Chapter 98: Was I Exposed?!
King walked slowly toward the group, hearing the argument between the heroes and Sweet Mask.
Seeing the tall, golden-haired figure approach, everyone lowered their heads, not daring to meet his gaze.
"We're done for... We were making such a ruckus... Mr. King just finished an intense battle, and he hears us arguing here. He must be angry."
"Of course Mr. King is angry! Didn't you hear the King Engine in your ears? That sound only appears when Mr. King enters combat mode. He's obviously very displeased with our quarreling."
Sweet Mask was equally intimidated. As A-Class Rank 1, who actually possessed strength in the upper tier of S-Class, just hearing the legendary [King Engine] made his body stiffen in the presence of the Strongest Man on Earth.
Is this King?!
Although Sweet Mask had often heard of King's legendary achievements and genuinely believed him to be a qualified hero, he had never experienced his power firsthand.
Until now. Sweet Mask realized that even though he had tried to overestimate the Strongest Man on Earth, he had still underestimated him.
Seeing King, that soul-shaking aura and terrifying pressure made every cell in Sweet Mask's body scream. His monster form almost broke through his human disguise.
That's right. The A-Class Rank 1 idol hero, the world's superstar Sweet Mask, was actually a monster in disguise—and a very ugly one at that.
Years ago, Sweet Mask was saved by Blast. Under Blast's guidance, he had been performing heroic deeds ever since. When the Hero Association was established, he joined without hesitation.
For years, Sweet Mask stayed at A-Class Rank 1 not because he lacked S-Class strength, but because he voluntarily chose to gatekeep the S-Class.
Only by doing so could he filter out the weak, preventing unworthy heroes from reaching S-Class and dying on missions beyond their capabilities.
In Sweet Mask's view, to be a righteous hero, to uphold justice, one must kill monsters without hesitation. All monsters were evil!
Just then, King swept his gaze over everyone. The weakness side-effect of the Gate of Death surged through his body. He felt exhausted, as empty as if he had just fired off dozens of times.
Getting sleepy...
Of course, even in his weakened state, King could still one-shot most Dragon-level monsters.
After all, I'm just weakened, not powerless.
Speaking of which, Sweet Mask really is stubborn.
Looking at the fragments of alien corpses on the ground, King sighed wearily and spoke:
"Sweet Mask, why did you choose to kill these alien soldiers immediately? There was still important intelligence we hadn't extracted."
Hearing even the Strongest Man on Earth question his decision, Sweet Mask felt like he had been struck by lightning. His face twisted instantly.
The justice in his heart compelled him to speak. Even though his monster body was suppressed by King's aura, he forced himself to say:
"King, you disappoint me. I thought you would be a sensible person, but even you think like this!"
"Shouldn't monsters be killed?! All monsters are twisted and evil! They stain the word 'justice'! They all deserve to die! Monsters have no value in living!"
Sweet Mask expounded on his version of justice: killing all monsters in the world. Only such a person could be called a hero.
Hearing this, King suddenly had a good response.
He raised an eyebrow. His domineering face and the roaring King Engine constantly stimulated Sweet Mask's nerves as his deep voice rang out:
"You mean to say, in your eyes, as long as someone is a monster, they should be killed, correct?"
The pressure on Sweet Mask intensified. Beads of cold sweat rolled down his forehead, but he gritted his teeth:
"That's right! That's what I believe! All monsters should die! Their so-called docility is just a disguise. The nature of monsters is evil!"
The corner of King's mouth curled up. With just one sentence, he silenced all of Sweet Mask's arguments:
"In that case, if there was a monster who became a hero and pursued their own justice... should I choose to kill them immediately?"
This sentence exploded in Sweet Mask's heart like a thunderclap.
His handsome, enchanting face turned pale instantly. He subconsciously took two steps back, panic reaching its peak.
What does King mean by that... Did he see through me...?
In Sweet Mask's ears, "a monster who became a hero" and "pursuing their own justice"—isn't that talking about ME?!
In this moment, immense fear overwhelmed Sweet Mask's mind.
In his eyes, King's gaze seemed to have pierced through his beautiful human skin, seeing his ugly essence underneath.
He couldn't imagine the catastrophic consequences if King, the Strongest Man on Earth, revealed this secret.
First, as a national idol with the strength of the strongest, the public would believe almost anything King said.
Sweet Mask's image would collapse instantly. He would go from a beloved hero to a pariah everyone wanted to beat.
Most importantly, if he lost his identity as a hero, he would only be able to live as a monster.
No! I can't let that happen!
Sweet Mask's breathing became rapid, his eyes staring fixedly at King.
Finally, he lowered his head. The proud idol hero chose to compromise, his tone sincere:
"I apologize, Mr. King. I was obsessed. Perhaps the justice I pursue is too extreme. I will reflect on it."
Seeing Sweet Mask panicking, King waved his hand, losing interest in teasing him further. He turned to leave.
"Go back and think carefully. Is the extreme justice you pursue truly correct? And is it truly compatible with yourself?"
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