Andrew lay sprawled on the ground, eyes wide open, staring at the ceiling in silent disbelief.
He never thought he would lose.
More than that, he never thought he would lose so easily.
He hadn't even been able to touch Kaizen.
A Nen beast had completely suppressed him.
From start to finish, he never had a chance to fight back.
"Is this... the end for me?" Andrew's thoughts echoed in his mind, filled with frustration and resignation.
Someone overheard him and scoffed inwardly.
"Your era?"
"What era did you even have?"
Medical personnel rushed onto the scene.
...
Meanwhile, Kaizen obtained a key.
The 239th floor of Heavens Arena now belonged to him—at least until someone strong enough could challenge and defeat him.
Those who had witnessed Kaizen's overwhelming victory over Andrew understood his strength clearly.
A fighter who could easily crush Andrew was undoubtedly at a terrifying level.
And considering Kaizen's young age, he was still in a phase of rapid growth.
He was only going to get stronger.
So, who would dare challenge him for the title of Floor Master?
Very few.
There were plenty of lower-ranked fighters to test their skills against. Most would rather take the safer path than risk facing Kaizen.
His reign as Floor Master would be a stable one.
Kaizen's luxurious suite had been reclaimed.
Nina's, however, had not.
Fortunately, the 239th floor had more than enough space.
Kaizen decided that Nina and the others should all move there.
It was much more spacious, offering each person their own room.
The training area was also larger, allowing for more intense workouts. Equipment could always be replenished when needed.
A large living room.
Everyone sat around a dining table.
Kaizen, Sally, Nina, Shizuku, and Tessia.
In the middle of the table, a hot pot bubbled, releasing waves of delicious steam.
"How long will you be staying this time?" Nina asked, tilting her head as she looked at Kaizen.
"Not sure," Kaizen replied, shaking his head. "If nothing urgent comes up, I'll stay in Heavens Arena for a while. But if something does, I might not be here for long."
He had already decided on his next target for ability absorption—the United States of Saherta.
Mizaistom's investigation into the Red Trang organization provided the perfect excuse.
As one of the V5 nations, Sahelta had powerful fighters.
Based on Kaizen's estimates, the Nen beast he could create there would be on par with Natsu—possibly even stronger.
For now, he just had to wait for Mizaistom's call.
Until then, he could focus on training his body.
When he first learned Nen, Kaizen had dedicated himself to creating Nen beasts.
After completing Ryunosuke Akutagawa, he spent a lot of time in Heavens Arena, putting a halt to his beast creation and focusing on his own growth.
Once he had improved his skills, he resumed creating beasts.
He went to the Kingdom of Taris and created the Lantern Ghost.
Then to the Fiora Kingdom, where he brought Natsu into existence.
At the hidden sanctuary of the Kurta Clan, he created Sasuke Uchiha.
Now, once again, his personal strength was lagging behind his beasts.
Not because he had grown weaker—his Nen beasts had simply grown far too powerful.
"Nina, how many fights have you won?"
"Two so far."
Kaizen nodded before turning to Sally.
"Sally, did you get your Hunter License yet?"
"Yeah, I got it," Sally replied, pulling out the small card.
It looked like a simple ID, but its value was immeasurable.
With it, she could access the exclusive world of Hunters, gaining valuable information and networking opportunities.
She could also hire other Hunters if necessary.
And in dire situations, she could even use it as collateral for a loan of up to 100 million Jennies.
Of course, any competent Hunter would never need to do that.
After all, a real Hunter should be more than capable of making that kind of money.
Shizuku, meanwhile, was too busy devouring the hot pot to participate in the conversation.
Perhaps that was why her figure was so much more... developed than Sally's.
After dinner, Kaizen received an unexpected invitation from Yoneda Doppo.
"Doppo-sama."
Doppo looked at Kaizen, feeling a mix of emotions.
The last time they met, Doppo had already known that Kaizen was strong.
But now, he truly understood just how monstrous the younger fighter had become.
Andrew was an opponent Doppo himself wasn't sure he could beat.
Yet Kaizen had taken him down effortlessly.
Doppo couldn't help but recall their first meeting.
"The rate at which he's improving... it's terrifying."
"That's a true genius."
Kaizen hadn't left TST.
The small group was stable, and its members had no real restrictions.
Plus, he was often away from Heavens Arena for long periods.
If anything happened, Nina and the others might need TST's help.
"But this isn't good..."
"Sally has already reached C-rank as a Nen user."
"Nina and Shizuku shouldn't have much trouble reaching the same level."
"And Tessia even more so."
"Among them, Tessia has the most potential."
"If anyone here is destined to reach A-rank, it's her."
"She's like a version of Machi who didn't take the support route."
"A Machi on the right path."
...
Sadaso remained in the training grounds until midnight.
Kaizen's achievement as Floor Master had been a wake-up call.
"I have to work harder. No—much harder!"
And he wasn't the only one.
Killua had been watching, too.
And he was even closer to making a breakthrough.
Sadaso was still in the early 100s, but Killua was just one win away from reaching the 200th floor.
Before, he hadn't cared much about it.
Silva had set his goal at merely qualifying for the 200th floor before leaving.
But after witnessing Kaizen's performance, a new thought took root in Killua's mind.
"If he can do it... so can I."
....
A phone rang.
Kaizen answered.
"Kaizen?"
"Mizaistom-sama?"
"Yeah, it's me. I'm heading to the United States of Saherta soon. Are you ready?"
"Of course. I can leave anytime."
"Good. Meet me at this location in ten days."
Mizaistom sent the coordinates.
"Understood."
...
The next day, Kaizen received another unexpected call.
From Silva Zoldyck.
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