Chapter 192: Then Why the Hell Am I Even Trying to Be s-class rank 1!!
Garou's words were like a loosed arrow, piercing straight through Bang's heart.
The titan of the martial arts world lowered his head. When he looked up again, his wrinkled eyes seemed to have a hint of red in them.
"What made you suddenly want to come back? Don't you want to continue pursuing your 'absolute evil'?"
Facing Bang's question, Garou scratched his head sheepishly and pointed his thumb back at himself.
"That's not it at all. Of course I'm going to continue being the absolute evil, but I'm going to change the way I do it."
At this point, a flash of guilt crossed Garou's eyes. He suddenly bowed low, his voice choking up.
"I'm sorry, old man. I shouldn't have done what I did back then. I failed your hard work. Give me another chance. This time, I will definitely use the right way to achieve my ideal."
Bang was stunned for a long while before he finally raised his hand, his palm trembling.
He placed his hand on Garou's head and stroked his spiky white hair; it felt quite coarse.
"It's good to have you back... It's good to have you back..."
The two looked into each other's eyes, seeing the emotions within. The previous rift and the broken bond between master and disciple were mended once more.
Bang stroked his white beard, his tone filled with joy.
"Now, can you tell your master properly what happened during the time you were away from the dojo?"
Garou nodded and then proceeded to reveal everything that had happened since he left the dojo.
When he heard that Garou had rashly challenged The Strongest Man on Earth, King, only to be knocked unconscious by two slaps and thrown into prison, Bang was instantly amused.
To think this kid had actually been in prison!
However, as he listened further and learned that Garou's body had actually been taken over by that mastermind, "God," while in prison, Bang's face couldn't help but twitch.
It seems my intuition back then was indeed correct... I just didn't expect that at that time... Garou was actually in a state of Possession...
"You must have suffered a lot along the way."
Bang's somewhat raspy words reached Garou's ears.
His mouth, which had been non-stop explaining his experiences, suddenly stopped, and he pursed his lips.
"Hah, that was nothing. This great one's strength is very impressive; what do these little difficulties matter?
Let's not talk about that for now, I haven't finished yet. What comes next is the real highlight!"
Bang continued to listen to Garou's journey.
When he heard that The Strongest Man on Earth, King, had actually charged into the sun, forcefully defeated God, and then rescued a dying Garou from within the sun, he finally lost his composure.
Was the battle really that intense?!
Bang's last memory of that great war was only King descending like a God, taking God away while sending Sun Sperm flying with a single punch; after that, there was nothing.
It was only now that he realized how perilous that battle had been, having even reached the Universe above.
"In that case, how do you plan to carry out the 'absolute evil' you still want to achieve? After all, King is very powerful."
Hearing Bang's teasing, Garou patted his solid chest and said confidently:
"Regarding this question, I've already talked with the strongest man on earth, and he gave me some guidance on how to move forward."
"To become absolute evil, there's no need to rely on defeating all the heroes, making oneself the most wicked existence, or becoming the ultimate representative of Monsters. There's actually a much simpler method."
"I want to become a hero, to become the s-class rank 1. As long as I surpass that mysterious Blast and stand at the top of the S-Class, and then shift my identity to a Monster, I can still become the absolute evil just the same!"
Upon hearing this, Bang immediately understood King's thinking.
It seems he wants Garou to become a Professional Hero... to let him truly understand the essence of the word "hero"... thereby achieving the goal of turning him towards good...
That really is... unexpectedly gentle.
Wait, become s-class rank 1, surpass the mysterious Blast? Isn't the current s-class rank 1 already King?
Looking at Garou, who was still talking non-stop about his philosophy, a strange expression appeared on Bang's face.
This kid... his information can't be this outdated, can it?
Bang had actually guessed correctly. These past few days, Garou had been busy searching everywhere for the location of the new Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist Dojo, or worrying about what to eat and where to stay. He had no interest in listening to news about changes in hero rankings.
Until now, Garou still thought that the very top position among heroes belonged to that Blast.
Looking at the excited Garou, Bang sighed silently and decided to tell him the truth:
"Garou, the current s-class rank 1 is no longer Blast."
Garou's words suddenly got stuck in his throat, and his eyes couldn't help but widen:
"Huh? It's not Blast? Then who is the current s-class rank 1?"
As he said this, a slight sense of foreboding rose in Garou's heart.
No way...
When Bang spoke that name, Garou's face immediately turned green.
The current s-class rank 1 is The Strongest Man on Earth, King. He displayed immense power in the previous great war, and with Blast himself stepping down to make way, he took the position.
Hearing these words, Garou fell silent.
Then why the hell am I even trying to be s-class rank 1!!
...
