The high-speed camera could only capture a blurry afterimage!
Calculation result: Unable to measure accurately, far exceeding the instrument's limit!
Naruto stepped onto the field. As the starting gun fired, he seemed not to move at all. With a 'whoosh,' his body instantly appeared at the finish line, leaving an afterimage at the starting point.
The high-speed camera captured nothing.
Because Naruto didn't even pass through the high-speed camera's range.
Staff member: "Spa-space movement?! How do we calculate his score?!"
Next was the jumping power test.
Others could jump a few meters high at most.
Saitama leaped lightly, directly smashing through the high ceiling of the testing facility, his head stuck in the ceiling, with only his shoulders caught outside.
He pressed his hands against the ceiling and gently pushed, pulling his head out like pulling a radish, bringing down dust and debris, and landing steadily.
"Teacher, the hole in the roof—"
Saitama felt that if he didn't become a hero today, he would suffer a huge loss. The repair and compensation costs alone would put him in a large debt.
The bald man looked at Naruto.
Naruto wasn't as exaggerated as Saitama. He casually went through the motions and achieved a perfect score.
All subsequent tests became a one-sided record-breaking spree for Saitama and Naruto, setting new historical records for the Hero Association's physical fitness tests.
The entire physical test venue was a mess, filled with smoking instrument fragments and bewildered assessors and staff members.
Finally, the staff member in charge of the assessment wiped cold sweat, looking at a stack of 'off the charts,' 'ERROR,' and 'unmeasurable' records in his hand, as well as the preliminary estimate for repair costs. His hands trembled violently.
"Acc-according to regulations—"
The staff member looked down at the score sheet on the clipboard again, making sure he hadn't misread, and continued: "Saitama scored 20 points on the written test and 50 points on the physical fitness test, totaling 70 points. He passed! He can receive a Hero License! His current ranking is the last C-Class Hero."
(Note: I modified the previous part; it should be 70 points to pass, not 60 points)
"As for the other one, Uzumaki Naruto—"
The staff member's voice trembled, and he looked troubled.
"Although he scored full marks in the anti-physical fitness test, which is exceptionally outstanding, a principle is a principle. He did not reach 50 points, so he can only fail."
"It's regrettable."
The staff member cast an apologetic look at Naruto.
Saitama said, "Teacher, if you don't become a hero, I won't either—"
"Nonsense!"
Naruto glared at Saitama.
"If Teacher doesn't pass this time, there's always next time. You just focus on being a hero."
"Besides, if you don't become a hero, how will you afford high-grade beef? How will you pay back the compensation for the repair bill!"
Saitama, standing still, instantly lost all color.
Of course, more importantly, the Underground City shop had refreshed Saitama's abilities.
"Mr. Saitama, would you like to decide on your hero name now?"
"Hero name—"
"Teacher, what do you think?"
Saitama sought Naruto's opinion.
In the original work, Saitama named himself 'Caped Baldy.' Naruto thought for a moment and decided to give Saitama a new hero name.
"Hmm... How about simply 'One-Punch Man'?"
A flash of inspiration crossed Naruto's mind, and he spoke to Saitama and the staff member.
Saitama, of course, had no problem with it. He could accept 'Caped Baldy,' let alone 'One-Punch Man.'
"One-Punch Man, that's really strange."
The staff member shook his head, puzzled, and wrote down the hero name for Saitama.
"Your Hero License will be mailed to your home, Mr. Saitama, so please wait patiently. As for hero activities, you can start them now."
"Oh, right, it's worth noting that C-Class Heroes will be removed from the list if they don't make any contributions within a week."
"Also, um, heroes affiliated with the organization receive corresponding remuneration based on their contributions, and your monthly remuneration, Mr. Saitama, might have to prioritize repaying the compensation."
Saitama turned to stone on the spot.
"My high-grade beef! My salary!"
"Let's go, let's go. With Teacher around, you won't starve, will you?"
Naruto patted Saitama's shoulder and led him towards the hall's main entrance.
Just then, the staff entrance door of the hall was violently pushed open!
A group of association executives, dressed in high-end suits and exuding a powerful aura, rushed in. The one leading them was the senior executive who had previously watched the video of Naruto instantly killing Vaccine Man at headquarters!
"Were the ones who just took the physical test a blond young man and a bald man?!" the executive asked eagerly.
However, before the staff member could answer, his gaze instantly locked onto Naruto and Saitama, who were walking away.
"Please... Please wait a moment!"
The senior executive rushed forward in one stride, gripping Naruto's hand with immense excitement: "It truly is you! The mysterious hero from the Vaccine Man incident! Thank you for everything you've done for A-City! It is a tremendous honor for our association that you've come to participate in the hero assessment!"
Then he turned to the bewildered assessment staff who had followed him and commanded in an irrefutable tone:
"These two gentlemen are both specially recruited as heroes!"
"Especially this blond young man, his power is sufficient to single-handedly resolve Dragon-level disasters, and his strength is unfathomable. In the name of the Head of Headquarters, I am granting him an unprecedented direct S-Class Hero qualification!!"
Special recruitment!
Direct promotion to S-Class Hero!
It should be known that the Hero Association's hero ranking system starts at C-Class as the lowest, and S-Class is the highest.
The vast Hero Association, which gathers heroes from all over the world, has countless heroes, but there are only 17 S-Class Heroes standing at the pinnacle of the pyramid.
(Note: In the original work, there are 17 S-Class, 38 A-Class, 101 B-Class, and 390 C-Class, but clearly the number of heroes in other classes is too small)
"As for the ranking, let's temporarily set it at S-Class Rank 10."
The entire venue fell silent once more!
You could hear a pin drop!
S-Class! Rank 10!
Directly parachuting into S-Class upon entry, and with a high ranking—this was an unprecedented event since the establishment of the Hero Association!
All the assessors were collectively shocked. The muscular strongmen and others who had mocked Naruto and Saitama earlier were all dumbfounded, their legs trembling. Had they just ridiculed an S-Class big shot who could turn them to dust in an instant?!
Did this count as inadvertently walking a tightrope before the gates of hell?
"S-Class Hero?"
Naruto was about to refuse when a pop-up window from the Underground City appeared.
[Side Quest: Hero King!]
[Quest Content: Achieve Hero Rank S-Class Rank 1, surpass all heroes in the Hero Association in renown, and eliminate the Sky King, Subterranean King, Deep Sea King, and Ancient King!]
[Quest Reward: 1,000,000 Experience Points, 100,000 Exchange Vouchers, Legendary Title 'Hero King']
(Title Ranks: Common, Rare, Legendary, Peerless, Godlike)
If it were just the S-Class Hero benefits, Naruto wouldn't really care much, but the 'Hero King' quest reward made him unable to resist.
A Legendary-grade title, even if it couldn't compare to the Peerless-grade Shinigami title, wouldn't be too bad in terms of effects, right?