ALL NOVEL Chapter 134: 200 x Class - Fighting against the Top
Alex stands inside the large fighting Arena on floor 191, the crowd already excited and loudly screaming. His opponent is a large man, easily 2.3 meters tall (around 7.55 feet).
Alex remains unfazed by his opponent's towering presence. He has grown accustomed to facing monstrous fighters with incredible physiques.
It doesn't matter how big you are; my claws will slice through your body like it's made out of butter; wait and see, Alex imagines, a hint of bloodlust in his eyes.
As usual, the commentator engages the crowd, asking them to vote for their favorite fighter. Despite Alex's somewhat impressive journey to the 190th floor in under two weeks, his opponent appears to be the crowd favorite, boasting significantly better odds.
Finally, the referee enters the ring, gestures for Alex and his opponent to come to the middle, and goes over the rules again.
To Alex's surprise, he looks at his opponent specifically, clearly recognizing him. With some visible disdain in his eyes, he says, "You better make sure to follow the rules! I'll disqualify you if you don't stop when told!"
Alex wonders, thinking, hmmm, looks like my opponent is pretty much a scumbag; maybe I should have asked that old hag Sua about him. I planned on only asking about enemies in the 200 class; perhaps that was a mistake.
The referee finally looks at them, ready to start the fight, and yells, "Get ready... BEGIN!"
As soon as the referee starts the fight, Alex's opponent immediately charges toward him. Alex easily sidesteps, but to his surprise, his opponent's body suddenly glows brightly. Aura shit, Alex recognizes immediately.
His opponent emits a large amount of Aura, and a clone, which shares his body type but appears as a mirage made of pure Aura, floats next to him. Surprised by this, Alex tries to dodge with all his skill, but it's too late. Cornered by the two of them, his real enemy not only lands a solid hit, fully powered by Ko, but the mirage also tackles him like a mad elephant.
Alex barely manages to activate Ken but still eats the punch and the charge and gets thrown outside the ring.
You received 87 damage
You received 41 damage
You received a minor wound (cracked bones)
"Critical hit and down. 3 Points for Millardo," the referee announces, looking somewhat disgusted by Millardo's surprise attack using Nen and breaking the unofficial code of the lower floors.
Alex lies on the ground outside of the Arena, hatred visible in his eyes, along with a single thought: I'LL KILL YOU FOR THIS! YOU WILL FUCKING DIE, YOU... Calm down. Do not reveal your skills yet. You can kill this bastard with just the basics. Let me add Mustrano to the mix so everyone will think that's all I have. I'll keep Sealion's Icewing Embrace lvl 3 and the Annihilation Grenade lvl 3 a secret.
Alex gets up while the referee counts him down: "6, 7. "When the time reaches 8, Alex reenters the ring.
"Contestant Alex Kerber, can you continue?" He asks him.
"No problem. Let's go already," Alex responds.
"Okay. RESUME!" The referee announces.
Alex immediately activates his Ren, not holding back at all. His opponent and his clone, which is hovering in the air, are clearly surprised.
Alex conjures Mustrano's Malice Mauler lvl 3 and hides it with In. Rather than respecting his opponent, Alex taps into Mustrano's hatred, experiencing a surge in his Aura. Although the system does not register this as an ability, Alex senses a significant increase in raw power. He immediately activates Toxic Breakthrough lvl 3, empowering the invisible claw with a potent and vicious toxic enhancement.
Alex wildly charges towards his opponent. He dodges the approaching clone by using Gyo and quickly using an empowered step to sidestep it. Then, he propels himself towards his opponent with another one to immediately close in the distance and reach him.
Using the momentum, Alex immediately takes a big gamble and decides to use Ko, ready to unleash his most potent attack.
His opponent, Millardo, uses his hands to block. He is clearly unaware of Mustrano's presence and thus gets hit by the dangerous attack. Mustrano, vaguely familiar with Alex's previous wish to slice through his opponent like butter, indeed pierces through both of his arms and leaves a huge hole, resembling a crater in his opponent's body, injecting the poison straight into it.
You have dealt 178 damage to Millardo
You have poisoned Millardo
Millardo struggles back. His clone immediately dissipates into the air, and he faints on the ground without fully realizing what happened.
The referee jumps in front of Alex Alex, blocking his way and shouting: "THE FIGHT IS OVER! IMMEDIATELY CALL IN THE MEDICS! FAST!"
