"...I already figured that out."
Bai Ye was momentarily at a loss for words.
"Have you reached the finish line already? Maybe I should just take the subway home."
Saitama said.
If he kept flying, he feared he still wouldn't find his way home by tomorrow.
So he planned to land and take the subway instead.
Although taking the subway cost money, he had no other choice if he wanted to get home. Fortunately, the fare was fairly cheap.
"No need to go to all that trouble. Describe any distinctive buildings below you, and I'll come find you."
Knowing that money was tight for Saitama, Bai Ye wanted to save him the subway fare.
"Okay, thanks so much."
Saitama looked down. "Let me see..."
"There's a really tall tower around here, with a big river beside it. I think I've seen this tower before, but I forgot what it's called."
Saitama gave a brief description.
"...I know where you are. I'll be right there."
With that, Bai Ye hung up.
Almost at the exact moment he ended the call, Bai Ye appeared before Saitama.
"Whoa! That was fast!"
Seeing Bai Ye suddenly appear in front of him, Saitama exclaimed in amazement.
Bai Ye had actually teleported straight over using the Flying Thunder God Technique, because the High Tower Saitama had described was the very one he had marked yesterday.
It was Space-Time Ninjutsu, after all, so its speed was naturally astonishing.
"Want to check out the finish line, or go straight home?"
Bai Ye asked.
"Let's check out the finish line first. Otherwise, it'll feel like something's missing."
Saitama replied.
"Okay."
This time, Bai Ye didn't use the Flying Thunder God Technique. Instead, he moved at high speed using the Body Flicker Technique.
Saitama flew leisurely behind him, not daring to fly too fast now, lest he get lost again.
Soon, Bai Ye and Saitama reached the finish line together.
Standing on the rooftop of the Hoshino World Hotel, they could gaze into the distance at a serene, beautiful landscape that looked like a painting of mountains and rivers.
"You reached the finish line before me. You won."
Saitama spoke calmly.
He didn't care all that much about winning or losing, and readily admitted his defeat.
It wasn't as though being invincible had left him so bored and lonely that finally losing gave him some fresh, novel feeling.
"That doesn't count. You just got lost, Saitama. You didn't lose."
Saitama was willing to admit he had lost, but Bai Ye refused to admit he had won.
A victory won unfairly meant nothing to him.
Of course, if the system took back the 100 points it had awarded him over this, he would stop arguing...
"A loss is a loss. There's no point getting hung up on it."
Saitama said with an indifferent look.
Before Bai Ye could argue his case, Saitama spoke again. "You really are strong, though. Why are you only a B-Class Hero? Are the other A-Class Heroes and S-Class Heroes stronger than you?"
He had no real grasp of the Hero Association's overall strength. In his eyes, Bai Ye was already incredibly powerful, which was why he wondered why Bai Ye was only on the B-Class rankings.
"Maybe..."
Bai Ye replied casually, "There are quite a few impressive people in the Hero Association, but I don't think any of them are stronger than you."
He couldn't talk to Saitama from a god's eye view. Otherwise, he could have told him with absolute certainty that no one was stronger than him.
"Really? Then I'll see how strong they are when the time comes."
Saitama showed no trace of pride or conceit, and hoped the Hero Association had opponents who could make him get serious.
Of course, he wouldn't go looking for trouble.
He had always been laid-back. Finding a powerful opponent would be great, but if he didn't, that was fine too. Staying home reading manga and watching TV was plenty comfortable.
"We're heading back now, right? In that case... let's race again. I didn't quite get my fill earlier."
Just then, Saitama suddenly switched into his serious look.
Oh no!
Bai Ye's heart gave a slight lurch. Saitama was really about to crank up the intensity on him!
The previous round of training had already left him with only a third of his stamina.
Still, that was fine. Breaking through his limits was an extreme but highly effective way to train.
"All right. Let's start."
Bai Ye nodded without a trace of fear.
Bai Ye and Saitama immediately launched themselves in the direction of home.
Bai Ye didn't slack off at all along the way. He still followed the same route at high speed, only now he retrieved his Kunai instead of throwing them.
With only a third of his stamina remaining, his body gradually approached its limit.
Even drenched in sweat and utterly exhausted, he gritted his teeth and pressed on, determined to finish the entire route even if it killed him.
He didn't know how long the agony of pushing his body to its limit lasted. Then, suddenly, as if he had caught a final burst of vitality, his body felt much lighter.
[Ding! The host has broken through his physical limit. Rewards obtained: Physique +35, Hashirama Cells +2!] [Physique: 110] [Hashirama Cells: 4]
Bai Ye immediately understood why he suddenly felt so much better.
After that, Bai Ye completed the entire route without trouble and returned to his rooftop.
Yet once again, Saitama was nowhere to be seen.
Could he... have gotten lost again...?
Just then, Bai Ye's phone rang.
Seeing Saitama's name on the screen all but confirmed Bai Ye's suspicion.
"Hello-"
"Sorry, Bai Ye. I think I got lost again..."
Saitama once again had no idea where he had flown, so he could only call Bai Ye for help.
"I'll come find you now. Same as before, tell me what buildings are around you."
Bai Ye no longer found this surprising.
The directionally challenged Saitama was his complete opposite. With his Mangekyō Sharingan, Bai Ye could remember anything he saw, and every place he passed through remained firmly etched in his mind.
So as long as Saitama named any distinctive building, he could recall its exact location.
The same scene played out again, and Bai Ye brought Saitama back to his rooftop.
Since Saitama had gotten lost again, Bai Ye won this time too.
However, the system didn't reward him again. Perhaps racing Saitama was a one-time achievement, just as he had only received a reward on his first visit to the Hero Association.
Without that restriction, he could have dragged Saitama into exploiting the bug to farm points every day. After all, Saitama had such a poor sense of direction that he practically couldn't beat him.
"Saitama, would you mind if I left a mark on you? That way, I could find you whenever I needed to."
Bai Ye wanted to place a Flying Thunder God Formula on Saitama, but asked for his permission first.
"Sure."
Saitama agreed immediately without giving it any further thought.
He wasn't worried in the slightest that Bai Ye might use the mark to harm him.
Bai Ye was slightly surprised by how readily Saitama agreed, but on reflection, it made sense. Saitama was invincible, after all.
Bai Ye then placed his hand on Saitama's back and marked it with a Flying Thunder God Formula.
A Kamui-patterned mark immediately appeared, hidden from view beneath his clothes.
"All done. Next time you get lost, just call me."
Before you continue