S-Class Hero King

"Young man, you have to take things one step at a time."

"...But these steps are way too high."

Based on disaster rankings:

Wolf-level Threat (1–10)

Tiger-Level (10–99)

Demon Level (100–999)

Dragon-Level (1,000–100,000)

Super-Dragon-Level (100,000–1,000,000)

God-Level (1,000,000+)

By Dragon-Level standards, after turning in fifty thousand, only five thousand remained. Even the most basic Divine Hammer enhancement required slaughtering twenty Dragon-Level disaster beasts—not to mention whether he could even find that many targets.

As for Super-Dragon-Level? He should first consider whether he had the strength for it.

[ Ding! Spend 100,000 points to unlock the 'Trial Space,' where you can obtain large amounts of energy and exclusive divine artifacts. ]

The Leader's Ring on his finger lit up at just the right moment, presenting a solution. Since there were limited monsters in the real world, he could simply open up a new trial battlefield.

With this ability, all he needed was to consistently grind dungeons, kill monsters, and level up. Given enough time, he would eventually save up the energy points needed for enhancement.

Glancing at the more than seventy thousand energy points left in his account, he was not far from activating the function.

"There's no need to worry. I'll handle this matter," Li Chen said calmly. "But shouldn't you try seeing whether you can summon your warhammer now?"

"That's right! My Mjolnir!"

Like someone yearning for an old friend who had fought beside him for years, Thor suddenly raised his right arm and called for the divine artifact from the bottom of his heart.

His arm remained suspended in the air for several seconds, but there was still no movement around him.

Thor could not help feeling a little embarrassed—had he awakened Thunder God Power, yet still not become worthy of wielding Mjolnir?

"Perhaps the time hasn't come yet. Wait a little longer."

Boom—

The summoned warhammer suddenly smashed through the training room's door and flew through the air. The specially designed room had indestructible walls aside from its main entrance, which had delayed the divine artifact slightly.

When the familiar handle once again settled into his palm, Thor's fingers trembled faintly with excitement. "Great! Old friend, you finally..." He suddenly fell silent.

"President, I need to take a leave of absence."

"I want to return to Asgard and apologize to my father in person."

Not only had he regained the power of Thor, he had also awakened the Thunder Origin hidden within his body. Now, even the warhammer he had been unable to move after losing his powers could be wielded as naturally as an arm. Surging power coursed through every inch of his body.

Now, he should be able to contact the guardian of the Bifrost himself—

"Heimdall! Hear my call!"

Thor stood in the training field and let out a thunderous roar. This guardian god, whose eyes could see through the Nine Realms, had always answered whenever his name was called within the Nine Realms.

"Open the Bifrost and send me back to the divine realm!"

Silence.

Only an invisible wind swept across the grassland.

Furrows slowly formed between Thor's brows.

Despite gaining the power of thunder, Thor still could not return to Asgard alone without Heimdall's assistance.

The distance between Earth and the divine realm was simply too great. Although the teleportation chamber at League of Heroes headquarters could directly reach Asgard, the cost was far beyond what Thor could afford right now—after all, this Thor, who had only just defeated a few Wolf-level Threats and still had a single-digit account balance, was undeniably broke.

"By the way," the president added, "Heimdall can indeed observe the Nine Realms, but the League of Heroes territory has a special barrier."

"...Isn't that just making things difficult on purpose?" Thor could not help muttering inwardly. Looking at the president's half-smiling expression, he could not shake the feeling that Li Chen was doing it deliberately.

"Remember to leave through the main entrance before summoning him. If you dare use Mjolnir to smash up the buildings..." The president deliberately dragged out his words. "The compensation will bankrupt you completely."

Thor reluctantly gave up on flying and obediently walked out of headquarters. When he stood at the edge of the territory and called for the guardian god, however, he received only a cold response: "Those who have been exiled have no right to use the Bifrost."