Alex steps aside and watches as the medics rush in to provide first aid, only to see a message appear before him.
You have killed Millardo
Alex immediately sees a chest next to Millardo and stealthily, using In, decides to grab it.
You received Chest (Green)
Alex, curious, waits for him to be declared the winner and then leaves. While waiting for Menchi, Alex decides to open the chest immediately.
[Side Quest Finished:
Mission: Reach the 200th floor of Heavens Arena in less than 3 months.
50th Floor: 1/1 100th Floor: 1/1 150th Floor: 1/1 200th Floor: 1/1
Reward: 1 Free Stat point, Increased Mission Rating]
You received Soul Crystal (Small)
Wow! Not bad! Not only did I get an extra Stat point for finishing my quest, but Considering this scumbag was actually pretty weak and even had to resort to tricks, I guess I should be thankful to receive a Soul Crystal for my efforts as well, Alex thinks.
While Alex waits patiently, Menchi finally arrives, looking a bit concerned. She asks him, "Are you alright? It looks like that surprise attack took a toll on you. Good job reacting quickly enough to activate Ken! That decision may have saved your life or at least prevented you from suffering a permanent disability. We should get you to a doctor and see what the damage is. You may need to rest for a week if you're unlucky."
After visiting the Doctor, Alex receives treatment for his chest injury and is diagnosed with three cracked ribs, which, according to the Doctor, require at least 1 to 2 months of strict recovery.
Alex, however, knows that his high stats, Zetsu, and his [Sacred Emerald Copper Earring] will significantly speed up his recovery, similar to what happened to Gon.
After leaving the Doctor's office, Alex calmly tells Menchi, "It was my mistake. I needed to pay more attention. Anyway, from now on, it's serious. I'm curious how far I can make it! I've set a time limit of 3 months, so I have about two and a half months left. I guess I have to accept a pause for a week or so. In any case, let's at least register for the 200th class now."
Menchi jokingly slaps his chest, causing Alex to groan in pain, and she responds to his suggestion, "Good attitude! You did fine; I mean it. That guy got what he deserved for what he was trying to pull. Let's register and talk to Sua to better understand the situation up there. Maybe You can start with a few of the weaker opponents if possible."
"I agree!" Alex says, eager to take things slowly. "I also managed to hide 2 out of 3 of my Nen abilities, along with—let's call them—some other tricks. I want to win my fights using my Claw skills, along with Mustrano, Basic Nen, and Advanced Nen techniques! That way, I'll have a few aces up my sleeve if I can make it to 10 wins."
Entering the elevator on the 191st floor, Alex and Menchi are surprised to see Sua standing inside.
"Congratulations! You took your time but still made it in less than 2 weeks; impressive. I hope your injury isn't too bad," she says.
"I'll be fine in a week or two," Alex responds, smiling at Sua, who seems rather intense in her enthusiasm.
As the elevator goes up, Sua bids farewell to Alex and Menchi: "Tell me when you're feeling better, and DON'T register until then. Many unsavory people are lurking around, trying to take advantage of newcomers to earn quick wins. Don't fall for their tricks, okay?"
"Thanks for the warning; I think we'll be fine!" Menchi replies with a confident smile.
They casually walk toward the counter on the 200th floor and approach the lone attendant. With fewer than a hundred fighters in this class, additional staff isn't necessary.
"Hi, I'd like to register for the 200 class!"
"Contestant Alex Kerber, right? We've been expecting you," says the attendant, a woman in her 40s, in a quiet and eerie voice that lacks emotion. "From here on, you're no longer fighting for money or gain; only fame is what you can win in this class. You are required to fight once every 90 days, but you can fight as often as opponents are available. Please be aware that weapons of any kind are allowed from now on. Also, you lose your right to participate in further matches after 4 losses. If you win ten times, you can challenge a floor master for his title to participate in the next battle, Olympia. Please ask me or any other attendant up here if you want to know more."
"Thanks for the information! However, I'm just registering and not signing up for a fight yet. I'll be back in a couple of days," Alex replies, already aware of how the 200 class operates.
[Secret Quest Discovered:
Mission: Win fights in the 200 class of Heavens Arena
Won fights: 0
Reward: ???]
Nice! As expected, Alex thinks and immediately accepts the quest
As they are about to leave, Alex is caught off guard when he and Menchi are confronted by two suspicious-looking men.
"Really?" Alex says in a surprised voice, laughing about the bluntness of these two "rookie hunters."
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