At the back door of the exhibition center, an inconspicuous staff passage.
A figure, like a ghost, avoided all surveillance cameras and security personnel, silently infiltrating the venue.
His steps were light yet steady, each one landing in the blind spots of cameras and the gaps in the crowd, exuding a dangerous aura that warned others to keep their distance.
It was none other than the "Hero Hunter," Garou.
Garou's purpose was neither for the prize money nor for entertainment.
He was drawn by the aura of "strong individuals."
Such large-scale public events always attracted all sorts of people.
Among them might be heroes hidden in the crowd, or some self-proclaimed martial artists.
For him, this was not a competition venue, but a hunting ground.
He moved through the crowd, his keen senses scanning everyone who passed him.
Ordinary gamers were automatically filtered out.
He was looking for that aura of strength, honed through countless trials, emanating from their very bones.
Soon, he also noticed the promotion for the "Fully Immersive Combat Mode."
"Oh? Interesting." Garou's lips curled into a cruel smile.
"A stage where I don't have to worry about killing anyone, and can force opponents to reveal their true abilities… This is practically tailor-made for me."
He didn't go to the regular registration desk, but instead went directly to the backstage area of the combat mode.
He only needed to find a lone participant, "borrow" their identity and equipment, and he could legitimately step onto this stage.
And so, three parties, with vastly different objectives, converged here.
Lin Mo, Saitama, and Genos walked towards their C-zone arena, preparing for their first match.
Suiryu whistled, casually strolling into the combat mode's player lounge, looking for his next amusement.
Garou, meanwhile, lurked in the shadows backstage, selecting his first "hunting" target.
— — — — — —
Backstage, deep in the shadows.
A young man of average height, looking somewhat thin, was facing a mirror, repeatedly practicing the signature moves of the game character "Thunder Mage."
He muttered to himself, his expression excited, clearly a loyal fan of "King of Fighters Summit."
"That's it! 'Million Volts' followed by 'Lightning Flash,' if I can pull off this combo, I'll definitely…"
Before he could finish his sentence, a hand silently rested on his shoulder.
The young man was startled; just as he was about to turn his head, a sharp pain shot through the back of his neck, and then his vision went black as he slumped to the ground.
Garou casually dragged him behind a stack of equipment boxes, then put on the somewhat exaggerated VR headset.
"B-444… Hmph, a good number."
Garou stretched his limbs, getting a feel for the VR headset's functions.
The VR headset activated, and a virtual interface appeared before him.
[Welcome, Player B-444! Please select your game character.]
On the screen, dozens of game characters of various styles were lined up.
Garou's gaze swept past the flashy mages, archers, and fantasy creatures, finally settling on a fighter character wearing tattered martial arts attire.
"Heh, interesting." He chose the character whose aura was most similar to his own.
[Character selection successful. Your first match will begin in five minutes on B-zone Arena 7. Good luck.]
Garou closed the interface, a bloodthirsty smile spreading across his lips, his gaze seemingly able to penetrate the walls, looking out at the surging crowd.
"Good luck? No, the ones who need good luck are my prey."
— — — — — —
B-zone, Arena 13.
Suiryu's match barely caused a ripple.
His opponent was a burly fitness trainer who had chosen the "Giant Rock Warrior" character in the game, a heavy tank known for strength and defense.
As soon as the match began, the opponent took a stance, attempting to intimidate Suiryu with his imposing physique and the character's might.
However, Suiryu, his opponent, seemed out of place.
He merely stood lazily at the other end of the arena, hands in his martial arts uniform pockets, even yawning ungracefully in front of thousands of spectators and the live camera.
"Hey, big guy, are you ready to get beaten up?" he said in a flippant tone through the in-game voice system.
The fitness trainer's face instantly turned beet red.
He hated nothing more than such disrespectful and arrogant prodigies.
He roared, his real-life muscles bulging, controlling the "Giant Rock Warrior" to unleash a charge skill— "Bull Rush."
The game character's massive body kicked up a cloud of dust on the arena, each step causing the virtual ground to tremble slightly, crashing towards Suiryu with immense force.
Just as the huge fist was about to smash into his face, Suiryu's figure shifted slightly, avoiding the attack at an incredible angle.
"Too slow."
Before he finished speaking, Suiryu's body had already closed in on his opponent.
The essence of the Nether Body Fist, which combined suppleness and ferocity, was perfectly translated into the game character's movements.
The audience saw on the screen as Suiryu's character transformed into a blur of afterimages, launching a storm of attacks around the "Giant Rock Warrior."
Every punch, every kick landed precisely on the opponent's joints and vital points.
The game system frantically popped up notifications:
[Weak Point Attack!]
[Guard Break!]
[Combo +10!]
[Stun!]
The fitness trainer was completely bewildered; he found that his dynamic vision couldn't keep up with his opponent's speed.
He just flailed his fists wildly, unable to even touch his opponent's clothes, while his character's health bar rapidly plummeted.
"It's over."
Suiryu felt a wave of boredom; in reality, he casually raised a leg for a light spinning kick.
The in-game character simultaneously executed a dazzling kick, conjuring a small tornado that sent the "Giant Rock Warrior" flying high before slamming him heavily onto the ground.
Boom!!!
K.O.!
Huge red letters appeared in the center of the screen.
From the start to the end of the match, it was a mere 45 seconds.
Suiryu expressionlessly removed his VR headset; after a brief silence, the surrounding audience erupted in thunderous gasps and applause.
But he seemed detached, unaffected by these praises.
He casually tossed the specialized equipment to a stunned staff member nearby, then put his hands back in his pockets, continuing to search aimlessly through the excited crowd with his lazy and critical gaze.
"Boring, they're all amateurs. I hope the next one can give me some fun."
His gaze finally fell on the screen showing another match on a distant large display.