"KING?"
Wu Di froze. Only then did he realize that the previous battle had already destroyed his mask.
"Cough, cough... Just a coincidence. How are things inside the venue?"
"A few contestants turned into monsters, but they've all been dealt with."
Saitama spoke happily. For some reason, he always felt a sense of familiarity whenever he saw KING.
"You're pretty impressive. It probably won't be long before you're promoted to A-Class. That was fast."
"Hahaha! That's true. I have a friend named Wu Di. We joined the Hero Association together, but I've already left him far behind."
Saitama said smugly. He rarely paid attention to Hero Association matters, so he had no idea that Wu Di's rank had already shot up to A-Class like a rocket.
"Oh, really? But as far as I know, Wu Di has already reached A-Class and is currently ranked thirty-fifth."
A sly look appeared on Wu Di's face. He wasn't about to pass up such a good chance to knock Saitama down a peg.
"Huh? That guy's pretty capable, huh? He actually made it to A-Class so quickly. Genos was directly assigned to S-Class back then too. In the end, my rank is still the lowest."
Saitama looked somewhat helpless, though there was a strange look in his eyes as he gazed at Wu Di.
"Maybe it's just my imagination, but I always feel like you and Wu Di look especially alike."
"Cough, cough, cough... Maybe it's because we both have hearts of justice. It's getting late, and I've got vermicelli stewing at home. I'm off!"
Wu Di coughed awkwardly a few times and casually made up an excuse to slip away. It seemed that others were gradually beginning to suspect his identity. He would have to be more careful in the future.
"I wonder how the other heroes are doing."
Wu Di put his mask back on and searched the city streets for remaining monsters. At that moment, screams rang out ahead.
"Ah! There's a monster here!"
"Heroes! Where are the heroes? Can someone save us?!"
"Hm? What's this?"
A humanoid hedgehog stood in the middle of the street, holding a sign that read "Free Hugs," while the people around it scattered in terror.
"Come on! Let me hug you!"
Just as Wu Di was about to make a move, a brawny figure arrived at the scene.
"You're A-Class Wu Di Boy, right? Don't worry, I'll protect cute boys!"
Sexy Prisoner declared confidently, while Wu Di was left speechless.
"If possible, could you let me handle this? I'm working hard to become an S-Class Hero like you."
Wu Di wiped away a cold sweat. Sexy Prisoner had deliberately gone to prison just to take advantage of male inmates. He definitely didn't want to catch his attention.
"Alright, Wu Di Boy. As expected, you have a passionate heart too. Go ahead without worry. I'll always protect you at my side and never let you suffer any harm!"
Sexy Prisoner's eyes burned as he looked at Wu Di, sending a chill down Wu Di's spine. He instinctively covered his rear.
"Cough, cough, cough... Vine Pierce!!!"
Swish, swish, swish—several vines tightly bound the hedgehog monster before piercing straight into its body and continuously draining its energy.
"Eek, eek, eek!"
The hedgehog monster struggled frantically, but it could not break free. In the end, it became a shriveled corpse.
"Ding~ Congratulations, Host, for killing an Upper Demon-level Monster. Reward: 800 talent points."
"Wu Di Boy, is that your ability? When we have time, we can properly exchange combat experience."
Sexy Prisoner was somewhat surprised. There were quite a few users of Psychic Powers in the Hero Association, but not many were as strong as Wu Di.
"I still have things to do. I'll be going!"
Wu Di's skin crawled under Sexy Prisoner's gaze, and he hurriedly left the scene.
"Sexy Prisoner escaped from prison, so over at the prison, it should be..."
Having just left the city district, Wu Di headed straight toward the prison where Sexy Prisoner had been held. That was also his final target.
"Most of the prisoners in the prison should have swallowed Monster Cells and gone to the Monster Association by now. But that guy definitely won't leave so easily."
Wu Di pondered this, but before he could react, a cold flash cut across his chest, and blood instantly sprayed out.
"We're almost in the city. I wonder if Gouketu has finished over there."
A large humanoid cat yawned, not even bothering to turn around and check on Wu Di.
"Monster Association, Dragon-level Executive, Meow!"
Wu Di staggered to his feet. Meow's speed was simply too fast; in an instant, he had inflicted a fatal wound on him.
If he had not possessed an immortal body, any other hero would likely have been killed in a single strike.
"Oh? You didn't die? Pretty capable, aren't you?"
Meow looked somewhat surprised. Dragon-level Executives like him had studied the files of all S-Class Heroes, but Wu Di was clearly not among them.
"What luck. Saves me the trouble of looking for you!"
Swish, swish, swish—countless vines suddenly burst from beneath Meow's feet, binding him firmly in place.
"Vine Pierce!"
Before the vines could pierce Meow's body, his body slipped free from their restraints as easily as a sheet of paper.
"Your ability is decent, but it's completely useless against me. Any gap wider than three millimeters is enough for me to pass through."
Meow looked at Wu Di with great interest. He had not expected the Hero Association to be hiding a hero with such an ability. He decided to properly torture Wu Di to death.
"Cat Punishment!"
Meow's claws instantly slashed toward Wu Di, but they were blocked by a bat Wu Di materialized.
"Pretty capable, aren't you! I hope you can hold out a little longer. I love slowly torturing my opponents to death!"
An excited smile appeared on Meow's face. The two figures moved like lightning, exchanging dozens of blows within moments.
Unfortunately, Wu Di could not keep up with his opponent's speed each time. His wounds grew increasingly severe, but Meow seemed to enjoy the process.
None of Meow's strikes were meant to kill. Relying on his speed and strength, he deliberately toyed with Wu Di, wanting only to see his despair and pain.
"No, this guy's speed and strength are both far beyond mine. I have to find a way to limit his movements."
Wu Di was helpless as well. He simply could not keep up with the other's speed. Although his momentum could stack up quickly, he still had to be able to hit his target.
Besides, the aftereffects of his fight with Gouketu had not yet faded. He was still in a weakened state, so his speed and strength had naturally dropped considerably.
"That's about enough. I'll put you out of your misery. I still want to go have some fun in the city."
Meow saw that Wu Di was covered in blood yet showed no signs of collapsing. Instead, he seemed to grow more excited with every exchange, and Meow lost interest.
"Fierce! Cat Punishment!"
Meow rushed before Wu Di. His claws turned into countless afterimages, engulfing Wu Di's body as crimson blood splattered everywhere.
"Now! Savage Tornado!"
Before you continue