Chương 104: Tour's Return

On the Yorbian Continent, inside Fos City of the Caldora Republic, a blond man stood on the balcony of a five-star presidential suite. A loose bathrobe hung from his body, exposing a powerful chest. He held a phone in one hand and spoke with a relaxed expression. Behind him, five lightly dressed women lay scattered across the large bed. Judging from their exhausted faces and sweat-damp skin, they had just finished an intense round of exercise and fallen asleep.

"Oh? A newcomer reached ten wins this quickly? And he specifically named me as his challenge target? Interesting." The blond man spoke into the phone with amusement.

"Tour, don't underestimate him. According to the information I gathered, this Aren Voss is dangerous. Since entering Heavens Arena, he has not taken a single injury. Even Uvogin, the contestant who caused such a stir recently, failed to touch him."

"And since he named you directly, that means he must have looked into your strength beforehand. If he still dares to challenge you after that, he must have something to rely on."

"Even if the information he found is only from two years ago, he is still not someone you should dismiss." Compared with Tour's ease, the voice on the other end sounded serious. The speaker was Tour's manager, Darwin. He handled Tour's business arrangements, sponsorship contacts, and communication with Heavens Arena. Just now, Heavens Arena's officials had contacted him to inform him that Aren Voss intended to challenge Tour's position as Floor Master. Tour had to return within ninety days and answer the challenge.

Floor Master challenges followed the same preparation window as two-hundredth-floor matches. If a Floor Master failed to answer within ninety days, the challenger would win by default and take the floor. Floor Masters were different from ordinary contestants. Most of them hired dedicated managers to handle commercial matters. Advertisements, martial arts schools, sponsorships, public appearances, and Heavens Arena communications all went through those managers.

Although they were Heavens Arena Floor Masters, they rarely stayed in the tower for more than a few days a year. They were too busy flying around the world to earn money. In a sense, fighters who reached the level of Floor Master were similar to first-rate celebrities with personal studios.

"Maybe that Uvogin and Aren were old acquaintances," Tour said lightly.

"Maybe Uvogin deliberately helped him." Love what you're reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

"Besides, you know my strength. Or are you questioning me?" His tone became dangerous at the end. To true masters, Heavens Arena Floor Masters might not be much. Even Battle Olympia was little more than a spectacle to certain top-level people. But to ordinary people, Floor Masters were among the strongest fighters in the world. Tour and Darwin had worked together for years. Their relationship was close, and Darwin had handled all kinds of matters to Tour's satisfaction.

But that did not mean he could question Tour's strength. Even though Tour was still smiling, the displeasure beneath his voice was obvious.

"That's not what I meant. Of course I know your strength. I just hope you don't get careless. I have a bad feeling about this Aren." Sensing Tour's displeasure, Darwin immediately became more careful. He was not the kind of person who grew reckless because of a close relationship. He understood clearly that his life and death still rested on Tour's mood. That was also what Tour liked most about him. He always knew his place.

"All right, all right. I'll keep it in mind." Despite the words, Tour's tone carried no real concern. Darwin sighed quietly and stopped persuading him. Tour had many good points, but his arrogance ran too deep. It was not surface-level arrogance. It was rooted in him. He seemed easygoing toward everyone, but beneath that attitude was a position of absolute superiority, as if everything should remain under his control.

"Fine. As long as you know what you're doing. I already sent tomorrow and the day after tomorrow's schedule to your phone. Tell me when you want to return to Heavens Arena, and I'll arrange the rest."

"Cancel them."

"What?"

"Cancel my activities for the next few days. I'll return to Heavens Arena tomorrow." Tour's tone remained casual. Darwin was silent for a moment.

"All right. If that is what you want." He had considered asking whether Tour wanted Aren's detailed file, but Tour's attitude already made his answer clear. He did not take Aren seriously. To him, Aren was only a small game that had briefly caught his interest. Tour had spent too many years around Heavens Arena. He knew the hyenas lingering on the two-hundredth floor too well. They lacked true strength, yet dreamed every day of becoming Floor Masters.

They played cheap tricks, thinking ten wins would somehow lead them to glory. After hearing that Aren's later wins were disputed, Tour had already placed him in the same category. A lucky pretty boy who barely scraped together ten wins. Nothing worth mentioning. Darwin swallowed his suggestion.

"Then that's settled." Tour hung up. He rested one hand on the balcony rail and looked at the crescent moon hanging in the sky. The curve of his mouth widened slowly.

"The moon really is beautiful tonight." Then he turned back into the room. He slapped the curviest woman on the backside. The impact made her flesh ripple.

"Ah." The woman woke with a cry, and the other four stirred beside her.

"Mm... what is it?" They sat up drowsily. Tour showed a wicked smile.

"Get up. We're not done." As he prepared to start another round of exercise, the balcony rail he had touched earlier quietly corroded and broke apart as if dissolved by acid. Meanwhile, in the Republic of Padokea, on the two-hundred-thirty-fourth floor of Heavens Arena, Darwin stared helplessly at the disconnected phone. Tour rarely stayed in Heavens Arena, but Darwin kept a permanent office on his floor.

Nothing made clients understand Tour's value more directly than an entire floor of Heavens Arena serving as his office. Darwin used the desk phone to cancel Tour's coming schedule.

"This is Darwin, Tour's manager. Tour has other arrangements, so he will not be attending your event. Later? Wait for my notice." His attitude toward the sponsors was firm. Tour's cooperation was a seller's market. If one client refused, countless others would fight for the chance. There were only around twenty Floor Master-level fighters in the world, so the market was never the problem. After canceling the schedule, Darwin arranged Tour's airship back to Heavens Arena.

Finally, after estimating the timing, he picked up the arena's internal line.

"This is Darwin, Tour's manager. I have informed Floor Master Tour of the challenge. He should return to Heavens Arena in about three days."

"Set the match date for May first." After finishing everything, Darwin leaned heavily into his chair. For some reason, unease still pressed against him. He could not shake the feeling that Aren was far more dangerous than Tour believed.

"I hope everything goes smoothly."