Hunter x Hunter: Infinite Growth

"This kid is really interesting. Are all kids in this world so precocious?" Kevin thought to himself, and said aloud, "I haven't formally introduced myself to you yet. My name is Kevin Caponeberg." As he spoke, he extended his hand.

Killua reached out with some curiosity and shook hands with Kevin, then imitated the other's formal manner and said, "My name is Killua, Killua Zoldyck."

"Looking forward to seeing you in the fighting arena later."

Kevin had no doubt that he and Killua would meet in the arena; he had basically figured out the pattern of how Sky Arena selected its opponents.

Kevin is a controversial player, and the extremely young Killua is also receiving a lot of attention.

Both are currently competing at the same level. It's clear that Killua encountered a bottleneck and difficulties after advancing to the 150th floor, and is currently stagnant. However, he hasn't fallen below the 150th floor, indicating that once he reaches this level, he has a high chance of winning.

Kevin has only just advanced to the 150th floor. If he loses the match, he will fall back down, which would be too troublesome. Therefore, he will definitely go all out to win this match.

In this situation, if the next match is scheduled appropriately, there is a very high probability that the two will be matched as opponents.

After all, Sky Arena, as the organizer, loves to use such topical issues to generate buzz and increase betting odds.

It is no exaggeration to say that whenever Kevin is involved in a battle, the number of people participating in gambling and betting tends to increase significantly.

Just then, a notification sounded in his ear that it was Kevin's turn to go on stage.

Kevin stood up, smiled, and waved to Killua.

"Then I'll go on first."

"Okay, bye-bye!" Killua finally showed his childlike side, waving with a smile.

Chapter Twenty-Four: Wrathful Strike X Yearning

Amidst the thunderous cheers of the arena, the commentator passionately proclaimed: "First to appear is the composed and elegant fighting style of the tribal people, [Wrathful Strike] – Mito!"

Clearly, this man wasn't very famous. Amidst the scattered cheers, he strode towards the arena.

"Next up, please welcome Kevin, whose victory or defeat depends entirely on his own preference, and who remains completely untainted even in defeat—unwavering as a mountain!"

In an instant, the entire audience erupted in enthusiastic cheers, chanting the title "Unmoved as a Mountain" and Kevin's name.

As Kevin was introduced, he slowly walked towards the arena, smiling and waving to the spectators in the stands.

"Why does he have that title?" asked a newcomer watching Kevin's competition for the first time.

A longtime fan nearby immediately chimed in: "That's because he doesn't move an inch when faced with an attack, standing there as steadily as a mountain. No matter how powerful the opponent is, they can't hurt him."

"If he's that good, how come it took him three months to get to this level?"

Those who frequently watch esports competitions often find that they can quickly reach their desired level within a few days.

"Of course, it's up to him to decide; whether he wins or loses depends entirely on his mood. Of course, there are some deeper reasons, but only those in the know can understand them!" A long-time fan said, chuckling to himself.

At this moment, a seemingly loyal fan spoke up with a disdainful look: "Don't listen to their nonsense. It's because Kevin's wins and losses are entirely based on his own preferences that the odds of his matches always fluctuate. Many gamblers like this kind of thrill." He was a true fan of Kevin and genuinely felt that betting on him was a desecration of the player.

Some experienced bettors who frequently win bets do so because they have a keen eye and can tell which side is stronger or has the advantage in a fight.

The thrill comes from seeing someone like Kevin, who can inexplicably lose even when he has the upper hand.

"The real reason he earned this title is that no one has ever been able to knock him down and score points, nor has anyone been able to KO him. His opponents usually only win the match by scoring points through effective attacks."

Moreover, when faced with attacks, he neither dodges nor gets injured. Often, even if he loses the match, he only gets a little dusty, while his victorious opponent is beaten black and blue after just a few blows.

This situation initially drew criticism to Kevin because it caused many gamblers to lose all the money in their pockets.

The audience's reaction from the stands did not affect the start of the battle below at all.

Kevin stood on the arena, looking relaxed and at ease, his gaze fixed on his opponent.

He was a middle-aged man with black hair, dressed in a robe similar to those worn by ethnic minorities, embroidered with patterns that were difficult to decipher. He held a weapon in his hand, which at first glance appeared to be just an ordinary wooden stick.

It was clear that the opponent was just an ordinary martial artist, and his aura dissipated naturally like that of an ordinary person.

Kevin raised his hand and simply beckoned, signaling his opponent to attack.

The opponent remained calm and charged towards Kevin without uttering a sound. His speed was explosive.

"As expected, the competition above the 150th floor is different." Kevin was somewhat satisfied. He casually raised his arm and easily blocked the wooden stick that was being swung at him. Immediately afterward, he raised his right leg and blocked the enemy's follow-up whip kick.

Mito's attacks combined speed and power, and the onslaught was as fierce as a storm, sweeping towards Kevin wave after wave.

It's very skillful; each attack seems random, but they are all interconnected and interwoven.

However, Kevin steadily blocked every one of his attacks.

Suddenly, the wooden stick abruptly changed its trajectory during the attack, forcibly transforming from a swing into a thrust, cleverly passing through Kevin's defensive gaps and forcefully striking his chest.

"Effective attack!"

With the commentator's announcement, the score was 0:1.

If a normal martial artist were hit by such a blow, they would probably have difficulty breathing on the spot and lose the ability to continue fighting.

The opponent will then seize this opportunity to deliver a knockout blow.

But Kevin remained unmoved. He reached out and touched the part of his body that had been attacked, then looked at Mito, who had quickly distanced himself after the attack failed to achieve its intended effect.

