At 10:00 AM on January 28th, the massive arena on the 200th floor of Heavens Arena was packed to capacity.
Countless spectators who had paid exorbitant prices for tickets were waving their hands and shouting cheers for the fighters they supported, many of whom were also participating in the off-site betting games.
Combat between 200th-floor fighters wasn't something that happened almost daily like in the floors below. Missing a few matches down there didn't matter much.
However, due to the rarity and unique nature of Nen abilities, every fighter here was given ninety days to prepare. This meant they typically stepped into the ring only once every three months.
If special circumstances prevented a timely return, the gap could be even longer.
Consequently, matches on the 200th floor usually occurred only two or three times a month, unless someone possessed absolute confidence in their strength and issued challenges to multiple fighters consecutively, scheduling the bouts very close together.
For avid combat enthusiasts, missing even a single match, let alone a single moment, was a regret that would last a lifetime.
Feeling the restlessness and frenzy permeating the air, as well as the overwhelming passion of the audience, Allen proactively addressed his opponent standing in the ring: "So, are you ready to say goodbye to your Nen?"
"Keep dreaming! We won't let you get away with this! Today, I'll show you the true resolve of a 200th-floor fighter!" Sadaso retorted without backing down.
"Resolve? Heh, do you guys really have something like that? If you truly had such resolve, why would you specifically target newcomers and beginners?" Allen sneered, tearing away the other party's hypocritical mask.
As the saying goes: The strong draw their blades against the stronger, while the weak draw their blades against the weaker.
If a Nen user didn't even have the courage to challenge an opponent stronger than themselves, how powerful could their Nen possibly be?
"Shut up!" Sadaso was clearly stung where it hurt. He immediately turned his head and snapped at the referee, "Hey! How long do you plan on standing there like an idiot? Start the match already!"
"Th-The match will be decided by points or knockout. No time limit. Begin!"
The referee was visibly startled but still recited his lines according to Heavens Arena protocol.
As the final word left his lips, a uniquely styled two-handed sword suddenly appeared in Allen's hands.
The hilt was a dark red, like blood, while the blade was an ashen white, etched with patterns of the same dark crimson.
At the junction of the hilt and blade sat a blue gemstone resembling an eye, continuously radiating a faint chill.
Judging by appearance alone, this sword was absolutely no ordinary item.
To be precise, its name was the Runeblade of Baron Rivendare, also known as the "DK Sword." It was an Epic weapon dropped by the final boss of the Stratholme Undead dungeon, Baron Rivendare. Its greatest feature was its ability to increase movement speed and health regeneration.
Like the Baron's mount (the Deathcharger), it was something countless players had craved and gone mad over.
A weapon? A Conjurer!
Sadaso instantly made what he believed to be an accurate judgment. Simultaneously, he swiftly released his Transmutation ability, "Invisible Left Arm," attempting to grab Allen directly and incapacitate him on the spot.
Regrettably, just as he thought he was about to succeed, Allen dodged effortlessly, as if he had sensed it beforehand.
[Condition Met: Witness the completion of the enemy's ability.]
"Transmuting your Aura into a hand indistinguishable to the naked eye? A decent ability. But unfortunately, you, the user, are too weak to bring out its maximum potential." Allen critiqued as he used Gyo to observe the large hand chasing him.
This ability reminded him of the "Bigby's Hand" spell series from Dungeons & Dragons.
If the user's Aura were strong enough, they could instantly restrain a person and crush them into meat paste.
Coupled with the fact that it was invisible to the naked eye and required Gyo to be seen, it was perfect for sneak attacks.
Used with the right timing, it could absolutely give an enemy a huge surprise.
"Bastard! Who do you think you are? What right do you have to critique my ability! Die! Sanctioning Fist!"
Sadaso suddenly morphed his aura-hand into a fist and smashed it down viciously.
Boom!
After a loud bang, a small crater about five meters in diameter appeared on the ring.
Allen, standing precisely at the edge of the crater, remained unharmed.
As a Transmuter, Sadaso clearly couldn't create a massive crater or cause widespread damage through sheer destructive force like an Enhancer could.
So while the fist looked intimidating, its actual power was quite limited; as long as one avoided a direct hit, they wouldn't take any damage.
"Too slow! If I were you, I wouldn't keep that hand in existence constantly. Instead, I'd make it vanish immediately after each attack and reappear only for the next strike. If I'm not mistaken, you gained your Nen ability after undergoing an 'initiation', didn't you? I'm curious, what kind of face lies beneath that mask?"
[Condition Met: Provide a better, more powerful development direction for the ability to the user's face.]
The moment his voice fell…
Allen vanished from his spot with a swish.
The next second...
He appeared less than half a meter from his opponent, swinging the Runeblade of Baron Rivendare down.
Crack!
Sadaso's mask shattered into two halves, revealing a face that was hideously scarred by burns and scalds.
There was no need to ask; these were undoubtedly marks left from battles with other Nen users.
It was precisely these scars and the pain associated with them that had awakened his Nen and allowed him to develop his current ability—"Invisible Left Arm."
"Ahhhhh!!!!!! M-My mask! My mask!"
Sadaso suddenly went mad, scrambling to pick up the two halves of the mask from the floor, desperately trying to stick them back together.
But his efforts were futile. No matter how many times he put them back, the broken pieces fell off.
Finally, his mind completely snapped. Radiating intense malice and hatred from every pore, he gritted his teeth and said, "Brat! You've successfully enraged me! Now, I will bet everything, including my life! Right here! I WILL KILL YOU!!!!!!!"
As he screamed the last words, Sadaso's Aura suddenly surged, increasing more than tenfold. The invisible left arm also transformed from a blur into something clearer, stronger, and more powerful, evidently receiving a massive enhancement.
"A Vow and Limitation?" Allen showed a hint of surprise, but quickly responded with a smile, "Well done! Now this version of you is worth hunting! Come on, show me what you've got."
"Death Grip!"
Sadaso violently swung his left hand in a grabbing motion.
Instantly…
The Nen hand, which had been over ten meters away, appeared out of thin air right beneath Allen's feet and clenched shut with lightning speed.
Clearly, he had listened to Allen's earlier advice and used a Vow and Limitation to grant "Invisible Left Arm" the ability to teleport.
But faced with Allen's formidable Agility attribute, plus the percentage-based movement speed increase from the Runeblade, Allen had already leaped away before the hand could close. In the blink of an eye, he dashed in front of his opponent and thrust toward his heart.
[Nen Ability: Enhancement]
[Imbue Attribute to Greatsword: Sharpness]
Pfft!
There were no surprises.
Bolstered by Enhancement Nen, the Runeblade easily pierced through Sadaso's Ten, passing straight through his chest. Blindingly bright fresh blood sprayed out the moment the sword was withdrawn.
[Condition Met: Personally inflict a fatal injury that does not cause immediate death.]
[All conditions achieved.]
[Activate Nen Ability: Life Plunder!]
"Red Dragon. Devour him."
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You can read the ahead chapter on Patr if you're interested: p-atre-on.c-om/Overgod [Just remove the hyphen to access normally]