The 200th Floor: Recreating an Iconic Scene

Leo returned to his private lounge, Room 2079. It was spacious and simply furnished, with a separate training area.

Shortly after he sat down, the electronic screen embedded in the wall lit up with a notification.

[Match date confirmed!]

Arena on the 220th floor

April 16, 3:00 p.m.

Leo glanced at the date. "The sixteenth. That's the day after tomorrow."

For the next two days, he immersed himself in basic Nen training.

There were no breakthroughs, but his aura reserves increased.

On the afternoon of April 16, at the arena on the 220th floor.

The crowd roared, and every seat was filled.

Word of Leo's undefeated record had long since spread throughout the arena, drawing far more attention than usual to his first match in the 200th-floor division.

As he calmly stepped into the ring, thunderous cheers threatened to blow the roof off.

The commentator's impassioned voice rang throughout the venue over the loudspeakers.

"This is a highly anticipated match! The unstoppable Leo, who fought his way to the 200th floor without a single loss, has entered the ring!"

"His opponent, Tuba, is a seasoned veteran with an impressive record of three wins and one loss!"

The referee stood in the center of the ring, reiterated the rules, then raised his right hand.

"Begin!"

Tuba wore a cruel, contemptuous smile.

He flexed the metal gauntlet on his left arm, and Nen Aura slowly seeped from his body. The process was sluggish—it took him at least three seconds just to establish basic Ten.

"Bad luck for you, rookie, getting matched against me."

Tuba licked his lips.

"But don't worry. I won't kill you~ At worst... you'll never stand again."

Watching Tuba's slow, crude aura control, Leo shook his head in disappointment.

Too slow.

Taking several seconds just to activate Nen and cover his body—against an experienced Nen user, those seconds were enough to decide the match.

It was hardly surprising, though. Tuba was clearly a self-taught Nen user who had awakened after barely surviving on the 200th floor. Without systematic training, he had figured everything out through instinct alone.

Tuba caught him shaking his head.

His expression changed abruptly, and fury surged through him.

He remembered how full of confidence he had been when he first reached the 200th floor, only to have his opponent sever his entire left hand in a single move during his first match.

He had barely survived that crushing defeat, which had also unexpectedly awakened his Nen.

To compensate for his missing limb, he had trained relentlessly to conjure this metal left arm—immensely hard and capable of amplifying his strength.

"You dare look down on me..."

Tuba's face twisted.

"I've changed my mind. I'll break all four of your limbs and leave you helplessly screaming, living out the rest of your life in agony!"

He poured aura furiously into his metal left arm. Its armor glowed dark red, and he charged at Leo, raising his left fist high before smashing it down toward Leo's skull!

The punch whistled through the air with enough force to shatter a concrete wall.

Leo remained where he stood. He did not move or even assume a defensive stance.

Only when Tuba's fist was about to strike did he raise his right hand. The movement was not fast, but its precision was unnerving.

He spread his fingers and firmly caught Tuba's metal left arm.

The fist stopped five centimeters from Leo's forehead, unable to advance another fraction.

Tuba's vicious grin froze.

He tried to pull his arm back, but Leo's hand held it immovably, like an iron vise.

He exerted more force. The metal armor creaked, but he still could not break free.

"That's it?"

Leo looked up at him, his lips curving in disdain.

"You can't even throw a decent punch, and you claim to know Nen."

Before he finished speaking, Leo suddenly tightened his right hand.

Crack, crack, crack—!

The shriek of twisting metal rang out.

Under Leo's five fingers, Tuba's metal left arm began to warp and cave in like a drink can crushed by a hydraulic press.

Tuba's eyes widened in terror. Before he could speak—

Leo let go and simultaneously drove his right fist forward, wrapped in Ko.

A simple straight punch struck Tuba squarely in the chest.

Thud!

The dull impact boomed like a drum.

Tuba flew backward, tracing an arc through the air before falling out of the ring and slamming heavily into the floor.

