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Chapter 19: Milia's Plan
"Oh, right," Ronin said as if suddenly remembering something. "I forgot to mention. I've offended the Phantom Troupe. If I get too famous, they might come to assassinate me or snipe me in the ring."
Since they had signed the contract, Ronin felt he should be transparent.
Milia froze for a second as she sat down.
But she merely glared at him. "You look pretty relaxed about it, so I assume you have a way to survive. I'll assign you some bodyguards. If something happens, they can at least serve as an early warning system."
"Sure." Ronin accepted.
Milia thought for a moment, then asked, "If you fight them in the ring, can you win?"
Ronin understood immediately.
The Troupe members were A-Class Bounties. With the right marketing, a match against one of them would be explosive.
The betting odds would be insane. It was a chance to make a fortune.
Sadly...
Ronin shook his head. "I can't beat them. If I met one in the ring right now, I'd forfeit."
"Is the gap large? If I could boost your strength by three to five times, could you win?" Milia asked again.
This time, Ronin was interested.
"How long does it last?" Ronin stared at her.
"For three times the strength, 7 minutes. For five times, 4 minutes," Milia revealed without holding back. "Of course, this requires preparation. This is why I'm confident you can challenge a Floor Master."
She didn't specify her ability, but Ronin could guess it was likely a symbiotic-type Nen ability (like Tyson's Guardian Beasts or a loan type ability).
Ronin pondered.
If his strength increased fivefold, could he use B-Rank Ninjutsu?
Even without B-Rank Jutsu, converting that massive amount of Nen into Chakra would allow him to unleash terrifying Taijutsu.
He thought of the Eight Inner Gates.
Opening all eight gates was an S-Rank suicide move.
But opening just the first two—the Gate of Opening and the Gate of Healing (Rest)—shouldn't be harder than a C-Rank Jutsu.
Even without the Gates, a massive Chakra reserve fueling the Cherry Blossom Impact would let him unleash punches rivaling Uvogin's Big Bang Impact.
Maybe I really have a chance.
"We can try," Ronin didn't promise.
Uvogin was growing fast too. Next time they met, he would be stronger.
But if Milia could find him some Scarlet Eyes in the meantime...
"Good." Milia's eyes flashed with calculation.
Then, she suddenly pivoted. "I heard the Kurta Clan was massacred recently. Are you interested in the Scarlet Eyes? Do you want me to collect them?"
Milia connecting the dots wasn't surprising.
Ronin had practically laid the clues out for her.
"Yes," Ronin admitted. "They are one of the Seven Most Beautiful Colors in the World, after all."
"You said you had a grudge against the Phantom Troupe. Don't tell me the Troupe massacred the Kurta Clan?" Milia scrutinized him. "Or... are you a Kurta survivor?"
She shook her head immediately. "No, you're too calm. It doesn't look like an act. Your desire for the eyes is real, but it feels... greedy. Were you there? Did you try to get a piece of the pie?"
"Something like that," Ronin gave an ambiguous answer, steering the conversation away. "The killers will likely release a batch of eyes onto the black market soon. That's my target. I want to buy as many as I can."
"The price won't be cheap." Milia didn't press him on his identity. "Releasing the news of the massacre is a tactic. It tells buyers the eyes are now 'Limited Edition.'
"The price, already high, will skyrocket. If you want to buy in bulk, you need a massive amount of money."
Milia realized that Ronin's need for money was likely the real reason he agreed to the partnership, not the training.
"Yeah," Ronin nodded. "So the situation is: you find out when the eyes go on sale, and I fight to get famous and rich."
"Fine. Looks like I'll be busy." Milia flexed her fingers, but noticing Ronin's gaze, she quickly put her hands down. "Fighting more builds fame faster, but don't overdo it. Know your limits."
"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing." Ronin stood up. "I'll take the file. Call me if you need me, or find me in the 200th-floor residential area."
Leaving Milia's office, Ronin felt a sense of relief.
He couldn't fully trust Milia yet, but his gut told him she saw him primarily as a cash cow.
That was annoying, but safe.
Because Ronin was using her as a tool too.
Mutual exploitation.
This kind of interest-based binding was the most stable relationship—at least until a bigger interest appeared.
Ronin took the elevator to the 200th floor.
He had the data, but he still needed to register.
The rules changed on the 200th floor.
It used a Declaration System. Fighters had 90 days of preparation time. Within that window, they could choose any date to fight.
They could fight every day or rest for months. Every time a fight concluded, the 90-day timer reset.
If a fighter failed to declare a match within the preparation period, they were disqualified, and their record was wiped.
To "clear" the floor, one needed ten wins.
However, if a fighter lost four times before reaching ten wins, they were disqualified.
Reaching ten wins granted the right to challenge a Floor Master. Winning that match meant becoming the new Floor Master.
From floor 230 to 250, there were 21 Floor Masters.
The 251st floor was reserved for the biennial Battle Olympia, the ultimate symbol of status and glory.
.....
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