Amidst the frenzied cheers, Morrow stepped into the passageway.
Even after leaving the arena, the echoes of applause still reached his ears.
Was the Floor Master I randomly selected too weak…?
Morrow glanced back at the entrance of the passage.
His opponent in the previous match had likely been an Enhancer.
The reason he wasn't certain was that the fight had ended far too quickly.
Morrow speculated that his opponent had developed an ability that enhanced bodily flexibility, allowing for unpredictable movements in close combat.
Regarding this ability, Morrow's evaluation was simple: it was counterproductive.
Just days ago, he had sparred with Wing and personally experienced the overwhelming pressure of an Enhancer in close quarters.
In contrast, this Floor Master named Merry had abandoned the raw power inherent to Enhancers in favor of a more flexible, unorthodox resilience.
Not that such an approach was entirely ineffective.
The diversity of Nen granted its users infinite possibilities, branching into countless paths.
But the crux of the matter was…
If one truly believed in the direction they had chosen, they should expand upon the core of their ability.
For instance, honing technical skills like Gyo and Ryu.
Only then could the true potential of an ability be unlocked.
Morrow could tell that Merry, the Floor Master, had undoubtedly put considerable effort into refining the ability itself, hence why he had executed a masterful, serpentine assault in the first exchange.
Yet Merry failed to grasp the importance of balanced growth.
Relying solely on the ability alone was severely limiting.
One also needed clear tactical thinking and the technical prowess to execute it.
Only then could a truly personalized Nen system take shape.
Merry hadn't realized this, and so he suffered a crushing defeat in the second round.
But this was a common weakness among self-taught Nen users.
It highlighted just how crucial it was for a Nen user to have a mentor guiding them.
In the original story, Kurapika had gone from knowing nothing about Nen to displaying profound mastery during the Kakin succession arc, all within just over a year.
Such astonishing growth was partly due to Kurapika's innate talent.
But more importantly, it was because he had encountered a mentor with deep understanding of Nen.
Thus, in the inheritance mechanism of Nen, the role of a teacher was undeniable.
Outstanding young talents like Sanbica, Menchi, and Wing, all without exception, had formidable mentors.
Morrow had no mentor. Strictly speaking, he was half self-taught.
Yet he had advanced faster and further than them, and he would never stray down a misguided path like Merry.
The difference between Morrow and Nen users like Merry was that he was willing to invest time in contemplation and planning.
Sometimes, you had to map out your route clearly before you could overtake others on the bends.
Morrow turned his gaze forward again, thinking to himself: Or perhaps it wasn't that Merry was too weak, but that he himself had grown stronger.
Every step he had taken so far must have been the right one.
So all he had to do was keep pushing forward relentlessly…
The future would surely answer in kind.
Morrow steadied his thoughts and strode away.
The faint cheers from behind were the kind of temptation that could intoxicate most fighters. But Morrow could cast these cheers aside without hesitation.
He had always known what he truly needed more than these cheers.
As Morrow left, the cheers in the arena showed no signs of dying down.
The Floor Masters who had come specifically to witness the match had seen Merry's crushing defeat firsthand.
And it made them realize one thing...
The young man who had replaced Merry and would soon join them in the Battle Olympia was nothing less than a beast that had fully bared its fangs.
"This is his 'true' strength."
One of the Floor Masters stared unblinkingly at the passageway Morrow had exited through.
Back when Morrow was striving for his tenth victory, some Floor Masters had already noticed that he was holding back, winning each match with apparent difficulty.
The reason and motive behind it were easy for them to guess, it was simply to secure his tenth win faster.
Then, after Morrow's battle with Wing, some Floor Masters realized he had begun to reveal his fangs.
And now, with Merry's devastating loss...
The beast had finally stopped pretending and was now baring its claws.
For a moment, a sense of unease flickered in the hearts of the Floor Masters.
While some had come to witness Morrow's rise in person, others had watched his displayed strength through the live broadcast.
—--
Among those watching the broadcast were the perpetually bored Hisoka and the reigning two-time Battle Olympia champion who ruled the top floor of Heavens Arena.
At the very peak of Heavens Arena, a true sky palace, lavishly decorated, stood a man seated before a wall of floor-to-ceiling windows.
In his left hand was a honey-drenched pancake, and in his right, a sausage slathered in hot sauce.
"His timing is impeccable. If he ends up being my final opponent, I'll need to be extra cautious."
The man's gaze shifted away from the now-dark TV screen as he spoke, shoving the honey-coated pancake into his mouth before meticulously licking the sticky residue from each of his fingers.
"I don't care about any of that. If I run into him, I'll just punch him to pieces."
His tone abruptly shifted, from calm and analytical to arrogant and aggressive.
His expression twisted into one of unrestrained ferocity, making him look like a severe case of schizophrenia.
Without a second thought for the lingering sweetness in his mouth, he took a massive bite of the sausage, smearing his lips with hot sauce.
—--
Meanwhile...
Morrow, now the thorn in the side of the Floor Masters, had already returned to his room.
Before dinner, he always preferred to train alone.
With his abundant potential aura still untapped, Morrow began his Ren training, opening his aura nodes and freely releasing his aura.
Knock, knock.
Lost in his training, he hadn't noticed the passage of time, until someone suddenly rapped on his door.
Morrow halted his practice and approached the door, peering through the peephole to see Biscuit standing outside.
Remembering her recent public antics, he hesitated over whether to open it.
Honestly...
Among all the notable figures from the original story he had encountered so far, he still considered Biscuit the most difficult to handle.
Not even Hisoka came close.
"Do you really need to think that long just to open a door?"
Biscuit's voice suddenly came from the other side.
Clearly, she could sense him standing there, hesitating.
Hearing her words, Morrow sighed and finally opened the door. Then he saw Biscuit standing there with her hands on her hips and couldn't help sighing, "I don't want to give it."
"What?"
Biscuit froze for a moment before quickly realizing.
This guy was talking about an engagement ring.
Biscuit looked speechlessly at the young man right in front of her.
She could shamelessly pull stunts in public, but she wouldn't chase all the way to Morrow's residence just over a joking remark.
"Morrow, I came to discuss something with you."
"But I really don't want to give it."
"(°д°)"
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Bonus chapter for reaching 90 power stones before the weekly reset.