The Strongest Man on Earth

The light screen on the 130th floor of Heaven's Arena slowly rose.

The brutal battles of the previous three floors had already driven the entire audience's emotions to their peak. Every match had been earth-shattering. Now, everyone held their breath and stared fixedly at the teleportation array in the center of the arena—any opponent who had made it this far would only be more terrifying, more lethal than the ones before.

A faint layer of white light, nearly imperceptible, flickered over the teleportation array.

There was no earthshaking burst of energy, no deafening entrance sound effect.

The first thing that arrived was a heartbeat.

Thump.

It was soft, yet unnaturally clear, like a pebble striking a still lake and landing precisely against everyone's eardrums.

Then came a second beat.

Thump—

A third.

Thump thump—

The heartbeat grew faster, heavier, louder. From barely audible, it became a drumlike roar in the blink of an eye—deep, steady, carrying an oppressive force that seemed to crush everything. It traveled through the air and floor, making everyone's chests tremble along with it.

The entire venue fell silent.

Even the sound of breathing vanished.

Everyone widened their eyes as they watched a tall figure slowly emerge from the teleportation array.

He had his head lowered, the brim of his black trench coat's hood concealing most of his face. He walked extremely slowly, every step seeming to land on everyone's heart. His back was taut as a fully drawn bow, his shoulders tense, both hands buried deep in his coat pockets, his fingertips clenched tight.

No one could see his expression.

Yet everyone could feel the suffocating aura of a powerhouse emanating from his very bones.

Just standing there made the air feel thick and heavy, as if even raising an arm required tremendous effort.

"W-Who