"I only want to apologize to my father in person!" Thor shouted, almost pleading. After a brief silence, a pillar of seven-colored light finally descended from the heavens and carried him toward Asgard...

Li Chen stretched in his office. "The plan is going smoothly. Now all that's left is for Loki to obediently hand over the Mind Stone." Thinking that he could both increase his combat strength and obtain a Stone for free, he could not help smiling in satisfaction.

Suddenly, fierce arguing came from outside the door. Iron Man Tony Stark and Garen burst in, locked in an argument as both desperately recommended the newcomer they favored.

"President! The young man I recommend can definitely meet the standards of a B-Class Hero!"

"The boy I recommend can repel a Demon-level Disaster by himself!"

"His potential, combined with the armor I specially designed..."

"That boy has already demonstrated..."

The two traded verbal blows without yielding an inch, and the office immediately filled with the smell of gunpowder.

"Wrong. The person I chose is better. He's quick-witted, wise, and strong-willed."

After only a few sentences, Garen and Tony were once again at each other's throats.

Both were full of confidence in the rising star they favored, convinced that their recommendation would surpass the other's.

Tony had always been silver-tongued and skilled at debate.

Even Garen, who was usually honest and dependable, refused to give an inch over this matter.

"The person recommended by a power-focused warrior like you is probably just some brainless brute with muscles."

"I think the person you recommend might just be a coward trembling inside a metal shell."

"Are you provoking me?"

"Exactly."

"You want to fight?"

"Bring it on!"

Tony tapped his wrist guard, and nanotech armor instantly covered his entire body.

The newly improved Mark VII Armor not only had far greater endurance and power, but also solved its energy consumption problem and could be carried around with him.

Garen slowly drew his greatsword, which glimmered with magical light, his battle intent soaring.

In a direct confrontation, Tony's chances of victory were nearly zero.

After all, Garen was among the strongest B-Class Heroes, while Tony had only just crossed the threshold into B-Class.

But Tony possessed an absolute advantage—he could soar through the skies.

Against an opponent who could not fly, he only needed to keep his distance and wear him down.

Seeing the smell of gunpowder grow thicker, Li Chen stopped the conflict in time.

"Stop! Did you come here to recommend talent or to fight?"

"Sorry, President."

"My apologies."

Although the two put away their weapons, the air remained charged with tension.

Even after being rebuked by the president, they continued fiercely clashing with their eyes.

"So, who are the people you want to recommend?"

"Spider-Man."

"Peter Parker."

The room instantly fell silent.

Garen and Tony stared at each other in shock, their faces full of disbelief.

"After all that, you recommended the same person?"

Li Chen rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on.

Logically speaking, Peter Parker should not yet have become Spider-Man at this point. He might even still be a child.

It seemed that with the appearance of the League of Heroes, the entire Marvel universe timeline had undergone subtle deviations.

Li Chen would not be surprised even if a mutant named Apocalypse suddenly appeared now.

Hmm... probably.

That should be the case.

I met that kid first. He sees me as his role model.

Nonsense. He clearly admires me. We even fought together.

No sooner had the issue of the recommended candidate been resolved than Garen and Tony began arguing again like enemies from a previous life.

This sort of thing was far too common.

Every hero had a different personality. Those aligned with the light naturally could not stand those aligned with darkness.

With Garen's upright and rigid personality, he and Tony were especially incompatible.

The only way to resolve such conflicts was to assign them to different branches. Otherwise, they would fight sooner or later.

No matter who won or lost, it would be internal strife Li Chen did not want to see.

He casually tossed Tony a member's wristband.

"Here. I approve Spider-Man's admission."

"By the way, that kid wants to hide his identity."

"You know the League's rules. I never interfere in members' private affairs, as long as they step forward when it matters."

After all, Peter Parker was still a high school student. There was nothing wrong with wanting to live an ordinary life while also being a hero.

Considering little Spider-Man's potential, making an exception and giving him some preferential treatment was no problem.

Then, within Li Chen's sensory range, a high-speed moving object suddenly appeared.

