The torrent of notifications scrolled so fast it made Lin Mo's eyes blur.
He could feel trickles of energy—tiny on their own but vast in number—gathering from every corner of the city and pouring into his system.
It was a sensation like no other—far more massive than any prior absorption.
If draining a dying monster's fear had been a trickle before, then now it was a mental tsunami sweeping the whole city.
When the last stream merged and the feed finally slowed, a huge golden number hung over his mental panel.
[Total Energy absorbed this time: 15,672!]
[Current Energy: 20,873!]
"T-twenty thousand Energy?"
His breath caught again. The King Engine hammered, its heavy beats buzzing in his ears.
He'd known the haul would be big—but not this big!
Just by opening the door, he'd harvested Emotion Value equal to several Dragon-level deaths!
So this is the gold content of "the strongest man on the surface," huh?
But… there seemed to be a range limit on what the system could absorb, usually those near him.
Yet this time he clearly felt emotions from all over the city—and even farther—
What was going on?
Before he could puzzle it out, the system answered—
[Ding! Host's confusion detected! Explanation: When the Host's identity or action triggers a large-scale, high-intensity collective emotional resonance in a short time, the "Emotion Riot" effect activates.]
[Under this effect, the system temporarily breaks its range limit and collects from all who produce strong emotions due to the event.]
[Supplement: Conversion efficiency scales positively with the provider's strength and willpower. The stronger the individual, the higher the quality of emotion-to-energy conversion.]
[This haul includes positive emotions from A-, B-, and even S-Class heroes; therefore the total exceeded expectations.]
Lin Mo nodded. As for where the system came from—he had no desire to dig. He had no close family, no true friends or lover in the old world. Better to enjoy the new identity and new world.
He shook his head. The urgent thing was strengthening himself. If the bubble of fame popped, he'd hit the ground harder than anyone.
"System, open the skill panel!"
[Intimidation (Ghost Level)]
[Effect: Active skill. Inflicts mental intimidation, massively sapping enemies' will to fight; weak targets may faint.]
[Upgrade cost: Energy × 10,000.]
After a brief hesitation, he decided.
This was his only life-saving move—and it matched KING's persona perfectly.
Upgrading it was the best value.
[Energy −10,000. Upgrading "Intimidation (Ghost Level)"…]
[Upgrade complete! Congratulations—Skill acquired: Intimidation (Dragon Level)!]
[Intimidation (Dragon Level)]
[Effect: Active skill. Inflicts powerful mental intimidation and soul-deep shock, greatly collapsing the enemy's will to fight.
Note: Remarkably effective against Ghost-level and below, with a high chance of mental break or instant fainting. Effective disruption to Dragon-level: slows movements and instills dread.]
[Next upgrade cost: Energy × 100,000.]
"Whew…" Lin Mo drew in a breath. The boost was obvious—even Dragon-level could be disrupted!
That meant even face-to-face with a Dragon-level one day, he could trigger this, buy precious time to escape, maybe hold out until Teacher Saitama arrived. A literal lifesaver.
The next upgrade at a hundred thousand was daylight robbery, but worth it.
He looked to the basic attribute panel.
[Host: Lin Mo (KING)]
[Strength: 15]
[Speed: 15]
[Constitution: 15]
[Spirit: 15]
[Energy: 10,873]
"With almost ten thousand left, I can't waste it." After a moment he opted for a comprehensive boost.
Survival first; fundamentals can't lag.
If he ever tripped over a rock and died, he'd be a joke for the ages.
"System, raise Strength, Speed, and Constitution to 50!"
[Strength +35. Cost: 3500.]
[Speed +35. Cost: 3500.]
[Constitution +35. Cost: 3500.]
[Total cost: 10,500. Confirm?]
A searing warmth, stronger than anything before, erupted and swept through marrow and limb.
He even heard faint crackles from his bones as muscle fibers tore and reknit, tougher and denser than before.
The body that had gone soft from too much time indoors transformed at an incredible pace—toward something beyond human.
Minutes later, when the warmth subsided, Lin Mo stood and flexed his hands.
A strength he'd never known filled him. His punches would whistle; his sprint might leave afterimages.
This wasn't a fake reputation anymore. It was real power—his own.
Feeling the energy coursing inside, he drew the curtains aside and gazed at the bustling reconstruction outside, eyes deep.
Maybe being "the strongest ordinary man on the surface" wasn't so bad.
He only had a few hundred points left now, but it was a beginning. Someday, he really would be "the strongest."
Oh—except for that bald guy.
His reflection lasted all of three seconds before the gamepad on the coffee table lured his eyes back.
"Oh, right! Lily-chan is waiting!"
He lunged back to the couch with an urgency that didn't fit his "strongman" image and grabbed the controller.
The screen, however, displayed a few icy words:
[GAME OVER]
"Ah—! My save file!!!"
On his first day as an S-Class Hero, KING let out a heart-rending wail in his apartment.
-------
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