Chapter 106: King is in City B!
"It's already been three years since I decided to become a hero. From that moment on, I risked it all, sacrificing a head of beautiful, glossy hair for hellish training, and finally became invincible, realizing my dream of being a hero."
In a budget supermarket in City B, Saitama held a discounted box of crab seafood, unable to help but recall how he had killed the crab monster exactly three years ago, which had solidified his dream of becoming a hero. Three years had passed since then, and he had successfully achieved his heroic dream. He had been in the hero business for over three years now. In that time, he had eliminated countless Monsters and evil armies, truly getting his fill of being a hero.
However...
"But why..." Saitama stuffed the discounted crab into his shopping basket, his expression downcast. "Why can't I feel satisfied? Why do I feel so empty inside?"
He couldn't figure it out. Three years had passed, and he had defeated every opponent under the sun. He had gone from the boiling blood of every battle at the beginning to the current stillness of an ancient well; he seemed to be gradually losing the passion a hero should have.
"Ding!"
The supermarket cashier scanned the items Saitama was buying. "Hello sir, your total comes to 482."
"Mm, here."
Saitama pulled out his withered wallet, took out a 500-unit coin, and handed it to the cashier. He immediately began rummaging through the part of his wallet filled with loose change. "Please wait a moment, I think I have 82."
Boom! Screech!
A deafening noise suddenly erupted from outside the supermarket. At the same time, the supermarket's lights flickered slightly. A moment later, the whole building began to sway and shake as if in an earthquake.
"Ahhh~"
The cashier and the other customers scrambled in terror.
Saitama, focused entirely on fumbling for his change, pulled out a few coins a moment later and held them out. "Hello, I do have 82, please..." He trailed off. "Where did everyone go?"
He looked around the empty supermarket in confusion, then glanced at his bagged-up crab and other discounted items.
RUMBLE!
Just then, the supermarket's entrance wall seemed to be struck viciously by a giant sledgehammer, instantly shattering it into dust as a massive dark shadow swept past.
"Huh?"
Saitama, with his dead-fish eyes, stared blankly at the instantly destroyed street. "What happened?" His gaze shifted, landing on a giant who was striding forward, as tall as a mountain peak. "What a... what a huge butt. Huh, he's not wearing any clothes... He's streaking! He's going to get arrested by the police and locked up for re-education for a few days! Back when I first became a hero, I often got taken in because my clothes were destroyed in fights! Those police uncles are as naggy as the old ladies in the park. They'd buzz in my ear for days like mosquitoes. It was so annoying, which is why I hate mosquitoes."
...
A City, Hero Association Headquarters.
"Report, Director! City D has been destroyed! The giant has officially entered City B."
"What? City D is destroyed? How long has the giant been active? Thirty seconds? A minute? City D has already been annihilated?"
Sitch found it hard to believe. What level of disaster could destroy an entire city in an instant? A Dragon-level Disaster?
"Director, based on the analysis of information fed back from City D, it has indeed been destroyed."
"Fine. Monitor the giant immediately. At the same time, issue an emergency evacuation alert to the citizens of City B. Also, determine the giant's Disaster Level as quickly as possible, then dispatch nearby heroes to eliminate the Monster."
"Yes, Director."
Maria, Coulson, and the others got to their respective tasks, swiftly analyzing the giant.
"Report, Director! Preliminary confirmation: the giant's Disaster Level is Demon."
"Alright, I understand. Immediately announce the giant's Disaster Level to City B."
"Report, Director! If the giant's Disaster Level is Demon, it will require a top-five A-Class hero or an S-Class hero to be dispatched. According to the latest hero activity information, the closest S-Class heroes to the giant are Silverfang—Bang—in Z City and Child Emperor in Y-City."
"Bang and Child Emperor? Hmm, I see. Notify them immediately to head to City B as soon as possible to eliminate the giant."
"Yes, sir."
"Director, after analysis, the giant most likely originated from the outskirts of City D."
"The outskirts of City D? Are you sure? We recently discovered a colossal black shadow under the sea near City D. Is it possible the giant came from the bottom of the ocean?"
In the government's satellite footage, they had been astonished to find a gigantic biological shadow active in the sea near City D. The shadow's shape resembled a whale, yet also a mutated, giant dolphin, causing a huge stir in the biology community. Some believed it was a megalodon, others a new species. In any case, the scientific community had become extremely interested in this unknown biological shadow, actively dispatching ships to search the sea for clues about the massive creature.
Unfortunately, the giant creature seemed to have vanished into thin air, never showing the slightest trace again.
"Impossible. Our surviving personnel in City D followed the giant's footprints to the outskirts of City D, where the tracks abruptly ended at the ruins of a brand-new research facility. Therefore, we speculate that the giant may be a genetically mutated human, possibly having ingested some kind of gene fluid that caused his body's genes to mutate, turning him into a giant."
"A research facility? Is it those damn mad scientists again?"
Sitch frowned deeply. King's words, warning him that danger was hidden in the outskirts of City D, still echoed in his ears. He was secretly alarmed. Could King have investigated the research facility in the outskirts of City D long ago? Did he know the research within could produce a dangerous Monster?
Right, besides mentioning the hidden danger in City D's outskirts, King had also said that the outskirts of Z City concealed a threat that couldn't be ignored. He hadn't thought much of it before, but now it seemed necessary to conduct a thorough investigation of Z City's outskirts.
...
The Elementary School Student Research Institute in City B.
"Dear viewers, according to the latest news, a giant resembling an ancient titan has appeared in City D. With a wave of its hand, it destroyed the city. In response, the Hero Association has designated the giant a Demon-level Disaster. Currently, the giant is heading towards City B. We hope the citizens of City B will evacuate the city as soon as possible after hearing this broadcast, or head to a shelter for safety. Please stay as far away from the giant as possible."
"City B? I think King just said he was in City B too."
Child Emperor was repairing his G1-model robots when his attention was suddenly captured by the news on TV. "What a coincidence. King just arrived in City B, and the giant appeared. Right, when King was leaving earlier, he seemed to say he was going to be late. Could it be that he already predicted a Monster would appear? Is that why he specifically rushed over there?"
Ring, ring, ring!
Before he could sort out his thoughts, he was interrupted by the ringing of his phone.
"Hello, this is Child Emperor."
"Child Emperor, please listen. A Demon-level Disaster giant has appeared in City D and City B. The giant has already destroyed City D and is now wrecking City B. The Association requests that you take action to eliminate the giant."
Coulson's urgent voice came through the phone.
Child Emperor said nonchalantly, "Oh, I already know. But, I won't be going."
Coulson raised his voice, "What? Child Emperor, the giant's destructive power is immense! Every minute that passes, countless buildings will collapse, and a large number of people will be killed or injured. This isn't a child's game! Please don't throw a tantrum."
Child Emperor, realizing Coulson had misunderstood, explained, "No, that's not it! I'm not being willful. It's just that there's no need for me to go anymore. King is in City B."
Coulson was overjoyed. "What? King is in City B?"
Child Emperor affirmed, "That's right! It seems like King already predicted the giant would appear, so he went there on purpose!"
"King is strong, but this time is different! The giant's mountain-like, enormous body is too suffocating. I'm worried King won't be able to eliminate the giant alone."
After his initial joy, a sliver of worry rose in Coulson's heart.
"No need to worry! King is super strong! With him there, it's no problem at all. Although the giant is huge and possesses extraordinary strength, that has also become its biggest weakness. Compared to the tiny King, it will seem incredibly slow! Maybe King can't kill the giant in one punch, but he can definitely use his agility to wear it down to death."
(end of chapter)