Gotoh was still in the corridor. When he saw Luo Ning coming down, he even gave him a friendly smile. Luo Ning merely waved his hand; he was just doing a job for money, after all.
Walking out of the arena, Luo Ning's main concern was whether Illumi would make a move against him. That guy's killing intent earlier had been the real deal. Luo Ning had no desire to provoke a twisted brother-complex freak like that.
Luo Ning didn't plan on contacting Killua. With a psycho and a butler watching over him, trying to get close to Killua now would be pure suicide. As someone who had only mastered C-rank Ninjutsu, Luo Ning didn't consider himself invincible.
Fortunately, Illumi didn't actually come looking for him. It seemed that killing intent was only triggered because he had toyed with Killua on stage and hadn't bled into his daily life. Luo Ning figured it might also be the Zoldyck family's professional code of "doing what you're paid for" that made Illumi choose not to deal with a fellow Nen user.
Still, Luo Ning didn't let down his guard. Being cautious was never a bad thing, especially since he also had to be wary of the Phantom Troupe reappearing. In this world, background checks were quite strict. Between the increasing prevalence of the internet and the existence of Hunters, gathering intelligence was becoming easy. As long as someone had money, they could always track down his specific location—unless he retreated into the deep wilderness to live a life of total isolation. But that was obviously impossible.
Luo Ning's assessment of his injuries was fairly accurate. By his eighth day at Heaven's Arena—the day he completed his match on the 190th floor and earned the right to ascend to the 200th—the wounds on his arm and flank had completely healed.
When he won the match, Luo Ning spotted the little white-haired boy in the audience. It was Killua. He was probably still frustrated about being so easily defeated by Luo Ning before!
However, Luo Ning sensed a fleeting flash of killing intent from Killua. It came and went in an instant. Watching Killua's hurried departure, a thought couldn't help but surface in Luo Ning's mind: 'Had Illumi already planted the needle in Killua's brain this early?'
Regardless, none of that was Luo Ning's business.
By the time he reached the 200th floor, the money in his pocket had reached 200 million. The victory on the 190th floor had brought him a prize of 200 million! However, winning further would only grant him a ticket to the 200th floor without any additional prize money.
As he stepped off the stage, he once again saw someone waiting for him in the corridor. This time it wasn't the butler Gotoh, but a woman Luo Ning didn't recognize.
"Mr. Luo Ning, hello. I am Milia, a top-tier manager. I'd like to discuss a win-win business deal with you."
A business card was handed to Luo Ning as she spoke. Luo Ning reached out and took it.
Milia, Top-tier Manager!
Luo Ning tucked the card away and looked her over carefully. She had waist-length, silky black hair and a refined, fair face with light makeup. Dressed in a black professional skirt suit, she reached up and lightly pushed a pair of gold-rimmed glasses up the bridge of her nose—the quintessential image of a professional career woman.
However, she was enveloped in Ten just like Luo Ning. In other words, this manager was a Nen user. Luo Ning couldn't help but feel a surge of caution.
"I believe your personal value is immense, Mr. Luo Ning. With my assistance, you should have a great chance of becoming a Floor Master," Milia spoke politely, her voice cool yet carrying a hint of sincerity.
To Luo Ning, the promise she was painting seemed a bit too grand. He had some understanding of the manager situation.
Heaven's Arena matches had a daily viewership of over a billion, a figure that was growing every year. The highest ratings belonged to the fights on the 200th floor and above. Every fighter there had immense potential, and the Floor Masters, in particular, were stars even brighter than celebrities. When Luo Ning arrived in this city, the posters he saw on the streets were all endorsements by these 200th-floor fighters or Floor Masters.
The Floor Masters were especially prominent because they not only represented overwhelming strength but also the fact that they weren't easy to kill. The mortality rate in matches above the 200th floor was quite high.
Managers like Milia specialized in grooming fighters into stars. They held vast resources that could help their chosen fighters gain wealth and fame faster and more effectively. The fact that Milia could become a "Gold Medal Manager" was proof enough of her ability.
Luo Ning didn't reject Milia immediately. Instead, he led her to a lounge. Along the way, he considered what collaborating with her could offer him. He didn't actually mind becoming famous. He just needed enough strength first. If he were that famous, he would be an incredibly attractive bait for the Phantom Troupe—or more accurately, for Uvogin.
And as long as he made sufficient preparations, he was confident he could make a clean getaway after killing Uvogin.
"You think I have the potential to become a Floor Master?" Luo Ning asked.
The matter with Uvogin was still far off, and Luo Ning didn't have much confidence in becoming a Floor Master himself, at least not in the short term.
Milia shook her head. "Your current strength probably isn't enough. However, your image is excellent, and as I said, with my assistance, you will have the chance to become a Floor Master."
Luo Ning began to understand her point.
"Can you empower me?" Luo Ning wasn't good at intrigue. He had to admit that Hisoka's judgment of people was sometimes quite accurate—he wasn't particularly devious. But his intuition told him Milia didn't harbor ill intent; she was simply calculating.
"You could interpret it that way," Milia nodded. "I've watched your battles and have a general estimation of your aura capacity. It's not bad, certainly better than most newcomers. Furthermore, I can see that you are deliberately honing your combat techniques, and your speed of progress is remarkable. It's safe to say you're a genius."
Milia added, "A combat genius."
"Then I want to know: Is your empowerment something that lets me briefly possess greater power, or does it help me improve my own strength faster?" Luo Ning asked the most critical question.
He didn't really care whether he became a Floor Master. As Milia said, he had come to Heaven's Arena with the intention of honing his skills. Whether he became a Floor Master didn't affect him much.
Milia's appeal only lay in two possibilities: either she could accelerate his training like Bisky, or she could help him earn more money. Luo Ning felt Milia might not be able to achieve the former, but she likely could with the latter. By mentioning the former as his priority and ignoring the importance of money, he hoped to gain some leverage in the negotiation.
Milia frowned slightly but eventually said, "It's temporary."