a luxury hotel: good service and no hassle.

He glanced at the train ticket for a moment before setting it aside and turning on the room's television.

"An afternoon train… still plenty of time."

Might as well check out the news on Hunter World's channels.

---

"... The 132nd female victim of the serial killer Kleiber Fal was discovered in the Republic of Rokario. Kleiber remains at large, and the bounty on his capture has risen to one billion Jenny…"

"An explosion in the Republic of Sigru has been confirmed to be the work of the A-Class crime syndicate The Crows…"

"The 286th Hunter Exam is set to begin soon. Those aspiring to become hunters, don't miss it…"

The news reported high-profile cases from various continents, while occasionally cutting to ads, including notifications about the Hunter Exam.

Who knows if the Hunter Association paid for that airtime.

The white-haired boy lay back on the bed as he watched, and the sound of the broadcast lulled him back to sleep.

When he woke again, Cyr quickly packed his things. After having lunch, he slung his bag over his shoulder and left the hotel.

Before departing, he decided to further test the effects of his Wheel of Laws ability, drawing three cards with unknown effects:

Upright Emperor: Buff card

Reversed Wheel of Fortune: Debuff card

Upright World: Buff card

He immediately applied the Emperor and World buffs to himself. A moment later, his appearance transformed—complete with a crown, cape, and scepter.

The Emperor card, like the Hierophant, came with an automatic costume change.

The World card's effect seemed subtler, faintly amplifying the energy within his body.

Clad in this extravagant, almost gaudy attire, Cyr made his way to the train station by asking for directions. Finally, he boarded a train bound for Banato Port.

---

The station was well-equipped and relatively modern, with plenty of passengers bustling about.

"Let's see, my seat is here." After checking his ticket, Cyr found his assigned seat. He sat down casually and glanced at the modest, not particularly soft seat.

He also surveyed the noisy passengers around him, sighed quietly, and closed his eyes to block out the commotion.

He should've asked the hotel to book him a seat in the luxury compartment, even if it cost extra.

The life energy of those around him was within the range of ordinary people—nothing exceptional. However, in the luxury compartment ahead, there were a few individuals whose life energy was noticeably stronger than average.

Meanwhile, the Wheel of Fortune card, unused, began its three-minute countdown. Cyr casually tossed it onto an ordinary man nearby and crossed his arms, watching the card's effects with interest.

To Cyr's left, a group of five men seemed to be traveling together. They acted as though they were in their own private space, drinking alcohol and loudly discussing various topics.

Their conversation ranged from boasting about sleeping with others' wives or forcing themselves on strong-willed women to shady, money-making schemes.

Suddenly, one of the men noticed the white-haired boy sitting nearby.

The boy's extravagant appearance and the ominous black markings on his face had already drawn attention when he boarded. Now, his bright azure eyes were quietly fixed on their group—or rather, on one member in particular.

"Hey, that weird kid is staring at you," the man whispered stiffly, his forced grin betraying unease. For some reason, under that gaze, he found himself unable to continue laughing or joking naturally.

Those eyes, so beautiful yet so calm, cold, and indifferent, radiated an unshakable authority that demanded caution.

"Huh? Weird kid? Staring at me?" The man looked confused, struggling to connect the strange description with himself. He turned to see just who this so-called "weird kid" was.

As one of the men turned his head, he suddenly slammed into something hard. A scalding liquid immediately drenched him.

"Ahh—!" A startled scream escaped the stewardess, who had been holding a teapot and had accidentally tipped it over due to the passenger's abrupt movement.

"Hot! Hot! Hot!" The man, now soaked in boiling water, jumped to his feet, flailing. Without a second thought, he bolted toward the restroom, his only focus on cooling the burns with cold water.

But before he could make it far, his foot slipped on a banana peel that had been casually discarded by a certain white-haired boy. His entire body went airborne, landing several meters away with a loud crash against the compartment door.

"Pfft…" Watching the entire fiasco unfold, Cyr couldn't help but laugh, his tone laced with schadenfreude.

So, the effect of the reversed Wheel of Fortune was just… bad luck.

If the reversed version caused misfortune, then the upright Wheel of Fortune should logically bring luck.

But misfortune manifests in countless forms, and luck is equally unpredictable.

Misfortune and luck are inherently enigmatic concepts—uncontrollable, shifting with the circumstances in which they are invoked.

Perhaps this card was the most volatile of them all.

"What are you laughing at? Are you mocking our brother?!"

Hearing Cyr's laughter, the victim's companions quickly rushed to help him up. They turned to confront the white-haired boy, their voices filled with rage.

The group of young, burly men looked intimidating, their expressions twisted with hostility. The other passengers, witnessing the brewing conflict, kept their distance, unwilling to get involved.

In this world, people understood too well the consequences of meddling in dangerous situations.

"So what?" Cyr asked casually, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. There was an arrogance in his demeanor, as though he were looking down on ants.

"What you gon' do 'bout it?" His tone was light, as if genuinely curious, yet devoid of any concern or fear.

"You little—!" The men clenched their fists, veins bulging as anger took hold.

"Silence."

Cyr's voice rang out suddenly, calm yet commanding, as he idly twirled the scepter from the Emperor card in his hand.

The entire train car fell silent in an instant. Every person, not just the men, found their voices involuntarily stilled.

"Kneel."

Cyr's gaze swept over the group of men as he gave the order, his tone nonchalant yet tinged with curiosity, like someone testing the limits of a new toy. With a flick of his wrist, the scepter lightly tapped the floor.

If his guess was correct, the Emperor card should be capable of this level of authority...

The men's expressions twisted into horror as they realized, to their shock, that their bodies no longer obeyed them. Their knees buckled, joints creaking audibly as they collapsed heavily to the floor, bowing in Cyr's direction.

Ah, so it could indeed enforce absolute obedience.

"Interesting."

Cyr held the Emperor and World cards delicately between his fingers, a playful smile spreading across his face.

°°°

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