Chapter 114: Carlisle, It Really Is You!

After breakfast, Kaizen went downstairs.

When he reached the fortieth floor, the elevator paused. A figure stepped in, briefly startled upon seeing Kaizen but refrained from greeting him.

Sadaso positioned himself on the other side, stealing glances at Kaizen. The two had arrived at Heavens Arena around the same time and had crossed paths occasionally. But now, their paths had diverged sharply.

Kaizen had already advanced to the 200th floor and earned two wins, while Sadaso still struggled near the lower levels, currently stuck on the fortieth. His limited success kept him out of Heavens Arena's accommodations, forcing him to stay in a hotel nearby—one he could barely afford anymore.

"Are the gaps between people really this big?" Sadaso thought, a mix of envy and bitterness flooding him as he eyed Kaizen.

A chime rang as the elevator reached the first floor, and Kaizen stepped out. After a quick look around, he headed toward a street filled with electronics shops.

"Young man, where's your family?" the woman at the counter asked with a warm smile.

"My dad asked me to pick up a few things," Kaizen replied with an easy excuse, not in the mood for explanations.

"Impressive. So young, helping out the family already. Your dad must really trust you. What are you looking for? I can give you a nice discount."

"A laptop with good performance and a stable phone," he replied. "My dad said to get the best ones here. Price isn't an issue—just charge it to his card."

The woman blinked in surprise. Laptops and high-quality phones weren't cheap, and a kid buying them alone?

"Are you sure? Those can get pretty pricey, and it's a lot to carry."

"Of course, I'm plenty strong, so let's move fast, please. I need to get back soon."

"Alright," she agreed, not one to turn away business.

Kaizen looked over the laptops and phones she suggested. Thanks to a quick online search Altan did for him, he knew what models to get. After making his selections, he handed over the card.

"Beep!" The payment went through, and Kaizen left the shop with his new purchases. He moved toward a quieter area, aiming to store everything in Killer Queen's inner space to avoid the hassle of carrying it all around.

Then, he felt several pairs of eyes on him, lingering a little too long. Kaizen glanced subtly to the side, catching a few young men watching him and his purchases with undisguised greed.

"Do people really try this stuff anywhere?" he thought with mild irritation. "Did they not consider who they're targeting? This is Heavens Arena, for crying out loud. Do I look like an easy mark?"

Kaizen turned down a narrow alley, and the young men followed.

"Hand over everything you've got, kid!" one of them yelled. Another shouted, "Get his wallet and his card—make him tell you the PIN!"

Two pulled out knives, advancing with menacing expressions, while the third circled around to block Kaizen from behind.

"Pathetic," Kaizen thought, sizing them up. "You're cowards, every one of you. You're so desperate you need knives to handle a kid."

He knew surrendering his things wouldn't change their intent, they had no intention of leaving him unharmed. So, Kaizen made his choice.

"Raiken!" he called.

Raiken's figure materialized beside him, unseen by the robbers. Within seconds, he and Kaizen switched places, leaving Kaizen on the other side of the alley while Raiken faced the would-be attackers.

Without a word, Raiken launched his attack. His brutal efficiency left no time for reaction. One by one, he locked onto the men's throats, twisting and snapping them with practiced ease.

Three quick cracks echoed in the alley, followed by the dull thud of bodies hitting the ground.

"Killer Queen," Kaizen summoned, and Killer Queen materialized. He deposited his purchases into its body's storage space, though he could feel it was nearing capacity.

"The Killer Queen's storage space could use an upgrade," he mused as he watched it vanish. "It's not like Shizuku's Blinky, with endless storage…."

After making another stop at a metal shop, Kaizen returned to Heavens Arena, sensing a new gaze upon him—intense, resentful. Unlike the thugs, this one felt personal.

Without looking back, he saw who it was through the corner of his eye.

"Carlisle," he thought, his suspicions confirmed.

"It really is you."

With a small smirk, Kaizen strolled into Hall 5 of Heavens Arena.

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