With the 80-to-40 round concluded, Lock's team had officially advanced to the third stage.
While waiting for the next phase, the five of them gathered in a quiet corner to rest—and talk about something more serious.
Lock sat forward, folding his hands. "You all know I plan to inherit my parents' Hero Agency," he began. "So I'll ask you again—after we get our Pro Hero licenses, would you consider joining my firm?"
The group exchanged glances.
Mt. Lady tilted her head in thought, and Kamui Woods rubbed his chin, eyes downcast.
He had always imagined opening his own agency someday—but the invitation clearly shook that plan.
Lock decided to press his advantage.
He leaned toward Mt. Lady with a teasing grin. "Tell me, Mt. Lady—why did you become a Pro Hero?"
She hesitated, fidgeting slightly. "Uh, well… it wasn't some big dream or anything."
Her expression softened into something candid. "Honestly? Because the Hero business pays well. And I like being famous."
Lock smiled, as if he'd expected that answer. "Exactly. Now, let me ask—who's the hottest name in the country right now?"
"Uh… you?" she replied uncertainly.
"Correct!" Lock grinned widely, spreading his arms dramatically. "A second-year student, already famous nationwide, passing the license exam and starting my own Hero Agency!"
He didn't need to say more. Mt. Lady's eyes lit up in realization.
For a new Hero, fame was everything.
Without reputation, there were no commissions, no sponsorships, no public recognition.
No fame meant no income.
But Lock was already a national sensation before even debuting. Once his agency opened, it was inevitable—whoever joined him would rise with him.
It was the classic principle: one man ascends, and those with him ascend to heaven.
"Smart girl," Lock thought, nodding in satisfaction as she started to smile.
Then he turned to Kamui Woods.
"Kamui," he said smoothly, "do you have money?"
The question caught him off guard. "A little," he admitted nervously.
Lock crossed his arms, a mock-serious tone in his voice. "Let's see. You'll need funding for an office space, staff wages, utilities, promotion costs, insurance, and licensing fees. You have enough for all that?"
"…No," Kamui said instantly.
Lock placed a hand on his shoulder, voice dropping to something more earnest.
"Exactly. Taking out loans at our age? Spending years buried in debt just to start from zero? That's no way to live."
Kamui's silence said it all. He had planned to work for a few years first, build a reputation and savings, then start an office.
But Lock's logic was difficult to ignore.
"I'm not in the same position," Lock continued confidently. "My parents left me plenty of assets—and the property that used to be their Hero Agency building is already in my name."
It wasn't arrogance, just truth.
And it was enough to push Kamui over the edge.
"…All right," Kamui said at last, smiling faintly. "I'll join your firm."
"Great," Lock said, grinning. "Welcome aboard."
Mt. Lady, now clearly swayed by both logic and opportunity, nodded as well. "Count me in, too."
Death Arms, who had been quietly listening, laughed. "Well, I can't let the team leave me behind. I'm in."
Lock looked at the last one—Sirius—who was pretending not to meet his gaze.
"Well?" he prompted with a smirk.
Sirius stuck out her tongue. "I'll join too. No need to talk me into it this time."
Lock chuckled. "Then it's settled. Once we're done here, we'll talk contracts and launch the firm."
And just like that, all four had agreed.
The five of them would stand together—not just as a team, but as the founding members of Lock's future Hero Agency.
Meanwhile, across the arena, the remaining teams in the second round were finishing their matches.
Among them, Kuji Ayato's team had managed to claw their way through the losers' bracket, securing a place in the third round as well.
When all matches concluded, Muliang—the tired-looking Hero Public Safety official overseeing the exam—returned to the podium.
"Eighty teams have officially advanced," he announced through the speakers. "To those who didn't make it this far, please exit the testing grounds."
A large digital screen behind him flickered to life, displaying team numbers, rankings, and status updates.
Then—
BOOM!
A thunderous explosion shook the ground.
Every head in the room turned.
The skyline of the simulated city—the same pristine, high-rise testing area—was now in chaos.
Buildings collapsed. Fire erupted from shattered windows. Black smoke billowed upward.
"The third and final stage of the Hero License Examination," Muliang shouted over the noise, "is about to begin!"
The simulated disaster spread quickly across the arena city, collapsing walls and blocking streets.
"From this moment, you will operate as a team," he continued. "Your task is to perform rescue operations for civilians caught in the disaster."
On the screen, dozens of "injured civilians" could be seen moving toward the danger zone—elderly, children, and even people on stretchers.
"These are trained professional actors," Muliang explained. "They're HUCs—Heroic Understanding Candidates, professional rescue subjects."
Every Hero-in-training knew what that meant.
HUCs were specifically trained to simulate real victims with realistic reactions—panic, injury, fear—designed to test both skill and empathy.
"There will be no fixed number of eliminations in this round," Muliang continued.
"However, any team whose total rescue score falls below standard will fail the assessment."
"In short, those who save the fewest people, or perform rescues poorly, will be disqualified."
As the fires spread and the simulated city descended into chaos, the surviving eighty teams braced themselves.
The battle tests were over.
Now came the true trial of what it meant to be a Hero.
The third round of the Hero License Exam—The Rescue Exercise—
was about to begin.
---
A/N: Advanced Chapters Have Been Uploaded On My Patreon
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