A distinct fist-shaped dent caved in his chest. His body convulsed violently, and blood poured from his mouth and nose. He looked unlikely to survive.

Leo calmly withdrew his fist, slowly drawing in the Nen Aura surrounding him.

The entire arena on the 220th floor fell silent in an instant.

The spectators gaped, their expressions frozen.

Everyone who had expected a fierce battle now sat utterly stunned.

It took the referee two seconds to react. He hurriedly jumped out of the ring to check Tuba's condition. Ten seconds later, he returned to the ring and raised his hand to announce the result.

"Tuba is unable to continue! Leo wins by knockout!"

The silence broke, giving way to even louder cheers.

The commentator shouted excitedly.

"Congratulations to Leo on securing his first victory! His undefeated streak continues!"

Leo did not linger. He walked straight out of the ring.

As he passed through the competitors' passage, the tattoo on the back of his hand grew warm.

[Level: 27 (76%)]

His progress had increased by 15%.

Leo would not hold back against someone like Tuba. If he survived, it simply was not his time to die. If he died, he had only his own lack of strength to blame.

After securing his first win, Leo went to the registration desk and filled out another form, once again checking "Available to fight anytime." Then he returned to his lounge to continue training.

Five days passed without another match notification.

Leo's debut had been too shocking. Taking down a veteran with three wins and one loss in a single punch had made the other competitors in the 200th-floor division wary of his overwhelming strength.

Those who lacked confidence in their own strength could not gauge Leo's limits and chose to wait and see.

Leo was happy to enjoy the peace.

He established a strict training schedule. Mornings were for physical conditioning and refining his combat techniques, afternoons for practicing the four major principles of Nen, and evenings for meditation and recovery.

On the afternoon of the sixth day, Leo decided to unwind by watching a match and check whether Wing was still at the arena.

He arrived at the arena area on the 190th floor.

A match had just ended. The winner was a blue-haired woman—Sophia.

There was blood on her face, and her right eye was slightly swollen, but her eyes shone brightly.

Her opponent lay unconscious in the ring.

The referee raised Sophia's hand and declared her the winner. She had earned the right to advance to the 200th floor.

Leo raised an eyebrow.

A week earlier, he had defeated this woman in an instant. Now, however, it seemed she had not lost heart at all. Instead, she had clearly improved.

She had abandoned those flashy, impractical high kicks. Her attacks were cleaner and more efficient, and her defense was steadier.

Sophia faced the stands and bowed slightly in thanks.

When she raised her head, her gaze met Leo's in the audience.

Leo smiled faintly and waved to her in greeting.

Sophia paused, then nodded and turned to leave the ring.

"Hmm... she's made it to the 200th floor too."

Leo murmured to himself.

"Should I try talking her out of it?"

He knew how brutal the 200th floor was. Those who did not know Nen often met a terrible fate in their first match there.

Losing hands or feet was commonplace. The lucky ones might survive and awaken Nen; the unlucky ones died right in the ring.

Sophia had both talent and perseverance. It would be a shame if she were crippled on the 200th floor just like that.

After a moment's thought, a mischievous smile curved Leo's lips.

He decided to show a little "kindness" and help this lost lamb.

Sophia packed her belongings and changed into clean casual clothes.

Standing in the elevator, she watched the floor numbers change, her heartbeat involuntarily quickening.

"The 200th floor. I finally made it!"

The elevator doors opened. She took a deep breath and stepped out.

The corridor was spacious and quiet, utterly different from the clamor of the lower floors.

Following the signs, she headed toward the registration desk.

After she had walked about twenty meters, something suddenly changed.

An invisible pressure surged from the depths of the corridor, enveloping her as though it were tangible.

Sophia's hair stood on end. She instinctively retreated two steps, her heart pounding wildly.

What was that?

It was clearly just an ordinary passage, yet she felt as though she were in a jungle, caught in the sights of a vicious predator.

