LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 154: Takeover x Floor - Reaping the Rewards
Alex and Menchi leave Floor 199 and head to a luxurious restaurant on Floor 100. The restaurant typically requires reservations made at least three months in advance, but as they approach, the staff immediately recognize Alex. Dropping everything they're doing, they rush to welcome him with enthusiasm.
"Welcome, Floor Master Alex! Could it be true? Have you decided to visit our restaurant today? We are honored! Please, follow me—we'll escort you and your lovely friend to our best table!" one of the staff members exclaims.
"Is that possible? Great!" Alex responds, surprised but pleased. Damn, I love this VIP treatment. Too bad I have to leave so soon… I could live like a king here in this tower, he laments to himself.
The staff guide Alex and Menchi to their best table, a slightly elevated area with a perfect view overlooking the entire restaurant. As they sit down, Alex can't help but feel a little self-conscious; nearly everyone in the restaurant is staring at them.
He glances at Menchi, who sits across from him with a radiant smile, looking completely at ease. Alex, you've spent three months with this woman. Why are you nervous now? Calm down! Stop being silly and forget about the "reward" she promised you, he tells himself, trying to shake off the nerves.
They enjoy their extravagant dinner, which, to Alex's delight, they don't even have to pay for. After the meal, they finally make their way to Floor 237.
"The food was disappointing," Menchi complains as they walk. "Out of the seven courses, only the appetizer and dessert were passable. The wine card was uninspired—nothing special—just expensive labels with no thought put into pairing them with the dishes."
Alex laughs. "First of all, we didn't reserve a table or even pay, which is already a miracle. I thought everything was incredible! Sure, it wasn't as good as your cooking, but your standards are way too high. Also, the dessert was kind of mediocre. You and your sweet tooth, seriously!"
They arrive at the elevator and are surprised to see Sua inside.
"Happy to serve you today. Which floor are you heading to?" Sua asks, her tone playful.
"Hi, Sua. Sorry for ruining your bet, I guess! Floor 237," Alex says, scanning his new keycard.
"Going up!" Sua says with a grin. "To tell you the truth, the bet fell through. People weren't willing to bet against you—they thought the risk was too high! So, I decided to make a little private bet myself, hehe. I won 500 million. Thanks for that!" She bursts out laughing.
"You… congratulations, I guess, We'll be leaving tomorrow so thank you again for everything." Alex responds, his face a mix of shock and disbelief. Even Menchi looks stunned by the old martial arts maniac.
Finally, they arrive on Floor 237. The entire floor is a circular structure, with the elevator stopping in the center. As they step into the main lobby, they see six different doors branching out, each leading to a different area.
Alex scans his surroundings. One of the doors seems to lead to their new apartment, marked by a collection of huge bouquets displayed in front of it. Between the apartment and another door is an open medium-sized arena that resembles a small office space. Near the arena is a desk that reminds Alex of a hotel reception area.
Noticing the bouquets, Alex steps closer to inspect them. The largest one has a card that reads: "Congratulations, Floor Master Alex Kerber — From Julius." He spots a few smaller bouquets as well, each from strangers congratulating him. Judging by their modest size, it's clear his personal fan club is small, but he can't help grinning anyway.
"My own fan club! That's a surprise!" Alex says, clearly amused.
"Pfft, don't let it go to your head now, will you?" Menchi chimes in, rolling her eyes.
To their surprise, a female receptionist approaches them, stepping out from behind the reception desk. "Welcome, I'm Liz, the former attendant of Floor Master Darius. You may wish to replace me as soon as possible, but in the meantime, I'll act as your temporary floor manager. Congratulations on your win! I have to say, I think Darius is the better martial artist, but you're clearly the more determined fighter. Your will to succeed is commendable," she says, her expression tinged with sadness.
"Sorry for winning that way. I agree with you—Darius is clearly the stronger fighter. But still, I won," Alex says, his voice calm but resolute. "Thank you for admitting that. And you don't need to leave—please, keep doing your job. Could you give us a short tour? We won't be staying long, but we'll return when we're done."
He pauses for a moment, hopefully, but leaves the word unspoken.
