At this moment, Tornado was in a foul mood.
Her mission had been snatched away mid-way—already irritating enough—and that detestable Scarface actually dared to throw down a challenge!
For years she had stayed firmly in S-Class rank 2; no one had ever dared provoke her so arrogantly.
But none of that mattered. The worst part was that the hateful KING hadn't prioritized dueling her—he'd gone off to do something else!
The more she brooded at home, the angrier she got, so she stormed straight to Hero Association HQ and demanded KING come fight her at once.
At first Sitch hesitated, feeling KING must have other business and shouldn't be disturbed so casually.
The remark only enraged Tornado further; she hurled several objects around with Psychokinesis until Sitch, out of options, phoned KING.
Please… Mr. KING, hurry over… I really can't rein in this problem child!
Just then the HQ's main doors opened and two figures walked in.
Spotting the trademark blond hair and three savage scars, the fuming Tornado locked onto her target at once.
"So you actually showed up, KING! Come on—let's take this outside!"
Sitch was instantly terrified.
Were the Association's strongest combatant, Earth's mightiest esper, to duel "The Strongest Man on the Surface of the Earth," KING, the city would probably be destroyed!
Unable to stop Tornado, Sitch turned to King, leaned in and whispered,
"Mr. KING, why don't you two talk it out? If you fight, things could get ugly."
King glanced at him, waved dismissively, and replied evenly,
"No problem—if she wants a fight, I'm ready any time."
Now even you're doing this?!
Sitch completely lost it.
This lousy Hero Association—every S-Class Hero is more outrageous than the last, impossible to control!
With KING and Tornado's tension mounting, Sitch dared not intervene further and looked at the man who'd entered with King.
First thing he noticed was the gleaming bald head, the generic bystander's expression, and the banana-yellow bodysuit—clearly some throwaway hero.
Though the man looked weak, since KING had brought him Sitch politely asked,
"Mr. KING, this is…?"
King, still eyeballing Tornado, turned and introduced Saitama:
"This powerhouse I brought is here for the Hero Recruitment Exam. I guarantee his strength is no less than mine."
That last line made everyone's eyes pop; Sitch nearly dropped his jaw.
A fighter acknowledged by the strongest man on Earth? How formidable!
If KING spoke true, the Association would gain another terrifying trump card.
Heart racing, Sitch eagerly ushered Saitama into the lounge and arranged a special exam.
Although this month's recruitment hadn't started, enrolling someone so potentially mighty—and earning KING's favor—warranted a personal test.
Saitama was still bewildered until the Association served free drinks and fruit; then his eyes lit with sudden wisdom.
Watching Saitama wolf down fruit on the "free = good" principle, King turned his gaze back to Tornado.
Just as he opened his mouth, a System alert rang in his ears.
[Ding! Congratulations, Host—choice triggered.]
[Option 1: Show the style of the strongest man on Earth—fight S-Class No. 2 Tornado and prove the title's worth, crushing her pride so she learns there's always someone stronger.]
[Option 1 Reward: Random High-Grade Ninjutsu ×1, Automatic Martial Arts Training Card ×2.]
[Option 2: Temporarily avoid battle, endure until you can utterly outclass S-Class No. 2, then strike—write a dragon-KING script of patience and enjoy the cocky twist of fate.]
[Option 2 Reward: attribute points ×1000.]
Hmm? I can get rewards by triggering options?
Only now did King realize how little he understood this cheat.
Or rather, it was so bare-bones he had to explore everything himself.
He skimmed both choices and, without hesitation, picked Option 1.
Come on—after all this buildup, if he kept hiding he'd be no better than a green-haired turtle!
Besides, the rewards were tempting: Option 1's loot was uncertain but could be huge if he scored big.
Option 2's attribute points were straightforward power, yet the choice itself didn't suit him.
If it's not what I like, it's out.
[Ding! Host has chosen Option 1.]
When King suddenly froze, Tornado felt ignored; fists clenched, her Psychokinesis erupted like a tempest.
"Scarface… you're pretty cocky!"
Barely restraining herself, she jabbed a finger outside and snapped icily,
"Get out there. We'll settle this in the suburbs, and I'll teach you the price of provocation!"
Facing the haughty Tornado, King folded his arms, his stern face unchanging.
"Bring it. I'd like to see the true strength of the top esper—don't disappoint me."
The thought of battling an equal like Tornado made King's heart pound faster.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom-boom-boom-boom!!
An engine-like heartbeat thundered through the hall, each thud a sledgehammer on everyone's souls, suffocating them.
Tornado couldn't care less.
Seconds later two green streaks blasted out of HQ and streaked toward the deserted outskirts…
...