Hero Returns

"Monster alert, monster alert. According to the latest reports, a monster has appeared near City M. The Hero Association has already dispatched heroes to deal with it. Residents of City M, please stay indoors and do not go out..."

"It's finally here!"

On the streets of City M, countless people rushed toward nearby shelters after hearing the alarm. Only one man, wearing a black baseball cap pulled low over his face, headed in the opposite direction.

"The alert didn't mention the monster's threat level. It shouldn't be too high. Maybe this time I really can..."

Wu Di clenched his fists and quickened his pace. It had already been two years since he had transmigrated into the world of One Punch Man. Unfortunately, despite being an S-Class Hero and a wildly popular idol in everyone's eyes, he had no fighting ability at all.

Enjoying honors that did not belong to him every day, Wu Di deeply felt the original owner's desire for strength. He trained desperately and even tried Saitama's training regimen, but unfortunately, he neither went bald nor grew stronger.

"Damn it, I transmigrated after getting electrocuted while playing a mobile game. Couldn't I at least get a system?"

Wu Di grumbled as he finally found the monster moments later. However, three people had already gotten there first.

"Who are these three?"

Wu Di's eyes lit up. As a die-hard One Punch Man fan, he naturally recognized all three of them.

The first was dressed entirely in red and wore a black eye mask. Smiling symbols were emblazoned on his chest and waist, yet his face remained expressionless.

A-Class Rank 27, Smile Man. The other two wore the exact same outfit as Smile Man, though their weapons differed. They were Cool Man, B-Class Rank 69, and Angry Man, C-Class Rank 255.

"The Hero Association actually sent an A-Class, a B-Class, and a C-Class Hero to handle this incident. Then this monster's level..."

Wu Di frowned. The Hero Association generally dispatched nearby heroes according to a monster's threat level, which was roughly divided into five categories.

Wolf: A dangerous factor had appeared. These were generally humanoid monsters accompanied by minor incidents. Usually, they could only harm a single human or a small number of people, and the danger was limited. They were generally left to C-Class Heroes, and sometimes even ordinary people could handle them on their own.

Tiger: A crisis causing massive casualties. More threatening than Wolf-level, but still limited. B-Class and C-Class Heroes generally found them difficult to control, though they could still be easily dealt with through hero cooperation.

Demon: A crisis capable of halting or destroying an entire town. Demon-level Monsters were no longer targets for ordinary heroes. The government generally assigned A-Class or S-Class Heroes directly to suppress them. Demon-level Monsters were usually dominant forces capable of taking on multiple A-Class Heroes at once.

Dragon: A crisis that could destroy several towns. Dragon-level monsters were generally beings that had remained active for years without being eliminated. They were usually enormous in size or possessed attacks with a massive range. They required joint suppression by S-Class Heroes, while civilian casualties had to be minimized as much as possible.

God: A crisis that could lead to humanity's extinction. Monsters of this level could not be defined by conventional rules. They might no longer be limited to creatures of Earth, or even living beings at all. Dragon-level monsters could be used to measure the destructive power of meteors and to classify aliens like Boros. Nearly all S-Class Heroes would need to mobilize to quell such a disaster.

"Big brothers, why did you come too? This guy's only Wolf-level."

Angry Man, the C-Class Hero, looked at Smile Man in confusion. It was just a Wolf-level Monster. He could easily handle it alone.

"We had just finished subjugating a Demon-level Monster. We got the news, so we came by to take a look."

"You can handle this guy by yourself, but it's still Wolf-level. Don't let your guard down."

Smile Man and Cool Man had no intention of making a move, leaving the battlefield to Angry Man. Across from them, the monster was already trembling from head to toe in fright.

"Please, spare me..."

The monster looked like an enormous Bean Sprout, and a terrified expression covered his face.

Skinny Bean Sprout, disaster level: Wolf.

"Oh no, it's him!"

The hidden Wu Di's heart skipped a beat when he saw the monster. He remembered that in the original story, this guy's level was...

"To catch up to my big brothers as soon as possible, I'll work hard! Let me handle this one myself!"

"Go! Tornado Charge!"

Whoosh—Angry Man's spinning top shot toward Bean Sprout like an arrow released from a bow.

"Aaaah!"

A terrifying chill swept over them, and Angry Man was instantly frozen in place. Sensing the danger, Smile Man and Cool Man hurriedly dodged aside.

"Please forgive me, but I must take your lives!"

Boom—Smile Man swung his enormous hammer, shattering the incoming ice. His expression was somewhat shocked.

"This guy was playing weak to lure us in! The intelligence was wrong. He's at least Demon-level!"

Whoosh—before Smile Man's words had even faded, an intense chill froze both him and Cool Man in place as well. They gradually lost consciousness.

Gulp—Wu Di watched the three heroes get instantly defeated, his legs trembling uncontrollably. He had thought that after two years of training, he could bravely face monsters, but when the moment truly came, he could not help feeling afraid. His heart pounded violently.

Boom, boom, boom—massive rumbling sounds rang out, quickly drawing Bean Sprout's attention.

"Hm? Are there more heroes? Please, don't kill me!"

A teasing smile appeared on Bean Sprout's face as he walked toward Wu Di's hiding place.

Damn it, this guy is Dragon-level! What should I do? Should I run...?

Cold sweat poured down Wu Di's body as he instinctively wanted to flee, but his legs refused to obey him.

"Damn it, I'll fight him!"

Tap, tap, tap—just as Wu Di made up his mind to face the Dragon-level monster head-on, footsteps sounded in the distance.

"Hey! You did this, right? You froze up the whole area. Now I can't even ride my bike, and I'm going to miss the sale!"

A bald head and a cape. The moment Wu Di saw the newcomer, his heart settled.

"You've got the wrong person. I'm just a passing monster. Please spare my life."

A frightened expression appeared on Bean Sprout's face, while Saitama looked around in confusion.

"Then who did this?"

"Freeze!"

Boom—Saitama easily shattered the ice, and Bean Sprout's mouth fell open in shock.

"Hey, you froze my sweet potato!"

Saitama looked somewhat displeased. Bean Sprout no longer dared to be careless, and countless waves of ice came crashing toward him.

"Freeze! Freeze! Freeze!"

"Are you deaf when I'm talking to you?"

Boom—Saitama threw a punch, and Bean Sprout instantly snapped in two and fell to the ground.

"As expected of Teacher Saitama. Just like in the original story."

After Saitama left, Wu Di slowly walked over to Bean Sprout and could not help wondering when he would become as powerful as Teacher Saitama.

What he did not notice was that the three blocks of ice behind him had begun to crack.

"Please, spare me..."

"Holy shit! Screw you!"

Wu Di was startled by the sudden voice and kicked the Bean Sprout, who only had his last breath left, flying away. His cap fell off as well, revealing three horrifying scars on his face.

"Y-You're Mr. KING?"

Smile Man's excited voice came from behind him. Before Wu Di could explain, a notification sounded in his mind.

"Ding! Congratulations to the host for killing a Dragon-level monster. The Talent Fusion System has been activated!"