Chapter 39: Chapter 39: The Genius

Without leaving Heavens Arena, Kaizen noticed how quickly his essence absorption technique progressed.

“At this rate, it’ll take almost two months.”

“Twice as long as it took at the Zoldyck estate…”

He frowned. “But we’ll hit the same wall—if we stay in one place for too long, the rate of aura absorption will slow down.”

Changing locations was essential to avoid stagnation.

Kaizen looked up toward the upper floors. “Below the 200th floor, that won’t be a problem.”

“I’ll climb quickly… but things change past the 200th floor.”

The 200th floor was where the true tests began—a domain ruled by Nen users. Although Kaizen had a grasp of what awaited him there, it was still largely uncharted territory for him.

“Most of the fighters up there are just rookies hunting newcomers…” Kaizen mused. “But others could be as strong as Hisoka or Chrollo.”

Anyone who became a Floor Master was no pushover. On those higher levels, Heavens Arena held its Battle Olympia every four years. The tournament pitted Floor Masters against each other until only one remained—the strongest of them all.

(T/N: The Battle Olympia takes place on the 251st floor of the Heavens Arena, which also houses the penthouse for the winner of the tournament. It is an event only open to Floor Masters to participate in.)

The winner earned the right to challenge the reigning champion. If the challenger won, they claimed the title. If not, the champion stayed on the throne.

“To rise above dozens of Floor Masters and take the title… yeah, none of them are weak.”

That night, Kaizen lay in bed, eyes closed but mind racing with thoughts of the coming battles.

Far from his room, inside a skyscraper near Heavens Arena, Zeno Zoldyck stood by a large window, hands clasped behind his back.

“So, the kid made it to the 100th floor this quickly… not bad.”

Zeno’s gaze was calm but thoughtful. “But if Kaizen stays in Heavens Arena too long, the assassins from the black-market forums won’t have many chances to act.”

Zeno rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “I’ll have to think of another way… perhaps set up a trial for him.”

Heavens Arena was a controlled environment, where fighters could only use Nen and combat skills—no poisons, traps, or underhanded tricks. Real assassins, however, faced much deadlier challenges:

Unpredictable environments.

Unknown numbers of enemies.

Illegal weapons.

Poisons and ambushes.

Kaizen had undergone rigorous training during his time at the Zoldyck estate, but no simulation could replace real combat experience. Zeno wanted to provide that experience—whether Kaizen liked it or not.

Just then, Zeno’s phone buzzed with a notification.

Ding dong!

Zeno glanced at the screen.

“The contract’s been accepted?” he murmured. “An assassination inside Heavens Arena? Someone’s bold.”

Heavens Arena had strict policies against assassination attempts. If a fighter was killed offstage, the Arena often enlisted the strongest combatants on the upper floors to investigate.

But Kaizen’s rapid ascent had drawn attention, and the black market had already taken note of the new prodigy. Zeno opened the message, scanning the details.

“So that’s the plan…” A sly smile formed on his face.

The killer was a competitor within Heavens Arena, currently fighting on the 130th floor. If the assassin played their cards right, they could challenge Kaizen in the arena—and kill him during the match without raising suspicion.

On the 130th floor, two fighters sat across from each other. They looked identical, their faces stern and focused.

Claude and Clay were twin brothers—ruthless and skilled fighters, notorious on the middle floors of Heavens Arena.

“Kaizen reached the 120th floor in two days,” Claude remarked, fidgeting with his gloves. “His pace is slowing, but he’s still winning with ease.”

Clay nodded. “Doesn’t matter. His next opponent’s no pushover—Wilder is one of the rising stars.”

“Yeah,” Claude added. “The karate dojo’s genius has the strength of a fighter from the 150th floor. Even we wouldn’t want to go up against him.”

Clay grinned slyly. “Kaizen’s win streak is over. Today, we’ll see Wilder crush him in the ring. When that happens, we’ll study his strategy, then use it to finish Kaizen ourselves.”

Claude smirked. “Take the prize money, pocket the assassin’s fee. Not a bad deal, right?”

They both chuckled darkly, confident that Kaizen’s luck was about to run out.

The day of the fight arrived. Kaizen sat cross-legged in his room, focused on refining his Nen techniques. The TV mounted on the wall streamed the Arena’s matches. Though the fights weren’t free to watch, Kaizen had paid the fee without a second thought.

Two days after reaching the 100th floor, he had climbed to the 120th. But the higher he went, the tougher the opponents became. Kaizen knew he could afford to take his time—there was no rush.

When the match began, the referee’s voice boomed through the arena:

“Begin!”

In the audience, Claude and Clay leaned forward eagerly.

“Wilder’s no joke,” Claude muttered. “This is going to be good.”

“Yeah,” Clay agreed. “We’ll finally see Kaizen get taken down.”

Wilder, the karate prodigy, stood tall and poised in the ring. His presence radiated strength and confidence—this was someone used to dominating his opponents.

But before Wilder could even launch his first strike, Kaizen moved.

In the blink of an eye, Kaizen was in front of him. His movements were lightning-fast, a blur of precision and power.

Bam!

Kaizen’s first palm strike hit Wilder square in the chest. The second blow followed instantly, slamming into his abdomen.

Wilder staggered, his stance faltering as he tried to react. But it was already too late.

Boom!

The impact echoed through the arena as Wilder’s body flew backward, crashing into the far wall.

In the stands, Claude and Clay froze, their smug expressions replaced by disbelief.

“This… this can’t be happening,” Claude whispered.

Clay’s hands trembled. “Wilder lost… with just one hit?”

They stared at Kaizen, an unsettling fear creeping into their hearts.

“We can’t do this,” Claude muttered. “No way. We have to cancel the contract.”

“Yeah,” Clay agreed, his voice shaky. “This kid’s a monster.”

The two brothers exchanged uneasy glances. Kaizen’s strength was far beyond anything they had anticipated—if Wilder couldn’t last even a second against him, what chance did they have?

Claude swallowed hard. “We’re not taking that mission.”

“No,” Clay agreed. “We’d just be signing our own death warrants.”

Kaizen stood in the center of the ring, calm and collected. The audience roared around him, but he paid them no mind.

He had no interest in fame or glory—only in climbing higher and honing his skills.

And nothing was going to stand in his way.

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