Swoosh—Wu Di darted through the uninhabited district of Z City. The Monster Association was right beneath his feet, but he was not arrogant enough to barge in yet.
"No wonder this is a gathering place for monsters. There are more and more of them here."
Along the way, Wu Di had already killed more than ten monsters, but they had basically all been Wolf-level and very weak.
Roar—at that moment, a beastlike howl rang out, drawing Wu Di's attention.
"Finally, one worth looking at."
Wu Di focused as he looked at the two-meter-tall monster before him.
"A Tiger-level Monster. A primitive man."
The monster wore primitive tribal clothing. The sharp fangs protruding from his mouth and the bulging muscles all over his body displayed his formidable strength.
Roar—the primitive man charged at Wu Di, only to have his body punched straight through. He fell stiffly to the ground.
"Ding—Peak Tiger-level Monster killed. Reward: 500 talent points."
"I'm almost done with the number of monsters below Demon-level. What I'm lacking most right now are Demon-level Monsters. I'll need to pay more attention to the disaster alerts issued by the association lately."
Wu Di muttered as he prepared to leave, but suddenly stopped when a voice sounded behind him.
"B-Class Rank 5, Wu Di."
A blue-haired man dressed neatly and cleanly, with an exceptionally handsome face, smiled at Wu Di.
"A-Class Rank 1, Sweet Mask."
Wu Di appeared calm on the surface, but inwardly, he had raised his guard to the utmost.
"Do you need something from me?"
"Don't be nervous. I simply admire you. I congratulated Genos when he entered S-Class as well, but his later performance truly disappointed me."
Sweet Mask smiled faintly. He had always paid close attention to newcomers joining the Hero Association, especially those like Wu Di whose rankings rose rapidly.
"He was just careless. Besides, everyone needs room to grow. Were you already this strong when you first became a hero?"
Wu Di argued back. After all, he had seen Genos's efforts firsthand.
"Careless? Do you know what being a hero means? Civilians all over the world are relying on us to protect them. We represent justice, and all evil must be eliminated immediately."
"If even we fail, who else can people believe in?"
Sweet Mask's gaze suddenly sharpened, radiating a faint but chilling aura.
"So, you're very strong?"
Wu Di raised a brow, eager to give it a try.
"Wait. It's good for newcomers to have drive, but don't overdo it, or you'll get hurt."
Sweet Mask raised a hand to stop him. He had not come here today to test Wu Di's strength.
"System, activate the experience card."
But Wu Di was not about to let him off so easily. He still had a mission to complete.
Besides, Wu Di wanted to see whether Sweet Mask, the gatekeeper of S-Class, was truly as powerful as the rumors claimed.
"Ding—Experience card activated. S-Class Rank 15, Tank Top Master. Talent: Super Strength. Skills: Tank Top Hold, Tank Top Barrage. Talent growth value: 50%."
"Tank Top Master's experience card? Perfect timing."
Wu Di felt surging power flow through his body. The muscles in both his arms swelled dramatically, and his physical capabilities rose by more than one level.
"Since you're so strong, why haven't you advanced to S-Class?"
Wu Di asked in a slightly provocative tone.
"The reason I remain in A-Class is to prevent unqualified people from entering S-Class."
Sweet Mask remained calm, seemingly unconcerned by Wu Di's tone.
Bang—Wu Di's legs suddenly erupted with force, and he instantly appeared in front of Sweet Mask, throwing a heavy punch.
Boom—Sweet Mask had barely raised a hand to block when he discovered that the force exceeded his expectations. He was sent flying back dozens of meters.
"Good. Then see whether I qualify!"
A wicked smile appeared on Wu Di's face, while Sweet Mask slowly took off his coat.
"Fine. I'll consider this a free lesson for you newcomers on behalf of the association."
Sweet Mask was not angered by Wu Di's sudden attack. Instead, he sighed at his ignorance and fearlessness.
If I want to defeat him, I need to gain an absolutely overwhelming advantage before he undergoes Monsterization.
Wu Di silently considered it. They were both heroes of the Hero Association, and this was not a fight to the death. Sweet Mask would never easily reveal his trump card.
"Here I come!"
Boom—Wu Di roared and punched the ground. Countless cracks spread directly beneath Sweet Mask's feet, causing him to lose his balance.
Tank Top Hold!
Bang—caught off guard, Sweet Mask was sent flying, and the bones throughout his body actually began to fracture inch by inch.
"You bastard!"
Boundless fury surged into Sweet Mask's previously calm eyes. He had never expected to be injured by a newcomer today.
"Did I go a little too far? The power of fifty percent talent growth value really is extraordinary."
Wu Di felt the immense power within his body. His physical strength had now reached at least S-Class.
However, Sweet Mask possessed another ability: extraordinary physical recovery. His broken bones had already fully healed in mere moments.
Swoosh—before Wu Di could react, a hand chop struck him, shattering his sternum.
"Interesting!"
Boom—acting as though he were not the one injured, Wu Di smashed a punch into Sweet Mask's handsome face.
"Fuck... I'm done for..."
A faint cracking sound rang out. Sweet Mask's face darkened to the extreme. Upon closer inspection, tiny cracks had actually appeared on his face.
Hand Chop Barrage!!!
Boom, boom, boom—Sweet Mask was completely consumed by rage. His frenzied assault immediately left Wu Di unable to defend himself.
The continuous attacks also invisibly caused Wu Di's aura to stack wildly, soaring to a terrifying level.
Slap—seizing the opportunity, Wu Di firmly grabbed Sweet Mask's hand.
Pfft—but Sweet Mask had long since been blinded by fury. He did not care whether the person before him was a fellow hero from the association. His other hand pierced straight through Wu Di's body.
Drip, drip—bright red blood continuously dripped onto the ground. Sweet Mask seemed to regain his senses and pulled his hand from Wu Di's body.
"This is the consequence of arrogance."
Sweet Mask's expression was frighteningly cold, but Wu Di did not collapse as expected.
"Is that so?"
Wu Di slowly raised his head, his eyes filled with fervor as a terrifying aura burst forth from within him.
"What?!"
Sweet Mask's pupils contracted. He had not expected Wu Di to retain such a powerful aura after suffering such severe injuries.
In his panic, he hurriedly tried to break free from Wu Di, but it was already too late.
Aura Unleashed! Tank Top Barrage!!!
Rumble—the terrifying shockwave swallowed Sweet Mask's figure. Every building along the street was destroyed, and a deep trench appeared in the ground.
"Ding—Mission complete. Reward: 50,000 talent points and one random experience card."
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