A soft chime sounded—ding!—signaling that the elevator had reached the 100th floor. Satoru and Tsunade stepped out and headed straight to the reception desk to check in.
"Welcome, contestants. Please provide your participant number and the slip," said the receptionist with a polite smile.
"4298," Satoru replied and gave her the slip, followed by Tsunade.
"Got it. Mr. Satoru and Mrs. Tsunade, your rooms are ready. It's down the hallway on the left, rooms 777 and 778. Here are your keys. Please, enjoy your stay!"
After entering his single room, Satoru closed the door and turned his attention to Tsunade. "So, what do you want to tell me that you're being so secretive about?" Tsunade sat on the bed and looked at him curiously.
"It's about the weird energy you sensed from your opponent." Satoru leaned against the wall. "I accidentally overheard someone talking about it. He called it Nen, some life force energy this world's natives possess."
Since she had already had contact with Nen, Satoru decided to make up a few things and guide her into agreeing to his request. "Is that so?" Tsunade frowned but didn't doubt his words. "But it looked weak, though."
It looked like her opponent was only a novice and not enough to arouse her curiosity. "We can't judge it just from one fight. Just like you can't judge the chakra potential based on the academy students," Satoru shook his head.
"You have a point. Maybe there's some application to this Nen that we're unaware of at the moment," Tsunade nodded.
"Exactly... which brings me to my next request." Satoru averted his eyes. "Could I borrow a couple million points from you?"
"Huh, what for?" Tsunade frowned.
They had already established rules when they got the system ten years ago. Besides the points they pooled together, each of them could only use the points they exchanged themselves. Their current balance was seven million points, of which six million belonged to her.
"Well, I'm interested in the Energy Conversion Skill," Satoru explained. "With it, I could convert my chakra to Nen energy and use it freely without conflict."
"I don't know why you're interested in such a weak energy, but oh well," Tsunade shrugged. "I could lend you a few points as long as you owe me three favors."
"Deal," Satoru didn't hesitate. He wasn't even worried about her favors, as he knew she wouldn't put his life in danger.
Satoru mentally called the system and chose the skill he desired.
[Satoru wants to use three million points to purchase Energy Conversion (Ability). Do you agree?]
Once Tsunade agreed, Satoru closed his eyes and felt a weird sensation crossing through his body alongside a flood of information.
"So... how is it? Can you convert your chakra to this Nen?" Tsunade asked.
"Not yet," Satoru shook his head but didn't look disappointed. "I need to have contact with the energy I desire for the skill to work."
The purchased skill came with natural mastery, so he didn't have to practice using it. What excited him was that the skill was exactly like he expected. It allowed him to convert his chakra into any type of energy he wanted. Whatever it was, mana, Nen, divine power...
This was exactly what he wanted. Frankly, he didn't care all that much about Nen. Yeah, it could allow him to create his own unique ability, but so does chakra, albeit a little harder. But it's much more versatile than Nen.
But it still couldn't compare to real magic or a god's divine power. If he wasn't wrong, they would be visiting more worlds in the future, and being able to use their energy in advance was a plus.
"Well, that's disappointing." Tsunade didn't know his thoughts and found the ability quite unassuming.
"How about you? Won't you buy the skill?" Satoru asked.
"Nah, I'm good." She had yet to see anything that impressed her. So, she wasn't in a hurry to spend her points.
"Suit yourself," Satoru shrugged and didn't try to convince her. But he still made sure to keep the skill locked and wouldn't refresh in case Tsunade wanted to buy it.
"Oh, by the way, I forgot to ask you about the ring," Satoru remembered the way they came to this world. "Are you able to use it now, or does it need some recharge or something?"
Tsunade looked surprised before nodding. "You're right. It could only be used once a year."
"Damn," Satoru couldn't help but curse. One of their trump cards was gone just like that. He thought they could teleport to a new world if they ever faced fatal danger, but now it looked like the ring had a cooldown period.
"Don't stress about it too much. We could just keep a low profile until it recharges before heading to dangerous places." Tsunade stood up and walked to the door.
"Where are you going?" Satoru asked.
"To explore. It's boring to stay here all day."
"Don't cause trouble outside," Satoru warned.
"No promises," Tsunade smiled and left the room with light steps.
"She looks much happier," Satoru mused before collapsing on the bed. He needed to remember the plot and all valuable items that could be exchanged on the system so he could snatch them in the future.
"Ah, what a troublesome world."
***
Three days later, Satoru faced his first match since reaching the 100th floor. His opponent was said to be a martial arts master from the Kukan'yu Kingdom, one of the five strongest nations in the 'Hunter' world, collectively known as the V5.
Satoru's curiosity about the V5 had been piqued in his previous life due to the author's mysterious storytelling. He had even researched their background, learning the following:
1. Kukan'yu—Known for its ancient martial arts traditions, though detailed information is scarce.
2. Saherta—The country where Yorknew City is located, infamous for its black-market auctions. The country was currently leaderless following the assassination of its former king.
3. Begrossé—The only island nation among the V5, notable for having a crown prince over 80 years old.
4. Mimbo—A diverse immigrant nation where tensions between native and foreign populations were high.
5. Ochima—Neighbor to the Kakin Empire, with a peculiar tradition of kings alternating roles with their deputies.
"This match is a must-watch! On one side, we have Grant, a martial arts master from the Kukan'yu Kingdom! He is the founder of the Shattering Fist intent and current head of the sect."
"It's said he once defeated a 100-kilogram local strongman with just one finger! Will we witness his famed techniques today?"
"On the other side, we have the rising star of the Sky Arena, a mysterious Shinobi who soared to the 100th floor with back-to-back one-hit victories—Ayamaka Satoru! Let the battle begin!"
The two fighters locked eyes, silently gauging each other. Neither made the first move.
"Young man," Grant said, breaking the silence, "I've seen recordings of your previous matches."
"Let me remind you that martial arts is about strengthening the body and mind, not senseless showing off. Traditional combat should be a respectful exchange—"
_Whoosh!_
Satoru wasn't in the mood to listen. Without hesitation, he dashed forward, fingers aimed straight for his opponent's face.
"Young people these days have no respect for their elders!" Grant exclaimed, swiftly countering. "Take this! Dissipate, redirect, release!"
After exchanging a few moves, Satoru realized the old man wasn't just boasting—he had genuine skill. But it was nothing Satoru couldn't handle.
Suddenly, Grant switched tactics and shouted, "Behold my shattering fist!"
He unleashed a flurry of five rapid punches, but Satoru effortlessly dodged them.
Satoru was speechless about why the old man kept shouting his attacks, then he remembered that most ninja do the same before casting jutsu.
"What a chatterbox." Exploiting an opening, Satoru countered with a lightning-fast punch, striking his opponent's temple.
The blow left Grant reeling in pain, creating a perfect opportunity. Satoru didn't hesitate—his right hand formed a knife-hand strike, delivering a decisive blow to the neck.
The arena fell silent before erupting in cheers and curses. The referee quickly declared Satoru the winner. Without a backward glance, Satoru left the stage.
****
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