Amid the thunderous cheers of the crowd, Moro walked into the tunnel leading out of the arena.
Even as he left the venue, the deafening roar of the spectators still echoed behind him.
"Was my opponent just too weak…?"
Moro glanced back toward the entrance of the tunnel.
His opponent, Mairi, was likely a Reinforcement-type Nen user.
Though he couldn't be completely sure—because the match had ended far too quickly.
Based on his observations, Mairi seemed to have developed an ability that enhanced the flexibility and resilience of his body, allowing him to launch unexpected counterattacks in close combat.
But to Moro, this ability was misguided.
Just days ago, he had faced Yamen, a textbook Reinforcement-type Nen user, and experienced firsthand the overwhelming close-range pressure that came with it.
Compared to Yamen, Mairi had completely abandoned the raw power that made Reinforcement so fearsome, opting instead for a more agile and flexible approach.
Not that this strategy was entirely unworkable.
After all, Nen abilities offer limitless possibilities, and fighters can evolve in countless directions.
However—
"If you're going to commit to a path, then you should fully develop every aspect of it."
For someone with Mairi's ability, the logical next step should have been to refine techniques like "Gyo" and "Ryu", ensuring his attacks and defenses were optimized.
That way, he could have fully harnessed the potential of his ability.
From what Moro saw, Mairi had definitely honed his ability itself, which was why he had managed to execute a near-flawless, snake-like assault in the first round.
But—
He failed to balance his development.
A Nen ability alone isn't enough.
You need a clear combat strategy and the technical skill to execute it.
Without both, your ability will never reach its full potential.
Mairi had missed this crucial lesson, which was why he had suffered a crushing defeat in the second round.
This was the fundamental weakness of many self-taught Nen users.
It only reinforced the importance of having a proper mentor.
Take Kurapika, for example—
He had gone from a complete beginner to someone with profound knowledge of Nen within just a year.
Of course, his exceptional talent played a role.
But more importantly, he had found a master with deep expertise in Nen.
When it comes to Nen training, a good teacher makes all the difference.
Just look at the strongest young fighters of this generation—Sanbika, Menchi, Yamen—
Every single one of them had a powerful mentor guiding them.
Moro, on the other hand, never had a master.
Technically, he was self-taught.
And yet—
He would never make the same mistakes as Mairi.
The difference?
Moro was willing to take the time to think, analyze, and plan his growth.
"Before you can take shortcuts, you need to know the full path first."
Moro looked ahead, his mind clear.
"Maybe it's not that Mairi was too weak… maybe I've just gotten that much stronger."
So far—every step he had taken had been the right one.
And as long as he kept pushing forward—
The future would reward his efforts.
Moro shook off his distractions and continued walking.
For most fighters, the roaring cheers of the crowd were an addictive drug.
But Moro had no hesitation in leaving them behind.
Because he knew—those cheers weren't what he needed most.
Even as he disappeared from view, the cheers continued.
Inside the arena, the Floor Masters who had watched the match were deep in thought.
They had personally witnessed Mairi's defeat.
And that made them realize something terrifying—
"The boy replacing Mairi in the Battle Olympics… is a beast who has finally bared his fangs."
The Predator Revealed
"So this is his 'true' strength."
One of the Floor Masters stared at the tunnel where Moro had vanished.
Even during Moro's climb to 10 victories, some of them had noticed that he was holding back—
Winning each fight by the narrowest margin possible.
The reasoning was obvious.
He wanted to reach 10 wins as quickly as possible, without drawing too much attention.
But after his fight with Yamen, some of them noticed that Moro had begun revealing his power.
And now—after Mairi's devastating loss—
There was no doubt left.
"The beast has finally stopped pretending. And now he's hunting openly."
A sense of unease spread through the other Floor Masters.
Many of them had watched the match live.
Others had watched via broadcast.
Among the viewers, there were two particularly dangerous men.
One was Hisoka, watching for his own amusement.
The other—
Was the two-time reigning Battle Olympics champion.
At the very top of Heaven's Arena, in the penthouse suite, a man sat alone in a luxurious lounge.
He sat by a massive floor-to-ceiling window, enjoying his extravagant meal.
In one hand, he held a pancake drenched in honey.
In the other, a sausage covered in spicy chili sauce.
His eyes lingered on the now blank TV screen, as he muttered:
"His timing is sharp… If I face him in the finals, I'll need to be careful."
Then—
With deliberate slowness, he took a bite of his pancake, savoring the honey before licking his fingers clean.
A moment later, his expression changed entirely.
From calm and calculating, he suddenly became wild and aggressive.
"Tch—who cares?! If I meet him, I'll just punch him into the floor!"
His face twisted into a manic grin, shifting from cool-headed strategist to unstable berserker.
Without hesitation, he bit into the spicy sausage, his mouth now burning with chili oil.
The Knock at the Door
Meanwhile—
Back in his private room, Moro had already returned.
Before dinnertime, he always trained alone.
Today was no exception.
Since he still had unused reserves of Aura, he decided to focus on enhancing his "Ren", fully releasing his Nen energy to push his limits.
Then—
Knock, knock.
A sudden knock at the door interrupted his concentration.
Moro stopped his training and approached the door.
Peering through the peephole—
He saw Biscuit Krueger standing outside.
Instantly, he hesitated.
"Do I really want to open this door?"
After all—
Just a few days ago, Biscuit had publicly embarrassed him.
Of all the notorious figures from the original story he had encountered so far—
Biscuit was the hardest one to handle.
Even Hisoka was easier to deal with.
"What, are you going to make me wait all day?"
Biscuit's voice came through the door.
Clearly, she knew he was standing there but refusing to open it.
Moro sighed and finally opened the door.
There stood Biscuit, arms crossed, looking smug.
"I'm not proposing." Moro said flatly.
Biscuit blinked.
Then she realized—he was talking about the engagement ring joke from last time.
She stared at him, speechless.
"Moro, I came here to discuss something serious."
"I really don't want to propose."
"（°Д°）…?"
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50 Powerstones? (5 Bonus Chapters)
20 Advance Chapters: patreon.com/milezen