"Whoa, it's appeared again!
Manman's incredible form!"
Inside the venue at the 190th floor, the announcer cried out in shock.
A wave of commotion stirred through the audience seating.
On the ring, the second personality of Manman had awakened, and she clutched a bloody chunk of flesh in her hand—torn from the fighter she had just sent flying out of the ring moments ago.
If, at the 170th floor, Manman could still rely on protracted standoffs, waiting until the last of her aura to clinch a victory…
Once she rose above the 180th floor, the pure gap in martial-arts technique made it much tougher for her to maintain the advantage of her aura. Mainly her body was too frail…her aura level too low. Although she's older than Gon or Killua from the main storyline, strictly in terms of physique, she's miles behind.
She can't even compare to them physically, or even to Zushi for that matter.
In her latest few fights, Manman had really sensed the danger… Even though it wasn't fatal, she still had to awaken her second personality. Because relying on her usual battle approach, she would undoubtedly lose.
In Heaven's Arena, it's not purely about winning or losing by KO; a points system is also in play.
Once her opponent racks up enough points—even if Manman is still on her feet—she'd be judged to have lost.
So under that mindset, to avoid letting Xiang Nan down, Manman has started awakening on her own. That at least counts as some kind of progress.
Before, if she wasn't in mortal peril, she wouldn't awaken at all—so it's tough luck for her opponents.
Fortunately, these last few matches, Xiang Nan was present in the audience, specifically buying front-row seats right by the ring. Once he spotted any sign of Manman losing control, he would immediately unleash aura imbued with mental directives, forcibly making her stop. Otherwise…those opponents likely wouldn't have survived.
And you have to note, these Heaven's Arena fighters are a stubborn bunch—full of fighting spirit. Even when they realize how fearsome the girl is, they still refuse to give in, dragging it out to the bitter end.
In the original storyline, Killua only advanced to somewhere above the 190th floor before stopping. Because climbing that last stretch to the 200th floor was truly difficult—the skill gap among fighters at this point is worlds different from the lower floors, like an insurmountable gulf.
Manman's transformation also prompted the fighters and the crowd, both inside and outside the ring, to gaze on in shock. Aside from feeling this novelty, they were amazed—or downright scared—by her raw, ferocious fighting style.
That's precisely what people come to Heaven's Arena for: to experience this savage primal combat, to sense the bloodlust and intensity.
Right now, Manman is doing a perfect job of showing that. Her fighting style is beyond normal human instinct—completely flawless in its execution. Even someone who knows a bit of martial arts can't help getting fired up.
This also drastically contrasts with the timid image she displayed before. It perfectly satisfies the audience's thirst for curiosity.
Meanwhile, Xiang Nan, both hands stuffed in his pockets, had been standing up but now sat back down again.
He has exceptionally precise judgment over the flow of these matches. Just now, if he'd been a second too late in stopping Manman from going wild on stage, a tragedy surely would have happened.
This level of nuance in fight-reading is something even Xiang Nan back in the military couldn't have matched—it proves how much his combat experience and insight have soared during his time in Heaven's Arena. He can almost foresee how a fight's outcome will go.
Of course, fights at this level are quite simple for him.
Some distance away, a few members of that "Star Alliance" also witnessed the scene on stage, all looking grim.
Not a word was spoken.
"Unbelievable…"
One person's lips twitched dryly.
"Are these two really newbies? I know they have that 'protection period', but I'm starting to think they must at least be at the same tier as us…lowest would be an Extinction 4? No way they're truly Extinction 2 or 3, that's too absurd."
"There's always a gap among players…why are these two so strong? Must be their talent, I guess?"
"You're asking me—who can I ask?"
These last few days, the Star Alliance's internal discussions revolved around whether to teach Xiang Nan a lesson, maybe put him in his place. Who could have guessed this previously unremarkable Manman was actually so fierce and terrifying?
