Chapter 13
A mechanical voice crackled over the speaker: "Welcome aboard SkyRail Express. Estimated flight time to Heavens Arena is 4 hours and 15 minutes. Please fasten your seatbelts."
Alison clicked hers in place and stared out the window as the engines whirred louder.
The ship shuddered multiple times then lifted, slow and steady.
The sky opened up in front of her. Clouds like cotton. Wind cutting sharp across the hull. The world below shrinking fast.
She smiled , admiring the view .
Two hours in, she watched the clouds roll by like lazy parade floats. The stewardess offered some processed snacks and watery juice which she took them, mostly out of boredom.
Somewhere behind her, a kid was talking about getting to floor 50. Bragging to his little brother about how he was going to be a star.
"no way boy" Alison snickered at the thought.
She'd read the rules while she sat at the internet café and Watched the old footages.
The real game started at floor 200.
Everything before that? Just stretching. But for her , it's gonna be kinda hard on the higher floors , seeing as her current body is not that strong physically nor she knows any martial arts except for a red belt in taekwondo from her past life.
Her plan was simple , she planned to gain more experience in fighting while climbing the floors and gaining money.
" oh , I also need to figure out my hatsu before I reach the two-hundredth floor "
The system was built to reward the persistent and punish the careless.
And she was persistent for sure .
The speaker crackled again. "Approaching destination: Heavens Arena. Please remain seated."
She leaned forward slightly, peering out.
And there it was.
A massive spire piercing the clouds. The lights were bright even in daylight. Platforms circling it like orbiting satellites. Heavens Arena wasn't just a tower ,it was also a beacon. A giant, brutal casino where the spectators place bets on the fighters . They only cared for who won never for who lost , except for some cases.
Alison smirked faintly. Excitement palpable on her face .
The airship touched down with a soft hiss of hydraulics, the hull groaning like it was relieved to have landed.
Alison was already standing before the "fasten seatbelt" sign blinked off. No luggage. No reason to wait. She just grabbed her bag and went off.
She'd spent the past two hours pressed against the cold window of her seat, watching the massive structure of Heavens Arena swell in the distance like some skyscraping tumor. A monstrosity of wealth, violence, and opportunity.
Now, as the cabin doors hissed open, that same structure loomed even closer , a concrete deity staring down at the city like it owned it.
The terminal was quieter than she expected. modern and efficient. Signs in four languages pointed arrivals toward exits, trams, and shuttles. Alison followed the current of half-asleep passengers .
Outside, the air was thick and warm . Neon signs blinked from towers across the skyline. Ads for fighters, betting apps, and cheap show tickets lit the area like a digital circus. Even the crosswalks had sponsors.
She spotted the taxi stand across the lot and headed straight for it. A driver waved her over, barely even looking up from his tablet.
"Hotel?" he asked, voice clipped.
" No , drive me directly to the heavens arena please. "
He didn't ask anything else. Just tapped the info in, and nodded toward the back seat. She climbed in, slammed the door shut, and let her head fall back against the worn headrest.
The cab pulled away in silence, neon light flickering across her face as they sped down wide, cracked streets.
The taxi driver pulled up to her spot , she paid and got out . Then it loomed over her.
Taller than anything she'd seen in this world, taller than even the buildings back home, which was saying something. There was once a rumor that said it was inspired by the khalifa tower.
Alison jammed her hands into her coat pockets and started walking.
No rush. The place wasn't going anywhere.
She passed street vendors hawking knockoff gear and energy drinks and groups of rookie fighters flexing for imaginary cameras .
A girl in pink asked her if she wanted a "pre-fight facial." which Alison wondered if it was even a thing. She didn't slow down. The girl tried again—but backed off when Alison glared at her.
Yeah. That's what she thought.
The crowd thickened closer to the Arena. People weren't really entering yet , most were just loitering, watching the big screens outside. Today's highlights were looping above the plaza: a stocky guy flattening a teenager with a spinning elbow, a girl in feathers throwing someone through a wall and a dramatic slo-mo of a KO punch that splattered blood like a blooming flower.
"Ohh that must've been painful" Alison grimaced.
Cheers broke out. A few spectators argued over who would win tomorrow's match. A pair of kids ran by wearing plastic replica gloves, pretending to fight.
Alison took a breath.
It smelled like metal, grease and especially sweat.
She slipped through a side path and circled the main plaza, avoiding the bulk of the crowd .
She passed under a massive steel archway. A small electronic sign above it blinked green: REGISTRATION — 50TH FLOOR.
Security guards flanked the entrance. They looked bored.
One of them glanced up. "You registering?"
Alison nodded once.
" Go ahead ."
She nodded again and stepped through.
The interior lobby of Heavens Arena was another world entirely. Cold, bright, and vast. A cavern of marble and light.
Every sound echoed. Footsteps , Conversations and even the humming of the vending machines seemed louder than necessary.
She was met with a wide, open floor with a matte black ceiling and bright track lights. The whole place buzzed with movement , fighters checking in, assistants moving papers, a few people already passed out in chairs with their hands iced or noses bleeding. The line for registration snaked around red rope dividers like a queue at a theme park.
The whole space was too regulated to feel dangerous with few guards making sure no one is making trouble, but there was tension in the air anyway. This was the gateway. Everyone here had either just started their climb or had failed to finish it before.
A guy two spots ahead of her looked like he hadn't slept in a week. Another kid behind her kept shadowboxing, muttering about combos under his breath.
She got in line.