Gourmet Hunter - Chapter 236 (Patreon)

Chapter 236: Scare Off

After the 200th floor, the treatment of contestants improves significantly, and the arrangement of battles undergoes a thorough change. Although still organized by the Heavens Arena, the autonomy now lies in the hands of the contestants.

Thus, contestants aspiring to advance to the 200th floor are plentiful, and some make it a point to greet newcomers as they come to register.

The malicious aura emanating from around the corner can be considered a welcoming ceremony for newcomers. If a newcomer doesn't understand Nen, it's hard for them to cross this aura. However, Luo is a Nen user and is unaffected.

The receptionist girl, able to act normally amidst the indiscriminate aura, is also a Nen user.

"198 participants? Quite the gathering," Luo remarked with a faint smile.

The receptionist looked at the composed Luo and replied with a polite smile, "Please complete your registration today. If you fail to register within the time limit, it will be considered as an unintended registration, and you will be disqualified."

As she spoke, she raised her pale hand with slender, slightly pointed nails painted bright red.

She slowly gestured a scissors sign with her hands and continued, "Let me remind you again, if you give up on registering twice, you will be permanently disqualified from the competition. The staff responsible for registration will explain the rules of the 200th floor to you in detail."

"Now, please walk this way."

The receptionist stood at the intersection of the 'T' passage, slightly turning sideways, her arm stretched out pointing to the right, where the registration point was.

Luo nodded slightly and walked towards the receptionist, moving through the challenging aura as if strolling in a leisurely garden.

The receptionist quietly watched as Luo approached, only stepping back three steps when Luo reached the corner.

Luo quickly glanced at her then shifted his gaze forward, where about thirty people were standing or sitting in the broad, straight corridor, with one particularly burly man at the forefront, much to Luo's surprise.

"Came specially for me?" Luo said, his expression still calm.

The burly man standing in the middle of the corridor, arms crossed, was Antomu, whom Luo had not seen for over a year.

Besides him, the corridor was filled with contestants from above the 200th floor, there only to wait for newcomers like Luo to challenge them.

High-ranking contestants usually don't pay attention to those below, but when someone advances rapidly like Luo, Buhara, and Sanbica Norton, they draw the attention of those above the 200th floor. Antomu, the floor master of the 230th level, had different motives.

He was there to speak a few words to Luo, having noticed him when Luo reached the 180th floor.

"You finally came," Antomu said, staring coldly at Luo.

The others in the corridor, who knew Antomu, were surprised by his cryptic remark.

Luo faced Antomu's icy gaze and replied calmly, "Can't wait any longer?"

"That's right," Antomu scoffed, "I've been waiting to twist your head off, but before that, you need to achieve ten victories on the 200th floor to challenge me."

Luo listened silently, his demeanor unflustered.

Suddenly, Antomu strode towards him.

Luo just watched him calmly, showing no strong reaction.

As Antomu passed by him, he threw down a haughty remark, "I hope you can come to me unharmed."

Luo did not turn around, letting Antomu's figure recede into the distance.

Just like a year ago, Antomu still looked down on him, confident he could easily defeat him in another battle.

Luo's eyes narrowed slightly until Antomu disappeared around the corner, then he finally looked directly at the thirty-some eager contestants in the corridor.

The receptionist had mentioned nearly two hundred people were lying in wait on this floor, but Luo only saw about thirty. The murderous aura was clearly emitted by this group.

Luo was certain that Antomu's aura was not among them; he wouldn't stoop to such boredom.

For a Nen user, advancing to the 200th floor isn't difficult, and despite Luo's all-victorious ascent, he still attracted the attention of the veterans of the 200th floor.

"Isn't it time to withdraw?" Luo said, looking at the people in the corridor.

As if they hadn't heard him, they continued to maintain the aura aimed at him.

Those eager to lie in wait here were mostly the weakest among those above the 200th floor, needing newcomers to boost their win rate.

Luo glanced at the thirty-odd people, none of whom he considered a threat.

"Weak…" he muttered to himself, then stepped forward, his own aura forcefully spreading out.

If their aura was like

 a pack of wolves, then Luo's was like a tiger descending the mountain, a roar sufficing to intimidate the group.

The two opposing auras clashed fiercely, Luo's colder and more powerful aura quickly overwhelming everyone in the corridor, making them feel like fish on a chopping board.

"If you must show your claws, at least be smarter about it," Luo said, his face calm as he passed through the crowd towards the registration area.

Despite knowing the futility of releasing their aura, the group persisted even after Luo's reminder, like a bunch of clowns.

These contestants, who only targeted newcomers, were not the kind of opponents Luo sought. This intimidation was merely to make them retreat.

Watching Luo's retreating figure, a trace of fear appeared on the contestants' faces, overwhelmed by his formidable aura.

Someone wiped the sweat from their forehead, struggling to say, "Such a terrifying aura."

"We can't afford to provoke this man."

"Good thing he didn't hold back, or we would have walked right into the line of fire."

"That was close. I thought I could gain a win from the newcomer, but he turned out to be tough!"

"We'll just wait for the next newcomer."

The contestants quickly left in pairs or small groups. Today, only one person was registering for the 200th floor, and realizing Luo was not to be trifed with, they saw no reason to wait any longer.

The mere difference in their auras led them to a cautious decision, also reflecting their long-standing "bully the weak, fear the strong" mentality.

After Luo passed through the corridor, the intimidated contestants scattered, returning to their private luxury rooms.

When Luo reached the registration point, there stood a person who seemed formidable.

Unlike the weaklings in the corridor, this person didn't release his aura upon seeing Luo but sized him up.

Luo ignored this person and walked straight to the registration window, where another young girl in the exclusive uniform of the Heavens Arena stood.

Only upon reaching the 200th floor does one realize that newcomers are like hot cakes, eyed by many. But Luo was a hot cake too hot to handle; rushing in to grab him would not only result in failure to secure him but also lead to burns.

However, Luo had just scared off the group, so he was unlikely to be harassed by petty criminals anymore.

"Welcome to the 200th floor."

The girl at the window greeted him with a professional smile.

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