Why Have You Come

The death match on the stage allowed only one survivor.

Taegol had fallen, but he wasn't dead yet.

Therefore, this duel was not over.

After a brief moment of silence, the audience supporting Taegol erupted into frantic shouts, urging him to get up and continue fighting.

They didn't care about Taegol's physical condition; they only knew that if Taegol didn't stand up quickly, they would lose a lot of money.

However, no matter how much they yelled, Taegol remained unable to stand.

Moro's decisive blow had stripped Taegol of any chance to counterattack.

At this moment, he was like a newborn foal, constantly trying to get up, only to tremble and fall heavily back onto the stage.

Tap, tap—

Moro walked over.

His light footsteps sounded like a thunderous drumbeat in Taegol's ears, like the roar of approaching death.

He let out a low growl, struggling to rise, veins bulging across his forehead and temples.

But in the next moment, he coughed up blood and stumbled to the ground again.

An attack imbued with Nen, when striking a weak point, could inflict immense damage in an instant, practically signaling the end of the battle.

Taegol understood this very well.

"Life Span"

This was his Transmuter ability, essentially a combat ability focused on attacking weak points.

Therefore, Taegol knew clearly that having been hit in his "weak point," he had no chance of turning the tables and could only await death.

Yet, even so, he refused to accept this outcome.

"I forfeit, I forfeit...!"

Seeing Moro approach, Taegol croaked hoarsely.

Not far from the stage, the referee heard Taegol's words but showed no reaction.

This was a death match; a referee was not needed.

Moro arrived before Taegol, watching him struggle in vain, observing the defiance in his eyes as he resisted death.

"You don't even have this much resolve...?"

Muttering softly, Moro reached out and cleanly severed Taegol's last thread of life.

The Lv.5 on the back of his hand instantly became Lv.7.

He had leveled up twice, but Moro paid it no mind, slowly rising to his feet.

Taegol lay quietly on the stage, a corpse slowly losing its warmth.

Many gambler spectators in the audience let out cries of despair upon witnessing this, along with curses directed at Moro.

Moro ignored these sounds and walked towards the competitor's passage below the stage.

Having already secured victory, to finish off Taegol, who had lost the ability to resist...

Even if someone later condemned him for going too far, his heart would remain unmoved.

He was determined to kill Taegol.

Not because the match had escalated into a death match, nor because killing Taegol would grant him experience.

It was because Taegol had intended to kill him.

That was all.

Leaving the noisy arena filled with various emotions behind, Moro walked directly into the passage.

Even so, countless eyes still looked towards the entrance of the passage.

"This newcomer... is not to be trifled with."

A 200th floor contestant in the audience stared at the passage entrance where Moro had disappeared.

He had watched the entire match.

Although he sensed that Moro possessed an ability that allowed him to adapt and grow stronger during combat, he was still confident he could defeat Moro in a setting like the arena.

However, his subconscious warned him not to provoke Moro.

"Never mind, I'll focus on other newcomers."

This 200th floor contestant quickly made his decision.

He had specifically come down to the lower floors to watch matches, aiming to get acquainted with newcomers like Moro and Taegol who would eventually reach the 200th floor, thereby gathering useful intelligence.

His motivation for doing so was naturally to secure a crucial victory against these newcomers.

There were quite a few 200th floor contestants with the same idea.

For the match between just Moro and Taegol, over thirty 200th floor contestants had specifically come to spectate.

After watching the match, some contestants decided Moro was too difficult to deal with and immediately shifted their focus to other fighters still challenging the 200th floor, abandoning any interest in Moro.

Others believed Moro's strength was still too green and that they had a good chance of scoring a point against him.

These 200th-floor contestants, who specifically targeted newcomers, didn't see anything wrong with their actions.

Once you reach the 200th floor, if you don't want to be eliminated and lose your fame, fortune, and status, you have to find ways to win more matches.

They were merely acting in their own self-interest within the rules.

Of course.

If they were pushed to the brink with no way out...

Then they wouldn't mind acting outside the rules to harm others.

"You're not... trying to ask me for tuition fees, are you?"

On the corridor leading to the 190th-floor waiting room, Moro asked the long-ponytail woman in front of him with a half-joking tone.

The reason for his question was...

When she approached him, after introducing herself, she mentioned she had watched the recent match.

Naturally, she would have seen the footwork he used against Taegol in the arena.

"How could I... I don't have that kind of ability,"

The long-ponytail woman, Calista, immediately waved her hands in denial upon hearing Moro's words.

Moro smiled, seeing through her intention, "You want to know why I used your footwork, don't you?"

"Yes, but not entirely."

Calista shook her head upon hearing this.

"After losing to you that day, I've been watching your matches. I know you've been learning, learning from your opponents in battle. I was indeed surprised to see you use the 'Gazelle' footwork just now, but what I'm more curious about is..."

As she spoke, Calista's expression towards Moro suddenly became serious and solemn.

"The reason you can use the 'Gazelle' so well. I can feel it... you must have mastered some kind of secret, a secret I don't know, but it definitely exists."

"..."

Moro was slightly surprised and nodded, "I don't deny it."

"Then can you..."

A spark appeared in Calista's eyes.

"Are you here for this too?"

Moro suddenly interrupted Calista, tilting his head towards the corner of the corridor.

After a brief silence.

A young man with short silver hair and a handsome appearance emerged from the corner of the corridor.

The man was not surprised that Moro could sense him, because in his eyes, Moro's presence had become so imposing that he was willing to put aside his pride to investigate.

"Yes, I'm also very curious... about that kind of power, like a wall."

Facing Moro's question, the man first readily admitted, then frankly revealed his intentions:

"My name is Kashi Toru. If Mr. Moro can help me understand... then no matter what Mr. Moro asks, I will agree and do my best to fulfill it."

"Hm?"

Moro looked at the man with some surprise.

Beside him.

Calista stared intently at Kashi Toru.

A miscalculation... I should have stated my resolve first!