Registration Office.
After filling out the registration form, Morrow wasted no time returning to his room to continue his daily Nen technique training.
Soon enough, he received his match notification.
As expected, he secured his fourth victory.
Leveraging his advantage in aura output, just as he had when he first arrived at Heavens Arena over two months ago, he used this margin for error to hone his skills in actual combat.
However, after his fifth win, he faced another two-day lull, no one registered for a fight after him, leaving him without an opponent.
Thus, Morrow waited another three days.
Finally, a 200th-floor fighter went to the registration window to sign up for a match.
However, that fighter scheduled the battle for a week later, November 9th.
Since he had to wait a week anyway, Morrow booked a flight to Kukuroo Mountain.
He had already checked the travel details, a round trip would only take about four or five days.
Before leaving, Morrow went to retrieve the Poultry Scarlet Knife from Menchi.
"When are you coming back?"
Menchi's gaze was practically glued to the Poultry Scarlet Knife now strapped to Morrow's waist.
During this time, she had been using the knife to prepare ingredients and had grown increasingly fond of it.
"About five days," Morrow replied, then sighed. "Menchi, I've only been here for a few minutes, and you've already asked me the same question six times."
"Was it really that many?"
Menchi murmured absentmindedly, her eyes never leaving the knife.
Seeing this, Morrow shook his head and simply turned to leave.
—--
Two days later.
Morrow arrived alone at Kukuroo Mountain.
The road was flanked by lush forests, and at its end stood the majestic Testing Gate of the Zoldyck Family.
At the lower right corner of the enormous gate was a normal double door.
This was specially prepared by the Zoldycks for intruders.
The intention was to prevent the Testing Gate from being damaged by those who couldn't open it.
In the past, intruders who wanted to enter through the main gate but couldn't open it resorted to methods like explosives.
Since the construction of this double door, such incidents had decreased.
Beside the double door was a small security booth, inside which sat an unremarkable-looking old man.
This old man was named Zebro and had worked for the Zoldyck Family for seventeen years.
Officially, his role was security, but in reality, he was responsible for cleaning up corpses.
Even so, Zebro was a Nen user.
This was the depth of the Zoldyck Family, even their butlers and servants were all Nen users.
Moreover, the entire family operated under a strict management system with rigid rules.
For older employees like Zebro, the stringent requirements meant they still had to train regularly.
However, since everyday items in their living quarters were made from a special weighted alloy, Zebro, whose duties were limited to cleaning, didn't need dedicated training.
Simply using daily objects like 20-kilogram cups and slippers was enough to maintain his basic condition.
—--
Inside the security booth, Zebro sipped his tea leisurely.
Today, no tour groups had come, and no foolish intruders had appeared. For him, it was a rare moment of peace. But he soon noticed a young man approaching.
Alone?
Zebro slowly set down his teacup and gazed through the window at the steadily approaching youth.
Doesn't look like a tourist or an intruder.
His eyes swept over the young man's attire, no tourist gear like backpacks or hats, nor the aggressive demeanor typical of trespassers. Only the sword sheath at the youth's waist drew a second glance.
Finally, Zebro widened his eyes slightly to take a closer look at the top of the young man's head. Upon seeing the naturally flowing aura, his eyelids drooped back into their usual squint.
As the young man drew nearer, Zebro's gaze remained fixed. He watched as the youth walked straight to the center of the Testing Gate.
"Heh."
Seeing the young man's actions, Zebro chuckled knowingly. Another youngster drawn by curiosity, hardly an uncommon sight here.
Click.
Zebro lit a cigarette and quietly observed the youth now standing before the Testing Gate.
The young man was, of course, Morrow.
Facing the imposing gate, Morrow focused his mind, systematically closing his aura nodes until he entered a state of Zetsu.
Inside the guard booth, Zebro sensed the shift in atmosphere and looked again, only to find that Morrow's aura had vanished. He blinked in surprise.
Before the Testing Gate, Morrow placed both hands against the cold, massive stone surface.
Reflecting on it, ever since his Death Rewind and Nen awakening, when he'd effortlessly snapped the rusted bars of his cage, he'd always relied on aura's amplifying effects.
Even techniques like Gazelle and Rhythm Echo required aura reinforcement of his muscles and bones beforehand.
Now, attempting to push the Testing Gate in a state of Zetsu felt strangely unfamiliar, as if a layer of strength had been stripped away.
Shaking his head slightly, Morrow mustered all his physical strength against the gate.
Rumble...
The stone door responded, first cracking open a sliver before gradually widening. But the spring-loaded hinges on its sides exerted a counterforce, thwarting Morrow's attempt to push it open in one go.
Boom.
Morrow stepped back as the gate slammed shut.
Didn't expect to open it halfway. Must be the medicinal cuisine showing results.
Examining his hands, Morrow felt genuine surprise. He knew his physical limits, having never trained his body, and had expected complete failure with the first gate. That he'd managed half the distance he credited entirely to the muscle-strengthening effects of the medicinal cuisine he'd been consuming daily.
Indeed, since starting the medicinal diet, he'd felt perpetually energized, though his constant maintenance of Ten during sleep had masked these physical changes beneath his aura.
A new thought occurred. Combining the medicinal cuisine with the Zoldyck Family's training methods might rapidly compensate for his physical shortcomings. This way, he could conserve more aura during combat maneuvers like Rhythm Echo.
Normally, physical strength served to complement aura's functionality, but Morrow was reversing the equation. Morrow's situation couldn't be judged by normal standards, he could only implement countermeasures within limited space.
Now that there were conditions for correction, he had to take it seriously.
I'll come back to try again in half a month.
Firmly remembering the space revealed when he pushed open the stone gate earlier, Morrow silently thought to himself.
The Testing Gate was like a ruler.
It could measure his progress during this period, even over the next three months.
This was quite important to him, because he could use it to determine his progress and begin planning his next steps.
Inside the security booth.
Zebro couldn't quite understand the young man's motives and stood up to approach the gate.
Then, he saw the young man take out his phone and dial a number.
Soon after, he heard the young man say, "Kalluto, if you're free, come out for a bit. I'm at your doorstep."
Instantly, Zebro stared at Morrow with shock and suspicion.