The duty officer, who had a strong-looking hairstyle, exclaimed from the bottom of his heart, "Hiss… King-sama actually cleared more than ten Monsters early this morning!"
"As expected of M City's Strongest Man on Earth!!"
He put down his coffee cup, his eyes filled with admiration: "Even with the Strongest Man on Earth's invincible power, he is still so diligent, fighting every day to protect peace. He is truly a role model for all Heroes!"
Several colleagues nearby heard this, gathered around to look at the report, and then burst into exclamations and agreement.
"Oh my! It's only morning, and King-sama has already resolved so many Monster incidents?"
"Yes, yes, King-sama is truly great! With him around, the citizens of M City can live so peacefully."
"A friend of mine just moved to M City last month, and he said that ever since he learned King-sama was stationed in M City, he's been sleeping much more soundly at night, and his insomnia, which used to trouble him, even cured itself without medicine!"
"…"
For a time, the office was filled with praise for King.
… …
That night.
Inside King's luxurious apartment.
The morning's special training had almost drained all of King's energy, so much so that he lay like a corpse until evening before barely recovering.
Jack, ever so thoughtful, packed him top-tier barbecue from the nearby food street, high-protein deep-sea sashimi, and various nutritious fruits and vegetables.
Firstly, to ensure King got timely replenishment after his training, and secondly, to prevent the Strongest Man on Earth from truly dying young under his careful guidance.
Inside King's room, the computer screen's light illuminated Mr. Han Sen's handsome and youthful profile.
He unceremoniously commandeered the S-Class Hero's personal computer, while the landlord was kindly sent to the living room to play games.
After all, after two days of slacking off, it was time to symbolically pay attention to the mission objective.
First, he, being familiar with the routine, found a folder named "Study Materials" deep in the D drive.
With a spirit of critique and research, Jack clicked into one of the subdirectories and found several hidden video files.
One hour later.
"Tsk tsk, truly the world is degenerating, and people's hearts are not what they used to be! This King fellow's taste… is quite niche, isn't it?"
Jack rubbed his somewhat sore eyes, muttering, and then began to get down to business.
A general search brought up a series of recent news reports from M City.
"Vicious murder case in M City's North District Commercial Street, victim's body charred black, suspected high-temperature burning…"
"Serial assassination incidents reappear, victims all show severe burn characteristics, police urge citizens to heighten vigilance…"
"Several more homeless people mysteriously die, clear traces of flame burning at the scene…"
"…"
Jack filtered out key descriptions from multiple reports and compared them with the Monster Association's intelligence regarding Flame of Impure Ardor's methods and ability characteristics, basically confirming it was the same person's doing.
He marked the locations of these incidents on the electronic map one by one in chronological order.
The red markers formed a cluster on the map. After simple deduction and calculation, a group of unfinished buildings located in the central area of many incident sites appeared particularly suspicious.
"Nine times out of ten, it's here…" Jack stroked his chin, a calculating glint in his eyes, "Just look at Sonic, who's also from a ninja village; that guy always likes to burrow into these abandoned buildings where not even birds would poop."
It wasn't because ninjas loved sleeping in unfinished buildings, but because such places usually had complex terrain and numerous obstacles.
They were suitable for concealing oneself and convenient for various strange ninja training practices.
However, confirming the general location of the target did not mean immediate action.
Jack glanced at the time in the bottom right corner of the computer and stretched leisurely.
Anyway, this week's operational funds had already been advanced, and who knew if there would be any extra rewards for reporting back early.
"Sigh, it's not easy to go on a business trip and enjoy the prosperity of the human world. Why be so proactive?"
Adhering to the noble principle of "a Monster who doesn't slack off isn't a good employee," Jack decisively decided to observe for a while longer.
Hmm, it wouldn't be too late to depart after fully confirming Flame of Impure Ardor's movements.
In reality, it was just openly enjoying a paid vacation, slacking off until the very last deadline of the mission.
A Few Days Later
Morning sunlight once again filled King's apartment.
Surprisingly—King had actually gritted his teeth and persevered through the Saitama-style training Jack had casually thrown at him. Every day, he ended up exhausted as a dead dog, without strength to lift a finger. But his frail body seemed to be miraculously adapting to the high-intensity torment.
Perhaps the will to survive had stimulated hidden potential. Perhaps he was on the verge of breaking through the human limiter. Perhaps he'd trained so hard his body was mutating toward something else entirely.
At this moment, King lay slumped on the sofa. Morning exercise complete. He stared blankly at the ceiling, pondering the eternal question: Why is life so difficult?
Jack emerged from the guest room. Steaming coffee in hand. He surveyed King's miserable state with evident satisfaction.
"King. It seems the 'Strongest Man on Earth Training Plan' is showing initial results. Less than a week, and you're already completing the full volume."
King didn't have strength to lift an eyelid. Only a faint groan escaped his throat.
"Oh, right." Jack's tone shifted. Casual. "I've been sending out resumes online these past few days. Not many suitable high-paying positions in M City for someone with my qualifications."
He took a sip of coffee.
"However—a company outside the city notified me for an interview. If it goes well, I might not come back today."
*!!! *
WHAT—SUCH GOOD NEWS!
Rising from the deathbed! