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Chapter 15: Heading North
While Ronin rested, Uvogin and his group were hiding in a residential house, evading the police search.
The owners of the house, a young couple, lay dead in a pool of blood.
"I got careless," Uvogin said, sitting on the sofa. His eyes burned with frustration.
He wasn't surprised by Shalnark's arrival. Yesterday, he had received a message that Shalnark and Nobunaga were coming.
Kortopi had returned and told Chrollo about Ronin's abilities. The Boss was curious and wanted Ronin captured alive for study.
"Did he throw you off the airship?" Shalnark couldn't help but grin at Uvogin's battered state.
Seeing the bear-like man played for a fool was a rare treat.
Uvogin didn't deny it. "He wanted to kill me. If he hadn't spotted your puppet in the crowd, he probably would have sneak-attacked me right there."
The fall hadn't hurt him that badly.
The weakness was partly feigned to lure Ronin in for a counter-kill.
Ronin is too slippery.
That was Uvogin's honest assessment after two failed hunts.
"He probably sensed something wrong. But I'm curious how he found me," Shalnark mused.
He prided himself on his puppet control. He hadn't even looked directly at Ronin while approaching.
"He's improving fast. And he's cautious," Uvogin said.
Even pinned on the airship hull, Ronin had shown far more skill than in the forest.
"Where was the airship headed?" Shalnark asked.
"The Northern Continent," Uvogin recalled.
"The Northern Continent? Is he running blindly, or does he have a destination?" Shalnark pondered.
Uvogin stretched his soreness away. "We missed him this time. Next time will be harder. That kid... if he wasn't a Kurta, I'd actually like him. Brave, decisive, good combat instincts, and smart. Plus, he's arrogant enough."
"You rate him that high?" Shalnark was surprised.
"Yeah." Uvogin nodded seriously. "I bet as soon as we left, he hopped on another airship out of Yanshui. Finding him again will be your job."
"Catching him soon will be tough. I checked the passenger logs; he wasn't on them. He's traveling anonymously." Shalnark shrugged. "Anyway, we have work to do. Let's regroup with the Boss."
"More work? I thought we were done after the eyes," Uvogin grumbled.
"Cleanup. The Boss thinks there might be more clues to dig up," Shalnark replied.
Uvogin's annoyance vanished, replaced by a surge of killing intent.
"Good."
"By the way," Nobunaga spoke up, "Next time we find him, call me."
Ronin's abilities had piqued his interest.
Next time, I'll cut him down for real.
...
Heaven's Arena is located in the Republic of Padokea on the Northern Continent.
Seven days after the attack, Ronin arrived here after switching airships multiple times.
The city was steeped in combat culture. Even the taxi driver was chatting on the radio about who won today's matches.
Advertisements for the Arena plastered every street corner.
Muscular fighters walked the streets openly. Fighting was the fashion here.
The driver wasn't particularly chatty with Ronin, perhaps intimidated by his somewhat noble, cold appearance.
Stepping out at the Arena, Ronin looked up. He couldn't see the top.
According to the brochure he read in the taxi, this was the world's fourth-tallest building, standing at 991 meters with 251 floors.
It was the Mecca for fighters.
When Ronin arrived, the registration line stretched far outside the building.
Hundreds, maybe thousands, signed up every day. The brochure claimed 4,000 people competed daily to climb the tower.
Ronin took a form and joined the back of the line.
Name: Ronin.
Experience: 10 Years.
He wrote the truth for his name and a lie for experience—just like Killua did when he was 12.
It didn't matter. Heaven's Arena had no restrictions. Defeat your opponent, and you win. Above the 200th floor, weapons were allowed. Hence its other nickname: The Savage's Sanctuary.
Submitting the form, Ronin entered the massive arena.
The roar of the crowd washed over him instantly.
The spectator stands were packed. Below, sixteen rings were active simultaneously.
Referees called numbers, fighters fought, and the crowd cheered for every knockout.
Ronin's number was 2025.
He found a seat, watching the fights while waiting for his turn.
Surrounding him were other hopefuls waiting for their call.
Ronin's plan was simple: get to the 100th floor quickly. That would secure him a private room and enough money for daily expenses.
Then he would climb slowly, gathering intel on the world and finding the right mafia connections.
He also planned to take the Hunter Exam. The license was too useful to pass up.
This year's exam shouldn't have any freaks like Hisoka or Illumi (who already had licenses or weren't taking it this year), so it should be an easy pass.
The Yorknew Auction was in September. The Hunter Exam was early next year.
He had plenty of time to prepare.
.....
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