"Is... Mr. KING?"
Superalloy Darkshine's voice was hoarse and low, devoid of its usual vibrant energy.
"Yes, I couldn't sleep, so I came out to buy something to drink."
Lin Mo nodded, his expression calm as usual in the cool moonlight, showing no curiosity or scrutiny towards Darkshine.
This indifferent attitude, on the contrary, slightly eased Darkshine's highly tense nerves.
Lin Mo walked straight to the dimly lit vending machine. He took a few coins from the wide sleeve of his yukata and dropped them in, the crisp clinking sound echoing in the night.
He didn't choose the carbonated drink he had before, but pressed the button for iced oolong tea.
With a "clunk," a cold can of drink dropped into the retrieval slot, breaking the awkward silence between the two.
"..."
Darkshine let out an indistinct grunt from his throat, then fell silent once more.
He slowly turned his head away, his massive body slightly angled, as if unwilling to let Mr. KING see the confused or weak expression on his face at that moment.
Lin Mo bent down to retrieve the drink, pulled the tab, and with a "hiss," a cool mist of tea with a faint, refreshing aroma wafted out.
He tilted his head back and took a large gulp. The icy, slightly bitter liquid slid down his throat, instantly extinguishing the last trace of irritation and making his thoughts clearer in the night.
He didn't rush to leave. Instead, he leaned against a nearby wooden pillar, his gaze fixed on Darkshine's broad, silent back, and asked calmly:
"Are you still troubled by that previous battle?"
Superalloy Darkshine's colossal body shook violently as if struck by an electric current.
This question was like a sharp blade, instantly prying open the wound deeply hidden within his heart.
He clenched his fists tightly, those fists capable of easily crushing steel, now trembled slightly.
His knuckles turned white from excessive force, a stark contrast to his dark skin.
For a long, long time.
His taut body seemed to have all its strength drained, slowly slumping down.
With a voice full of pain and confusion, he slowly said, "I lost... Mr. KING... I lost completely..."
"My... my body... my proud muscles... were corroded..."
His voice was filled with self-doubt, a feeling as if his entire world was crumbling before his eyes.
"I always thought that as long as I kept training, making my muscles stronger, I could become the strongest hero, I could protect everyone... But I was wrong... terribly wrong..."
"When I first... first felt that fear... I... I recoiled... I was scared..."
By the end, this hero, renowned for his physical strength, had an uncontrollable sob and fear in his voice.
He slowly raised his right hand, that enormous palm trembling slightly and uncontrollably in the cool moonlight.
For a man who considered "confidence," "victory," and "shining muscles" to be his entire meaning, the collapse of his belief was undoubtedly fatal.
Lin Mo listened quietly, without interrupting.
He, of course, knew about Darkshine's battle with Groribas.
After the crisis was resolved, he had inquired with the Hero Association about all the details of the ground battle. When he heard that Groribas, one of the three great generals of the universe, had actually come to the surface and directly confronted Superalloy Darkshine, he was quite surprised.
Therefore, he had already anticipated Darkshine's current state.
Although Groribas was instantly defeated by Saitama in the original work, it was known that he definitely possessed some kind of strong acid ability, and indeed that was the case.
Isn't this just another "Acid Guy," perhaps even stronger? And at this moment, Darkshine's confidence was undoubtedly shaken.
"Darkshine."
Lin Mo suddenly spoke. His voice was not loud, but in the silent night, it had a strange penetrative power, clearly reaching Darkshine's ears.
"What do you think is the true meaning of a hero?"
"Eh?"
Darkshine clearly didn't expect Mr. KING to suddenly ask such a philosophical question.
He froze, then turned around somewhat blankly, subconsciously answering:
"The meaning of a hero... of course is... to protect the weak and defeat monsters."
"No."
Lin Mo shook his head without hesitation, refuting this textbook answer.
"That's just what a hero does, it's a hero's actions. I'm asking about the 'meaning' of a hero's existence."
He shifted his gaze from Darkshine, looking towards the distant, deep night sky covered by moonlight.
"Let me rephrase the question. Why do you train rigorously day after day, year after year, honing every inch of your muscles to perfection?"
"For... for becoming stronger, for victory, for... in the moment of victory, to make all my muscles shine with the most captivating brilliance!"
Darkshine answered almost instinctively. This was a creed ingrained in him for a long time.
"Is it just for victory?"
A faint, almost imperceptible smile played on Lin Mo's lips, appearing somewhat enigmatic in the moonlight.
"Then, I ask you again, what if you can't win? What if one day, you encounter an enemy you can never defeat, no matter what?"
"Does that mean your hero career comes to an end? And your proud brilliance is extinguished?"
These words were like an invisible, massive hammer smashing fiercely into Superalloy Darkshine's heart.
He opened his mouth, but no sound came out of his throat.
Yes... if he couldn't win... what else could he do?
What was left of the "shine" he had always pursued, in the face of failure?
Watching Darkshine, whose face was constantly changing due to immense ideological impact, Lin Mo continued in his calm yet heart-hitting tone:
"Darkshine, your strength is undeniable. However, you seem to have misunderstood something from the very beginning."
"You've made 'victory' and 'shine' your goals as a hero, enjoying the glory of being in the spotlight after victory."
"Therefore, when you cannot achieve victory, your power cannot unleash its full potential."
Lin Mo's voice precisely struck Darkshine's bewildered heart.
He had never examined himself from this perspective.
All along, he had naturally immersed himself in training, getting stronger, then defeating enemies with a magnificent display, basking in praise and self-admiration.
He thought this was all there was to being a hero.
"Then what... what should I do?"
Superalloy Darkshine's voice held a subtle hint of longing and tremor, as if grasping at a lifeline.
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