After a short wait, the two of them joined the line and smoothly entered the lobby.
The moment they stepped inside, the blazing atmosphere and the sea of chatter hit them head-on.
The spacious lobby was packed with people, bustling like a marketplace.
Very soon, a friendly staff member approached them, ready to offer assistance and direct them to the various counters in the hall. As service personnel, she was both highly professional and had a pleasantly warm voice.
"What a cute girl we have here… We, at Heavens Arena, welcome all newcomers who embrace the spirit of challenge and combat."
"Hope you achieve some great results~"
Dressed in a bright red uniform and wearing a stylish hat, the staffer offered the timid Manman a fist-pump of encouragement, winking affably. She displayed impressive affinity and gave off an air of seasoned hospitality.
From this alone, one could tell that the staff had seen all manner of contestants. Manman, despite her youthful looks, didn't cause any shock.
"As expected of the Republic of Padokea's famous landmark," Xiang Nan thought.
"Even the most basic personnel are so refined in every aspect."
He couldn't help musing about what the monthly pay for such a job might be. Soon, the staff member guided them to the registration counter, then with a final bow and an extra few words of cheer for Manman, she excused herself.
Because the hall was so crowded and noisy, Manman had been clutching a corner of Xiang Nan's coat the entire time, worried about getting separated. Xiang Nan just sat on a lobby bench, flipping through a medical text to keep up appearances.
In reality, his eyes were quietly scanning the surroundings.
Ever since entering Heavens Arena, he'd been on high alert. After all, it was a place where all kinds of ability users might gather—possibly including many other players.
If, before, his plans in this world were about purposeful growth and gathering power, then stepping into Heavens Arena now meant he was truly entering the "inner circle" of this world:
the realm of Nen users.
"No one so far..." Xiang Nan turned a page in his book, eyes drifting over the text.
"At least in this registration line, everyone's an ordinary person. No signs of Nen aura."
He quietly chuckled.
"Still, it is Heavens Arena. For us players, it's well-known as a 'training ground.'"
"I suspect I'll have quite an interesting time here."
…
Although the queue for first-time contestants was fairly long, it moved quickly. In about ten minutes, Manman was done with her registration. The basics of Heavens Arena's structure and promotion rules were simple:
The building has 251 floors in total.
Floors 1–99: All participants start at Floor 1. Based on a contestant's performance (like how fast they beat their opponent, technique quality, etc.), the referee decides how many floors they may skip upward. For instance, an instant KO might send you directly to the 150th Floor, whereas taking 15 seconds could land you around the 50th.
Floors 100–199: You gain a private room, though if you lose, you fall back below Floor 100 and lose that room.
Floors 200+: This is the domain of Nen users, and you no longer fight for monetary prizes but for honor. You must formally "request a match" to ascend. Once you've won, you get a 90-day "waiting period," and if you don't fight again within that time, you lose qualification.
As for victory conditions, it's based on points, knockouts, etc. There's also a penalty system:
Below 100 Floors: a defeat typically pushes you down 10 floors.
Above 200 Floors: gathering four total defeats disqualifies you from continuing.
Heavens Arena also holds special events occasionally, like major tournaments every two years.
For prize money, from the very first floor, whether you win or lose, you get a base 152 Jenny (enough to buy maybe a single can of juice). If you lose your next match, you don't get any more prize money. At the 50th Floor, you might net around 50,000 Jenny. Past that, each floor has its own payout:
Reaching the 100th Floor yields about 1 million,
150th can surpass 10 million,
By the 190th, your purse might be 200 million.
But beyond 200 Floors, there's no prize money at all—only a battle of prestige.
As a newcomer, Manman had to start from the 1st Floor like everyone else. Because so many new fighters come to register each day (thousands, even), the scheduling of matches is quite jam-packed and efficient.
Immediately after finishing her entry paperwork, Manman would have to go to a contestant waiting room, where a random opponent would be assigned for her first fight.
"Don't worry—at lower floors, you'll do just fine using Nen alone. Even if your other personality doesn't surface, you should be able to win." Xiang Nan snapped his book shut, trying to calm the visibly nervous Manman.
"The main thing is to get you used to actual combat. You'll be fine."
He ruffled her hair, rose from his seat, and then headed off to one of the spectator zones to wait for her debut match.
~~~
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