Chapter 11: Heavens Arena: The Money Pit and the Nen Enigma
[ ** SYSTEM MESSAGE: USER ADAM RICHTER. NEW OBJECTIVE: ACCUMULATE 20 UNIQUE DEATHS FOR SYSTEM UPGRADE LVL 1. CURRENT PROGRESS: 10/20. FINANCIAL REQUIREMENT: 10,000,000 JENNY. CURRENT JENNY: [CLASSIFIED]. ** ]
Heavens Arena. The towering monolith of combat, ambition, and copious amounts of Jenny. Adam stood before its colossal entrance, a mixture of awe and avarice washing over him. This place was a gold mine, both for literal money and for metaphorical, death-acquired skills. And after his little "controlled death" experiment with the mugger, his confidence, while still tinged with sarcasm, was at an all-time high.
" Alright, Adam, this is it. The big leagues. Or, you know, the slightly-less-small-leagues. My goals are clear: get rich, get skills, and try not to permanently annoy anyone who can vaporize me with a pinky finger. Looking at you, Hisoka. You glitter-allergic, terrifying clown. "
Gon and Killua were practically vibrating with excitement. Leorio and Kurapika were observing the sheer scale of the place with a mixture of curiosity and caution. Adam, meanwhile, approached the registration desk with the air of someone about to commit a glorious act of financial espionage.
"Greetings, esteemed purveyor of pain and fortune!" Adam announced to the bored-looking clerk. "Adam Richter, here to sign up for the grand spectacle! Do you have a loyalty program for frequent disembowelments? Or perhaps a punch card for concussions? I'm hoping to reach platinum status by the end of the week."
The clerk, a woman with tired eyes and a perfectly flat expression, didn't even blink. "Name. Age. Payment for registration."
"Oh, right, the boring stuff," Adam sighed dramatically. "Adam Richter. Fourteen, technically, but with the emotional maturity of a very stressed-out badger. And payment? I was hoping for a 'talent discount.' You know, for my sheer, unadulterated sass."
He paid the fee, which, thankfully, wasn't exorbitant, using some of the leftover Jenny from his dubious "hustles." He received his participant number and a brief rundown of the rules. He then joined Gon and Killua, who were already charting their course up the floors.
"Alright, boys, here's the game plan," Adam whispered conspiratorially. "We climb the ranks, we win the money, and we figure out how this 'Nen' thing works without actually having to, you know, learn it. My system's more of a 'copy-paste' kind of guy. Less 'study hard,' more 'die creatively.'"
He started his ascent through the lower floors of Heavens Arena. These initial fights were against utterly unremarkable opponents, mostly unskilled brawlers or ambitious amateurs. Adam made quick work of them, using his 'Enhanced Reflexes' to dodge clumsy blows and his 'Skin Hardening' to tank the occasional punch. He won handily, but he consciously avoided killing anyone. These were not the unique deaths he was looking for. He needed Nen users.
" Such a waste. All these perfectly good, utterly uninteresting people, just waiting to be defeated. If only they had some obscure, low-level skill I desperately needed. Like 'Advanced Toenail Clipping' or 'Expert Lint Removal.' Alas, a Hunter's gotta do what a Hunter's gotta do: win without killing. "
As he climbed, the opponents slowly grew more skilled. By the time he reached the 100th floor, he started to sense a subtle difference. A faint, almost imperceptible hum in the air around some of the fighters. Aura. Nen.
"Aha!" Adam exclaimed, nudging Killua. "Smell that? It's the scent of ambition… and invisible energy! We're getting close to the good stuff, my friend. The spicy stuff."
Killua, ever perceptive, just nodded. "Some of these guys are different. Faster. Stronger."
Adam found himself matched against a lean, wiry opponent on the 100th floor. The man didn't look particularly imposing, but Adam's 'Enhanced Sense of Smell' picked up a faint, almost electrical tang to his aura. And as the match began, the man moved with an unnatural fluidity, dodging Adam's attacks with ease, his movements almost like a ghost. He was using Zetsu.
" Alright, this is it! My first Nen-related death! Please, oh please, System, give me 'Zetsu'! Or 'Ten'! Anything foundational! No 'Basic Hair Manipulation' from some random weirdo, please. "
Adam launched into a series of feints and dodges, trying to force the opponent to reveal more of his abilities. The man was quick, too quick for Adam's current 'Enhanced Reflexes' to keep up with comfortably. He moved silently, his presence almost fading. This was Zetsu.
"Hey there, Mr. Spooky Ghost Man!" Adam called out, slightly winded. "Are you secretly a mime? Because you're surprisingly good at disappearing! Though I must say, your choice of combat style is a bit… understated. Where's the drama? The explosions? The interpretive dance number?"
The opponent, clearly annoyed by Adam's chatter, lunged with surprising speed, delivering a precise, seemingly unenhanced punch to Adam's gut. The punch, while not powered by Hatsu, was delivered with the precision of someone who could expertly suppress their aura. It was a targeted, silent blow. It felt like his insides just vanished.
Adam doubled over, a sharp gasp escaping him. The punch itself wasn't overwhelmingly powerful, but the way it bypassed his 'Skin Hardening' and landed so cleanly was unsettling. It was a punch that hit 'deeper' than it should have. He stumbled back, feeling a profound sense of disorientation. He saw the opponent's satisfied smirk before everything faded to black.
[ ** SYSTEM MESSAGE: UNIQUE DEATH DETECTED. SKILL ACQUISITION INITIATED. ** ]
[ ** SYSTEM MESSAGE: ACQUIRED SKILL: [B-RANK NEN SKILL] ZETSU (TEN). ** ]
" YES! Zetsu! A B-Rank Nen skill! This is huge! This means I can suppress my aura! Hide my presence! Finally, something actually useful for stealth! Take that, Hisoka, I can be subtly annoying now! "
Adam gasped, sitting bolt upright in his familiar inn room. He felt… different. A new awareness of himself, a quiet hum of energy that he could now, instinctively, suppress. He tried it. He focused, and the subtle hum of his own life force, his aura, seemed to recede, to fade inward. He felt almost invisible, though he knew it was just the perception of his own presence. He was at 11/20 unique deaths.
He quickly made his way back to the arena. He joined Gon and Killua, who were already deep into discussions about their upcoming fights. Adam just smiled. He had his first real Nen skill. This was going to change everything. His path to power was no longer just about physical abilities; it was about the very essence of life force. And he was going to exploit it for all it was worth.
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