"I'm sorry! Wing-sensei! I truly couldn't help myself!"
The moment Killua rendezvoused with Gon, who had also finished his match, they saw Zushi standing in the corridor, bowed low and apologizing repeatedly to Wing with a look of shame.
Driven by curiosity, they didn't leave but instead hid in a corner to eavesdrop on the conversation.
"No, Zushi, desiring victory is not a bad thing. But for you, using that kind of power is still too early. This current patience is for the sake of climbing to higher places in the future. Just like the Allen you admire, he certainly had countless hours of basic training to reach the level he is at today," Wing said, gently stroking his disciple's head to comfort him.
"Understood! I will continue to hone myself until I am qualified to stand in the ring on the 200th floor." Zushi clenched his fists tightly, his eyes blazing with determination and an unwillingness to admit defeat.
"Very good. Then you must now prepare yourself to accept hundreds, even thousands, of defeats. Come, let's head back to the room and begin today's training."
With that, Wing led his disciple away, disappearing around the corner of the corridor.
After watching the two disappear completely, Killua finally asked his friend, "Gon, did you hear what they were talking about? I'm really curious about what 'that kind of power' is."
"I'm curious too! But they kept mentioning Allen. Maybe we can find the answer from him," Gon replied, his eyes sparkling with curiosity.
"Exactly! Remember that feeling that Hisoka and Allen gave off during the Hunter Exam? I think we're very close to the truth. Let's go! First, we'll register on the 200th floor, then buy two tickets for tomorrow's match."
Killua was clearly a man of action, following through on his idea immediately.
Since Hisoka was currently unable to use Nen, he had not yet appeared at Heavens Arena. The two youngsters were therefore able to register unimpeded and paid a high price for tickets to tomorrow morning's match.
Excited and expectant, they barely slept that night. The next day, they rushed out of their room shortly after nine o'clock and sat in the stands, awaiting the start of the competition.
About fifteen minutes later, roughly half the audience had already arrived, one after another, and were quietly discussing the story behind today's match.
"Hey! Did you hear? Today's match supposedly involves a grudge between the Floor Masters and Contestant Allen."
"A grudge? What kind of grudge?"
"Idiot! Don't you find it strange? A Floor Master actually lowering himself to proactively request a match against a 200th-floor fighter!"
"I know! Apparently, it's because Contestant Allen has repeatedly shown disdain for the position of Floor Master, severely damaging the Floor Masters' reputation. So, Valenza, the Floor Master of the 224th floor, decided to personally step in to teach Contestant Allen an unforgettable lesson."
"So, who do you think will win?"
"Duh! The Floor Master, of course! They are experts who stand above all other fighters!"
"No! I disagree! Allen hasn't fought at full strength since reaching the 200th floor, and with his skill, he could have been a Floor Master ages ago. Yet, he always mysteriously forfeits. "
Listening to the various speculations and rumors around them, a playful expression appeared on Killua's face. He turned to his friend and said, "Gon, you know what? Last night I checked Allen's combat record. Guess what I found?"
"What?" Gon's eyes shone with curiosity.
"In the Heavens Arena's 200th floor, he fought a total of twenty-six matches in one month. He won eighteen and lost eight," Killua stated, giving the exact statistics while resting his chin on his palm.
"Huh? Allen, who's so strong, has lost too?" Gon opened his mouth in surprise.
Killua shook his head solemnly. "No. All eight of his losses were matches where he suddenly announced his surrender despite having an overwhelming advantage. That is to say, he hasn't actually lost a single match; he just deliberately lost to avoid completing ten wins and advancing to become a Floor Master. Moreover, in all twenty-six matches, he hasn't been injured once, nor has his opponent managed to score a single knockdown point against him. Do you know what that means?"
"It means his power surpasses all the fighters here!" Gon concluded without hesitation.
"Exactly! Although I don't know why he's doing this, this kind of behavior has clearly angered the Floor Masters. If I'm not mistaken, today's match is going to be spectacular."
The moment he finished speaking, Killua suddenly noticed two familiar figures sitting down right behind them: the master and disciple, Zushi and Wing.
"Kil... Killua?!"
Seeing his opponent from the ring yesterday, Zushi was visibly startled.
"Yo!" Killua quickly smiled and waved.
"Hello, I'm Gon Freecss, Killua's friend." The casually friendly Gon also turned around to greet him.
Just as the three youngsters were getting acquainted, Wing suddenly interjected, "It's starting."
"Starting?"
Killua paused slightly and quickly cast his gaze toward the ring below.
There, Valenza, the Floor Master of the 224th floor, had already stepped onto the stage, radiating an astonishing Aura.
He was a hulking man over two meters tall with extremely developed muscles.
Particularly noticeable were the four rings set with different colored gems on his two hands, which gave off an inexplicably awkward and strange feeling.
Specifically, the middle and ring fingers of his left hand wore rings set with a white gem and a cyan gem, while the same fingers on his right hand bore rings with a red gem and a brown gem.
In contrast, Allen, who was only about 170 centimeters tall and looked neither strong nor menacing, was like a boy next door. A faint smile hung on his face, as if he didn't take the powerful opponent before him seriously at all.
"Hmph. Arrogant brat, today you will pay the price for your contemptuous behavior toward the Floor Masters." Valenza was the first to speak, delivering a harsh threat.
"Price? By you? Sorry, but I don't think a place like Heavens Arena can cultivate any truly powerful Nen users. Compared to the real Hunters outside, you are like beasts confined to a zoo. You've long lost the crucial desire for self-improvement and are limited within this tiny, tall tower," Allen retorted with a scornful smile.
After more than a month of frequent combat, he finally understood why truly strong Nen users, like Ging, Chairman Netero, the Zodiacs, and the Phantom Troupe, almost universally disregarded the Floor Masters of Heavens Arena and the world martial arts tournament it hosted.
Of course, Hisoka, the pervert obsessed with finding "Unripe Fruits," was an exception.
The reason was very simple.
On one hand, some individuals didn't want to expose their abilities in front of too many people. On the other hand, the level of Nen users here was simply subpar; most relied on forced awakening through "initiation" during combat, with very few having systematic training, and their ability development was often disorganized.
Furthermore, being strictly confined to a small ring was far less stimulating and challenging than engaging in unrestricted life-or-death combat outside, where one's life was the stake.
In fact, Allen had already allowed the Red Dragon to consume enough cocoons. This time, he intended to finish his ten-win streak in one go, casually dispatch a Floor Master, and then simply leave.
But who would have thought that a Floor Master would become impatient and personally submit a match request to him?