Gourmet Hunter - Chapter 234 (Patreon)

Chapter 234: He's Here

Under the dim lighting not aimed directly at the ring, a packed audience and invigorating cheers filled the air, alongside the commentary from the announcer lady.

It was merely a contest at the fiftieth floor level, yet it attracted such a grand turnout, indicating that the world of hunters is indeed a martial one. It's no wonder then that hunter professions with lesser connection to martial prowess tend to be less popular.

"Come on."

Luo assumed his stance, gazing at Buhara.

With the strike that earned him two points, he had used only half his strength. Seeing that Buhara seemed unharmed, probably cushioned by his thick layer of fat, Luo realized there was no need to hold back any longer.

Upon seeing Buhara rise, the referee quickly retreated to the edge of the ring, watching the confrontation between the two fighters.

"These contestants are very strong. It’s rare for such powerful competitors to meet so early in the competition," the referee thought silently. The brief clash they had was something typically seen only in matches above the one hundred and fiftieth floor.

Suddenly, Buhara clenched his fists and thumped his chest twice, mimicking a gorilla's display of aggression.

Luo focused intently on Buhara's actions, puzzled by the significance of this move. Soon after, he saw Buhara change his fists to open palms, pushing forward as if there were a pane of transparent glass in front of him.

"This is a fighting technique I learned from Dafei," Buhara said solemnly.

Luo raised an eyebrow, curious. "Why did you thump your chest just now?"

Strange actions are often related to Nen, but neither was using Nen at the moment, so Luo was quite curious about what Buhara's gorilla-like chest-thumping meant.

Buhara explained seriously, "Dafei told me that an imitative action should be performed during an attack as a prayer, which is a custom of his people. So he asked me to think of one for myself."

"I thought about it for a long time and based on Dafei’s name, I came up with this prayer action."

Luo immediately understood, a few lines of irritation forming on his forehead—it was merely a cultural gesture, irrelevant to the combat.

"So, you chose a gorilla’s movement? What does that have to do with his name?" Luo remarked sarcastically.

"Our chairman calls him 'big gorilla', and I think it's quite fitting," Buhara chuckled, then suddenly moved. If before he was like a tank, now he was like a bulldozer.

"Mr. Buhara's courage is commendable! Despite losing two points, he still chooses to attack!" the announcer shouted.

This place is a paradise for fighters, where combatants from around the world gather, showcasing a myriad of fighting styles. There are always remarkable individuals who stand out.

Luo wasn't sure about the effectiveness of Buhara's pushing gesture, but he himself was using a heart-source boxing technique, which adapts to all changes—remaining calm and composed.

As Buhara closed in, his palms swept horizontally, then suddenly pushed out, creating a current of air. The upper palm aimed to cover Luo's vision while the lower palm struck towards Luo's chest, intending to cause severe injury.

Luo quickly adapted his stance, his fists darting like mantis arms into the gaps between Buhara's upper and lower palms, then striking upwards and downwards respectively, hitting the sides of Buhara's approaching palms.

With a double thud, Buhara’s palms were broken through; his right hand was lifted upward, and his left hand drooped to the ground.

Luo countered each move like prying open a shell, splitting Buhara's palms apart and then immediately stabilizing his stance to throw a punch at Buhara's abdomen, the motion flowing smoothly like water.

However, as Buhara's palms, raised and dropped, flipped over, they faced each other across the air and then snapped together like the jaws of a beast at Luo's approaching fist.

In that instant, if Luo chose not to withdraw, even if he hit Buhara's abdomen, his arm might be clamped between Buhara’s palms, likely causing a fracture.

"It’s too late."

Luo's thoughts flashed, swiftly concluding the situation and devising his next move—a feat he couldn’t have achieved a year ago but was now possible thanks to Biscuit's training.

He did not blindly attack nor blindly retreat; instead, he made a better decision in an incredibly short time.

His straight punch suddenly shifted to a sideways motion. At that moment, Buhara’s clamped palms emitted a loud clap and a burst of wind.

Luo dodged the clapping palms and maneuvered in a semi-circular arc

 downwards, transforming his fist into a palm and reaching below where Buhara's palms had clamped together.

Then, stepping forward, Luo struck upward from below Buhara's clamped hands, jolting them upward and exposing the area below his chest.

This technique, usually used in heart-source boxing to jolt upwards at an opponent's chin, was now utilized here by Luo.

After jolting Buhara’s palms aside, Luo turned sideways, his left elbow fiercely striking down into Buhara's abdomen.

"Bang!"

Buhara was sent flying by Luo’s series of brilliant counterattacks, but Luo’s offensive was not over yet!

After knocking Buhara’s hefty body into the air, Luo stepped forward, chasing after him.

Buhara’s body was too heavy; he didn't fly high and was about to land when Luo seized the moment to continue his assault, stepping downward onto Buhara’s abdomen.

During this series of attacks, Luo always aimed for Buhara’s abdomen because it was less likely to cause serious injury.

Although it was mentioned before the match to fight seriously, it still resembled more of a training bout.

With a heavy stomp, Luo landed his foot, but Buhara still had the strength to respond, crossing his hands to block the kick. However, he couldn’t stop the impact, and his body smashed into the stone floor.

In an instant, the hard stone floor cracked, spreading numerous fissures around.

"An excellent attack!"

The referee made a scissors gesture with his hand and quickly moved forward to stop Luo, preventing any further attacks while Buhara was down.

Luo stepped back to maintain distance, and the scoreboard showed he had earned four points, while Buhara had zero.

After holding Luo back, the referee approached Buhara and asked, "Can you continue?"

Buhara suddenly opened his eyes, stood up, his face filled with frustration, feeling overwhelmingly suppressed.

"Are you alright?"

Luo glanced at Buhara's condition.

"I'm fine." Buhara's injured area was painful, but he still had the strength to fight.

Seeing this, the referee stepped back to the edge of the ring.

"Mr. Buhara has gotten up again! Having lost four points in a row, can he turn the tide and catch up?" the announcer wondered aloud.

"Let’s go!"

Buhara continued to face Luo.

This moment, Luo changed his tactic, stretching out his right hand straight forward as the initial move.

He no longer relied on counterattacks but took the initiative to strike, confronting Buhara.

Amidst the roaring cheers of the crowd, the two exchanged dozens of moves, and eventually, the outcome was declared: Luo scored ten points off Buhara and won the match.

Those who bet on Luo's victory were screaming ecstatically, rewarded handsomely due to the high odds.

Why could a fiftieth-floor match attract so many spectators? It was to spot potential dark horses early on.

Just like now, those who watched this match remembered both Luo and Buhara, and would continue to follow these two fighters in future contests.

Compared to the participants active in the higher levels of Heavens Arena, the audience on the lower floors paid attention to contestants with potential first!

Contestants above the two-hundredth floor, including Antomu, were unaware that Heavens Arena had welcomed a challenging new contender today.

Recently, the media reported about 'him'—he has arrived!

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