Chapter 33:

The elder viewed Ron merely as a tool—a means to secure another victory.

Ron examined the elderly man more closely. He was missing a leg, and while he emitted some Nen aura, it was faint. Based on Silva's assessment, he was likely ranked at an E-level—probably lacking even basic skills in "Ren" (which enhances one's aura and can serve as a basic defensive measure).

Raising one finger, Ron concentrated his aura to form two letters at the tip:

—"OK!"

The elder didn't notice this, confirming Ron's suspicion: the man didn't even know how to use "Gyo."

Ron smiled. "Thank you for the advice, senior."

The elder's face lit up at Ron's acknowledgement. "Good! If you need to rest, take your time."

"I just made it to the 200th floor," Ron replied with a respectful nod. "I'll rest before my next match."

"Absolutely. Rest is crucial."

Ron walked down the hall toward his new quarters. As soon as he turned the corner, the elder's smile faded into a cold glare.

"These young ones are so easy to fool," he muttered. "Once we're in the ring, I'll make him pay, just as they made me suffer."

Like many fighters without Nen experience, the elder had once been "initiated" when he first reached the 200th floor. His opponent at the time had tortured him both physically and mentally. After awakening his own Nen abilities and growing stronger, he vowed to turn the tables on any newcomers he faced.

What he didn't realize was that a pink shadow was silently observing him.

Though he spoke in hushed tones, Killer Queen caught every word, and what Killer Queen heard, Ron heard.

A few figures appeared at the other end of the corridor, scowling when they saw the elder.

"Damn him!" one scoffed. "That old man beat us to it."

"But he won't next time. I'm not backing down."

These fighters all assumed Ron would be easy to defeat. Even if he lost, he'd still be allowed to fight multiple times on the 200th floor, as was standard for contestants above the 200th floor in the Sky Arena.

The 200th floor to the 250th floor of the Sky Arena comprised a total of 50 levels.

Between the 230th and 250th floors lay the residences of the floor masters—each master enjoyed an entire floor to themselves, complete with private quarters and a share of the 200th-floor revenue.

Tickets to matches above the 200th floor were expensive, and there were no cash prizes for contestants, making revenue sharing from ticket sales highly lucrative.

The 200th to 229th floors, meanwhile, housed the remaining fighters who were not floor masters. Each floor accommodated around 10 to 20 fighters, with roughly 30 floors designated for these ordinary competitors.

In total, there could be hundreds of competitors across all levels. However, the number of fighters actually residing in the Sky Arena at any given time was much lower.

According to the rules of the Sky Arena, a fighter only needed to compete in one match every three months to maintain their status. There were two main ways to lose this status:

If a fighter lost four matches before gaining the right to challenge a floor master, they would lose their status and have to return to the first floor of the Sky Arena to start over. However, they were allowed one reset. If they failed again in their second attempt, they would never be able to register as a fighter again.If a fighter did not compete for more than three months, they would also lose their status. In this case, they could start over once again from the first floor.

To gain the right to challenge a floor master, a fighter needed to secure ten victories. However, before achieving those ten wins, they were not allowed to lose four matches.

Once qualified, a fighter could challenge the floor master. If successful, they would become the new master; if they lost, they would not lose their fighter status and could choose to switch floors.

"In an ideal scenario," Ron mused, "if a match occurs every ten months, I could participate in up to twelve matches before gaining the right to challenge a master."

"That means three losses and nine wins."

"With one match taking three months, twelve matches would take thirty-six months."

"That's three whole years."

Ron's main purpose for coming to the Sky Arena was to absorb its unique traits, not to challenge the floor masters. He had no obsession with becoming a master himself.

He understood his abilities well. Compared to the rookie killers, he was much stronger. However, the floor master level was different.

From what Ron knew, based on the original story, there were only two-floor masters mentioned: Hisoka and Chrollo. He also recalled that in the movie, Shizuku had become a floor master, but she attributed it to luck, making it an unreliable reference.

Ron glanced at the crystal ball before him.

"After reaching the 200th floor, the rate of absorbing traits through this crystal ball has increased," he noted. "I look forward to fully absorbing its traits and creating a new Nen beast."

"I wonder what it will be."

Ron had some guesses. After absorbing the traits of the Zoldyck family estate, many figures appeared in his mind, but in the end, he chose Killer Queen. The other figures were all formidable assassins, drawn from various works he had seen in his past life.

If the Zoldyck estate represented assassins, then the Sky Arena should correspond to fighters and combatants.

Dinner Time

As dinner time approached, Ron picked up the phone. One of the perks of being on the 200th floor was the ability to order meals at any time, whether for breakfast, lunch, dinner, afternoon tea, or late-night snacks.

Above the 200th floor, nearly all levels had kitchens that operated 24 hours a day, skilled in various culinary arts. Once an order was placed, staff would promptly deliver it.

"Ding-dong!"

Before long, the doorbell rang. Ron opened the door to find a staff member pushing a food cart to his doorstep.

"Mr. Ron, after you finish your meal, please place the dishes and any trash underneath here. We'll come to collect them shortly. Just knock when you're ready for the cart to be taken away."

"Okay," Ron nodded in response.

At that moment, Ron sensed a curious gaze. From next door, a small head peeked out, intently observing him.

It was a little girl.

Ron smiled back at her. "Hey there! Did you just move in today?"

"Yes!" she replied excitedly.

"That's great!" the little girl beamed. "Finally, there's another kid my age here! Did you come here with your dad?"

Ron shook his head.

Before he could speak, a middle-aged man appeared, looking apologetic as he glanced at Ron.