King darted through the no-man's-land of Z-City. The Monster Association was right beneath his feet, but he wasn't reckless enough to barge in just yet.
"As expected of a gathering place for monsters, there are more and more of them here."
Along the way, King had already killed over ten Monsters, though they were mostly Tiger-level and quite weak.
"Roar!"
At this moment, a roar that sounded like a beast echoed, catching King's attention.
"Finally, one worth looking at."
King looked at the two-meter-tall monster in front of him and perked up.
Tiger-level Monster, Primitive Man!
The monster was dressed like a primitive tribesman, with sharp fangs exposed in his mouth and muscles all over his body, showcasing his immense strength.
"Roar!"
The Primitive Man roared and lunged at King, but unfortunately, his body was pierced through by a single punch and he fell straight down.
[Ding! Killed a Peak Tiger-level Monster. Obtained 500 Talent points.]
'The number of below Demon-level monsters is almost enough. What I lack most right now are Demon-level monsters. I need to pay more attention to the alerts issued by the Association recently.'
King thought to himself and was just about to leave when he suddenly stopped in his tracks.
A voice sounded from behind him. "B-Class Rank 5 Hero, Dark Mask."
A blue-haired man, dressed neatly and looking very handsome, smiled as he looked at King.
A-Class Rank 1 Hero, Sweet Mask!
King remained calm on the surface, but in his heart, he was on high alert.
"Do you need something from me?"
"Don't be nervous. I just appreciate you. I congratulated Genos when he entered S-Class, but his later performance disappointed me." Sweet Mask smiled slightly.
He had always paid close attention to newcomers joining the Hero Association, especially those like Dark Mask whose rankings rose rapidly.
King retorted, "He was just careless. Besides, everyone needs to grow. Were you this strong when you first became a hero?"
After all, he had seen Genos's efforts with his own eyes.
Sweet Mask's eyes suddenly became sharp, radiating a faint chill. "Careless? Do you know what a hero means? Civilians all over the world rely on us for protection. We are the representatives of justice, and all evil must be eliminated immediately. If even we are defeated, who else can people believe in?"
"So, you're saying you're very strong?" King raised an eyebrow, feeling a bit eager to try.
"Wait a moment. It's good for a newcomer to have drive, but don't overdo it, or you will get hurt." Sweet Mask raised his hand to signal.
He hadn't come here today to test Dark Mask's strength.
'System, activate a random Talent Trial Card.'
However, King wouldn't let him off so easily, the mission still needed to be completed. Moreover, he wanted to test whether Sweet Mask, the gatekeeper to S-Class, was as powerful as the legends claimed.
[Ding! Activated Random Talent Trial Card: S-Class Rank 15, Tanktop Master.]
[Talent: Super Strength]
[Skills: Tanktop Tackle, Tanktop Punch]
[Talent Growth Value: 50%]
[Validity: 1 Week]
[Usage: 1 Hour]
'Tanktop Master's Talent Trial Card? Just in time. Use it.'
King felt a surging power flowing through his body. The muscles in his arms bulged, and his physical strength rose.
"Since you're so strong, why don't you rank up to S-Class?" King asked with a slightly provocative tone.
"The reason I stay in A-Class is to prevent some unqualified people from entering S-Class." Sweet Mask's expression was calm, he didn't seem to care about King's tone.
Bang!
King's legs exerted sudden force, and he instantly arrived in front of Sweet Mask, throwing a punch.
Boom!
Sweet Mask had just moved to block, but he found that the force was beyond his expectation and was knocked back dozens of meters.
"Alright, then see if I'm qualified enough." A smile appeared on King's face.
Sweet Mask slowly took off his coat and replied, "Fine. Just consider it me giving you newcomers a free lesson on behalf of the Association."
Sweet Mask wasn't angry because of King's sudden attack. Instead, he sighed at his ignorance and fearlessness.
'If I just want to defeat him, I need to occupy an absolute, overwhelming advantage before he undergoes Monsterization.' King thought to himself.
After all, both parties were heroes of the Hero Association, and this wasn't a life-or-death battle, Sweet Mask would definitely not easily reveal his trump cards.
"I'm coming!"
Boom!
King punched the ground, causing cracks to spread to Sweet Mask's feet, causing him to lose his balance.
Tanktop Tackle!
Bang!
Caught off guard, Sweet Mask was knocked flying, and the bones all over his body began to break inch by inch.
"You!"
Rage surged in Sweet Mask's usually calm eyes, he hadn't expected that he would be hurt by a newcomer today.
'Was that a bit too much? The 50% talent growth value is indeed extraordinary.'
King felt the power in his body, his current physical strength had reached at least S-Class.
However, Sweet Mask had another ability: physical recovery. The broken bones recovered as if new in an instant.
Whoosh!
Before King could react, a hand blade struck, shattering his sternum.
"Interesting."
Boom!
As if it wasn't himself who was injured, King punched Sweet Mask's face.
"Damn it... it's over..."
A slight crisp sound was heard. Sweet Mask's expression turned extremely gloomy. If one looked closely, one would find that fine cracks had actually appeared on his face.
Hand Blade Barrage!
Boom... Boom...
Sweet Mask fell into complete rage, and his frantic attacks left King unable to parry. The continuous attacks also invisibly caused King's Fighting Spirit to stack, skyrocketing to a terrifying level.
Slap!
King seized the opportunity and firmly grabbed Sweet Mask's palm.
Pfft!
However, Sweet Mask had long been blinded by rage. He didn't care whether the person in front of him was a hero of the Association or not, his other hand gave King a piercing blow.
Drip...
Bright red blood dripped onto the ground continuously.
Sweet Mask seemed to have regained his sanity and pulled his palm out of King's body. "This is the price of arrogance."
Sweet Mask's expression was chillingly cold, but King did not fall as expected.
"Is that so?"
King raised his head, his eyes full of fanaticism, and a terrifying Fighting Spirit burst out from his body.
"What?!" Sweet Mask's pupils constricted.
He didn't expect that even after such a severe injury, Dark Mask would still retain such battle intent.
In his desperation, he hurriedly tried to get rid of King, but it was already too late.
Fighting Spirit fully activated! Tanktop Punch!
Rumble!
The shockwave engulfed Sweet Mask's figure. All the houses on the entire street were destroyed, and a deep gully appeared on the ground.
[Ding! Mission completed! Reward: 50,000 Talent points, 1 random Talent Trial Card.]