Light Pull-Cord Monster

"Boom—!"

After the shockwave tore through five concrete walls, nothing remained in the ruins but dust rolling beneath the searchlights. Such destructive power had long overturned all common sense.

Li Chen, standing in the corner, raised his eyes and casually assessed, "Destructive capacity: approximately a Tiger-level Threat."

A monster of this level was hardly worth worrying about. After all, many more would emerge in the future.

"Senior, please allow me to fight."

"My lord, permit me to dispose of this noisy piece of trash."

Ulquiorra's icy voice carried naked disdain. A Tiger-level Threat was no different from an ant in his eyes.

Anything that could interest him had to be at least a Peak Dragon-level Threat. As for Wolf-level Threats and Tiger-level Threats, they were merely fodder to be wiped out in a single strike.

"Wait." Li Chen raised a hand, stopping Mash and Ulquiorra from volunteering. "This is a good chance to see what Iron Man can do."

This operation had been intended to recruit Tony Stark into the [League of Heroes]. This was the perfect opportunity to assess his combat strength.

Judging by the red briefcase in his hand, he had likely already developed the Mark V armor.

"Boring! So boring! These dead things can't take a hit! Somebody come fight me!"

The Light Pull-Cord Monster swung his fists wildly, and the surrounding buildings crumbled beneath the force of his hundred-ton punches. Even the aftershock from his fists was enough to blast ordinary people into chunks.

In a sense, this berserk monster was a budget version of the Hulk.

"Help! Run!"

"What the hell is that thing?!"

"God save us..."

The crowd scattered in panic beneath the monster's indiscriminate attacks. Even trained bodyguards trembled—no one could guarantee their guns would do any meaningful damage to that body of steel and iron.

But the Light Pull-Cord Monster had no interest in the fleeing ants. What he wanted was an opponent who could let him enjoy himself.

"Trash! All of you are trash! Not one of you dares to fight me!"

"Big guy," Tony said, shaking the red briefcase as he stepped in front of the monster, "I can't pretend I didn't hear what you just said."

As both a superhero and an industrial tycoon, Tony felt it was time to teach this troublemaker a lesson.

"Iron Man? Perfect. I'll use you to test the results of my training!"

"Idiot. Once I twist your head off, I'll kick it around like a ball."

Tony pressed the button on the red briefcase, and its mechanisms instantly unfolded. The red-and-silver armor flowed over his body like liquid, completing its deployment in three seconds.

But three seconds of transformation time was enough to be fatal in real combat. If the Light Pull-Cord Monster had not insisted on challenging Iron Man at full strength, ordinary Tony would have died ten times over.

This portable armor was normally stored as a briefcase and could rapidly deploy into lightweight armor. It had been designed to deal with sudden attacks and buy him a chance to survive.

The price was weak defense: it had only a single layer of armor, and in the original story, Whiplash could shatter it with just a few lashes. Although it had a flight system, its altitude and speed were limited, and its only weapons were palm repulsors.

"Take this!"

Tony raised a hand and fired an arc pulse blast, striking the opponent squarely in the shoulder. Black smoke rose with the smell of charred meat, but to a monster with astonishing regenerative ability, it was merely a flesh wound.

The Light Pull-Cord Monster did not even take half a step back. "That's all you've got?!"

He was angry and disappointed. It was rare to have Iron Man as a sparring partner, yet this felt like bullying a child.

"Damn, you're tough..." Tony muttered as both palms kept firing. Dense arc blasts poured down like a rainstorm, enveloping the monster's entire body.

Yet even that rapid barrage was futile. To the Light Pull-Cord Monster, it was nothing more than a massage.

"Boring! Die!"

The monster suddenly exploded forward, crossing dozens of meters in an instant. His red boxing glove carried a sonic boom as it smashed heavily into Tony's chest.

The thin armor twisted out of shape at once. Tony crashed into the wall like a rag doll, his entire body embedded in the brickwork. The Mark V armor was declared scrapped.

"Warning! Structural damage has exceeded 84%!"

"A miscalculation... Where did this monster come from? Its strength far exceeds human limits."

"Accept your end, Iron Man!"

"Damn it! This isn't fun anymore."

Tony's expression changed drastically as he desperately tried to control the armor system. But with its core components disabled, the heavily damaged power armor had completely lost its mobility.

The Light Pull-Cord Monster approached with heavy steps. The shadow cast by his hulking body completely swallowed Iron Man. His fist, as large as a casserole, rose high into the air, gathering the force for a killing blow—if that punch struck Tony's head, even the more defensive Mark II armor might not protect its wearer, much less Tony in the lightweight Mark V.

"First target to be eliminated! Iron Man!"

"Whoosh—!"

Suddenly, a white oak cross glowing with holy light tore through the air, spinning like a cannonball as it smashed toward the monster. Though he raised both arms in time to block, the instant the holy artifact made contact, his entire forearms turned a horrifying bluish-purple, and black, filthy blood seeped from burst capillaries.

"Bullying the weak is not the work of a brave warrior."

Grandis, reeking of alcohol, leaped down from the second floor and landed firmly atop the cross embedded in the ground. The top-ranked C-class heroine of the [League of Heroes] had not a trace of drunkenness in her eyes now.

"Interesting... You actually managed to hurt me." The Light Pull-Cord Monster shook his numb arms and licked the blood seeping from them, his fighting spirit becoming even more frenzied. "You're much stronger than that flashy but useless tin man! Come on, let's have a real fight!"

"As you wish." Grandis pulled out the cross as holy light flowed across its surface. "Today, I'll send you to meet Lord Michelle."

