Chapter 21: The Treasure of the Endless Dreamer's Game!
Illumi.
9 matches — 7 wins, 2 losses.
Haze set down the phone displaying the payment confirmation and glanced at the profile in his other hand.
This was his next opponent.
His record was impressive.
Of those two losses, one was only a registration match, not an official one — the ninety-day limit had expired.
He had truly lost only once.
Now, he was just one victory away from qualifying to challenge the OP.
Apparently, this person had proactively requested a match with the authorities — management consulted Haze's opinion, and he agreed.
In his later years, Hisoka became the OP after his match against Gon. His record: 11 matches, 8 wins, 3 losses. One of those was also a registration match. Moreover, Hisoka's record included six "no point" matches — meaning six opponents had died on stage.
He had lost a total of four points in all matches, three of which had been scored by Hua Shi Dou Lang.
According to the rules, he'd been knocked down once and struck three times.
Haze's rise to fame as a "supernova" came from his relentless string of victories, defeating opponents within seconds without losing a single point.
Many other rising fighters, despite their win streaks, still lagged behind him in total points.
Bip, bip. Bip, bip.
Nearby, his phone kept vibrating — endless payment messages pouring in.
A rough estimate suggested Haze had earned over 10 billion from the match against Jinsha — enough to sustain him for a while.
Ten billion wasn't much in the Hunter world, but it was still an impressive sum.
He had Charles distribute the winnings across several casinos to avoid suspicion. Otherwise, if one casino alone lost ten billion, they'd definitely investigate — and that could bring trouble.
Besides, with odds that high, he could only pull the trick once.
He couldn't repeat the same scam again.
Even outside the Eubian Continent, the Republic of Bartokia remained home to rampant underground forces and syndicates — a major hub for the criminal underworld.
Although the Ten Donss might have seemed like weaklings in the original story, that was only because they'd crossed paths with the Ryodan and the Zoldycks — monsters that made anyone look like trash in comparison. There was a reason the Mafia could span continents and control over 90% of global industries.
"Seven wins, two losses, only five points conceded… Not someone to underestimate."
The profile photo showed a man with dreadlocks, a lollipop in his mouth, flashing white teeth and a confident smile.
"You… must be over the 200th floor. A real giant…"
Haze smiled faintly at the photo.
He had a feeling — the fight he'd been waiting for had finally arrived.
...
Bang! Bang! Bang!
A few days later — the scene shifted to the Heavens Arena ring, where two figures, their bodies blazing with aura, clashed in a storm of punches and kicks.
Haze was on the defensive, arms raised to guard his head, eyes darting side to side, reading the opponent's aura, watching every move.
Then — the dreadlocked man moved too fast!
Tch!
A dark blur lashed out, striking Haze's forearm — the impact sent him sliding several meters across the floor.
In front of him, Illumi — the man with the dreadlocks — stopped, his body swaying rhythmically like an agile boxer, headphones dangling from his head as if still listening to music.
"Hey… what's wrong? Not gonna fight back?"
Illumi raised a brow at Haze's defensive stance. "Analyzing my fighting style? Hah… useless."
With that, the man vanished in an instant.
"Left abdomen!"
Haze's pupils shrank — he dropped his arm to block, reinforcing his defense with telekinesis to maximize his aura's strength.
But the strike didn't come — it feinted by inches, instead landing a brutal uppercut to Haze's chin!
Haze's feet left the ground — his body flung backward.
Even as he lost balance, his five fingers slashed like tiger claws toward Illumi's face — but the dreadlocked man tilted his head, whistling as he dodged effortlessly.
Midair, Haze twisted his torso, using sheer physical control to spin and land backward — one hand digging into the brittle floor, carving a trench as he barely avoided falling off the stage.
"Haze's under pressure… He looks completely passive! Can he turn this around?"
The commentator shouted in excitement. After all, Haze had never been this slow since entering Heavens Arena. Even when he lost before, people suspected something had been off.
Steeling himself, Haze kicked off the ground, charging like a cannonball straight at the dreadlocked man.
Illumi smiled, still bouncing lightly, weaving back and forth — Haze's hands were as sharp as blades, slicing the air with audible shrieks, yet he couldn't land a single hit.
Almost every blow missed.
The stone beneath them cracked under Haze's strikes.
His offensive arsenal was vast — he used clever tricks, scattering gravel to obscure vision or using his iron vest to counterattack after taking hits — but still, no real damage.
Mostly because… Illumi dodged everything.
Even his aura blocks were useless.