Cold sweat beaded on her forehead. She clenched her teeth and forced herself to keep moving.

The farther she went, the greater the pressure became.

That presence was cold and heavy, filled with undisguised malice.

Sophia's breathing grew rapid. Her legs felt like lead, and every step became agonizingly difficult.

She understood now—this presence was directed at her.

By the time she reached the middle of the corridor, she could barely hold on.

Her instincts screamed at her to flee, but her willpower ruthlessly suppressed the urge.

Sophia stopped and shouted furiously down the corridor.

"Who are you? Come out! Stop playing games!"

The moment she finished speaking, the pressure surged.

A figure slowly emerged from the shadows at the far end of the corridor.

His hands were in his pockets, his steps casual, and a faint, ambiguous smile rested on his face.

Leo!

Sophia's pupils contracted, her face filled with shock.

She knew Leo was strong, but she had never imagined... he was this strong.

The mere presence he exuded left her barely able to stand.

Leo stopped ten meters in front of her and shrugged.

"It's me."

His tone was relaxed, as though the terrifying pressure from moments earlier had nothing to do with him.

"As someone who got here before you..."

Leo continued, his smile unchanged.

"I don't want you throwing your life away, so here's a little advice—it's far too early for you to set foot on this floor."

With that, he raised his right hand and extended it loosely toward Sophia.

Even more terrifying malice swept over her!

Sophia felt as though the air around her had solidified. An invisible force squeezed her body and her will.

She stumbled backward repeatedly before finally giving out and dropping onto her backside. Bracing her hands against the floor, she gasped for breath.

Cold sweat soaked her back.

Leo laughed inwardly.

He had modeled this routine on Hisoka's iconic scene—using powerful Nen Pressure and bloodlust to intimidate Gon and Killua. Sure enough, it worked well.

What surprised him, however, was that Sophia struggled back to her feet.

Her legs trembled, her face was deathly pale, and blood seeped from the corner of her mouth where she had bitten down too hard—but she still stood up, leaning against the wall and staring fiercely at Leo.

Leo raised an eyebrow. This woman was far more tenacious than he had expected.

With a thought, he slightly increased the intensity of his Nen Pressure.

Sophia swayed. The fingernails of the hand braced against the wall turned white from the strain.

She did not fall again. Instead, she used every ounce of strength to hold herself up, the stubbornness in her eyes undiminished.

Leo shook his head helplessly and offered her a hint.

"Once you've mastered the power to face me head-on, you'll be qualified to set foot on the 200th floor."

A flash of light appeared in Sophia's eyes at those words.

She took a deep breath and made a decision Leo had not expected—

She dropped to both knees and bowed deeply, pressing her forehead to the floor before him.

Summoning all her strength, she spoke in a trembling yet remarkably resolute voice.

"I want to reach the 200th floor! I want everyone to stop looking down on me! I want to grow stronger! I want to master this power—!"

She raised her head, her eyes gleaming with a light that bordered on madness.

"I want to become your student! Please, you have to teach me!"

Leo fell silent.

He looked at Sophia kneeling on the ground. Her face, smeared with blood and sweat, was filled with defiance and longing.

That look in her eyes... he had seen it before.

In the secret realm, in the mirror, in his own eyes.

After a moment, Leo gave a resigned smile, lowered his right hand, and turned toward the lounge.

Sophia watched him walk away, a flicker of unwillingness to give up crossing her eyes.

She glanced toward the registration desk nearby, then back at Leo's receding figure, her fists clenching tightly.

Just when she thought all hope was lost, Leo's voice came from up ahead.

"What are you still standing there for?"

Sophia whipped her head around.

Leo stood at the corner of the corridor, turned sideways to look at her, his expression calm.

"Come on."

Joy instantly lit up Sophia's eyes.

She scrambled to her feet and hurried after him, not even bothering to brush the dust off herself.

The two of them disappeared down the corridor, one following the other.