KING's Call

A string of questions left Wu Di on the other end of the line completely bewildered, but he still sorted out his thoughts.

"The monster has already been killed by me. I'm safe now."

Beep, beep, beep—the busy tone sounded. This time, Jace was the one left dumbfounded. Wu Di suddenly reminded him of someone: KING, the Seventh S-Class Hero.

That was because KING always made calls like this, often leaving behind just two extremely simple sentences before hanging up. Their voices also seemed remarkably similar.

"Supervisor Jace, should we call him back...?"

Maria was somewhat embarrassed as well. After all, usually only S-Class Heroes dared speak to a supervisor like that.

"No need. If he really did kill that monster, then he must have been injured as well. He should be recuperating somewhere safe right now. Don't disturb him for the time being."

Jace calmed down. Judging from the scene, it really was possible that the powerful monster had been defeated by Wu Di.

Otherwise, there was no explanation for why the monster had vanished while Wu Di had survived.

"I'll report this to our superiors. Wu Di's ranking will probably need to be adjusted."

"What did the Association say?"

Saitama listlessly sucked on a lollipop while Genos diligently cleaned nearby.

Genos had also successfully joined the Hero Association and, due to his past accomplishments, had been exceptionally promoted to an S-Class Hero.

"They just asked about the situation. Ignore them."

Wu Di did not care much about the Hero Association, nor did he want to interact with other heroes. After all, he was still hiding his identity.

"Sigh, so boring. A few days ago, I ran into someone called Speed-o'-Sound Sonic. He's been pestering me nonstop."

"Teacher Saitama, would you like me to take care of him?"

"Forget it. You're annoying enough already!"

Genos immediately volunteered, only to be promptly rebuffed by Saitama.

"Since there's nothing else, I'll be leaving."

Wu Di's injuries had long since healed, and after a night's rest, he had also recovered from the backlash of using his aura.

Time was extremely tight for him now. He needed to kill a hundred monsters in two months. The task ahead was arduous.

"You're leaving just like that? Haha, you must be going off to do hero work, right? Otherwise, the Association will remove you from the roster."

"I'm different. I caught a wanted criminal just yesterday."

Saitama wore a smug expression. Wu Di naturally knew that the wanted criminal he meant was probably that unlucky Sonic.

"Emergency broadcast, emergency broadcast! A meteor has been detected and will fall into Z City in half a day. It is projected to have enough destructive force to destroy the entire city. The Hero Association has already dispatched heroes to deal with it. All Z City residents, evacuate immediately!!!"

An urgent voice came from the television, causing Wu Di to stop just as he was about to leave.

"Teacher, I have something urgent to take care of. I'll head out first."

A determined look appeared in Genos's eyes. Wu Di glanced at him. This guy was always eager to prove himself.

"Alright. Be careful out there."

Saitama did not pay much attention to it. The Hero Association had already announced that it would send people to handle the matter. But only Wu Di knew that the intensity of this meteor disaster would surpass everyone's expectations.

Even Silver Fang Bang, the third-ranked S-Class Hero, would be helpless against it. In the end, Saitama would have to destroy the meteor himself, though Z City would still suffer severe damage from its fragments.

Stepping out of Saitama's house, Wu Di looked up at the sky. He could faintly see a flickering red light. He knew it was the meteor capable of destroying all of Z City.

Wu Di moved through the city as countless people rushed frantically toward the outskirts. Massive traffic jams formed within the city instead, trapping many people in place.

"This won't do. Although people will eventually evacuate, Z City still won't escape destruction. Looks like I can only ask the Association for help."

Wu Di made up his mind. Just as he was about to dial the number on the phone in his hand, he suddenly stopped and pulled another phone from his pocket.

"Hello! This is KING!"

"Mr. KING?! May I ask what you need?"

Customer service representative Maria was surprised. KING rarely took the initiative to contact the Hero Association.

"I'm in Z City right now."

"What did you say? You're in Z City?!"

Maria turned to look at Jace behind her, and he immediately took the call.

"Mr. KING, what do you intend to do?"

Jace knew KING would not say such a thing without reason. He must have a way to deal with this meteor crisis.

"You don't need to worry about the meteor. You only need to clear away the fragments that fall into the city after it explodes and minimize the losses as much as possible."

"You mean after the meteor explodes? Could it be...?"

"Hurry and contact Metal Knight and the nearby heroes. There isn't much time."

"But we can't get in touch with them either..."

Beep, beep, beep—the busy tone sounded. Jace looked rather helpless. KING's words were always so profound and unfathomable.

"Supervisor Jace, what should we do? Even if KING really does destroy the meteor, we won't be able to handle the scattered fragments. It's already too late to dispatch S-Class Heroes."

"KING wouldn't make empty claims. Have Child Emperor contact Metal Knight and try to persuade him to cooperate with clearing the meteor fragments. Also, notify every A-Class Hero and above in the surrounding area to assist with cleanup after the meteor explodes."

Jace made a prompt decision. This time, he chose to trust KING without reservation. It was Z City's last chance at survival.

Before long, every hero near Z City received a notice from the Hero Association.

"KING? He's actually in Z City too? The Association wants us to help clear meteor fragments? They're seriously underestimating us."

"Looks like KING intends to make a move. But that's a meteor. Can he really shatter it?"

"The Seventh S-Class Hero, the Strongest Man on Earth. Let me see just how powerful you truly are."

For a time, the heroes who had been preparing to evacuate all returned to Z City, quietly waiting for the meteor's arrival.

Whoosh—A metallic figure streaked through the skies above Z City. Genos, who had been moving across the rooftops, stopped.

"This is...? The sixth-ranked S-Class Hero, Metal Knight!"

Genos carried equipment newly developed by the doctor. By now, the meteor was already extremely close to Z City, its flickering red light rapidly expanding at a speed visible to the naked eye.

"Clear the meteor fragments alongside KING?"

Genos stopped at an appropriate location, put on his new weapon, and waited quietly.

At this point, everyone was ready. Some might not have trusted the Hero Association, but most wanted to witness how KING, the so-called Strongest on Earth, would resolve this crisis.

"Now it's up to you."

Wu Di sat atop a rooftop while Saitama beside him absentmindedly picked at his ear.

"If I can move up in rank, that'd be nice too."

"And this is my city. Who gave you permission to fall here?!"