"Stop! Stop right there!" Speed-o-Sound Sonic shouted, glaring at the departing figure.
Sol Mirek stopped walking and glanced back at him with interest.
"Oh? Do you still have another trick?"
Sonic's expression twisted with pain, yet his eyes burned with stubborn resolve. Slowly, he pushed himself up from the ground.
"From assassin to bodyguard, I am Speed-o-Sound Sonic, the strongest ninja capable of taking any job!"
He clenched his fists tightly, his voice shaking but firm.
"But from now on, I will refuse all work. I will train myself until the day I settle the score with you!"
His eyes were moist, but the determination inside them was stronger than anything else.
Sol looked down at Sonic, who was still kneeling on the rooftop. Beneath the black and red armor, the corner of his mouth lifted slightly.
"Interesting. I look forward to seeing how much you grow."
After saying that, he turned and walked toward the edge of the rooftop.
Sonic gritted his teeth and forced himself to stand despite the pain.
"Wait! At least tell me your name!"
Sol paused.
"Your name?" Sonic demanded again.
Sol glanced back over his shoulder.
"You can call me… Ashura."
Before the final word faded, his figure disappeared into the thick night, leaving Sonic alone on the rooftop.
Sonic clenched his fist tightly.
"Ashura… I'll remember that name."
"I'll abandon everything if I have to. One day, I will surpass you."
At the same time, the disturbance on the rooftop had already alerted the rest of the building's security team. Inside the monitoring room, the guards were in complete chaos until they finally saw the armored figure leave through the cameras.
Only then did they breathe in relief.
"Quick! Notify the Hero Association. An unknown armored monster just attacked!"
"We already contacted them, but Mr. Sonic seems badly injured."
On the monitor, Sonic could be seen limping toward the elevator, clutching his leg as his face turned pale.
Meanwhile, Sol moved swiftly through the night. His black and red armor blended perfectly with the darkness.
He glanced at the progress bar displayed in his system interface.
Thirty three percent.
The speed was acceptable, but Sol was already growing impatient.
Instead of slowly provoking heroes one at a time, he decided to gather several S-Class heroes at once. If things dragged on any longer, he risked exposing himself.
It would be better to cause one massive incident, then lie low until the day he could stand alone against the entire Hero Association.
Even if things went wrong, it would not matter.
He still had the system's world crossing ability as a backup.
After several days of accumulation, his crossing value had already reached 573, enough for a two star world jump.
Soon after, Sol returned to his rented apartment.
The communicator resting on his bed suddenly vibrated.
Sol removed his helmet, revealing part of his face, then answered the call.
"Mr. Mirek! Emergency situation!" The operator's voice carried obvious panic.
Sol spoke calmly.
"What happened?"
"Zenil Tower was attacked by an unknown armored monster. Mr. Zenil's bodyguard, Sonic, was seriously injured. The Association requests that you investigate immediately!"
A faint smile appeared at the corner of Sol's mouth, though his voice remained serious.
"Understood. I'll be there in ten minutes."
After ending the call, the bio armor melted back into his skin.
Sol changed into a black fitted outfit. Standing before the mirror, he deliberately wrinkled his clothes slightly so it would look like he had rushed there without delay.
Ten minutes later, Sol appeared on the rooftop of Zenil Tower.
Several Hero Association staff members and Zenil's security personnel were already investigating the scene. When they noticed him arrive, they hurried over.
"Mr. Mirek, you're here," the lead staff member said, wiping sweat from his forehead.
Sol looked around the rooftop.
Several shuriken and kunai were scattered across the ground, along with clear signs of a struggle.
He crouched and lightly touched one of the deep marks in the floor.
"Where is Sonic?" Sol asked as he stood up.
"He already left," one Association staff member replied quietly. "Also, Mr. Zenil would like to speak with you. He's one of the Hero Association's shareholders and executives."
Sol nodded.
He followed the staff member through the elevator to the luxurious top floor suite.
The doors opened into an extravagant hall decorated with gold.
Zenil sat on a leather sofa, smoking a cigar with a dark expression. The moment he saw Sol enter the golden hall, his mood instantly changed.
"Ah! Our great hero has arrived!"
Zenil stood up with a wide smile.
"I was the one who supported your promotion to S-Class hero."
"This attack was very strange," he continued. "That monster calling himself Ashura came all the way to my Golden Poop Tower just to beat up my bodyguard."
Sol raised an eyebrow slightly.
"Ashura?"
"Yes," Zenil said as he pressed his cigar into the ashtray. "That's the name Sonic forced out of him, even if it meant risking his life. We wanted information to help the Hero Association."
"Sonic said the monster wore black and red armor and possessed incredible strength."
Sol nodded calmly.
"I'm already aware of that information. Is there anything else?"
Zenil rubbed his hands together.
"Mr. Mirek, I heard you've been investigating this case recently. Why not stay here for a while and protect me? You can name your price."
Sol frowned slightly.
"I already have my own residence."
Zenil's smile stiffened for a moment before he quickly forced it back.
"Mr. Mirek, I have beautiful women from all over the world here. You could enjoy some rare experiences."
Sol shook his head.
"Mr. Zenil, I am a professional hero, not your private bodyguard."
"If you discover any information related to monster attacks, report it directly to the Hero Association."
After saying that, he turned and walked out of the suite.
The door closed behind him.
Inside the room, Zenil's expression instantly darkened.
He grabbed the crystal ashtray from the table and hurled it violently against the wall.
"Damn heroes! Every single one of them is arrogant!"
"A monster breaks into my building and they're still acting calm! What's so important about protecting those useless commoners?"
"The ones they should be protecting are people like me!"
"I'm a shareholder! Without my money, those idiots in tight costumes would be starving!"
The butler standing nearby lowered his head silently, not daring to interrupt his master's rage.
Zenil turned toward him and gritted his teeth.
"Contact the other shareholders tomorrow. I want an emergency meeting."
"These people from the Hero Association take my money but barely do their jobs."
"It's time someone teaches them a lesson."
His expression grew colder.
Originally, Zenil only funded the Hero Association to expand his political influence and quietly recruit a few heroes to do his dirty work.
But now those heroes dared to ignore him.
Maybe it was time the Hero Association received some proper correction.
The butler bowed respectfully.
"Yes, Master. What about Mr. Sonic?"
"That useless fool!" Zenil kicked over the coffee table.
"I spent a fortune on him and he couldn't even stop a single monster!"
Meanwhile, Sol had already left the Golden Poop Tower.
Standing on the street, he looked up at the towering building and smiled faintly.
"Well then," he muttered.
"Let's see who ends up getting kicked out."
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Patreon = _Zeph