Hunter x Hunter: The Strongest Zoldyck

Just as Roy was about to walk out of the exit, a gentle voice called out to him:

"Feed... Number 365, wait a moment..."

Upon hearing the sound, Roy stopped and turned around.

On the ring, the referee, wearing a black baseball cap, a black suit, and a white shirt, was throwing something at him.

"This is the card proof for advancing to the 99th floor. With this, you can directly advance to the 99th floor. Actually, I think you should have the strength to reach the 100th floor or higher, but my authority only extends to the 99th floor... However, I believe you should be able to advance directly to the 100th floor in the next round."

As he spoke, the referee gave Roy a thumbs-up.

"I have high hopes for you."

Roy swiftly caught the card, about the size of a playing card, with a flick of his right hand. His fingertips brushed against the raised "99" on the card's surface, and he casually slipped it into his pocket. Turning around, he waved his hand dismissively and said:

"Thanks....."

As soon as he finished speaking, he stepped into the shadows of the passageway.

The referee stood at the edge of the ring, staring at the disappearing figure for several seconds in a daze.

He has been in this arena for many years and has distributed countless advancement cards, but he has only distributed proof that can directly advance to level 99 three times in total.

The first two recipients were so moved that one burst into tears on the spot, and the other held his hand and said "thank you" seven or eight times.

The white-haired boy, however, didn't even raise an eyebrow from beginning to end, as if the pass that could save ordinary people months of hard work was just a useless piece of paper.

The referee shook his head, smiled wryly, and took off his hat to wipe the sweat from his forehead.

It's important to understand that these referees, in addition to determining the outcome of matches, also have the power to judge the players' abilities.

Once their judgment is approved, the contestants can jump directly to higher levels without having to wait for practical experience to level up.

Each floor represents different benefits and monetary rewards.

Floors 1 through 199 form the base area of ​​this arena.

All newcomers participate in a test on the first floor. The referee will throw you to a starting floor between 1 and 99 within three minutes based on your performance.

Because Roy instantly killed "Bonebreaker", he was immediately placed on the 99th floor.

This is the highest starting level the referee can give.

Then there's the "ten-level promotion system":

Win a game, go up ten levels; lose a game, go down ten levels. Simple, straightforward, no fluff.

With each level you advance, the bonus doubles.

The first level only yields 152 jenny in winnings, roughly enough to buy a can of juice; by the 50th level, it's 5 jenny; by the 100th level, it's 1 million; and above the 150th level, the prize money for a single game exceeds 100 million; and if you can reach the 190th level, the accumulated prize money reaches an astonishing 2 million jenny.

This is why so many people are desperate to get into the Sky Arena, and why they fight so hard to climb up there.

They weren't motivated by a love of fighting, but by... money... the enormous lure of money...

But Sky Arena doesn't just offer money; it also provides exceptional treatment.

Starting from the 100th floor, the winning player will receive a private room.

Although it's not big, at least I don't have to squeeze into a large dormitory with dozens of other people.

Of course, if you are defeated and fall back below the 100th floor, the room will be immediately reclaimed...

But above the 200th floor... that's the real Sky Arena.

It is a watershed moment.

Almost everyone who can stand on this level is a Nen user.

Ordinary fighters wouldn't last a single round here, because the opponents here don't use fists and feet, but "qi" (vital energy).

From this level onwards, even the rules have completely changed.

First, the competition format:

It's no longer a daily battle; it's now a "battle application system."

Each player has a 90-day "battle preparation period" during which you can freely apply for matches. After each match, the preparation period resets to 90 days.

This means you can choose your opponent, your timing, your tactics... provided you have the ability to do so.

Secondly, the advancement criteria:

You must accumulate 10 victories before suffering 4 defeats.

Once you achieve a record of 10 wins and 4 losses, you will be qualified to challenge the "host".

From the 230th to the 250th floor, each floor is guarded by a "Lord," who is the true owner of the tower and possesses ownership of that floor and countless honorary privileges.

If you defeat the original poster, you can take their place and become the new original poster.

Every two years, all the tower owners participate in a fighting tournament, and the ultimate winner will move into the top floor of this tower... the 251st floor, which is the throne of the Sky Arena, a place that countless fighters can never reach in their entire lives.

Therefore... in general, the contestants are particularly concerned about the referee's attitude, because it determines whether they can get a ticket to advance to a higher level, and it is also related to their own economic interests.

But Roy... is different. Although he doesn't have money, he doesn't have much desire for it.

In the world of Hunter x Hunter, having money is not a difficult thing for someone like him.

Stepping out of the passage, Roy's mind began to wander to other things.

He came to the Sky Arena not for money, nor for fame.

He came here for only two things: to gain practical experience and to find Yun Gu or Bisji of the Shingen-ryu school... to find a way to join their school and thus... awaken his mind.

As for the former, logically speaking, he grew up in the Zoldyck family and received the most rigorous and cruel family "education" in the world. He already had a lot of practical experience and did not need to accumulate more.

However... the Zoldyck family's practical combat experience teaches how to kill opponents efficiently... attack vital points, kill with one blow, leave no survivors... and so on....

He can't kill someone every time he gets into a fight, can he? That would make him a serial killer.

Therefore, he chose to train and accumulate experience in the Sky Arena to improve his experience in normal combat, so as to avoid his methods of fighting enemies being too brutal and monotonous in the future.

Therefore, in the Sky Arena, he must learn to control his strength and find a precise critical point between "killing" and "defeating" to avoid creating a tragic scene where someone has to die in every battle in the future.

However... I still couldn't control myself when I threw that punch just now.

Looking down at his right hand, Roy spread his fingers, then clenched them again.

He recalled the battle that had just taken place...

He only prepared to use 10% of his strength, just enough to knock Scarface unconscious without killing him.

But when it came to actually making a move, his muscle memory was a step ahead of his brain, and half of his excess force was involuntarily released.

The result was... that "Bone Crusher" should be lying in the infirmary now, with at least three broken ribs.

"Half done..." Luo Yi muttered to himself, a hint of dissatisfaction in his voice.

For ordinary people, half a percent of their strength might not seem like much, but for the Zoldyck family's assassination techniques... half a percent is enough to turn "serious injury" into "death".

The precision he needs is not "almost", but "just right".......