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Chapter 490
🕑 Added 2025-04-15 15:04:01 +0000 UTCChapter 490
The crowd was abuzz with excitement. On one side of the arena, Sadaso glanced toward Ron’s section one last time and then turned his focus back to the ring.
“Ron became a Floor Master here years ago,” Sadaso muttered to himself. “That’s just how it is—some people stand far beyond your reach. But I’m doing well enough now, and I don’t need to envy others. I climbed Heaven’s Arena step by step on my own. I’m already on the 200th floor and have won a match. If I can manage seven more victories, I’ll qualify to challenge a Floor Master. Then, if I pick the weakest one, maybe I can replace them. And if I become a Floor Master, I’ll have no regrets in this life.”
Sadaso withdrew his gaze and turned his attention to the match between Nina and her opponent, hoping to learn something from watching.
On the stage, Nina’s battle was underway. Her opponent, an older, muscular woman, barreled forward with tightly clenched fists, charging like a raging bull. Nina, by contrast, relied on quick footwork, evading every rush and waiting for openings. Whenever the woman left a gap, Nina seized it and struck.
In Heaven’s Arena, victory can come in three ways: kill your opponent, force them to surrender, or accumulate ten points through clean hits. Nina had chosen that third approach. Before long, she’d already scored two points, while her opponent hadn’t even touched her.
“It’s obvious there’s a gap in power,” Ron remarked quietly. “Even if Nina isn’t a combat-focused Nen user, she’s at a higher level than her opponent, plus she’s well-trained.”
Under Ron’s guidance, all of his teammates developed their combat basics alongside their primary abilities. Nina’s speciality was a Manipulation-type support skill, and Shizuku’s best talent was using her conjured vacuum fish, but Ron ensured they also practised general fighting techniques and built up their physical foundations. They followed something akin to the real “Shingen-ryu” path—though not as extreme as Biscuit’s methods. Because of this, Nina was far stronger than she would have been otherwise.
Meanwhile, in a completely different part of Heaven’s Arena—the first floor—Gon’s match was beginning. His opponent was an enormous, heavyset man who looked like he might crush the ring under his weight. He spared Gon only a disdainful glance.
“The atmosphere around here gets worse every year,” the man grumbled. “More and more little brats show up, all thinking they’re the next Ron. Huh, as if!”
Yet the moment he charged, Gon simply raised a hand and gave a light push.
Bang!
The large man staggered backward, unable to stop himself. He reeled all the way off the stage and crashed onto the ground, his eyes wide in disbelief.
“What just happened?” he gasped, still clueless even after losing.
“The winner is Gon!” announced the referee.
Killua pumped a fist in the air. “Nice job, Gon!”
Gon was finally seeing the fruits of his training: after pushing open the Testing Gate at the Zoldyck estate, tossing someone this size off the ring felt easy in comparison. One door alone weighed two tons, and each door was a separate barrier.
Gon hopped down from the stage. “Killua, your turn!”
“Got it!”
When the announcer called his name, Killua walked up with his hands in his pockets, facing a well-built young fighter.
“I don’t believe there’ll be two strong kids in a row,” the fighter growled. “I’m not letting this one slip by. Come on, brat.”
Killua vanished in a blur, instantly appearing behind the man. A single chop to the neck, and the young fighter crumpled to the ground, unconscious.
“Winner: Killua!”
Killua hopped down from the stage and jogged over to Gon so they could collect their prizes together. In floors below 200, each victory yields a cash reward—though early on, it’s barely enough to buy a soda.
They headed off to the vending machine, bought two cans of cola, and drank as they made their way toward the elevator. Soon, a referee assessed their abilities and bumped them directly to the 50th floor—no reason to make them start any lower. However, the judge’s authority only went so far. Hunter Exam qualifiers in the lower floors were basically overkill, so the system let them skip ahead, but not too many levels.
Ding!
The elevator chimed to a stop, and the doors slid open. Stepping into the 50th floor lobby, Killua suddenly noticed something on a large screen: it was broadcasting Nina’s match. Any bout on the 200th floor or above could be watched live by purchasing access; in addition, a few public screens around the arena would carry a simpler broadcast, mainly to attract more viewers.
“Killua, what’s up?” Gon asked.
“That person on the screen—I’ve seen her before.” Killua pointed at Nina. “I think she’s one of Cousin Ron’s teammates.”
At that moment, he recalled what Silva had once said: the difference between those above and below the 200th floor is like night and day.