Liz smiles faintly and responds, "You're indeed kind, which is a surprise considering your fighting style is the most evil, cheap, and vicious I've ever seen. Anyway, your character is exactly like Darius described you." Her tone softens as she continues, "Thank you… to be honest, I need this job. My children's education doesn't pay for itself. I promise I'll do my very best."
She gestures to the space around them. "As you can see, this floor has six complexes. I have a small reception here in the main lobby to welcome visitors. If someone requests access to your floor, I can temporarily allow them in, but only with your consent. Without it, nobody, except the owners of Heavens Arena, can access this floor. Now, as for the different complexes:
"The northern room is the floor master's personal apartment. It's quite luxurious. In fact, forty people completed the fastest renovation I've ever seen in my life—it's a miracle. All the furniture is brand new, and it's high-quality. The apartment includes numerous bedrooms and bathrooms. The highlight, though, is the small outdoor bath. It partially hangs over the side of the building, giving you a view of both the night sky and the city. It's spectacular, I have to say."
"Wow, that's insane! I need to try that," Alex comments, clearly impressed.
Liz nods and continues. "Apart from that, the apartment has everything you'll need. Let's move on: the second large door leads to a small living complex with about twenty smaller apartments. These rooms are similar to the ones offered to fighters after they reach Floor 100. Darius's best students had rooms here, but they're currently being cleared out by staff."
"I don't have a need for them… just leave them empty for now, okay? Maybe you can use a few of them for your private things. That'll be your bonus, alright?" Alex says.
"Really??" Liz asks, her face lighting up with gratitude. "Then I'll have my two sons and my daughter move in! These rooms are nice, and it would save us a lot of money if they could live here for free. Thank you so much!"
"So, what are the other four doors for, huh?" Menchi asks, her curiosity piqued.
"We have one huge training area with all kinds of gym equipment, weapons, training facilities, and everything you might need to improve your fighting performance. Then we have a sparring arena with a few small rings. Darius's students used to hold small contests there, and he also invited famous martial artists to spar with him in that space.
The last two doors lead to empty sections. If you go inside, you won't even see rooms—just two enormous, empty halls," Liz explains.
"Ten years, and he couldn't find a use for them? Stupid! If he didn't have any ideas, he could've at least set up an open gym or created more rooms to rent out," Menchi complains, clearly shocked by Darius's lack of initiative.
"I've been telling him the same thing," Liz responds with a small, embarrassed shrug. "He just wasn't interested in anything besides martial arts."
"Well, just focus on maintaining this floor, okay? You can use a few rooms like I said, but don't go overboard. We're heading into the main apartment now. We'll talk to you tomorrow before we leave—we don't need any help tonight," Alex says, though in the back of his mind, he's unsure what use this floor will even have for him, especially since he's leaving this world so soon.
When Alex and Menchi enter the apartment, they are greeted by an enormous open space. It's easily twenty times larger than Alex's former room on floor 199, and for a moment, Alex feels like he's stepped into one of those TV shows where the ultra-wealthy show off their giant mansions.
The floor gleams like polished marble, the ceiling towers above them, and the furniture looks both stylish and absurdly expensive. But the real highlight is the outer wall, made entirely of tall, thick windows. The view is breathtaking—a stunning panorama of the city at night. The glittering lights stretch out endlessly, and for a moment, Alex feels like a king surveying his domain.
"So… what now? Just sleep and then leave tomorrow?" Alex says, checking his remaining mission time.
[Remaining Mission Duration: 15 hours]
"Sleep and leave? Are you for real? That sounds so boring…" Menchi replies, her tone playful. "Say, I promised you a reward, didn't I?"
Before Alex can respond, she steps closer, sliding her arms around his neck from behind. Pressing herself against his back, she says softly, "Let's have fun." Her voice carries a mix of confidence and nervousness.
Alex gulps. You can do this… don't panic. You have some experience by now. Play it cool—you're a Floor Master, he tells himself, trying to psych himself up.
But as soon as he turns around and sees Menchi's face, his legs go weak, and all his confidence crumbles. Damn, I suck at this, he admits to himself, briefly wondering if he should actually buy one of those scammy "how to pick up women" courses he's seen online.
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