Heaven's Arena.

A wonderous and magnificent skyscraper, one of the great attractions of the world, a soaring tower famous for its fierce martial artists. The tower spun all the way to the sky, further and further, all the way until it touched the clouds. There was a crowd of people surrounding it, entering and leaving, or even tourists taking pictures to bring back home.

This was the fourth tallest building in the world - Heaven's Arena! At a soaring 991 meters and with 251 floors, this was the heaven for all battle-ready martial artists. It was famous for hosting thousands upon tens of thousands of battles for martial artists to hone their skills and even earn a quick load of cash!

It was famous throughout the world, and was the building Karo was standing in front of - a wide grin on his face. A bold and powerful spirit ignited within him, excited to see what his new future held for him.

To be honest, he wasn't exactly too happy with Blackwood Redemption. It was a thieving group he had started during his desperate circumstances and as a way to help improve his surroundings, but it was in no way his "calling". He always had a hidden desire inside of him for adventure, a characteristic found in all of the world's elusive Hunters.

This was his opportunity to start a wild and exciting journey, in a place where fighting and battle was welcomed and celebrated. How could he not be excited?

"Haha! No point in just standing here, I might as well get started." Karo didn't hesitate and walked through the wide and open glass doors into an incredibly large lobby. Immediately he was hit with the roaring noise of hundreds or maybe thousands of people talking simultaneously. He shook his head and looked around. He was in a wide and vast lobby, with several desks scattered all across, all with a long line of people at each desk.

"Jeez, so many people? All I want is a fight!" An annoyed voice shouted out from behind Karo, clearly unhappy with the long line to register. Karo glanced behind him, curious at who was expressing their dissatisfaction.

It was a large and bulky man with crazy red spiked hair, with a vigorous and flamboyant appearance. He didn't even bother to wear a shirt, revealing his strong and robust chest covered in brown fur. A few people, henchman probably, surrounded him with cocky smiles.

He clearly didn't belong to the city, he was probably one of those people who trained out in the woods. He had a cocky and arrogant smile, and began pushing people out of his way, wanting to skip to the front of the line. Everyone stepped to the side for him, albeit being a little unhappy, couldn't resist his fierce appearance. He continued like this, all the way until a jet-black haired youth stood in front of him.

"Kid, move over! Did you not see everyone else move to the side?!" He lacked any kind of manners, rudely putting his hand on Karo and tried pushing him to the side, as if he was just dust. Surprisingly, he met tough resistance, as the slim youth in front of him didn't fling to the side like he expected. He looked down and met the deep and dark eyes of Karo Riverbliss.

"Didn't I tell you to move, punk!?" This time, the flamboyant man didn't hesitate, pushing even further. Yet once again, Karo only took a step backward.

"Who told you to put your hand on me? Get back in line - behind me!" Karo was slightly annoyed, frowning as he was pushed rudely twice in a row. He ungraciously grabbed the man's arm and fearlessly threw it to the side.

"Brat! You dare put your hands on me?" The man was now truly angered, raising his hand to slap the youth with full-force. A mere child wouldn't move over when asked!?

"Excuse me, two sirs! No fighting is allowed in the lobby! If you want to fight, it'll have to be in an organized match!" A lady's voice suddenly broke the tension, an employee running over in a pair of high heels. She was dressed in a pink dress with a fist in the center, the clothes for certified employees. She ran pretty quickly, clearly not wanting a fight to break out.

If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

At this time, there was already a sizeable circle surrounding the three, nearby spectators interested in who dared to stand up resist this mountain-like man.

"Fine! Give me your name, kid! I'm known as 'Red Mountain Guro', and I'll beat your ass once the fights get started. At that time, make sure to have this same rebellious attitude!"

"The name's Karo Riverbliss, and I can't wait to fight you too, Guro. Let me see if those big muscles of yours are just for show!" Karo spread his arms out, clearly unaffected by Guro's threat. He wasn't willing to allow some random person treat him like a pushover.

"Okay, that's enough! We'll get you two registered right away." The employee didn't want things to escalate any further, separating the two and sending them to different desks. She personally set up Karo's registration.

"That boy said his name is Karo?" Some spectators began to talk as the two left, wanting to spark up conversation. Many took notice of the youth who was unwilling to step to the side.

"So young, yet so brave, unwilling to move over for such a monstrous looking man."

"Not brave, suicidal! Does he really think he can fight this Red Mountain Guro? He must be mentally lacking!" Some really thought this way, doubting the youth's ability. After all, he was just too young. How strong could a youth who seemed to just be fifteen be?

Regardless of speculations, Karo quickly found himself at an empty desk with the lady employee. She cracked a warm smile, thinking to herself that the boy in front of her seemed kind of cute.

"So you said your name is Karo Riverbliss, fifteen, and come from Rose Grove City?" She asked, quickly writing down notes and organizing a profile for him.

"Yup. I was wondering if you could explain how things work at Heaven's Arena?" Karo looked all around him, still amazed at how large and tall Heaven's Arena was. He was used to attractions in Rose Grove City, but Heaven's Arena beat them all!

"Okay. So Heaven's Arena is split into 251 Floors. Each floor contains their own set of matches, with the higher the floor the stronger the competitors. The goal for any martial artist to advance to higher floors; where the competition is harder, the rewards larger, and the fights tougher!"

"Winning a match in the first 199 floors earns you prize money. By the 50th floor, the reward for a single win is 50,000 Jenny! On the 100th floor, you earn your own private room and get a million Jenny per win!" This news struck Karo like a baseball bat, causing him to widen his eyes. One million Jenny per win!? And only at the 100th level?

This Heaven's Arena was rich! Very, very rich!

"The 100th floor is where you should set your goals, there are very strong competitors there. Hopefully, you can reach there after a few months of training - if you are as talented as you seem!" The lady winked and smiled, liking Karo more and more.

"What happens after the 199th floor? You said that there's no more prize money?" Karo's interest didn't lie at the mere 100th floor! He wanted to ascend all the way to the top of Heaven's Arena, claiming himself as the top martial artist! However elusive this dream seemed, Karo couldn't help but dream it a bit.

The employee's eyes widened as she saw the faint desire in Karo's eyes as he spoke. She inwardly shook her head, she had seen that desire in far too many people. Little do those people know that reaching the fiftieth floor is already an achievement, not to mention the 200th floor.

At the 200th floor, only monsters and hidden dragons lie.

"The 200th floor is a different league. At that point, competitors are competing for glory - not money. The competitors there are people you can't comprehend, all of them are monstrous. The 21 highest ranked competitors are Floor Masters - they are the absolute rulers of Heaven's Arena!" The employee couldn't help but raise her voice a little bit at mentioning those famous Floor Masters.

They were legendary existences! Many of them were highly qualified Hunters that even the Hunter Association had to treat with respect!

But she also noticed the desire in Karo's eyes increase even further, only causing her to feel a bit of regret.

"Ah! Why am I speaking all of this to a child! For now, just focus on getting to the 100th floor, okay?" The employee calmed down and said with a caring smile.

"Uh-huh. Thanks for the help, Mrs. Okoro. You said my first match should be starting soon?" Karo appreciated the explanation, it finally gave him a clear goal to strive for. He smiled politely and stepped from the desk and went to the fighting lobby.

He was ready to reach the 200th floor, and eventually chase those famous Floor Masters.

But first, he had to climb his way to the 199th floor. Not to mention that buffoon 'Red Mountain Guro'.