("Be careful!" Tony suddenly called out from where he had been turned into a statue. "That guy has more than brute strength—he's an expert fighter too!"

Just as he had said, the monster's opening stance was unmistakably that of a professional boxer. In close combat, perhaps only a fighting master on Black Widow's level could contend with him.

The gap in physical ability was not something skill could make up for.

Even Captain America, who possessed peak human physical abilities, had only one-fifth of the Light Pull-Cord Monster's strength.

"Grandis, I'll help."

Mash leaped down in heavy black armor, shield-shaped Noble Phantasm in hand, already in a combat stance.

In terms of defense, Mash was among the very best. As long as she unleashed the power of her Noble Phantasm, she could withstand even an Ultra-Dragon-level Threat's attack.

"No need. Today, I'll personally send him to meet Michelle."

Grandis rolled her wrists, producing crisp cracking sounds.

Since he excelled at boxing, she would defeat him in the field he knew best.

"A one-on-one?" The Light Pull-Cord Monster grinned. "It wouldn't matter if a few more came at me, but refusing help is worthy of respect. Come on. I'll spare your life in the end!"

"Spare my life? You've got a big mouth."

Grandis placed one hand on the holy white oak cross and violently drove it into the ground.

Pale blue light spread instantly, forming a domain with a hundred-meter radius.

Godhead Fist Secret Art: Psychic Drive—plant the great weapon into the earth to create a domain, greatly enhancing speed and explosive force.

Godfist: Diving Body Blow!

Grandis's speed surged as she clenched her left fist and unleashed a strike beyond her limits.

Before the afterimage had faded, the fist wind had already arrived. A paladin by trade, she had actually used a Blue Fist Apostle technique.

Sure enough, every support secretly had the heart of a damage dealer.

"So fast?!"

The Light Pull-Cord Monster did not dodge and blocked with his right fist.

"Bang!"

Blue light burst forth, and his boxing glove exploded, yet he did not budge an inch.

However, the force of the punch penetrated his body, paralyzing him and leaving his entire body stiff, unable to counterattack.

Diving Rising Fist!

A heavy uppercut struck his jaw, blasting the monster five meters into the air.

A hundred tons of force had been concentrated at one point. If not for the monster's physique, his skull would have already shattered.

Diving Straight Punch!

Grandis leaped into the air, gathered strength in both fists, and threw them simultaneously!

In an instant, the Light Pull-Cord Monster was sent flying dozens of meters as if struck by a speeding train.

Grandis reacted swiftly and immediately sprang after him.

If she did not send this monster to the First Holy Apostle, Michelle, for judgment today, she would not rest.

"God! What is going on?!"

Tony's eyes widened as though he had seen a ghost in broad daylight.

No one could have imagined that this blonde girl possessed such terrifying strength—the force of the Light Pull-Cord Monster's punch that destroyed the Mark V armor needed no further explanation, yet she had suppressed him so completely with nothing but her fists that he could not fight back at all.

If he took a hit like that, both he and his armor would probably be scrapped on the spot.

At the thought, Stark shuddered and silently placed Grandis on his "high-risk list," completely abandoning any thought of flirting with her.

Getting punched in the chest by those dainty fists was no joke.

"Mr. Iron Man, how long do you intend to keep playing statue?"

Li Chen floated down gracefully along a heavenly path paved with spiritual energy.

He possessed the trait of commanding every member of the League of Heroes, and all of their abilities could be raised by one level.

The stronger the League became, the greater his own power—this was the capital a president needed to keep everyone in line.

By now, the restaurant had long since been emptied.

"Could you lend me a hand? I'm stuck."

"What a hassle."

Li Chen condensed his spiritual energy into a giant hand and grabbed through the air. Tony immediately popped free from the crack in the wall.

"Thanks."

Tony removed the severely damaged armor and thought to himself that while its portability was excellent, its defensive performance needed upgrading.

"Hey, I have a suggestion." He suddenly extended an invitation to everyone. "You're with that blonde girl, right? How about working for Stark Industries? I guarantee you'll be satisfied with the pay. My executives could use top-tier bodyguards."

"Bang!"

A headless corpse crashed heavily into the hall.

Grandis flipped in while holding the Light Pull-Cord Monster's head, clearly having completed the feat of "ripping a monster apart with her bare hands."

[Notice: Member Grandis eliminated the Tiger-level Threat Light Pull-Cord Monster, gaining 9 units of energy (the organization leader gained 90 units of energy)]

Defeating monsters of different levels granted corresponding amounts of energy points, and this energy served an important purpose within the League of Heroes.

The distribution system was rather strict, with the standard ratio being 1:9.

For a Tiger-level Threat, one could usually obtain 10 to 99 units of energy.

"Well... pretend I never said anything."

"So, Mr. Iron Man, aren't you going to show us around your seaside mansion?"

"With pleasure, if you're all interested."

"..."

Tony Stark's coastal villa was one of the safest private residences in the world. With his multiple identities as a billionaire and the inventor of the Iron Man armor, ordinary people simply did not dare set their sights on this estate.

This modern-art-style complex covered nearly ten thousand square meters and came equipped with an infinity pool, a giant underground armory, a helicopter pad, and other top-class facilities. It could satisfy almost every fantasy humanity had about luxurious living.

"So this is your residence? It's extravagance taken to the extreme."

"Strictly speaking, it's only one of them." Tony stretched his limbs, finally freed from the restraints of spiritual energy, and complained, "But the way you moved us around was seriously suffocating."

"My apologies. It was my first time taking people flying."