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"Come on! Bring it on! Yeah, yeah, I know—you're strong."
"Don't let me down now! You must be the ultimate weapon here, huh? Totally different from those losers this morning. That confident look gives you away!"Saitama dropped Genos to the ground and started walking toward the Asura Beetle, one deliberate step at a time, face serious and focused.
Ethan couldn't help frowning. He knew exactly how this would go. If Saitama decided to throw a punch, that'd be it. One punch—problem solved. One punch, and everything was over.Come on, man, he thought, do you have to ruin every fight like this? Where's the tension? The drama?
"Kekeke…"The Asura Beetle let out a raspy laugh, his bulky frame suddenly blurring into a yellow streak of lightning. His speed was insane—nearly at the speed of sound. For a creature that huge, that was downright terrifying.
In the blink of an eye, the beetle was behind Saitama, his massive fist already raised to crush the bald hero's skull. But just before he struck, his entire body stiffened, sweat pouring down his face. He instantly leapt back, wings snapping open to retreat even faster.
"Oh?" Ethan raised an eyebrow, genuinely impressed. "That bug's instincts are pretty sharp. If he'd gone through with that punch, he'd be the one dead right now."
"You… what are you?" The Asura Beetle was drenched in sweat, back pressed tight against the wall, his body trembling. His instincts screamed at him that this plain-looking man was something far beyond comprehension. And those instincts were rarely wrong.
Honestly, Ethan had to admit—the guy was strong. Maybe even S-Class strong. He might've been able to take on most of the Hero Association's elites.
"You really wanna know?"Saitama's tone was calm but heavy.
Ethan groaned internally. He knew exactly what was coming next—Saitama was about to reveal his so-called "training secret." Every time he thought about it, Ethan wanted to cry. That ridiculous regimen wasn't "training." It was… nonsense!How the hell could that possibly make someone this overpowered? Was Saitama just the universe's favorite child or something? A walking cheat code?
He reminded Ethan of those absurd "chosen one" characters from web novels. Like that dude Long Aotian—some random guy who eats a sweet potato, gets isekai'd, and suddenly has godlike power. (Yeah, "I Am a Grand Magus" — probably the first classic overpowered-protagonist story online. I even blew half a week's lunch money on that book back in school.)
"Alright, Genos, listen carefully!"Saitama's face turned dead serious, like he was about to hand down the ultimate martial arts secret manual.
Ethan was dying inside trying not to laugh. It was such a joke—this so-called "training method" wouldn't help anyone except Saitama himself, and yet he treated it like divine scripture.
"Let me hear it too!"Someone who looked exactly like the earlier guy—same face, different outfit—walked up eagerly.
"Fine. You can all listen."
"Wait, Sensei!" Genos blurted. "You're just going to reveal the secret of your power to everyone?"
"It's fine," Saitama said solemnly. "Anyone who can stick with this training to the end deserves it. The key is perseverance, Genos. No matter how tough it gets, you keep going."
"Pfft—hah… hahaha!" Ethan finally broke, clutching his stomach and laughing out loud. The others glared daggers at him.
"Sorry, sorry! Don't mind me! Carry on, please—pretend I'm not even here." He slapped a hand over his mouth, his shoulders still shaking.
The others turned back toward Saitama, eyes burning with anticipation. Saitama's expression grew even more serious. Ethan could barely contain himself. He knew exactly what was coming, and the thought of everyone's reactions nearly made him lose it again.
"I trained hard for three years," Saitama began gravely."Every day—one hundred push-ups, one hundred sit-ups, one hundred squats, and a ten-kilometer run. No excuses."
Genos and the other two just stared at him, completely blank-faced. The contrast between Saitama's earnest tone and their confusion was priceless.
"Of course, I made sure to eat three meals a day. A banana for breakfast is fine. And the most important part—never, ever use air conditioning or heating. Summer or winter, you endure it. You have to train your mind as well as your body.
At first, it was agony. Every day I wanted to take a break. But to become a true hero, no matter how much it hurt, I never stopped. Even when my legs felt like lead, even when my wrists popped with weird noises, I pushed through.
After a year and a half… I noticed something. I'd gone bald. But I'd also become incredibly strong! So yeah—if you want power, you've got to train till you go bald! Forget all that 'evolution' nonsense you monsters spout. The true path to strength… is human perseverance!"
Saitama's face burned with passion and conviction.Across from him, the three listeners just stood there—mouths wide open, completely stunned.
The sheer absurdity of it finally broke Ethan."BWAHAHAHAHA! Oh my god—hahahaha!" He doubled over, rolling on the ground, tears in his eyes. "Too funny! Too damn funny!"
These guys had literally modified their bodies and genes to gain power… and Saitama's secret was basic exercise! It was the most ridiculous thing imaginable.
"Stop joking around!"Genos finally snapped out of it, trembling with emotion. Despite his busted body, he lurched upright with a metallic clang.
"Eh?"
"What you just described is normal human training!"
"Oh."
"And not even that intense! That's just a regular workout routine! I followed you because I wanted to become truly strong—not because I enjoy jokes!"
Genos was shouting, practically smoking with frustration. Saitama just scratched his head awkwardly. He wasn't lying—that really was how he got this strong.
"Hahaha, Genos," Ethan said, patting his shoulder, still chuckling. "He's telling the truth, man! That's actually how he did it!"
"Mr. Ethan?" Genos blinked. "Then what about you? You're strong too. What kind of training do you do?"
"Me? Oh… nothing special. I just sunbathe."
"…What?"
"Yeah. I bask in the sun. The stronger the sunlight, the faster I get stronger. That's all. I almost died once, then took a nap in the sun and—boom—got stronger."
"…"
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