Two months later.
Designating one dropped trait daily.
Over 60 designated traits in two months.
Plus those copied by chance (10%) or plundered by killing (100%).
A huge pile of traits accumulated.
Ryker's stats had skyrocketed. Especially... Conjuration!
[Conjuration Talent] (Purple)!
[Emission Talent] (Double Purple)!
And various other tricks scavenged like junk.
For ordinary people, these would be top-tier talents. Just a Blue Nen talent was enough to dominate Floor 200.
But for Ryker, this was just stat padding.
He crushed the useless Green traits into XP.
He kept the useful Blue ones.
Sadly, no Luck traits appeared. Luck was truly the rarest stat.
But it was a bountiful harvest.
However, as he climbed higher, Ryker found a problem.
The higher the floor, the fewer active fighters.
Floor Masters occupied the slots but rarely fought. Some disappeared for a year, letting their rank drop.
So annoying.
They were confident they could climb back up anytime.
But Ryker couldn't wait forever.
The Yorknew Auction was in three months.
The Phantom Troupe dungeon was a fixed event with guaranteed boss spawns. Farming them would be amazing.
Wasting time here was headache-inducing.
Plus, he planned to visit Meteor City (hence bringing Canary).
Time at Heaven's Arena was running out.
Today.
"Brother Ryker! Brother Ryker! Come watch the match! It's a super hype event!!"
Gon ran over excitedly. Killua followed.
Ryker knew what was happening, but he played along.
"What's the big deal today?" Ryker feigned curiosity.
"You don't know? It's the biggest match! The 9-0 Cold-Faced Reaper Ulquiorra VS the 9-0 Veteran Martial Artist Kastro, who is infinitely close to becoming a Floor Master!"
"The stadium is packed! But we have VIP seats for Floor 200 fighters! We must watch!"
Gon was thrilled. Killua's eyes sparkled too.
Ryker's clones had made a huge name for themselves. Over two months, they hadn't lost a single match (except when Ryker made them surrender to avoid cooldowns).
"Let's go, Brother Ryker! Maybe we can see the true strength of top-tier fighters from them," Killua said expectantly.
"Let's go see," Ryker smiled internally.
Go see my own performance.
Kastro was one of the few "mini-bosses" Ryker wanted to farm.
He even manipulated his win/loss record to ensure Ulquiorra matched with Kastro.
Kastro was a top-tier expert here.
Actually, Kastro's real goal was Hisoka. To avenge his previous defeat.
The stadium was a sea of people.
Heaven's Arena made a killing on ticket sales.
"Welcome, everyone! The match begins in one hour. The venue is completely full!"
"On one side, the 9-0 Ulquiorra! The Cold-Faced Reaper! He climbed from Floor 1 to 200, only losing 3 matches by forfeit. But 9 opponents died under his sword! A monster with the highest mortality rate!"
"On the other side, the veteran Kastro! 9 wins, 1 loss on Floor 200! Everyone remembers his fight with Hisoka!"
A beautiful announcer hyped up the crowd.
Tickets were 10x the normal price, yet sold out.
The screen showed an interview with Kastro.
Long blonde hair, handsome face, strong. Very popular.
"Mr. Kastro, are you ready for victory? Your opponent isn't Hisoka, but the super rookie Ulquiorra!"
"Besides Hisoka, no one is my match. I've watched his fights. He's strong, but he has no chance against me."
Kastro spoke confidently.
"Are you sure of victory?"
"Of course. I wouldn't be here otherwise."
Since losing to Hisoka, Kastro trained hard and awakened his own Nen ability.
He believed he had transcended ordinary fighters.
He was a different man now. Even 10 past Kastros couldn't beat the current him.
He had no reason to lose to Hisoka again.
Ulquiorra? Just a stepping stone.
"Let's welcome the popular Floor Master contender Kastro!! And the Hell Reaper Ulquiorra—"
The busty announcer pushed the atmosphere to a climax.
Kastro and Ulquiorra entered the ring.
"They look so strong. Ulquiorra ends fights in one move. No one knows his limits."
"Yeah! That hole in his neck... surviving that injury means terrifying willpower."
"But Kastro is a veteran. He's here for revenge. He's much stronger than before."
"Kastro also wins in one hit."
"So tense!"
The audience buzzed. Kastro was the favorite. He was handsome and established.
VIP Box.
Ryker, Gon, and Killua sat together.
"Brother Ryker! Who will win? They both look amazing," Gon asked.
"What do you think?" Ryker smiled.
"I feel Ulquiorra! He seems emotionless. From Floor 1, he's been a one-hit killer," Gon said seriously.
"No, he'll lose," Killua shook his head. "I met Kastro in the hallway. His Nen is highly developed, and his speed is insane. Even I couldn't react."
"Ulquiorra is strong, but against Kastro... maybe not enough. Plus, Kastro has a secret move for Hisoka."
"Ah?! That powerful?" Gon was surprised. He trusted Killua's judgment.
"Sometimes surface appearances are deceiving. Let's watch the match," Ryker said calmly.
In the Ring.
Kastro and Ulquiorra stood facing each other.
"Honestly, I don't want to fight you. Sometimes I can't control my strength. A talented rookie like you has room to grow. You can choose to forfeit. Getting hurt might ruin your future."
Kastro spoke gentlemanly.
His only goal was Hisoka.
Ulquiorra gave him a bad vibe. Cold, machine-like.
Fighting such a guy might be troublesome and drain his stamina, or force him to reveal his secret move.
If Hisoka saw the secret move early, his revenge plan might fail.
Winning without fighting was best. It showed class.
"Wow! Kastro is so cool! Even his words are handsome!"
"Yeah, the rookie should forfeit. Don't get traumatized."
"Can't forfeit! Refund!! Refund!!"
The crowd boiled. They paid high prices. Forfeiting was unacceptable.
Floor 200 VIP Section.
Hisoka sat in a corner, unnoticed. Smiling, eyes narrowed.
Beating Kastro before was inevitable. His Tiger Bite Fist was decent.
Hisoka was curious how much Kastro had improved for revenge.
Pity.
Last time, he didn't even have Nen. Truly... an ant trying to shake a tree.
Hisoka was more interested in Ulquiorra.
A delicious fruit he had reserved. Just waiting for the right time to eat it.
Tremble with excitement.
In the Ring.
"..."
Ulquiorra remained silent.
Ryker (controlling Ulquiorra) was speechless at Kastro.
No wonder this guy lost to Hisoka.
Even when he had a chance to win, he lost because his mental state shattered. Weakling.
Not confident in his own ability, yet loves to yap.
"I'll give you one chance. Use your strongest move. Or you won't have another chance."
Ulquiorra Ryker spoke expressionlessly.
His eyes were indifferent.
Like looking down at an insignificant ant!
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