Sosuke Aizen teleported behind him.

"Boss, I have two urgent matters to report."

"First, it concerns the newly promoted S-Class Hero King."

"Oh?"

The information Li Chen had given Aizen had not mentioned that King was a fake S-Class Hero.

At this stage, he still needed this "human-shaped nuclear deterrent" to intimidate enemies.

Although Aizen was trustworthy, the fewer people who knew such a secret, the better.

"Yugi Mutou's strength is not a problem, but there's always something strange about King."

"What's strange about him?"

"I cannot determine that, which is why I specifically invited King to the training grounds for a practical combat test."

Aizen chose the most direct method—testing his strength through battle.

An engine-like rumble sounded in the distance.

King entered the training grounds with Child Emperor at his side. Golden short hair, sharp eyes, three scars on his left cheek, and an overwhelmingly imposing build—anyone who saw him would believe he was a top-tier powerhouse.

But Li Chen knew that he was merely a shut-in who looked impressive on the surface. That shocking "King Engine" was only the sound of his accelerated heartbeat caused by fear. The only thing special about him was that his heartbeat was louder than normal when he was nervous.

Despite carrying the title of an S-Class Hero, Aizen could only vaguely sense that something was wrong without being able to explain why. He had no choice but to ask Li Chen to arrange this duel.

"You dare challenge Uncle King? How arrogant! Aside from the president and vice president, he's the strongest man on Earth!" Child Emperor, a B-Class Hero who had worked with King before, shouted loudly.

The lively scene also drew Garen and Tony, who were preparing to leave. They were both full of curiosity about the strength of an S-Class Hero.

"Oh? Is that so?" Aizen pushed up his glasses, and a cold glint flashed across the lenses. Beneath his gentle appearance lurked astonishing danger.

"Hmph! Let me tell you about Uncle King's legendary achievements!" Child Emperor boasted proudly.

"He once held a bomb capable of destroying the solar system and flew into space, throwing the bomb into a black hole!"

"He traveled through time and space to shatter a meteor swarm hurtling toward Earth, saving all humanity!"

"Nearly every myth contains hidden records about King!"

"He used the moon as a punching bag for training, leaving behind a massive fist mark!"

"No monster can withstand a single punch from him!"

"This is King, the 'Strongest Man on Earth'!"

Other than the final claim, which was barely true, the rest was complete nonsense. Who had fabricated such absurdly exaggerated stories?

"How truly exciting." Aizen revealed a meaningful smile.

"Even Tatsumaki can't compare to Uncle King!" Child Emperor continued boasting.

"Oh?" Aizen's response carried a hint of amusement.

The corners of Sosuke Aizen's mouth rose slightly, and the cold smile on his face deepened. His long-dormant fighting spirit seemed to reignite.

At present, there were only four S-Class Heroes in the League of Heroes.

Tatsumaki, Sosuke Aizen, Yugi Mutou, and King (fake).

Tatsumaki's whereabouts were unknown. Perhaps she was wandering somewhere on Earth as she pleased.

Yugi Mutou had no interest in such meaningless combat. Besides, his fighting style had always focused on teamwork.

As vice president, Doraemon was not someone focused on combat. If he were to fight Li Chen, the result would be obvious.

Therefore, Sosuke Aizen, who had descended into this world after perfectly fusing with the Hogyoku, was filled with an indescribable emptiness. He longed to find an evenly matched opponent and verify his true strength.

At this moment, an ideal opponent had appeared before him.

He was highly recognized by Child Emperor and possessed the strength of an S-Class Hero.

"Thump—thump—thump—"

King crossed his arms and stood silently in place, utterly motionless.

However, the roar of the "King Engine" grew increasingly intense, as though foretelling the imminent eruption of battle.

In truth, King was already in complete panic inside.

He was only an ordinary shut-in who could not even defeat a D-Class Hero. Why did he have to fight an S-Class Hero who looked unbelievably powerful at a glance?