Xiang Nan returned to Heaven's Arena with Manman. Naturally, their return caught the attention of the other members in that player squad. However, given that their plan against Xiang Nan and Manman had failed—especially with four of their people having died—those in the group known as "Stars" no longer dared take the pair lightly, especially Xiang Nan.
After all, four of them had died—among them was the muscle‑bound man named Anton, whose strength was among the top in their faction. Yet he was killed, even in a four‑against‑two situation. The remaining players could no longer treat Xiang Nan as a mere "newbie."
As for Manman, the group wasn't so concerned. In their eyes, although it was unclear what exactly happened during the fight, her real power in Heaven's Arena was on public display. The real reason they failed could only have been their misjudgment of the black‑clothed man's strength. This man was extremely dangerous.
Even the hidden leader in the background had given a warning:
Continue observing Xiang Nan and Manman, watch how things develop, and do not act rashly.
As Xiang Nan expected, with them back at Heaven's Arena, that group didn't dare move on him again. As long as they stayed inside Heaven's Arena, the other players wouldn't easily try anything. In a sense, that meant as long as Xiang Nan and Manman remained here, they were safe.
However, the intel Xiang Nan had obtained from Old Biao caused him to shift his priorities upon returning. Previously, when he detected certain possible "storyline characters" in Heaven's Arena, he would only pay them mild attention. Now, whenever he sensed that half‑fuzzy effect—the hallmark of a storyline character—he instinctively guessed that person might be Hisoka, or else, anyway, one of the plot figures. And he also took care to keep his distance.
"Oh! She won! Another victory! Congratulations to our Manman on beating a tough opponent yet again. Since her arrival at Heaven's Arena, she has remained undefeated! That's something nobody saw coming. Such a small body, containing such tremendous power…plus that sweet, innocent look… Manman has undoubtedly become one of the hottest fighters in Heaven's Arena right now. Let's hear it for her, folks!"
In the arena, Xiang Nan sat off to the side in the stands, listening to the MC's exuberant commentary. The atmosphere in the venue was blazing; under the host's excitement, waves of cheers came one after another. The seats were basically filled. The crowd's fervor for Manman's match was extremely high.
Her looks and her fierce track record were a stunning contrast, which quickly attracted a massive group of loyal fans. Casual watchers were also very fond of her. According to the official Heaven's Arena website, Manman's matches typically drew higher viewership than other fighters on the same floor.
Of course, Xiang Nan had no doubt that the arena's admin might be doing a bit of deliberate hype—after all, in the end, it was a business.
From start to finish, Xiang Nan barely paid attention to the ring. Though his injuries weren't fully healed, he was unconcerned. A 150th‑floor match wouldn't pose any real threat to Manman. His gaze instead swept the massive stands, searching for certain "special" targets.
In this match, he'd sensed two suspicious storyline characters. He could see them, but his awareness was completely blocked from receiving their information.
"Manman's looks and the fact that she's a Nen user might naturally draw attention from some plot characters. But all in all, for them, she's far too weak. Probably, to those 200F elites, Manman is just a free victory waiting. They might keep half an eye on her, but not to the point of constantly watching. It's only once she goes above the 200th floor that she'll be a guaranteed easy kill for them."
Xiang Nan's line of sight flicked over to a seat tens of meters away on his right, where a blurry figure sat. He thought,
So who is that?
He also sensed another storyline presence behind him. Although Xiang Nan had not looked back, his intuition told him that person might not be fixated on Manman at all, but rather on him.
Which one is it? Why…?
Pretending nothing was amiss, Xiang Nan remained outwardly calm. He felt uneasy this entire match.
Once it finished and Manman courteously bowed to each side of the stands, she exited the stage. Xiang Nan narrowed his gaze. From the corner of his eye, he noticed that suspicious blur in the stands also began to move; for a moment it seemed to have turned its attention away from him.
Xiang Nan stood, preparing to leave the arena through the upper aisle.
Behind him, the half‑fuzzy presence likewise rose and trailed him.
He had the feeling they were about to make contact.
Sure enough, as soon as Xiang Nan stepped aside, the seat next to him became vacant. The "figure" from behind him settled into that seat, as if it had forcibly driven away the fan who had been seated there. The man, who had been hoisting Manman's fan sign and cheering wildly, instantly froze—like a statue. His mouth hung open, unable to make a sound.
Subsequently, as if under some compulsion, the fan got up and left in a daze. The entire process was bizarre. This further convinced Xiang Nan that the figure sitting beside him was, indeed, a storyline character.
Xiang Nan attempted to look, but as usual, he saw only a blob of visual distortion—no physical features at all. Presumably they tried to say something to him. Xiang Nan heard nothing.
We can't communicate…
He realized that their mutual "blurring" effect, courtesy of the system, prevented direct conversation. Possibly the storyline character was likewise unable to see or hear Xiang Nan clearly, though Xiang Nan guessed that from the character's perspective, he might not appear as a blur—he simply wouldn't receive or convey meaningful info.
After a few seconds, the fuzzy figure seemed to shrug, stood up, and prepared to leave, as if concluding that further effort was futile.
But at that moment, something unexpected happened, which made Xiang Nan hesitate, halting his footsteps. The mindless fan from before returned, drooling blankly. Stopping in front of Xiang Nan, the man stammered:
"Doc–tor…De…a–th…?"
Hearing this moniker, Xiang Nan's pupils contracted—heart skipping a beat. He turned again to glimpse that vaguely blurred silhouette by his side.
He finally realized who this was!
Damn it! Just what I was worried about!
He knew exactly which storyline character had shown up.
~~~
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