A brand-new, rock-solid sense of safety rose in Lin Mo's chest, along with a hint of unfamiliarity at this "monster's body."
This wasn't the fake King Engine, nor borrowed fame—it was power that truly belonged to him.
He needed a place—somewhere remote enough—to get used to it.
His eyes drifted to the window.
City M, ravaged by Vaccine Man, was now a wasteland. A blessing in disguise—an ideal training ground.
Decision made, he dug out the most inconspicuous gray tracksuit he owned, pulled on a hood and mask that covered most of his face, and slipped out like a suspicious man about to commit a crime.
Being recognized on the street and triggering a new spectacle was his worst fear.
—
The former commercial center was now nothing but broken walls.
Concrete dust mixed with the tang of rust in the air. The world was still, save for wind moaning through snapped rebar like ghosts.
Lin Mo found a concrete block the size of a compact car, edges sharp.
Three meters away, he inhaled and recalled the feeling of that punch in his living room.
This time, he would use everything.
He sank his weight, turned his hips, sent his shoulder—his motion smooth and packed with power.
Muscles wound like steel cables, carrying force from the soles to the waist and blasting up the arm, gathering at his knuckles!
"BOOM—!!!!"
The crack was thunder under a clear sky.
The multi-ton block fractured the instant his fist touched it.
Lin Mo didn't let up—he punched even faster.
He didn't know how many strikes later, but the block finally exploded with a roar and rained shards.
Stones the size of heads hammered his body and bounced off without making him stagger, thudding harmlessly to the ground.
Drawing back, he stared at the destruction he'd wrought. His fists tingled and trembled from the shock, but his excitement couldn't be contained.
Strong. Too strong.
For the next several hours he let himself go, like a child with a long-coveted toy, venting his pent-up energy all over the vast ruins.
He tested his maximum speed—
Sprinting in the open, he nearly became a gray bolt, the gale behind him tossing pebbles into the air.
He leapt between shattered overpasses, ran along the flanks of fallen towers—performing superhuman feats he'd only imagined in games.
From an inability to control his power precisely, he moved to effortless control—command over every muscle fiber.
For the first time, in this perilous world, he had a hint of real agency over his fate.
As the high from power swelled—he even wondered if he could challenge a monster—a strange encrypted call chimed in his pocket.
An internal Association line.
He hesitated, cleared his throat, and picked up.
Xiqi's unmistakable voice came at once.
"Mr. KING, my apologies for disturbing your rest at this time. We have a small 'request'—if it's convenient… of course, if you're busy, we won't insist!"
"Speak." Lin Mo snapped back into cold mode—concise, low, hoarse—as if that man bounding through ruins hadn't been him.
"It's like this," Xiqi rattled on, fast but crisp, all business.
"In the largest civic park of neighboring City Y, a pack of feral dogs of unknown mutation has appeared. Their size and strength far exceed normal beasts. Preliminary assessment puts the overall disaster at 'Tiger' level."
"They're highly aggressive and territorial. They've driven out all civilians and completely occupied the park. We sent two elite squads of A- and B-Class heroes in succession. Both were repelled by the pack's cunning tactics and numbers."
He paused, then continued: "The park's repairs are complete. It's set to reopen to the public tomorrow; expectations are high. This situation is a PR nightmare…"
"Given the pack's tenacity and the complex terrain—which makes heavy weapons inappropriate—we were hoping… to ask if you could go and drive the dogs out…"
Across the line, Xiqi sat rigid, a sheen of sweat on his brow.
This wasn't a simple request.
In truth, it was a test the upper brass had wrangled over and finally approved.
KING's "one-shot Dragon-level Vaccine Man" feat was too sensational—but shrouded in fog.
No clear footage. All intel was from survivors' fuzzy, exaggerated stories and that awe-inspiring King Engine.
How strong was he, really? Where were his limits?
The Association desperately needed data.
At the same time, the park problem was thorny enough to serve as a perfect touchstone.
Tricky enough to beat A-Class and expose a pretender;
But contained enough that if KING failed, they had backups ready—other S-Class heroes on call to clean up.
Sending rank-six S-Class to a Tiger-level threat looked like overkill, but it was the Association's cautious probe.
Tiger-level? A mutated dog pack?
Lin Mo's heart did a little dance.
Like a pillow delivered to a dozing man.
He'd been fretting about live targets to test his newly upgraded "Dragon-level" [Intimidation]. A pack of dogs delivering itself was ideal.
"Address." He gave them two words.
"Wonderful! Thank you so much, Mr. KING!" Relief and joy bubbled in Xiqi's voice.
"A car is already en route! We'll clear the roads immediately for your trip to City Y!"
Don't disappoint me, mutts…
Lin Mo narrowed his eyes, dashed home to tidy up the mess a bit, and waited for the car.
-------
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