The horizon turned a pale white as the faint light of dawn emerged.
Leo stood on the roof of an abandoned building opposite the unfinished structure, looking down at the scene below with an expressionless face.
The entrance to the Purifier Organization stronghold was brightly lit, with logistics personnel and medical teams in uniform moving in and out; survivors were carried on stretchers, and body bags were carefully transported out.
Overnight, this area had transformed from Hell back into the human world—though it remained scarred.
Footsteps approached from behind, steady and rhythmic.
Micael Istom walked up to Leo's side and stood shoulder-to-shoulder with him.
"Sometimes I wonder."
Micael Istom spoke suddenly, his voice sounding deep in the morning breeze.
"If it is in the name of 'clearing out all hotbeds of sin,' does that justify using any means necessary? Does it... mean we can be like them, treating human lives as experimental data, unbound by morality?"
Leo remained silent, offering no answer.
He knew Micael Istom did not need an answer; he was merely asking himself.
Micael Istom gazed at the brightening skyline in the distance and gave a self-deprecating smile.
"Having spent these years chasing criminals and seeing too much of the deepest darkness in human nature... I finally understand that it is precisely because I know how profound that darkness can be that I better understand the meaning of protecting the light."
He paused and turned to Leo.
"Last night in the underground laboratory, I felt anger, frustration, and even... for a moment, I wanted to execute Iron Wall on the spot."
"But this 'discomfort' will constantly remind me why I fight—not to vent my rage, but so that more people won't have to experience that kind of despair."
Leo lowered his head, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.
Micael Istom's words were idealistic to the point of naivety, but precisely for that reason, they seemed all the more precious in this world filled with schemes and violence.
He took a deep breath of the cold morning air and let it out slowly.
"Then continue forward with that resolve. We cannot save everyone, but we can stand up for everyone who needs help. That is enough."
Micael Istom looked at Leo with some surprise.
He had assumed this powerful and decisive young man would believe more in the Law of the Jungle, but he hadn't expected...
"Thank you."
Micael Istom patted Leo's shoulder; the pressure wasn't heavy, but it carried a sense of approval.
"What are your plans for what comes next?"
Leo looked up toward the general direction of Heavens Arena.
"Returning to Heavens Arena to complete the journey I haven't finished. My Cultivate has not yet ended."
Micael Istom nodded and pulled a plain white business card from his suit's inner pocket, which identified him as a lawyer for a private security company.
"If you have any problems you can't solve, you can come to me."
Leo took it, glanced at it, and put it in his pocket.
"Hmm." He didn't say "thank you," but Micael Istom understood that this "hmm" already contained a promise and acknowledgment.
"I'll leave this place to you."
Leo turned around and waved, his back to the morning light.
"I'm leaving."
Micael Istom watched that silhouette walk down the stairs and disappear into the shadows of the building, then he withdrew his gaze and looked back at the busy rescue scene below.
His expression returned to his usual seriousness as he strode toward the stairs—there was still much cleanup work that required his personal supervision.
Colton Family Manor, 10:00 AM.
Gorenou received Leo in the drawing room.
The thick-browed, burly man looked much better; most of the bandages had been removed, leaving only dressings on a few deeper wounds.
"The Purifier Organization's stronghold in Tote City has been destroyed, and the Colton Family is safe."
Leo got straight to the point.
Gorenou nodded, revealing a relieved smile.
"The Waldeck Family is also completely finished. Last night, while they had lost their elite forces, I led my men and raided their headquarters directly. Now the Colton Family has annexed all their territory and assets—from now on, there will only be one voice in Tote City: the Colton Family."
He took a catalog from the coffee table drawer and pushed it toward Leo.
"Vivian instructed me that if there is anything you like, you can take it as a token of gratitude. There are quite a few good things in the Waldeck Family's collection vault."
Leo did not stand on ceremony. He took the catalog and flipped through it quickly.
He skipped the first few pages, which contained assets like real estate and corporate shares.
The middle section contained art and antiques; he scanned them, then his finger stopped.
The catalog listed a dozen items, including antique weapons, strange Ore, gemstones, and artifacts of unknown origin.
Leo's gaze landed on a gemstone with a brief description.
[Item Number: T-07] Name: red storm
Source: Purchased by the Waldeck Family at a black market auction the year before last.
Description: Contains a pattern inside that looks like a storm. Extremely high hardness, cannot be cut. No radioactivity, no energy reaction.
Leo's eyebrows raised slightly.
"This one," he said, pointing to the entry for T-07.
"I do need this. If possible, I will take it."
Gorenou leaned in to take a look: "No problem. Anything on there is yours to take."
He turned his head and instructed the butler standing to the side, "Go to the warehouse, get item T-07, package it, and bring it over."
The butler bowed and retreated.
Gorenou looked back at Leo.
"The reward of 1.5 billion jenny has been transferred to the account you provided. Also..." He paused.
"Vivian also said that if you are interested, she would like to hire you as the captain of the Colton Family's guard. The annual salary is negotiable, and you can call upon any resources you need."
