The Terrifying Other Side

Gazelle Step—

Moro, of course, didn't know the name of this footwork.

It was because he had indeed learned this footwork by stealing it from the woman with the long ponytail.

But it wasn't like he had deliberately gone to steal it.

It was just that over eighteen matches, the woman with the long ponytail was the only opponent he had encountered who used footwork.

So, strictly speaking, this was the only technique he had managed to steal through thought and observation in the ring.

This footwork utilized the balls of the feet for power, making his movements light and agile as he advanced and retreated.

And by using the heels to pivot, he could change direction as quickly as a gazelle.

Learning the technique for applying power wasn't difficult; the challenge lay in the explosive force generated between stillness and motion.

However, this problem could be solved with the enhancement of Nen.

This was the fundamental reason why Moro could use it even better than the woman with the long ponytail, despite only having learned it recently.

"Quite confident, aren't we."

Retreating to the center of the ring, Moro raised a finger and traced his slightly swollen and red cheek. His gaze calmly fell upon Taegol, who stood at the edge of the stage.

After several rounds of engagement, he had already figured out Taegol's Nen ability.

It was an ability that imbued Nen with the property of impact, essentially enhancing its ability to penetrate Nen defenses on the foundation of "Ko."

Furthermore, since Transmuters weren't adept at projecting Nen externally, they could only leverage their abilities through close-quarters combat.

More critically, both his fists and elbows could serve as emission points for the ability. It was likely that other parts of his body could do the same.

This was a purely combat-oriented ability, perfectly fitting Taegol's needs.

The reason Moro considered Taegol overly confident was that Taegol had no need to use his ability immediately upon engagement.

After all, most Nen abilities possessed a certain degree of "first-contact kill" tactical value.

His "Deceptive Flying Stars" was like that, and so was Taegol's Transmuter ability.

If he were to use Taegol's Transmuter ability...

He would launch a normal offensive with a jab, creating openings in the opponent's defense as much as possible during the fight, and then unleash this ability for maximum impact.

Given the ability's first-contact kill tactical value, it was highly probable that the battle could be ended in one go.

But Taegol's immediate use of his ability right from the start completely wasted its tactical value.

From this, one could see that Taegol's confidence bordered on blindness.

However, on a stage like Heaven's Arena, where participants sought to showcase themselves, fighters naturally couldn't hold back if they wanted to win. In the end, they would inevitably have to reveal their Nen abilities.

But Moro, constrained by the condition of "enemies could attack at any moment," had no intention of using his Nen ability in the ring unless absolutely necessary.

Taegol, you should be grateful for this...

Moro thought silently to himself.

If he didn't have to worry about revealing his Nen ability, then after understanding Taegol's Nen ability, he would have been perfectly capable of devising a deadly strategy to make Taegol pay for his blind confidence.

However, there were no "ifs."

Moro calmly stared at Taegol's next move. As his thoughts raced, he conceived the idea of using Taegol to hone his footwork.

Taegol, unaware of Moro's internal deliberations, felt an intense desire to attack and fearlessly charged at Moro once more.

Accompanied by a sharp, piercing sound as the air was cut, a barrage of fist shadows, each containing a hidden killing blow, enveloped Moro.

Moro's concentration reached its peak at this moment. While constantly dodging the jabs, he could only keep retreating.

In just a moment, Taegol had thrown over a hundred punches.

Due to the sudden extension of his attacks within the rapid assault, Moro, despite focusing on defense, was inevitably hit a few times.

Fortunately, his focus was entirely on defense, and the footwork provided timely shock absorption, so these few hits did not affect his physical condition.

One minute, two minutes...

As time passed, Taegol threw hundreds of punches during this period. Although he could occasionally hit Moro, he couldn't inflict critical damage.

"I can see it clearly..."

Amidst the high-intensity dodging, Moro gradually adapted to Taegol's punching patterns. Combined with his increasingly smooth and natural footwork, the situation was no longer as perilous as it was at the beginning.

This intense offensive and defensive exchange had continued to this point. No matter how Taegol adjusted the angle of his Nen extension, he could no longer hit Moro.

Taegol realized this and his initial arrogance vanished, replaced by frustration.

"Is all you can do is dodge, you rat!"

Taegol's frustration caused his punching speed to increase, but his technique became disorganized.

Moro ignored Taegol's words.

He didn't know how to describe the feeling he had at this moment.

Every time he dodged Taegol's fists, every time he saw the extending Nen flow past his front with his peripheral vision…

He longed for Taegol to throw the next punch faster.

And he would dodge, like a car drifting on the edge of a turn at its limit.

Perhaps he gained a sense of accomplishment from it, or perhaps it was simply pleasure.

This feeling made him enjoy it.

And despite being in the midst of this tempestuous offensive, he still had the energy to ponder.

As if in these brief moments, he had gained a pair of eyes with a spectator's perspective.

When the ceiling lights shone upon the stage, he could even see the dust stirred up by the airflow.

And what Taegol's Nen flow revealed—

Impatience, anger.

He's getting desperate.

Moro thought to himself.

The fight on the ring was heated, and the audience was just as fervent.

Especially Taegol's supporters, who thought Taegol had been dominating Moro from start to finish, their faces flushed and veins bulging with excitement.

However, those who didn't understand Nen abilities couldn't see the subtleties within those few minutes of fighting on the stage.

"The Thinker Moro…"

In the audience, a Nen user murmured Moro's name with a look of surprise.

Moro and Taegol had fought their way up to the higher floors, and their displayed strength naturally drew the attention of the contestants on the 200th floor.

Therefore, many 200th-floor contestants came to watch the match live.

As Nen users, they saw things differently from ordinary spectators.

"He… is getting stronger, rapidly growing stronger during the fight…!"

With his gaze locked on Moro, a 200th-floor contestant was stunned.

If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he wouldn't have believed that someone could show such rapid improvement in just a few minutes of combat.

This was also the sentiment of most of the 200th-floor contestants present.

They could see the change in Moro's footwork, from slightly unpracticed to skillfully executed.

They could also see Moro's terrifying adaptability, his rapid adjustment during high-intensity offense and defense.

This was the first time they had seen the other side of Moro after he "abandoned his contemplative posture," a truly terrifying side…

"Taegol is finished."

A Nen user who had achieved nine wins on the 200th floor stood up to leave.

When a blade loses its sharpness, when a punch thrown with all one's might can no longer injure, then defeat is inevitable.

And the fierce battle on the stage indeed lost its suspense.

Taegol had lost his sharpest claws, and Moro, having conserved his energy, only needed one opportunity to make Taegol fall to the ground instantly.

As Taegol fell—

The shouts from the audience abruptly ceased, replaced by expressions of disbelief.

Taegol had clearly been on the offensive…

Why was he suddenly knocked down by Moro with a single blow?!

In a certain seat in the audience, the handsome man who had been watching Moro intently suddenly stood up.

"There definitely is… an unknown power beyond my comprehension…"

The handsome man looked at the ring, his eyes filled with longing.