Philosophy Lord

This technology was equally applicable to the gaming industry.

Li Chen took the helmet and examined it carefully. If it could be integrated into the Hero Training Room, training efficiency would improve drastically.

[Ding! Virtual technology detected. Synchronize it with the training room?]

"Confirmed."

With a rumble, the entire training room began to undergo subtle changes. In an instant, everyone felt the strange sensation of their bodies becoming digitized—yet even if they died in the virtual space, their real bodies would remain unaffected.

As the highest-ranking authority, Li Chen could simulate any enemy, equipment, or even bloodline in the upgraded training room... Of course, they were merely virtual entities meant to accumulate combat experience.

"President, what did you do?"

"I merely integrated your technology into the training room." Tony Stark was immediately left speechless.

Please do not say something so horrifying in such a calm tone.

Perhaps Li Chen, a nonprofessional, did not understand how difficult it was to convert this technology. But Tony, a pioneer of virtual technology in the Marvel world, knew just how daunting it was—give him another decade or two, and he still might not achieve a breakthrough. "Since everyone is at headquarters, why not hold a fun competition?" "A competition?" Li Chen raised an eyebrow.

"Exactly. Using the Hero Training Room's existing functions, everyone will engage in virtual battles to test their practical combat abilities." Li Chen snapped his fingers and added, "Those who perform well will receive rewards such as energy points, exclusive weapons, or legendary bloodlines." This declaration immediately stirred up the crowd.

The CC Squad members exchanged glances, eager anticipation gleaming in their eyes. Everyone knew that any reward personally handed out by the president would surely be a treasure capable of bringing about a qualitative leap.

Under Li Chen's direction, the entire headquarters quickly sprang into action. Whether stationed members or field heroes, all received the assembly order. An unprecedented feast for heroes was about to make its stunning debut...

In the training room, more than ninety percent of the heroes had gathered. Li Chen, the vice presidents, Doraemon, and the others sat high in a virtual viewing stand. After system adjustments, the venue had become an ancient Roman arena, and the waiting heroes flexed their fists on the circular stands.

"Although this came suddenly, the first Hero Showdown Tournament is officially open!" Li Chen's voice echoed through the space. "Show off your finest selves! The winner will receive generous rewards, including Universal Energy Points, legendary equipment, and even fantasy-race bloodlines—these treasures await upon the champion's throne!"

The announcement ignited the entire venue. To ordinary heroes, every reward was enough to set their hearts racing. The S-Class Heroes, however, were far more composed. Tatsumaki, who had specially rushed back, and Annie, who had just finished training, were more eager to fight powerful opponents.

Of course, there were also pure foodies—such as Yatogami Tohka, who was counting on her fingers how many specially made Kinako Bread buns the champion's prize money could buy.

The rules were as follows: each participant had to choose one of two battle modes—randomly select a hero present for a one-on-one duel, or challenge a virtual enemy provided by the three judges. Victories earned one point, defeats lost one point, and the contestant with the highest final score would claim the crown!

After the Hero Training Room was modified by the president, all contestants entered with digitized bodies. Even if they were injured or killed in battle, their real bodies would not be affected in any way. "Now, show your strength to your heart's content!"

Freshly baked dorayaki sat before Doraemon, one of the judges, their golden, crisp crusts giving off an enticing aroma. As the sponsor of a special prize, he had taken quite a few rare items out of his Fourth-Dimensional Pocket. "Now, please welcome the first contestant!"

At Li Chen's snap, dazzling multicolored spotlights swept across the audience before finally locking onto a refined, bespectacled scholar—Hulk, currently in Dr. Banner's personality state.

"Is... is it me?" Dr. Banner adjusted his glasses in surprise. He had not expected to become the first contestant.

"Please choose your battle mode."

"I'll choose... a virtual opponent." After a brief moment of thought, Dr. Banner still did not want to fight his companions, even if they were only data simulations.

Li Chen never interfered with a contestant's choice. Amid a flash of teleportation light, Dr. Banner instantly appeared in the center of the arena.

"Now, let us randomly select a virtual opponent!"

The enormous roulette wheel behind the judges' seats began spinning at high speed. It was engraved with the names of every threat level, from Wolf-level Threat to God-Level. In this virtual space, even generating thousands of Zenos at once would not be difficult.

[Ding! Match successful—Dragon-Level Disaster]

With a thunderous boom, the gate opposite slowly rose. A strange roar came from the shadows. "—Screw you!"

Out walked a heavily muscled man with sharply defined abs on his bronzed skin, wearing nothing but a pair of stretchy black briefs. All the watching heroes tensed unconsciously. This opponent was absolutely not to be underestimated!

"This feels bad."

Sweat beaded on Banner's forehead as he muttered under his breath.

This virtual opponent's words and behavior... carried an eerie air about them... Maybe it was just his imagination?

"Young man, how about a wrestling match?"

Hero/Dragon-Level Disaster [Philosophy Lord] Billy enters the stage

"Cough—!"

Kazuto Kirigaya, who had been drinking water, suddenly choked.

The president had actually added such a dangerous creature to the virtual opponent list? That was simply malicious!

He secretly decided that when it was his turn, he would never choose the second challenge mode.

If he drew [Philosophy Lord] Billy... he did not even dare imagine the scene.

"Young man, let us embark on a philosophical journey together."

Billy patted his muscular buttocks and extended an invitation to the green-faced Banner.

