Fifteen days later, the 231st-floor arena.
With the organizer's promotional hype, Leo's Floor Master challenge had spread throughout the city; the venue was packed, and the deafening cheers were loud enough to nearly blow the roof off.
Leo's Floor Master challenge was turning out to be more interesting than expected.
His opponent was an Enhancer, in his early thirties, burly, with a shiny bald head and bulging muscles.
His name was Brother Turtle, and he was quite well-known among the Floor Masters above the 200th floor.
The announcer's passionate voice resonated throughout the arena via the loudspeakers.
"Ladies and gentlemen! A highly anticipated battle is about to begin!"
"Ultimate Attack versus Absolute Defense! The 'Devil King' Leo — with a record of ten wins and three losses on the 200th floor. Although he has three 'losses' due to personal absences, his fists are a nightmare for all his opponents; no one has ever been able to take them head-on!"
"And today, his opponent — the 'Immovable Mountain' Brother Turtle, has never been knocked down!"
"Brother Turtle's undefeated curse is a nightmare for countless challengers!"
"Today, can the 'Devil King's' edge break through this steel barrier? Let's wait and see!"
Once the battle started, Brother Turtle didn't attack frantically like the others; instead, he assumed a defensive stance and approached Leo step by step.
Leo threw a punch.
Brother Turtle didn't dodge or evade; he took the punch head-on.
Bang!
Amidst the dull sound of impact, Brother Turtle only took one step back.
He grinned.
"Good strength, but you can't hurt me."
Leo raised an eyebrow. Interesting.
To think someone could actually take his punch head-on without getting injured.
Brother Turtle patted his chest and said smugly.
"My ability is'Steel Lungs' — by holding my breath, my overall defense increases significantly, reducing damage by seventy percent. As long as I don't breathe, you won't be able to hurt me even if you hit me until tomorrow!"
Leo looked at him without saying a word.
Brother Turtle thought he was stunned and became even more smug, confidently saying.
"How about it? Just surrender to avoid physical pain. I've watched your match recordings and know your fists are strong, but my defense is stronger!"
"I think highly of you as an opponent and don't want to beat you up too badly —"
Leo smiled, a smile that made Brother Turtle's heart skip a beat.
"So that's how it is."
Leo said.
"It seems my holding back has given you the wrong idea."
Brother Turtle's smile froze on his face.
"That punch just now."
Leo raised his right fist, and Nen began to gather slowly.
"I only used fifty percent of my strength."
Brother Turtle's expression changed.
He wanted to say something, but Leo didn't give him the chance.
Nen erupted explosively!
That terrifying pressure instantly enveloped the entire arena!
Brother Turtle felt as if a great mountain was pressing down on him; his legs went weak, and he nearly knelt!
Leo moved. His speed was so fast that Brother Turtle couldn't see him at all; he only saw an afterimage enlarging before his eyes, and then — Boom!!!
A punch slammed into Brother Turtle's chest!
Brother Turtle's "Steel Lungs" didn't even hold up for a second!
He heard the sound of his own ribs shattering and felt his internal organs completely destroyed by that punch!
He felt as though he had been hit by a meteorite; the arena exploded beneath his feet.
Rumble —!!!
The entire arena began to collapse from the center!
Concrete fragments splattered in all directions, steel bars twisted and broke, and dust rose to the sky!
The entire venue on the 240th floor was shaking!
Gasps erupted from the surrounding audience!
When the dust settled, only rubble remained on the arena, along with Brother Turtle, who lay motionless in the center of the ruins.
The referee was stunned for a few seconds before stuttering the announcement.
"The, the winner is — Mr. Leo!"
The announcer shouted excitedly.
"Congratulations to Mr. Leo for defeating Mr. Brother Turtle and becoming the new Floor Master!"
A familiar warmth radiated from the tattoo on the back of his hand.
[Life Energy + 18%]
[Rank: 54 (67%) → (85%)]
Leo retracted his fist and turned to walk off the ruins.
He left the venue amidst a wave of cheers.
A new Floor Master had been born!
That night, in Wing's room, the small table was filled with food and drinks.
Wing, Leo, and Chiharu sat around it together.
"Congratulations, Junior Brother."
Wing raised his glass.
"How does it feel to be a Floor Master?"
Leo took a sip of wine and thought about it.
"No special feeling."
Wing chuckled.
"True. With your current strength, typical Floor Masters really don't amount to much."
Chiharu sat on the side, looking at Leo with sparkling eyes.
"Junior Martial Uncle Leo, you're amazing! That last punch shattered the entire arena! When will I be as strong as you?"
Leo smiled and reached out to ruffle Chiharu's hair.
"Keep training hard with Senior Brother Wing, and one day you will be."
Wing adjusted his glasses and said confidently.
"That goes without saying. With a master like me, Chiharu will definitely surpass you in the future."
"Yes, yes, yes."
Leo agreed with a smile.
The three drank until late at night and talked about many things.
About training, about the future, and about that unreliable master, Biscuit.
When the gathering ended, Wing walked Leo to the door.
He leaned against the doorframe, watching Leo's back, and suddenly said.
"Junior Brother Leo, what do you plan to do next?"
Leo didn't turn back, just waved his hand.
"Get stronger, until I become the strongest."
His figure disappeared at the end of the corridor.
The next morning.
June 20, 1998.
Leo packed his simple luggage and took one last look at the room he had lived in for over a year.
Sunlight streamed in through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting warm spots of light on the floor.
He pushed the door open and walked out.
The corridor was quiet. Occasionally, a few fighters passed by, and upon recognizing him, they respectfully stepped aside.
Leo didn't stop and walked straight to the elevator.
The lobby on the first floor was bustling with people, and a huge electronic screen was looping highlights of matches from various floors.
Leo looked up and saw that the screen happened to be playing the footage of his battle from yesterday — the arena collapsing, dust rising to the sky.
He smiled and turned to walk out the door.
The sunlight was a bit dazzling; Leo squinted and looked at the sky in the distance.
The Floor Master title had been secured; there was no reason to stay at the Heavens Arena any longer.
The Shimeile Wetland had been ravaged enough by him, with a sharp decline in the number of creatures; he needed to find a new place to continue increasing his Rank.
He took out his phone and opened the information he had collected previously.
Urubian Continent, Thousand Needle Forest Valley.
It was a primeval forest even vaster than the Shimeile Wetland, said to be inhabited by a large number of powerful creature species, and even undiscovered rare species.
That's the place.
Three days later, Urubian Continent, edge of the Thousand Needle Forest Valley.
The airship landed in the nearest town.
Leo walked out of the airport and took a deep breath.
The air was fresh and moist, carrying the unique scent of vegetation from the forest.
In the distance, rolling mountains loomed in the mist, and dense forests stretched from the foothills to the edge of his vision.
Leo didn't stop and walked straight toward the depths of the valley.
Three hours later, he stood on a highland, overlooking the endless forest below.
Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the canopy, casting mottled light and shadows on the ground.
In the distance, the roars of beasts and the sound of waterfalls could be faintly heard.
The air was filled with a vibrant vitality, mixed with a faint, lingering scent of danger.
Leo revealed a satisfied smile.
This valley was bigger and more primitive than he had imagined.
Which also meant — more prey.
He stepped into the forest.
Behind him, sunlight shone on the path he had walked; ahead lay a new journey.