A battle that had captured everyone's attention.
Yet it concluded in such an abrupt manner.
Spectators seated close enough could even see the referee's stunned expression clearly.
But the most awkward position belonged to the female commentator on the broadcast platform.
Before the fight began, it was she who had hyped up the atmosphere with her passionate narration, further raising the audience's expectations for this match.
Yet barely two seconds after her fiery speech ended, the sudden and dramatic outcome on the stage dealt her a heavy blow.
At this moment, even her impeccable professionalism seemed useless.
In truth, the vast majority of the audience shared her reaction, staring dumbfounded at the stage as if time had frozen.
On the stage.
Morrow confirmed that Shari had lost consciousness, then turned and stepped down.
He had used his still-unpracticed left hand to release the Tiger Bite Fist aura to draw Shari's attention.
Then, with In, he suppressed and erased the traces of the extended Tiger Bite Fist aura released from his right hand.
Thus, in the split second when Shari channeled more aura into his legs to accelerate, the concealed Tiger Bite Fist struck his unprotected chin.
In other words, Shari had walked right into it.
Had he been more cautious about the timing of Gyo, he wouldn't have lost so carelessly.
But judging by Shari's overconfident decision to skip the probing phase and launch a direct assault…
The outcome had been sealed from that very moment.
Overestimating oneself was never a good thing.
Every Nen user Morrow had encountered so far seemed to possess a certain "blindness."
It felt like the mentality of a poor man suddenly acquiring vast wealth, or an ordinary person awakening to supernatural power.
Then, under Nen's subtle influence, this psychological flaw gradually magnified.
Morrow wasn't sure.
But the fates of these people served as constant warnings to never overestimate himself.
A true master always keeps the heart of an apprentice.
Excessive humility was still better than excessive pride.
As Morrow stepped off the stage, the referee finally snapped out of his daze and loudly announced, "KO! Morrow wins!"
The declaration echoed above the arena.
Yet the venue remained eerily silent.
Sensing the strange atmosphere, the commentator quickly recovered from her shock and exclaimed in an exaggerated tone, "What?! Shari, who was just one step away from becoming a Floor Master, has been one-hit KO'ed!!!"
"This also means Shari will lose his eligibility to continue competing on the 200th floor!!!"
"At the same time, we're witnessing Morrow's dominant return…"
Her voice carried throughout the venue.
But Morrow had already left, exiting through the passageway.
Kastro and Calista were waiting for him outside.
Menchi wasn't present; she spent most of her days sourcing ingredients and perfecting meal preparations.
Now, with the added task of searching for the phantom book, she was stretched thin.
Morrow then headed straight to the registration office, once again opting for the "available to fight anytime" status.
That evening. The time for the second match was set, still scheduled for the afternoon two days later.
Morrow continued his usual training, occasionally helping Kastro and Calista resolve some of their doubts about Nen comprehension.
By evening, it was time for Menchi's medicinal cuisine.
The effects remained outstanding.
—--
The next morning, Morrow woke up brimming with energy as usual. He went through his morning routine, expending all his aura in the process.
After a brief rest, he waited until the match time approached, then stepped onto the arena amidst tsunami-like cheers.
This time, his opponent was a Nen user missing an arm and a leg.
However, the man had replaced his missing limbs with modified blade prosthetics, drawing attention.
The fight began quickly.
And ended just as swiftly.
Morrow seized the moment when his opponent concentrated more aura into his prosthetic blades, defeating him with a single strike.
The opponent's downfall lay in his lack of mastery over the technique of Shu.
Shu was an application of Ten, the effect of which was to reinforce objects with aura.
Mastering this technique demanded physical stamina, mental fortitude, potential aura reserves, and precise aura control.
His opponent clearly wasn't proficient yet, and his insistence on fighting with his prosthetic blades only exposed more weaknesses.
Morrow turned and left the arena, briefly reviewing the fight in his mind.
But when it came to proficiency in applied techniques like Shu, he still had a long way to go.
After finishing the second match, Morrow immediately registered for the third.
This time, however, the notification for the match time came much later, only being confirmed on the third day.
Morrow realized.
The first bird to stick its head out had been struck, and now the rest were scared.
So, by the time the third match arrived, Morrow deliberately suppressed his tactical level in combat.
His original plan had been to secure the Floor Master position as quickly as possible.
But now, he relied purely on Nen techniques like Gyo and Ren, dragging out the fight for a while.
Once he felt it was enough, he ended it with Tiger Bite Fist.
As Morrow stepped off the arena, he noticed the crowd's cheers were even more deafening, nearly lifting the ceiling.
"..."
Morrow shook his head slightly and left without a word.
—--
Somewhere in the spectator stands.
Wing watched Morrow's figure as he walked toward the exit.
"He's honing his techniques; that much is obvious… There are clear shortcomings, likely due to a lack of systematic training."
As Morrow's figure disappeared into the passageway, Wing narrowed his eyes slightly and murmured in admiration:
"But he always manages to turn danger into safety at critical moments, as if he's constantly controlling the flow of battle. Is this what Master referred to as 'combat intellect'?"
Wing had attended all three of Morrow's matches on time.
As a disciple of the Shingen-ryu Style, he had always relied on its comprehensive and mature training system.
Thus, his insight surpassed that of most Nen users in Heavens Arena, allowing him to notice things ordinary people couldn't.
In today's match, with his experience, Wing could tell Morrow was deliberately holding back while refining his techniques mid-battle.
But what enabled this approach was Morrow's astonishing combat prowess.
And... a pure, unyielding will to grow stronger.
That faint sensation subtly radiating from his aura, Wing knew it all too well. Because he often saw this feeling in Biscuit, a determination that focused solely on the path ahead, completely disregarding the hardships underfoot.
"This place is really nice."
Wing stood up, his gaze fixed on the passage where Morrow had disappeared, and a sudden longing welled up in his heart.
Then he walked toward the passage, took the elevator down to the first floor.
And stepped into the line of people waiting to register.
--------
Bonus chapter for the 60 power stones.