So if the group was in trouble before, now they had to rethink everything.
"Let's go."
Finally, one of them, wearing a heavy mood, walked away first. The rest quietly followed.
…
After Manman achieved another victory, evening arrived. Back in the fighter's private quarters on the high floors…
Xiang Nan, wanting to celebrate Manman's win, not only bought her a stuffed animal she liked but also prepared cakes, ice cream, and other treats—plus many new outfits for her to wear later on.
Manman felt content and happy.
"From the prize money you've earned so far, it's more than enough to pay off your debt. You do realize that, right?"
Xiang Nan, seated on a couch and watching the girl eat desserts, lightly laughed. "If you'd like, I'm good with us terminating our labor contract now."
Indeed, Manman's total winnings easily surpass 200 million Jenny. No matter how Xiang Nan tried to bury her in 'debts' before, she's definitely covered it all by now.
"You…want to abandon me?"
Originally cheerful, Manman's expression turned panicked the moment she heard that.
"I don't want that!"
She immediately said.
"Don't worry. I'm just asking for your preference. If you don't intend to settle your debt, we'll keep up our arrangement. And your money, I'll deposit it for you," Xiang Nan said with a wry smile.
"You can have it all. I don't need it,"
Manman replied earnestly, breathing a sigh of relief.
She didn't want to leave Xiang Nan because, if they parted ways, she wouldn't know what to do next, nor what path to take. Before meeting him, all she'd done was wait around for the Extinction Games to open—she had zero idea about how to grow stronger as a player.
Spending so much time together, she found Xiang Nan very dependable.
What's more, the bond they formed was something the girl—across her two lives—had never experienced. Xiang Nan was, in some sense, her one and only friend.
"Good. Then, as our little duo team, let's talk about the next steps."
Xiang Nan changed the subject.
"With your awakened second personality, reaching the 200th floor won't be a problem. I plan to set you up against a powerful opponent."
"You might take a beating."
He said.
"Will it…hurt?"
Manman timidly asked.
"Your talent already grants you immunity to pain. And once your second personality awakens, the main personality is basically asleep—so you won't even notice. The match itself will have little to do with your primary self," Xiang Nan responded, smiling.
Yes, Manman's choice of innate talent—and her tragic past—was precisely why she rarely felt physical pain. However, even though the system gave her some pain immunity, she still 'felt' something on a psychological level.
Meaning that in purely neurological terms, she wouldn't feel pain, but on a mental, emotional level, she was deeply wounded. So, until her mental scars heal, it's almost as if her special ability is wasted.
Pity, really.
"Alright,"
Manman nodded hesitantly.
"Another thing is about your illness. I'm having you fight a strong foe so you feel pressured; your second personality thrives under that pressure. I've mentioned before that, as a doctor, I might be able to treat your problem, but I don't want to. I'd rather see your condition deteriorate. It's your inherent advantage, something I can't have. Negative growth is still growth! And from how it looks, the main personality still dominates the second so far—you can voluntarily awaken, which shows progress…"
Xiang Nan explained.
"Oh…"
Manman didn't quite get it.
"Once you break into the 200th floor, get a taste of high-level battles…we'll then leave here and return to the military base."
"From there…we'll work on constructing our own Nen abilities."
"Given our current levels, we're done gathering what we can from Heaven's Arena. After a certain amount of growth, we can always come back."
"Alright, go rest," he finished, then got up to leave.
Reaching the doorway, Xiang Nan glanced back at Manman, wearing a half-smirk.
To top-tier Nen experts, even Manman's second personality is hardly worth much—just an easy victory. So there's no need for an invitation; someone will inevitably accept. If both sides agree, the match is arranged.
By 'you might take a beating,' he was rather understating it…
"There's no other way—this suits your situation, a unique training you need to endure. If you want to grow, that's the wall you have to climb."
That thought flashed across Xiang Nan's mind. He casually closed the door behind him.
~~~
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