S-Class Hero King

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

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

According to the disaster level classifications:

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 handing over 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 weigh his own strength.

[ 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, offering a solution. Since monsters in the real world were limited, he could simply open up a new trial battlefield.

With this ability, he only needed to keep grinding dungeons, killing monsters, and leveling up. Given enough time, he would eventually save up the energy points needed for enhancement.

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

"Don't worry. I'll handle this," Li Chen said calmly. "But why don't you try and see whether you can summon your war hammer back now?"

"That's right! My Mjolnir!"

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

His arm remained suspended in the air for several seconds, yet nothing happened around him.

Thor could not help feeling 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 war hammer suddenly blasted through the training room's door and flew through the air. This specially constructed training room had indestructible walls apart from its main entrance, which had delayed the divine artifact slightly.

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

"President, I need to take a temporary leave."

"I want to return to Asgard and personally apologize to my father."

Not only had he regained the power of Thor, he had also awakened the Thunder Origin latent within him. Even the war hammer that he had been unable to move after losing his divine power now obeyed him like an extension of his arm, while immense power surged through his entire body.

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

"Heimdall! Hear my call!"

Thor stood in the training grounds and let out a thunderous roar. This guardian god possessed eyes that could see through the Nine Realms, and whenever his name was called within the Nine Realms, he would always respond.

"Please open the Bifrost and send me back to the divine realm!"

Dead silence.

Only an invisible wind swept over the grassland.

Furrows gradually formed between Thor's brows.

Despite gaining the power of thunder, Thor still could not return to Asgard by himself without Heimdall's aid.

The distance between Earth and the divine realm was simply too great. The League of Heroes headquarters' teleportation room could directly reach Asgard, but the fee was far beyond what Thor could afford right now—after all, this Thor who had 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 deliberately making things difficult for me?" Thor grumbled inwardly. Seeing the president's half-smiling expression, he could not shake the feeling that the man had done it on purpose.

"Remember to leave through the front gate before summoning him. If you dare use Mjolnir to smash up the building..." The president deliberately drew out his words. "The compensation will bankrupt you completely."

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

"I just want to apologize to my father in person!" Thor nearly begged. After a brief silence, a seven-colored pillar of light finally descended from the sky 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 strengthen his combat power and obtain a gemstone for free, he could not help smiling in satisfaction.

Suddenly, fierce arguing came from outside the door. Iron Man Tony Stark and Garen barged in while still arguing, both vigorously recommending the newcomer they had taken a liking to.

"President! This young man I'm recommending can definitely meet the standards of a B-Class Hero!"

"The boy I'm recommending can repel a Demon-level Disaster all by himself!"

"His potential, combined with the battle suit I specially made..."

"That boy has already demonstrated..."

The two traded barbs, neither willing to give ground. The office instantly filled with the smell of gunpowder.

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

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

Both were full of confidence in the young talents they had chosen, firmly believing their own recommendation could surpass the other's.

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

As for the usually honest Garen, he refused to yield an inch over this matter either.

"The person a strength-based warrior like you recommends is probably just a big idiot with nothing but brute force."

"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?"

"I'll oblige!"

Tony tapped his wrist armor, and a nanotech battle suit instantly covered his entire body.

The newly improved Mark VII Armor not only had greater endurance and power, but also solved its energy problem and could be carried on his person.

Garen slowly drew his massive sword, which glimmered with magical light. His fighting spirit was imposing.

In a direct confrontation, Tony's odds of winning were practically 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 growing stronger, Li Chen promptly stopped the conflict.

"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 taut with tension.

Even after being reprimanded by the president, they continued their intense confrontation through 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're recommending the same person?"

Li Chen rubbed his temples, feeling nothing but a headache.

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

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

"Li Chen wouldn't be surprised even if a mutant called Apocalypse suddenly appeared right now."

Hmm... probably.

That should be it.

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

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

*...*

No sooner had the matter of the recommended candidate been resolved than Garen and Tony started arguing again like enemies from a past life.

This sort of thing was all too common.

Every hero had a different personality. Those of the light naturally could not stand those of the 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.

Oh, and that kid wants to hide his identity.

You know the League's rules. I never interfere in members' private affairs. They only need to step forward when it matters.

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

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

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

Sosuke Aizen teleported behind him.

Boss, I have two urgent matters to report.

*...*

The first 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 "humanoid weapon" to intimidate enemies.

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

Yugi Mutou's strength is fine, but something about King feels off.

What's off about him?

"I cannot determine that, so I specifically invited King to the training grounds for an actual combat test."

Aizen chose the most direct method—using battle to test his strength.

An engine-like rumble sounded in the distance.

King entered the training grounds accompanied by Child Emperor. With his short golden hair, sharp eyes, three scars on his left cheek, and an extremely imposing build, anyone who saw him would assume he was a top-tier powerhouse.

But Li Chen knew that he was merely an otaku with an intimidating appearance. That shocking "King Engine" was only the sound of his heartbeat accelerating from fear. His only special trait was that his heartbeat was louder than an ordinary person's when he was nervous.

Bearing the title of an S-Class Hero, King had made Aizen vaguely sense that something was wrong, but he could not explain why. Thus, he could only seek Li Chen's approval 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, said loudly.

This lively scene also drew Garen and Tony, who had been about to leave. Both were curious about the strength of an S-Class Hero.

"Oh? Is that so?" Aizen adjusted 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 carried a bomb capable of destroying the solar system into outer space and threw it into a black hole!"

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

"Almost every myth contains hidden records about King!"

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

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

"This is King, the 'strongest man on Earth'!"

Aside from the last point, which was barely true, the rest was complete nonsense. Who exactly had fabricated such exaggerated stories?

"This is truly something to look forward to." Aizen revealed a meaningful smile.

"Even Tatsumaki is no match for Uncle King!" Child Emperor continued boasting.

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

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

At present, the League of Heroes had only four S-Class Heroes.

Tatsumaki, 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 battles. Moreover, his fighting style had always centered around teamwork.

As vice president, Doraemon was not someone focused on combat. If he were to fight Li Chen, the outcome 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 appeared before him.

He had received Child Emperor's high praise and possessed the strength of an S-Class Hero.

"Thump—thump—thump—"

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

Yet the roar of the "King Engine" only grew louder, as though foreshadowing the imminent outbreak of battle.

In truth, King was already in complete panic inside.

He was nothing more than an ordinary otaku. He could not even defeat a D-Class Hero, so why did he have to fight an S-Class Hero who looked overwhelmingly powerful at a glance?