Night fell, and faint insect chirps drifted in from outside the window.
The kitchen at Lily's house was filled with the rich aroma of tonkotsu ramen.
"Here, eat."
Lily placed a steaming bowl in front of Ethan.
Ethan swallowed, accepted the bowl with both hands, and lowered his head slightly.
"Thank you, Lily. I'll dig in."
Lily rested her chin on her hand, quietly watching him eat.
Her gaze seemed distant, as if she were lost in memory.
After a while, she spoke softly.
"I used to have a younger brother. If he were still alive, he'd be about your age."
Ethan paused for a brief moment.
"That's why… when I see you, it feels familiar."
Ethan nodded silently. He didn't ask anything, but he understood.
To her, he had already become something like family.
Early the next morning, just before sunrise.
At the park.
Ethan took a deep breath and steadied himself.
His feet were shoulder-width apart, toes slightly turned inward.
His knees bent, hips lowered, as if sitting firmly on an invisible horse.
His arms formed a loose circle in front of his chest, as though holding an unseen sphere. His breathing was slow and steady.
This was a foundational stance in Bajiquan called Liangyi Stance.
Practiced daily, it strengthened the body and extended endurance.
But for Ethan, its true purpose was to rapidly improve his physical condition.
Training was monotonous.
But the results were undeniable.
In just one month, his body had undergone a remarkable transformation.
[Name: Ethan Cole]
[Skill: Bajiquan (35% - Initial Power Stage)]
[Constitution: 2.0]
[Combat Power: 12]
On Earth, the human body had limits.
But in this world, human potential was far greater.
Even ordinary people could reach impressive physical strength.
Take S-Class heroes like Tanktop Master and his Tanktop Army. Through simple strength training alone, they surpassed what would be considered world-class athletes back on Earth.
And if that level of training was combined with a fierce martial art like Bajiquan, along with daily discipline, growth would naturally be even faster.
However…
Recently, his progress had begun to slow.
During the first week, his strength nearly doubled.
But by the third week, improvement had become painfully slow.
A bottleneck.
Or rather… a limiter.
The concept surfaced in Ethan's mind, something he remembered from the original story.
"The limiter is the boundary of strength a being can reach while maintaining its sense of self."
In other words, no matter how strong a human became, there was a ceiling.
Unless… like Saitama, they broke it.
According to Dr. Genus from the House of Evolution, the key to breaking the limiter was repeatedly pushing oneself to the brink of death.
Take Garou as an example. Through constant near-death experiences, he kept evolving, eventually reaching Dragon-level and beyond.
"But me right now…"
Ethan clenched his fist, then shook his head.
Challenge S-Class heroes? That was suicide.
At his current level, he might not even defeat a B-Class hero. Facing top-tier fighters would only get him killed instantly.
"Step by step… I'll start by joining the Hero Association."
City A.
Inside the testing hall of the Hero Association headquarters, a crowd had gathered.
Ethan stood in line, dressed in a white training outfit.
His physique had completely changed from a month ago. Broad shoulders, a narrow waist, defined muscles. His build was lean yet powerful.
From a skinny student, he had become someone solid and disciplined.
"Next. Physical test."
The staff member called out.
100-meter sprint: 8 seconds flat.
Bench press: 500 kilograms.
Back in his old world, these numbers would have shattered human limits.
But here, they were only considered standard for a C-Class hero.
"Not bad," the staff member nodded, handing him a written exam.
The questions were straightforward:
What would you do if you encountered a highly destructive monster in a crowded city center?
What would you do if you encountered a stronger monster in a remote area holding hostages?
What is your priority when facing a low-level monster in a children's playground?
List at least three weaknesses of a Production Coordinator-type monster.
The questions weren't difficult.
So why had Saitama scored so poorly?
Because he didn't take it seriously at all.
His answers were always the same. No matter the situation, his solution was simple.
Defeat the monster.
For Saitama, that was easy. Even in hostage situations, he could eliminate the threat instantly.
But to the Hero Association, that kind of answer wasn't realistic.
Ethan's results were submitted quickly.
They were solid, but not enough to attract attention like Saitama had.
As expected, he was ranked as C-Class.
It was low.
But a C-Class hero was still a hero.
He could take missions and fight monsters.
That said, C-Class heroes were relatively weak. They could only handle Wolf-level threats.
Most of the time, they dealt with ordinary criminals instead.
Even then, not all criminals were easy.
For example, Hammerhead from the Paradisers.
Right now, Ethan stood no chance against him.
Hammerhead could demolish buildings with ease.
In his previous world, people sometimes ranked power by destructive capability. Breaking bricks, walls, houses, buildings, streets, cities, nations, continents, even planets.
Ethan was still at the level of handling ordinary people. He couldn't even break a wall yet, let alone a building.
There was still a gap of two levels between him and Hammerhead.
But Ethan believed that wouldn't last long.
For now, he would train while taking on smaller missions.
He returned to the pet shop.
Just as he was about to tell Lily that he had become a hero, she hurriedly grabbed her coat and rushed out.
"One of my regulars has a Samoyed giving birth. I need to check on it. I'll leave the shop to you!"
Before he could respond, she had already dashed out.
Ethan rubbed his nose and swallowed his words.
At this hour, the shop rarely had customers. He cleaned the cages as usual and fed the cats and dogs.
"Nice weather today…"
He sat behind the counter, staring out the window.
Then the bell above the door rang.
A young woman in her early twenties walked in.
She wore a light-colored blouse and a dark blue pleated skirt. Her hair was tied into a simple ponytail, and she had round glasses resting on her nose.
She hesitated at the entrance for a few seconds before stepping inside.
"Hello… I'd like to adopt a puppy."
As Ethan stood up, he noticed her instinctively step back. He quickly softened his tone.
"Would you like some recommendations? We have breeds that are great for beginners."
She relaxed slightly and adjusted her glasses.
"I usually draw comics at home… it gets a bit too quiet."
Her voice trailed off as her eyes wandered between the cages.
"I see."
Ethan smiled and walked toward a cage by the window.
"This Akita is very gentle. It won't disturb your work."
He crouched down and gently stroked the puppy's golden fur.
"It's about six months old and already used to regular walks."
The girl's eyes lit up as she leaned closer.
"It's… so cute."
Then she added shyly, "I've never had a pet before."
"That's okay. We provide a beginner's care guide."
Ethan took out a folder from under the counter.
"There's also a free health check and vaccination voucher."
For the next hour, he carefully explained feeding routines, bathing, and daily walks.
The puppy stayed calm the entire time, occasionally looking up at its new owner.
In the end, the girl left, holding the puppy she had named Sunny.
The clock pointed to 6:30.
Lily still hadn't returned.
Ethan was about to make a call when the door suddenly opened again.
But this time, it wasn't a new customer.
It was the same girl, breathless, having run all the way back.