To men, this kind of special virtual opponent was practically an S-Class Hero/Ultra-Dragon-level Threat.

"Hulk! Take over my body!"

For the first time in his life, Banner actively called for Hulk.

If that strange opponent latched onto him, he would likely be unable to escape a "philosophical baptism."

As a heterosexual man, he had no interest whatsoever in philosophical discussion. He even wanted to avoid it at all costs.

His skin abruptly turned dark green, his body rapidly expanded, and his clothes tore apart.

Only a pair of exceptionally durable black shorts remained.

"Hulk! Hulk goes wherever Hulk wants!"

The Hulk, now in control of the body, roared at Billy.

But with the mind of a child, Hulk had yet to comprehend philosophy's horror.

"Entering combat mode?" Billy watched Hulk's explosive transformation, his eyes burning. "Come, young man. Wrestling is good for both body and mind."

"Hulk smash you!"

**The Hulk's veins bulged across his body as his heavy fist shot straight toward Billy's face.

Even though this was virtual data, Hulk showed no mercy whatsoever.

"Your movements are too obvious."

Billy crossed his arms and shook his head as though offering an evaluation.

Even though his attack had been seen through, the simple-minded Hulk still roared and charged straight ahead, with no intention of changing tactics.

He had never considered how the enemy might counterattack if this attack was intercepted or missed.

Hulk's punch was enough to split mountains and shatter boulders, unleashing destructive power greater than that of the Complete Deep Sea King.

Measured numerically, it carried roughly five thousand tons of impact. "Hiss—"

The fist, carrying his furious will, tore through the air and blasted toward Billy's face with a piercing sonic boom.

Even Captain America, wielding a Vibranium Shield, would struggle to avoid serious injury if he took Hulk's full-force strike head-on.

Yet Billy merely stood there calmly, neither blocking nor dodging.

Relying solely on his powerful physique, he intended to take this earth-shattering blow with his bare flesh. "Boom!"

The emerald giant fist struck its target squarely.

The virtual diamond floor tiles instantly sank half a meter, while spiderweb cracks spread wildly dozens of meters away.

The heroes in the viewing seats collectively held their breath.

They silently calculated how likely they would be to survive if they took that attack themselves.

"Hulk's combat power has exceeded ten thousand? Wait... the number is still rising!" Child Emperor, wearing a comical mask, cried out in shock.

Clearly, anger was the source of his strength.

But there should theoretically be a limit—otherwise, he would not have been crushed one-handed by normal Thanos.

"And that virtual entity, [King of Philosophers], is the truly terrifying one..." Child Emperor's monitoring interface for Billy continued to flash.

Every time Hulk increased by one point, Billy's value rose by twice as much.

The two seemed to be competing without end, and their limit remained unknown.

"Combat aesthetics should not look like this," Billy suddenly said in a deep voice.

"Every punch should carry the will to kill—like this."

His knotted muscles abruptly swelled, and the invisible pressure made every S-Class Hero's hair stand on end.

He seized Hulk's wrist like lightning and slammed him viciously into the ground.

Even more terrifying cracks tore through the alloy floor.

Then, as though tossing aside a rag doll, he flung the green giant body toward the arena wall.

Hulk rolled and slid down after the impact, kicking up clouds of dust.

His thick body left him almost completely unharmed, and he only felt a little pain.

While spinning uncontrollably through the air, he merely felt dizzy. "Whoosh—"

Billy lowered his body, and the moment he pushed off, he left deep footprints in the diamond floor.

In the blink of an eye, his figure became an afterimage, displaying astonishing speed.

A dense barrage of fists rained down on Hulk like a violent storm, every heavy punch denting and warping his green skin. "Hulk crush you!"

"Roaring alone is useless. With speed as slow as a snail's, you cannot even touch the corner of my clothes." Even as Hulk abandoned defense and wildly threw punches,

before Billy, who had perfectly combined power, technique, and speed, all those attacks were futile.

Never mind his poor accuracy—even when he occasionally landed a hit, it had little effect on Billy.

"The president really created a monster this time..." Li Yun, the Asian branch director, shook his head with a bitter smile. "Though troublesome, this special attack seems effective only against men." Lion King, the European branch director, sharply pointed out.

For men, [King of Philosophers] Billy's danger level was enough to rival an S-Class Hero/Ultra-Dragon-level Threat, and this was inseparable from the special ability he hid.

Moreover, that ability clearly had some kind of connection to men.

"Hmph. I could end such a boring battle whenever I wished."

In the audience, a white-haired, red-eyed girl held a cup of coffee and crossed her legs arrogantly.

Her long hair and skin were snow-white, her eyes crimson, and her slender limbs were paired with a physique lacking exercise.

She wore a white student uniform with a gray skirt—South American branch director [■■ Hero] Accelerator, whose real name was Yuriko Suzuka.

As a Level 5 Vector Manipulation user, she could freely manipulate the direction of all forms of energy, such as kinetic energy, thermal energy, and electrical energy, through skin contact.

With only a tiny amount of force, she could cause terrifying destruction. By concentrating force beneath her feet, she could briefly float in the air. By controlling airflow, she could create an eighteenth-level hurricane. She could even break down air atoms to form plasma...

Yuriko Suzuka was practically the embodiment of close-range ■■. Once she touched an opponent's skin, she could reverse their blood flow and bioelectric currents, instantly causing their heart to burst.

"The outcome has already been decided!"