Such a Good Deal?

Hammerhead was not dead.

He had survived because one part of his body had been unusual from birth.

His skull was twice as thick as an ordinary person's.

That thick skull had barely withstood the fatal blow, saving his life.

Though Hammerhead had escaped death, he still lay on the ground, not daring to move a muscle.

That mass of kelp was rapidly slithering toward him.

The street was deserted. Only the man who had just agreed to let him join the group remained where he stood.

He must have been scared stiff.

Hammerhead could not understand why a supervillain would attack him. Had the Eat, Drink, and Be Merry Group somehow threatened the interests of some evil faction?

Hammerhead did not know that he was not the target.

That mass of kelp was actually after the bald man standing there in a daze.

Hammerhead had only been attacked because he had been unlucky enough to serve as a warning to the crowd.

Kelp Man stopped about twenty meters from Luke.

This was his optimal attack range.

Kelp Man could fire the kelp on his body like arrows. Guided by his will, the strands he launched were as tough as iron cables.

The distance also gave them enough room to accelerate, maximizing the damage they could do.

Though Luke could not see Kelp Man's eyes, he could feel Kelp Man sizing him up.

This was the monster who had destroyed the life Luke dreamed of.

No work, just eating, drinking, and having fun all day.

Luke had never dared imagine such a life before.

Today, a man had given him hope. Then this disgusting Kelp Man had snuffed it out and plunged him back into despair.

It was unforgivable.

A strand of kelp shot toward Luke.

Luke grabbed it.

Then he tore the strand, as tough as an iron cable, apart with his bare hands.

Kelp Man was pleased with the result of his probing attack.

"Looks like you've got some skill after all," Kelp Man said.

When his superiors had ordered him to carry out this mission with Earth Dragon, Kelp Man had scoffed.

What kind of person warranted sending two members of Fear Nova?

Especially when the target's photo in the file showed a bald man with a vacant stare.

The man's physical test results were remarkable, though. He had scored full marks in every category.

That was why his superiors had taken the cautious approach and sent two members of Fear Nova to capture Luke together.

Now it seemed this Baldy really did possess extraordinary strength.

"To tear my kelp apart with your bare hands—your strength is impressive," Kelp Man said, unable to resist a compliment.

Luke tossed the severed kelp onto the ground and snarled, "I'm going to tear off every last strand and see what kind of monster you really are."

Kelp Man laughed.

"My kelp can grow without limit. Tear it all off? You must be joking."

Luke thought for a moment. "Then I'll send you flying with one punch."

Wait...

An idea suddenly struck Luke.

What had he just said?

Grow without limit?!

Luke thought of a way to ease his current predicament, at least a little.

If this Kelp Man's kelp really could grow without limit...

Then even if Luke could not spend every day eating, drinking, and having fun without working, at least he could have free kelp to eat every day.

Besides, people said eating kelp helped hair grow. There did not seem to be any scientific proof, but he had looked it up before: kelp contained plenty of trace elements and really was good for hair.

Unlimited kelp.

What a deal.

"Heh, heh, heh..." Luke could not help feeling smug about his own brilliant idea.

Kelp Man could not make sense of it. The bald man had just threatened to send him flying with one punch, only to start chuckling to himself.

Then Kelp Man noticed that the way the bald man looked at him had changed.

Before, there had been a hint of hostility in his eyes.

Now he was looking at Kelp Man like prey.

Kelp Man did not like that at all.

Clearly, he had not shown his true strength, so the bald man thought he could do whatever he pleased with him.

The kelp wrapped around Kelp Man's body began growing wildly.

Dozens of strands, like sharp spears, stabbed toward Luke.

"Oh!" Luke exclaimed.

It really could grow without limit.

Then he gave the air a gentle wave of his hand.

The spear-like strands suddenly veered off course, as though struck by some strange force. They slammed into a building beside the street and buried themselves deep in its walls.

Kelp Man stared in disbelief.

What kind of Psychic Powers were those? Luke had brushed aside his attack as if it were nothing.

Then Luke appeared right in front of him.

Kelp Man had not seen him move at all. It was as though his eyes had stopped sending signals to his brain.

A moment ago, Luke had been twenty meters away. Now he was standing before him.

Kelp Man could still see an afterimage where Luke had stood, leaving him with the dizzying impression that he was seeing double.

Had this man moved faster than Kelp Man's eyes could follow?

Dread seized him. A Psychic Powers user's eyesight was several times sharper than an ordinary person's, yet even his eyes had failed to track the man's movements.

Just how fast was he?

Luke reached into the tangled mass of kelp, picked out a strand, and examined it closely.

Kelp Man watched Luke handle part of his body with intense concentration, yet could not bring himself to resist.

"Hmm, not bad. Looks nice and chewy."

Kelp Man's heart sank.

Chewy?

Remembering the way the bald man had looked at him like prey, Kelp Man suddenly realized what was going on.

That damned bald man thought of him as food!

A member of Fear Nova, Kelp Man had come into the outside world for the first time, ready to show what he could do. Now he was about to become an ingredient on someone else's dinner table...

Was the outside world really this terrifying?

If Kelp Man could choose again, he would stay at the base and never come out for the rest of his life.

Earth Dragon, where are you? Hurry up and come out...

Save me...

When Kelp Man had first received his superiors' orders to work together with Earth Dragon, he had thought teaming up with Earth Dragon beneath him.

Now he prayed fervently for his partner to hurry up and make a move.

Not because he hoped they could defeat this monster together.

He just hoped Earth Dragon would draw the man's attention and give him a chance to escape.

As the saying went, sincere prayers were answered.

Kelp Man's fervent prayer received a response.

The ground suddenly split open.

A pair of sharp claws clamped around Luke's feet.

Luke sank into the ground in an instant.

Only his bald head remained above the surface.