“Great technique. Normally, I would definitely have a good match with you and lose. But this time I don’t want to waste time and fail.” Kevin said with a smile, waving at the other person.

These words, along with his arrogant demeanor, clearly enraged Mito.

This was the first time he had encountered such a formidable opponent.

"Hmm?" Kevin sensed that something was wrong.

He noticed that the other person's aura suddenly intensified, and the energy emanating from their body seemed to surge all at once. But logically, Mito should not have mastered energy yet.

Mito gripped the wooden stick tightly, his speed instantly nearly doubling, and he charged towards Kevin once again.

"Look, Mido has been provoked!"

This is why he is called "Rage Strike".

Kevin reached out to block the wooden stick and immediately felt a sharp pain, clearly indicating that the opponent's strength had increased significantly.

Kevin realized that in order to win this game, he could no longer just passively take the beatings as usual.

Amidst the relentless barrage of attacks, Kevin's body moved. As if by conditioned reflex, he skillfully slipped through the gaps in the attacks and landed a precise punch on his opponent's stomach.

Although this punch did not strike the opponent's mouth, the power of the punch itself should not be underestimated.

"boom!"

With a deafening crash, Mito was sent flying backward by the powerful blow. The impact contorted his face in agony, his mouth gaping open as he vomited liquid from his stomach. He slammed heavily to the ground, sliding all the way to the edge of the arena.

"Oh my god! Kevin has taken the initiative to attack, which is quite rare! What a powerful blow! Mitu is lying on the ground, could it be a knockout?"

Seeing this, the referee immediately ran to Mido's side and started counting down to see if he could still stand up.

Kevin stood quietly in place, looking at his fist, his brows furrowed slightly, as if he were pondering something.

Just as he punched his opponent, he felt a kind of longing, an extremely subtle longing, on the same level as the longing he felt when he came into contact with the special opal.

He realized that the other person possessed valuable "materials".

This was truly an unexpected turn of events, completely beyond his expectations.

Just then, Mito stirred and struggled to get up.

"Oh! Mido has stood up. Does he want to continue fighting?"

"Hang in there!"

"Hit him, but make sure he doesn't fall down!"

"I'm betting everything on you to win, so show some guts!"

Shouts and cheers erupted from the stands.

However, Mitu, who had stood up, clutched his stomach with one hand, his face full of pain. Looking at Kevin, who was standing still, he slowly raised his hand.

"I admit defeat."

He knew in his heart that he was no match for Kevin; his attacks were as powerless as children playing. As for Kevin's attacks, he simply could not withstand them.

"The battle is over! The victor is..."

The entire audience erupted in enthusiastic cheers.

"Haha, I knew it! I had already done my research. Kevin definitely didn't want to lose and have to fight his way back up. He definitely chose victory!"

Why didn't you say so sooner? You bastard.

Two gamblers, who had placed bets on different players, got so excited in the stands that they started wrestling with each other.

Inside the lounge, little Killua excitedly raised his hands and cheered.

After the cheers subsided, he was filled with doubt: "Is his body as hard as a steel plate?" He really couldn't understand Kevin's behavior.

In the arena, Kevin glanced at Mido being carried away on a stretcher, then quickly left the arena.

It was nearing nightfall.

Mito rubbed her still somewhat painful stomach as she walked out of the infirmary.

He knew in his heart that his opponent had held back. Although Kevin's punch had rendered him unable to fight, it had fortunately not caused too much damage to his body.

"That young man is a monster, his body is as hard as metal," Mito couldn't help but mutter under his breath.

"Are you talking about me?" Kevin's voice suddenly came from the doorway.

The sudden noise startled Mido. However, he quickly recovered and asked, "What are you doing here? Is something wrong?"

He didn't think Kevin had come to humiliate him.

"Um, is it convenient for us to talk now?"

Chapter Twenty-Five: Transaction X Flower Fragment

A barbecue restaurant not far from Sky Arena.

On the table was a mountain of grilled skewers and several bottles of beer.

Having been pondering what Kevin wanted to see him about all along, Mito was also somewhat unsettled by this scene.

Kevin walked over and sat down on the stool next to him, gesturing with his hand.

"Sit down, don't be shy."

"This isn't a matter of being polite, is it?"

Mito walked over, sat down, and complained.

The kebabs here are piled up like mountains of meat.

He never thought he had such a large appetite; if it weren't for him, all those skewers would have ended up in the other person's mouth.

Can he eat that much?

Adhering to the logical thinking of eating more, exercising more, and growing more.

Mito felt that he had finally discovered the reason why the other person's physique was so strong.

If he can really finish eating and digesting it.

"Before we eat, tell me why you called me here. I don't think I've ever seen you before this competition."

When things aren't going well, I'm not in the mood to eat.

Kevin tore into the meat skewers and swallowed the food in his mouth.

"Don't worry, it's just a very ordinary thing."

Without hiding anything, Kevin said directly, "During the battle earlier, I noticed you had... um, a medicinal herb?"

"Medicinal herbs? On my person?"

He had made many guesses about why Kevin had summoned him, but Kevin's words were something he hadn't expected.

Mito pointed to himself, then shook his head: "When I fought you, I wasn't injured, so I didn't need any medicine."

Besides this stick and the clothes I'm wearing, I have nothing else on me.

That's why Kevin brought the other person over.

During combat, there is always a simple body search to prevent either side from concealing any weapons that are outside the rules.

In non-Nen combat, firearms are extremely dangerous.