Chương 105: May First

Inside Heavens Arena's executive meeting room, the higher-ups gathered again as soon as Darwin confirmed the match date. To Heavens Arena, Aren's value was no longer that of an ordinary contestant or even a Floor Master candidate. He had become a key figure who might push the arena to another level. That made his Floor Master challenge extremely important. The moment they received Tour's reply, they put aside their work and gathered in the meeting room.

The middle-aged man in the main seat looked around at the department heads.

"Tour has confirmed the date."

"Marcus, publicity is yours. Build a new wave of buzz around this. We can use it to warm up the Battle Olympia later. In terms of direction, you may frame Aren as a likely participant in this year's Battle Olympia, but I trust you to keep the framing under control." A heavyset man at the table waved one hand.

"No problem."

"Lucius, you handle the venue. Your brief is simple: lights, ring, stage, commentary, referee. Give me the best. I will prioritize resources for you, but I also want something new. Understood?" The bespectacled man at the right side of the table answered with confidence.

"Leave it to me."

"Elena, sponsorship and advertising are yours. Tomorrow, organize a bidding process and send it to all of our old clients, together with Aren's traffic data from his previous matches. There are only five days until May first, so the schedule is tight. You'll have to work hard." After the only woman at the table nodded, his gaze moved to a slightly careless-looking man.

"Ake, you handle the same area as usual. Broadcast, network, and all technical matters. No mistakes." Then he looked around again.

"Does anyone else have anything to add?"

"No."

"Good. Then move. Everyone will have to work hard these next few days. Once this is over, I believe the bonuses will not disappoint you. If anyone has a good idea afterward, come directly to me." At the same time, inside Aren's bedroom on the two-hundredth floor, Neon lay on a training machine, drenched in sweat and breathing hard.

"Come on, Neon. One last set. Finish this, and Master will give you ice cream." Aren used Neon's surefire motivator. Ice cream. The moment she heard those words, Neon's eyes lit up. Somehow, she found new strength and completed the final set with a small grunt. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Aren picked up a towel and gently wiped the sweat from her forehead.

"Good girl. Go take a bath first. After your bath, Master will give you ice cream."

"Okay." Neon obediently walked into the bathroom. Her whole body was damp, and she felt uncomfortable. Besides, a hot bath followed by cold ice cream was perfect. Suddenly, the television in the room made a sound and turned on by itself. Aren raised an eyebrow.

'A reply came this quickly? Looks like he is very confident.' After staying in Heavens Arena for so long, Aren knew the television only turned on this way when official arena information was being delivered. A message appeared on screen. Match date confirmed. Two-hundred-thirty-fourth-floor arena. May first, eight o'clock in the evening. A Floor Master challenge took place on the challenged Floor Master's own floor.

After becoming a Floor Master, the entire floor theoretically belonged to that fighter, and could be remodeled according to personal preference. Only one place could not be changed. The designated arena for Floor Master challenges. Five days passed quickly, and May first arrived. Floor Master challenges were different from the ordinary matches Aren had fought before. They were not fully open to the public. Only internal members of Heavens Arena could obtain tickets.

For Aren's challenge, Heavens Arena spared no effort in promotion, covering nearly the entire Republic of Padokea. Many of Aren's fans bought memberships just to watch their idol's match up close. By now, the two-hundred-thirty-fourth-floor venue was full of noise. The whole arena had been remodeled in the style of an ancient colosseum. The central ring had been removed. The padded barriers that once circled it had been replaced by primitive stone walls.

The spectator area had been expanded into two large tiers, but even after Heavens Arena did everything it could to increase capacity, tickets were still in short supply. Many viewers from farther regions had failed to buy seats. Of course, such a large audience could not consist only of Aren's fans. Most of them were long-time Heavens Arena members and combat enthusiasts. After all, a Floor Master challenge might not happen even once a year. It was a major combat event second only to Battle Olympia.

When such a match appeared, members from around the world rarely missed it.

"Hey, what do you think of that Aren Voss? Is he really that strong?" In the spectator seats, three viewers from another region began chatting after sitting down. The people around them did not find it strange. Heavens Arena's fight fans were like this. Before a match, they habitually discussed and analyzed the fighters' strength and records. Someone nearby answered naturally.

"I don't think he's fake. His later five matches were controversial, but his first five wins were clean."

"Especially his match against Uvogin. You didn't see it. That fight shook the whole arena. Uvogin's punch smashed the ring apart."

"A fighter like Uvogin was already incredible, but he still couldn't scratch Aren. Does that sound like a fraud to you?"

"My guess is Aren just hated the long ranking wait and used some tricks to speed things up. In terms of strength, he definitely has Floor Master level."

"I don't think so." A fight fan seated below them turned around and joined the conversation.

"I heard Uvogin and Aren are close. Maybe that match was staged."

"As for the first four matches, one was a default win, and the other three were against fringe two-hundredth-floor contestants. Old fans like us know those guys too well. They specialize in picking on newcomers, which is why people call them newbie killers."

"Someone who plays those little tricks clearly lacks strength. Otherwise, why bother? So what's strange about Aren beating people like that?"

"In short, I think Aren is probably a pretty boy trying his luck. Even if he loses, he still gets the exposure from a Floor Master challenge. With that face, once traffic rises, money comes easily."

"Let me tell you, Tour has been a Floor Master for two or three years. He hasn't fought much lately, so his current popularity may not be that high."

"But back when he fought his Floor Master challenge, he beat the previous owner of the two-hundred-thirty-fourth floor to death in the ring. The corpse was awful."

"He almost melted the man into sludge. I mean that literally."

"Melted into sludge?" The out-of-town viewers were stunned. One of them wondered if Tour used some kind of acid weapon.

"No. I heard it was a vicious hand technique he trained since childhood. Bone-Melting Touch, they call it. One touch can dissolve a person's bones." The three viewers inhaled sharply at the same time. They had not heard that detail before.

'What kind of ability is that?'