Chapter 24: The Fruit Grower

Ten days later.

Moro arrived at the city that houses Heavens Arena.

In this world, airships are the primary mode of transportation, though their travel efficiency leaves much to be desired compared to the airplanes of his past life. It had taken Moro a full ten days to travel from Yorknew City to the continent across the sea. He was fortunate that the immigration requirements for the country where Heavens Arena is located are quite lenient; otherwise, he might have wasted even more time.

It seems this nation positions Heavens Arena as its primary economic pillar. Consequently, almost every traveler entering the country is here for the sake of the arena.

As Moro stepped into the city, his first impression wasn't the architectural marvel itself—the towering spire reaching into the clouds at the city's center—but the sheer number of people everywhere. No matter where he looked—on shop signs, souvenirs, food packaging, or even the clothes and backpacks of passersby—he could see elements related to combat.

Immersed in this environment, Moro intuitively understood why it was dubbed a "fighter's paradise." It was no wonder that over 4,000 fighters arrived daily to register at Heavens Arena. That soaring tower was like a pyramid built of fame and fortune, compelling people to climb it at all costs. One didn't even need to reach the top; merely attaining a certain height was enough to reap endless flowers and cheers. Few could resist such an allure.

Sensing the unique atmosphere of the city, Moro sighed inwardly and headed toward the city center.

Heavens Arena is a tower-like structure standing 991 meters tall. With 251 floors, it is the fourth-tallest building in the world. Every year, over a billion spectators pass through its doors, and the revenue from ticket sales alone is an unimaginable sum.

Moro walked purposefully toward the registration desk. At that moment, a long line had formed. He made a rough estimate: there were at least two thousand people waiting to sign up. The area surrounding the registration office included a plaza and other facilities, where unique statues had become popular photo spots for tourists. As a result, the entire area, both at the desk and its surroundings, was packed with a sea of people.

Listening to the clamor coming from all directions, Moro lacked the patience to wait in line. He stepped out of the queue and headed straight for the registration desk. Along the way, he took the opportunity to observe those in line, his eyes acting like scanners, identifying the faint wisps of aura emanating from them.

Ordinary person, ordinary person, ordinary person...

He had walked the entire length of the line and hadn't seen a single Nen user.

Although he couldn't rule out the possibility that some were Nen users disguised as ordinary people, the likelihood was extremely low. Before long, Moro reached the front of the registration desk. Among the more than two thousand people he had passed, not a single one possessed the ability of Nen.

The power of Nen... it was a force that anyone could master with the right training. Yet, given the massive population, the number of Nen users was pitifully small. It seemed that the Nen users of Heavens Arena were mostly concentrated on the 200th floor and above.

That being said—

Moro stood beside the line, resting his chin on his hand with his eyes lowered, contemplating the feasibility of a certain plan. Since even a "fighter's paradise" like Heavens Arena rarely saw Nen users, could he perhaps play the role of an orchardist, giving "qualified" contestants a baptism... By doing so, he could artificially cultivate Nen users one by one. Then, once these apples were ripe, he could simply pluck them on the ring.

As Moro pondered, the staff at the registration desk and the people in line looked at him with strange expressions. His undisguised scrutiny as he walked past had caught the attention of many contestants. Some with fiery tempers had initially considered stepping out of line to teach him a lesson, but when they met his searching gaze, they felt an inexplicable pressure and wisely suppressed their impulses. Nevertheless, they took careful note of him.

At this point, those at the front of the line saw Moro walk all the way to the desk and stand there in deep thought. They were left in shock and suspicion, unable to fathom what he was trying to do. The staff member in charge of registration also looked at Moro with considerable curiosity.

A moment later, Moro finished his reflection. He decided that the "Orchardist Plan" was feasible and resolved to wait until after he had officially registered to decide whether or not to execute it.

"Let's register first."

Moro looked up and walked directly toward a bearded man who was preparing to fill out his registration forms. Sensing Moro's approach, the man instinctively tensed, looking at him with suspicion.

"What... do you want?"

As soon as the words left his mouth, the bearded man realized he was overreacting. This was the registration desk of Heavens Arena; surely no one would be stupid enough to cause trouble for no reason?

Moro reached the man, pulled out a stack of bills, and said politely, "Hello, I'd like to buy your spot for one million. Would you be willing?"

"Huh?"

The bearded man froze, his pen hanging in mid-air. The staff member at the desk remained expressionless, not rushing anyone. Those behind the man widened their eyes.

One million Jenny... it wasn't a huge amount, but it wasn't small either. In Heavens Arena, one would have to fight their way to the 100th floor to earn that much in prize money. The man quickly realized that simply rejoining the back of the line was far easier than the grueling struggle to reach the 100th floor.

"Deal."

The man handed his pen to Moro, took the money, and walked toward the back of the line without looking back.

Holding the pen, Moro stood in front of the desk as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"Welcome to Heavens Arena. Please fill out your details here." The young woman at the desk nimbly removed the form with the bearded man's name and replaced it with a fresh one for Moro.

"Thank you."

Moro smiled at the clerk and quickly filled out his information. Regarding his combat experience, he didn't fabricate anything, honestly writing that he had none. In truth, he didn't have any, and one of his main reasons for coming to Heavens Arena was to gain some. There was no need to take shortcuts.

After registering, Moro headed straight to the first floor of Heavens Arena. As a tower-like structure, the first floor had the largest footprint, housing 16 rings. Every day, the contestants who came to register had to undergo their preliminary matches here.

Moro found a seat at random. His arrival immediately drew the attention of a group of people. These were the ones who had entered shortly before him; they had noticed his strange behavior earlier and were surprised to see him cut the line.

Moro ignored their gazes and focused his attention on the combat in the ring.

"Not bad, they've got some moves."

Watching two contestants trade blows in one of the rings, Moro became genuinely interested. Putting the factor of Nen aside, some of the martial artists in this world were quite capable.