Four days later, Ejin Continent, Jackbra City.
Beneath the grey skyline of this industrial city lay a hidden underground world.
Deep within an abandoned factory in the old district, a secret door led thirty meters underground—once a wartime air-raid shelter, it had now been converted into an underground fighting arena.
The air was thick and the lights were dim, the stands packed with people.
There were well-dressed wealthy businessmen, tattooed gang members, and gamblers clutching their stakes.
Everyone was roaring, shouting, and waving their betting slips.
In the center of the ring, a scarred brute stood with his foot on his opponent's chest, arms raised high, soaking in the cheers of the crowd.
Nathaniel, nicknamed "Bone Crusher."
Grinning sinisterly, he leaned down, grabbed his fallen opponent's arm with both hands, and gave it a forceful twist.
With a sharp "crack," the sound of breaking bone reached everyone's ears clearly.
The opponent couldn't even manage a scream before passing out from the pain, sending the crowd into a frenzy.
"Seven wins in a row! Seven wins for Bone Crusher!"
The announcer shouted at the top of his lungs.
Nathaniel grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth.
He loved this sound—the sound of shattering bones, the sound of people's fear.
Just then, the light in the center of the ring suddenly dimmed.
A figure descended from above, landing steadily on the ring.
Nathaniel's smile froze.
It was a young man dressed in white, hands in his pockets, his expression as calm as if he were walking into his own living room.
The clamor in the stands came to an abrupt halt as everyone stared at the uninvited guest.
Leo looked up at the brute before him.
"B-minus Rank wanted criminal Nathaniel, nicknamed Bone Crusher. That's you, isn't it?"
Nathaniel blinked, then grinned ferociously.
"So, a bounty Hunter has come for me."
He cracked his neck, the joints popping loudly.
Nen erupted from his body, causing fine cracks to appear on the floor of the ring beneath his feet.
"Another fool who doesn't know the meaning of death!"
He let out a roar and lunged off the ground, charging at Leo like a cannonball!
His right fist, brimming with Nen, whistled through the air as it aimed straight for Leo's face!
The punch was powerful enough to punch through steel.
Leo raised his right hand and extended a single finger, lightly tapping the incoming fist.
"Thud—"
A dull impact echoed.
Nathaniel's fist stopped dead, unable to move forward an inch.
The entire arena fell into a deathly silence...
Nathaniel's face turned pale instantly. His full-strength strike had been stopped by a single finger?
He jerked his head up, meeting Leo's calm eyes.
There was no killing intent, no anger, not even seriousness in those eyes—only a detached indifference, as if looking at a corpse.
Nathaniel's back was instantly drenched in cold sweat, and he turned to flee.
A hand clamped onto the back of his neck; the grip wasn't forceful, yet it felt like an iron vice.
Nathaniel tried to struggle, tried to release his Nen, but the strength in that hand tightened instantly.
He didn't even have time to scream.
"Snap."
A crisp sound of bone breaking.
Nathaniel's body slumped to the ground, lifeless.
A warm sensation emanated from the tattoo on the back of his hand.
[Life Energy +6%] [Rank: Level 75 (2%) → Level 75 (8%)]
Leo let go, pulled out his phone, and took several photos of the corpse.
Then he opened the Hunter Association website, filled in the information, uploaded the photos, and confirmed the submission.
The entire process was smooth and efficient, as if he were simply performing a routine task.
In the stands, there was a pin-drop silence.
Everyone stared wide-eyed at the corpse in the center of the ring and then at the young man operating his phone; no one dared to move or speak.
Leo put away his phone and turned to leave.
Behind him, not a single person dared to stand in his way.
Stepping out of the air-raid shelter, the sunlight outside was somewhat blinding.
Leo squinted and checked the notification on his phone—87 million jenny had been deposited, along with 15 Merit Points.
"The first one."
He put his phone away and set off toward his next target.
Five days later, southern Ejin Continent, Pires City.
Eight corpses lay scattered in front of a jewelry store.
They wore various clothes; some still clutched stolen gold chains, while others had pockets stuffed with cash.
B-Rank wanted criminal gang: The Grizzly Group.
A robbery gang composed of eight retired soldiers, two of whom were Nen Users, though their skills were mediocre.
All eight had criminal records—burglary, armed robbery, and intentional homicide.
Five burglaries, three robberies, and thirty civilians dead at their hands.
Total bounty: 130 million jenny. Merit Points: 21.
[Rank: Level 75 (8%) → Level 75 (17%)]
Leo stood among the corpses, phone in hand, taking photos one by one.
Front view, side view, facial close-ups, and the criminal identification numbers—every shot was crystal clear.
Upload, confirm, submit.
130 million deposited.
He put away his phone and turned to leave.
On the street, pedestrians gave him a wide berth; no one dared to approach or even steal a second glance.
Leo didn't care; he was just doing what needed to be done.
On the way to the airport, his phone rang.
Leo took it out and saw it was Goreinu.
"Leo!"
Goreinu's hearty, energetic laughter came from the other end of the line.
"I've recovered and been discharged from the hospital!"
The corners of Leo's mouth curled up slightly.
"Is that so? That's great."
"Haha! Where are you? Is it convenient for me to come find you? I haven't had the chance to thank you for saving my life yet!"
Goreinu's voice was full of vigor.
Leo thought for a moment.
"Of course it's convenient. Let's meet at Heavens Arena."
He paused, a thought surfacing in his mind.
"I'll call Sophia and the others, as well as some friends. We can all get together and have a lively gathering. How about it?"
"No problem!"
Goreinu agreed immediately.
"I'd love to meet them. Nico and I will head over!"
The two chatted for a few more minutes before hanging up.
Leo opened his contact list and dialed Sophia's number.
"Master!"
Sophia's voice was crisp and clear.
"Bring Ashir and Shizuku, and head back to Heavens Arena."
"Okay!"
Leo checked his contacts again and found Menchi's number.
The phone rang a few times before being picked up.
"Yo, isn't this Leo?"
Menchi's voice carried a hint of surprise.
"What made such a busy man think of calling me?"
Leo smiled.
"Sister Menchi, are you free these next few days?"
"I'm free, but why do you ask?"
"I'd like to invite you to Heavens Arena to help cook a meal. There will be quite a few people, so I'm not sure if you'd be up for it."
Menchi was stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing.
"Asking me to cook? You know my appearance fee is very expensive, right?"
"Name your price."
Menchi's laughter grew even louder.
"Fine, but let's get this straight: you provide the ingredients, and I'll just do the cooking."
"No problem."
"Then it's a deal. See you then."
He hung up and dialed Kastro.
"Master Leo."
Kastro's voice was steady.
"I'll be back tomorrow,"
Leo said.
"Find a large venue; I'm planning to host a gathering. Invite Wing, Chiharu, as well as Gon, Killua, and the others."
"Also, contact the Heavens Arena organizers and have them help purchase some high-quality ingredients. Use my name and put it on my tab."
Kastro didn't ask any questions.
"Leave it to me."
With everything settled, Leo put away his phone and quickened his pace.
The sun was shining brightly as he bought a ticket for the next flight back to Heavens Arena and walked into the departure lounge.
Leaning back in his seat, he gazed at the sky outside the window.
These past few days had been fruitful: 87 million from Nathaniel and 130 million from the Grizzly Group, totaling over 200 million. His Rank progress had also advanced a bit.
Leo mused that he needed to speed up his progress and earn more money along the way, but that was for later.
For now—he would go back and have a gathering first.
The corners of his mouth turned up slightly; it had been a long time since things had been this lively.
The Airship took off, soaring through the clouds. Heavens Arena was drawing closer and closer.