Chapter 12: An Unexpected Request
The next day, Leo ascended to the sixtieth floor.
His first opponent was a nimble boxer who focused on footwork—lean and swift as the wind.
Instead of ending the match in one blow like the day before, Leo chose to observe.
For the first two minutes, he remained entirely on the defensive.
The boxer's footwork was indeed exquisite—forward and backward slides, sidesteps, feints and shifts, each step perfectly gauged to maintain optimal distance.
Leo's probing attacks were easily dodged, while the opponent's jabs and hooks landed on him, though they felt like mere tickles against his reinforced physique.
Leo observed closely.
The way force was channeled through the feet, the rhythm of weight shifts, the coordination of breath and movement... After two minutes, he had fully grasped the essence of this footwork.
In the third minute, he moved.
The same slides, the same distance control, but faster and more precise.
A flicker of shock crossed the boxer's eyes. Before he could adjust, a hand chop struck the side of his neck.
KO.
The second match followed a similar pattern.
The opponent was a jujitsu specialist skilled in joint locks. Leo deliberately let him lock his arm, sensing the technique and angles of escape.
After a minute and a half, he reversed the joint lock, broke free, and ended the fight with a shoulder throw.
From that day on, Leo's match pattern became fixed.
Against opponents of value, he would start defensively, observe and absorb their techniques and experience, then finish with a single strike.
If an opponent relied purely on brute force or offered nothing worth learning, he would end the match instantly.
Two matches a day, steady progress.
His practical experience grew rapidly.
Boxing footwork, jujitsu locks, karate power generation, even unique techniques from obscure schools... These skills were absorbed and fused, gradually forming his own combat style.
A week later, Leo reached the 180th floor.
During this time, he fought a total of twenty-six matches, all victories.
His accumulated prize money reached 160 million Jenny—Heavens Arena's rewards increased with each floor.
Above the hundredth floor, the arena assigned private rooms to fighters.
Leo's room was on the 185th floor, modest in size but fully equipped: a bedroom, bathroom, small kitchen, and a floor-to-ceiling window overlooking the city.
At that moment, he was sitting cross-legged on the floor, meditating.
Breathing steadily, Nen energy flowed slowly around his body—this was the practice of Ten.
Ring ring ring—
The phone suddenly rang.
Leo opened his eyes and glanced at the caller ID: Goreinu.
He answered...
"Hello, Leo..."
Goreinu's voice came through, carrying obvious exhaustion.
"How are you, Goreinu?"
Leo replied cheerfully.
"From the sound of your voice, things don't seem great."
"You caught that..."
Goreinu chuckled bitterly.
"I've run into some trouble lately. I was wondering if your... recovery is complete?"
Leo raised an eyebrow.
Clearly, Goreinu was facing something serious if he was seeking help from him.
"Yes, I've fully recovered," Leo said.
"What's going on? Need a hand? Just say the word—if I can help, I will."
There was a brief silence on the other end, as if Goreinu was steeling himself.
"Here's the thing," Goreinu began to explain.
"A while ago, while traveling in Toto City, I accidentally got caught up in a gang conflict. To protect myself, I took care of everyone... and ended up saving a woman in the process."
Listening, Leo began to piece things together.
This scenario is too classic—unintentionally getting caught up in gang conflicts, saving a key figure, and then being dragged into an even deeper whirlpool.
He said jokingly.
"I imagine the lady you saved must have a very special identity."
After a moment of silence, Goreinu admitted.
"That's right. That lady is the daughter of another gang's leader."
"That day, her father and some high-ranking members were traveling by car to another city. A rival gang sent a large number of people to ambush them on the only route, killing her father and all the others."
"And she was also targeted. All her bodyguards died. I happened to be in the same store as her... and saved her."
"Afterward, to thank me, she paid me one billion Jenny and hired me as her bodyguard to protect her for a month."
Leo already understood. Goreinu had been hired as a temporary bodyguard and ended up biting off more than he could chew.
"At first, things went smoothly for a while. I fended off several waves of attacks for her."
Goreinu continued.
"After half a month of calm, the other side somehow hired two Nen Users."
"I barely managed to hold them off, injured one of them, but I also took quite a hit. If they come again, I'm afraid I won't be able to resist."
"Coincidentally, Vivian—that lady—saw a promotional livestream for Heavens Arena on TV."
"I saw you, and I guessed your strength must have recovered, so I contacted you."
Goreinu paused, his tone turning serious.
"I want to ask you to come and help me deal with those two Nen Users."
"Vivian is offering a reward of three billion Jenny, which we'll split equally. Of course, if you think it's too dangerous, you can refuse. Think about it."
Leo put down the phone and pondered.
Goreinu's strength in the original story wasn't particularly strong, but it wasn't weak either.
The fact that he managed to injure one of them meant those two Nen Users were somewhat skilled, but they probably weren't too powerful—otherwise, Goreinu wouldn't have just been injured; he would have been killed outright.
The reward was tempting.
Three billion Jenny, split equally, meant one and a half billion each.
In the Hunter world, that was a huge sum, enough to keep him from worrying about money for a long time.
But there were indeed risks. Gang conflicts ran deep and could lead to more trouble.
Moreover, battles between Nen Users were highly unpredictable. Without knowing the opponents' abilities, it was hard to say who would win.
There was one more thing... Leo looked at the back of his right hand, where the dark red tattoo glowed faintly under the light.
"Proof of Humanity" required killing living beings to obtain Aura.
For over half a year, he had only killed beasts and insects, never a human.
Not because he couldn't, but because he didn't want to—he didn't want to become a ruthless killer.
But gangsters... these people had blood on their hands. Killing them would carry much less psychological burden.
And the Aura provided by Nen Users would surely far exceed that of ordinary beasts.
Of course, if the situation became critical and his life was in danger, he wouldn't hesitate to retreat.
One and a half billion Jenny wasn't worth risking his life for.
After weighing the pros and cons, Leo picked up the phone.
"No problem. I'll take a flight over first thing tomorrow morning."
Goreinu's voice immediately filled with joy.
"That's great! Leo, thank you for your help! Vivian will send someone to pick you up at the airport."
"Mhm." Leo responded and hung up the phone.
He immediately dialed the Heavens Arena service hotline, asking them to help book the earliest flight to Tote City for tomorrow.
As a 180th-floor fighter, he enjoyed certain privileges, and the staff quickly handled such a minor task.
The flight information was sent to his phone: departure at 8 a.m. tomorrow, expected arrival in Tote City the day after.
Leo began packing his luggage.
He didn't need to bring much: a few changes of clothes, money, and his phone.
He checked his account balance: 162 million Jenny.
In the ordinary world, this would already be considered wealthy, but in the world of Nen users, it might only be enough to buy a decent piece of equipment or some high-value information.
If he could secure those 1.5 billion... many plans could be moved forward.
That night, Leo didn't continue meditating but went to bed early.
He needed to conserve his energy to prepare for the unknown challenges of tomorrow.
Outside the window, Heavens Arena remained brightly lit, with matches still ongoing on every floor.
But Leo knew that his training here would have to be put on hold for now.