Outside the ring—
Wing watched the fight unfold and turned to Bisiji. "Master…"
"This Haze probably hasn't fought many true masters. Nen users have tiers too. He's fought ordinary users, but the rhythm of a battle with a real master is completely different. His Nen manipulation is skilled, but his transition speed is too slow. A true expert can combine multiple Nen techniques within seconds — fluidly. It's not a matter of talent, but of experience."
Bisiji smirked. "He's been using 'Ken' to reinforce his whole body because he can't pinpoint his opponent's next strike. Even with good aura perception, once the enemy shifts rhythm, his awareness lags behind."
"What do you mean?"
Wing looked lost.
He couldn't analyze a battle of this level — he had to rely entirely on Bisiji's insight.
"The arena's size and penalty rules prevent him from defending or dodging indefinitely, so it's a straight-on clash! Once the dreadlocked guy closes in — even if Haze predicts the attack's trajectory — it's useless. There's always a delay between perception and impact. Skilled fighters can alter their strike's angle or speed within milliseconds. Haze's defenses depend on aura sensing, neural processing, and instinctive reaction — it's too extreme a demand."
Seeing Wing's confusion, Bisiji lifted a finger.
"Think of it like this — imagine a bullet. You see it fired, and you react to dodge. The bullet's one meter away, moving at a constant speed — but then suddenly, in that last meter, it accelerates several times faster, or even stops, curves around your neck… and hits you from behind. Could you still dodge it?"
"Human perception and processing take time."
"…"
Wing fell silent.
"You can dodge — but only if you can change with the bullet. That's rhythm."
When she finished, Bisiji tilted her chin proudly. "That brat Haze — he's clearly being toyed with. He's relying on his raw power and aura reserves to endure, but he's been using Ken too much. Even if he has tons of energy, he'll burn out soon."
"His fundamentals are solid. But his advanced techniques — Ken, Ryu, and En — are underdeveloped. He can manage them in daily life, but in a high-intensity battle, it's a different story. He's inexperienced — that's why he came to Heavens Arena."
Bang!
As she spoke, Haze was knocked down again, bloodied. One arm hung limp and useless.
"See? That's what happens. His aura output is collapsing. Nen battles require precise aura management — not a drop can be wasted, or you'll die."
Bisiji seemed unsurprised.
"His offense looks varied, but his combat strategy is narrow. Without Nen as support, even a strong body and martial skill are meaningless."
Wing seemed to grasp something. Bisiji nodded.
"That Illumi guy…"
Wing looked at him again.
Bisiji understood. "He's probably a Transmuter. Those headphones — likely tied to his ability. His rhythm changes with the music: fast, slow, unpredictable. That's why the brat can't keep up."
"Accelerating?"
Wing adjusted his glasses.
"Mhm. His top speed so far is ten times his initial one."
"Why doesn't Haze use his ability? He's only used telekinesis so far… What's his real power?"
Wing frowned.
"No idea," Bisiji said. "He hasn't used it yet."
"What?"
Wing froze.
Why?
At that moment, the fight took a dire turn.
Illumi stepped forward, swinging his arms, approaching Haze — who was panting heavily. Despite his bright smile, his eyes were cold.
"Not bad. You've managed to keep up this Haze. Honestly, you've exceeded my expectations a bit."
"…"
Haze frowned.
He realized he couldn't lift his left arm anymore.
His opponent's telekinetic finesse was just as sharp — but the difference lay in experience.
His every thought had been read.
If only he'd had one or two more years to refine his technique… he wouldn't be in this mess.
But then again — wasn't this exactly why he'd come to Heavens Arena?
"You've seen my record, right? You know I've killed a few worthless folks on stage… mind if I add your name to the list?"
Illumi's grin widened, his tone turning sinister. "Hahaha… relax, I'm just kidding."
"I'm in a good mood today. Don't really feel like killing anyone…"
He looked at Haze as though he were a fish laid out for slicing.
Victory was already his.
"Wanna admit defeat?"
Illumi spread his hands playfully.
"Even if I don't kill you, one more hit and you'll lose by the rules anyway… But hey, what if I don't hold back next time?"
"Ah."
Before he could finish, Haze suddenly laughed softly.
"You're a Transmuter, right? You've been using that 'speed-change' ability of yours…"
"Hm?"
Illumi's eyes narrowed.
"Guess what mine is?"
Haze smiled, raising his right hand — calm as ever.
"You… you're not an Enhancer?"
The dreadlocked man looked startled.
Even without a clean hit, Haze's strikes had caused significant damage.
At that, Haze slowly lifted his head — a chilling light gleaming in his deep eyes.
"I hope… we can have a lot more fun later…"
His voice dropped low.
"The Treasure of the Endless Dreamer's Game!"
(End of Chapter)