Leo shook his head without even thinking.
"Decline her on my behalf. I do not want to be bound by any faction."
He added.
"However, if she has any trouble she can't solve in the future, she can call me. I can help for the sake of money, as long as she can pay the price."
Gorenou laughed.
"You really are... direct."
"Being direct is better; it avoids misunderstandings."
Leo closed the catalog and put it back on the coffee table.
"By the way, Brother Gorenou, what are your plans? Staying here?"
Gorenou shook his head, his gaze turning to the window.
"Once my wounds are healed, I will leave too. My journey is not yet finished. I was just passing through Tote City, never expected to get dragged into so many things..."
He withdrew his gaze and looked at Leo.
"What about you? After returning to Heavens Arena, will you continue fighting up to the two-hundredth floor?"
"Hmm." Leo nodded.
"The two-hundredth floor is just the beginning. I need more real combat, and I also need... to witness stronger opponents."
The two chatted a bit more about their recent situations.
Ten minutes later, the butler returned holding a black metal box and respectfully handed it to Leo.
The box was not large, but it felt heavy in his hand.
Leo opened the lid to take a look, closed it, said "thanks," and put the box into his backpack.
With the item in hand and everything said, Leo stood up.
"Then this is farewell, Brother Gorenou. Hope to see you again."
Gorenou stood up as well, a sincere smile appearing on his rugged face.
"Hmm, goodbye. Take care on the road."
Without further pleasantries, Leo turned and left the drawing room.
Gorenou stood at the window, watching the figure with a simple pack cross the manor's lawn and disappear beyond the iron gate.
Tote City Airport, 2:00 PM.
Leo boarded the flight to the Bartochia Republic.
As the airship took off, he took one last look at the city's silhouette through the porthole.
In less than two weeks, he had experienced life-and-death battles, made new friends, received a huge reward, and also planted the seeds of continued conflict with The Purifiers.
The efficiency was high, but... not fast enough.
He needed to get stronger faster. In this world, strength is the foundation of everything.
Two days later, Heavens Arena.
Leo walked into the familiar towering structure, and the roar of noise from the massive atrium washed over him.
The air was filled with a mix of sweat, hot blood, and ambition; all of this actually made him feel a strange sense of peace—everything here was direct: fight, win, get stronger.
As he was about to head toward the elevator area, the giant screen hanging in front suddenly switched scenes.
It was a live broadcast of an exciting match.
In the shot, a blue-haired woman spun in the air, her long legs whipping out like a lash, precisely striking her opponent's chin.
The opponent collapsed with a crash, and the referee raised the woman's hand.
The commentator's passionate voice resonated throughout the atrium.
"Ms. Sophia ends the match with a perfect roundhouse kick! Congratulations to her for successfully securing a victory on the 180th floor! This is her second battle on the 180th floor, and her first victory! Let us look forward to her charging toward higher floors!"
Sophia. Leo remembered this woman he had met once—calm, efficient, and possessing decent strength.
In the screen, she was covered in wounds, but her gaze remained sharp.
"Didn't expect to see her again after so long."
Leo thought to himself.
"Looks like the road she took to win was difficult."
This was normal. The higher one goes in Heavens Arena, the harder it is to fight; every ten floors is a threshold.
People who can fight all the way to the 200th floor with a perfect record are rare; most people struggle and climb through repeated victories and defeats.
Leo stopped lingering and walked toward the elevator. He pressed for the 185th floor.
The elevator rose steadily, returning to his room.
Leo placed his backpack on the table and first checked his account balance—the 1.5 billion jenny had been received, and with what he already had, he now had nearly 1.7 billion in funds. He wouldn't have to worry about money in the short term.
He planned to sign up for a match tomorrow.
Leo took a shower, changed into clean clothes, then sat cross-legged in the center of the room, entering a meditative state.
Nen circulated around his body, and the "Ten" state was natural and stable.
He gathered Qi in his eyes, then quickly moved the Qi to his legs, then gathered it back in his eyes, repeating this over and over.
This was the training of "Gyo" and "Flow," exercising the fluidity of Qi; although not slow, it was not fast enough.
The duration of "Ken" also needed to be improved. The last test was nineteen minutes, still a gap from the 30-minute passing line.
And there was "Hatsu"—as an Enhancer, he still hadn't developed a signature ability.
It wasn't that he couldn't, but that he didn't want to make a hasty decision.
Once a Nen Ability is established, changing it would require paying a huge price.
"Wait until I reach the 200th floor and enter the Domain of Nen Users before considering ability development; it won't be too late."
Leo thought.
"For now, lay a good foundation."
Night fell, and the lights of Heavens Arena lit up floor by floor outside the window, like a giant pillar of light piercing the night sky.
Leo finished his meditation and lay down on the bed. Before closing his eyes, he took one last look at the tattoo on the back of his hand.
Level 27. The distance—to level 30—was three levels away.
And the battles on the 200th floor and above in Heavens Arena would be the best place for him to quickly accumulate experience.
Tomorrow, the battle continues.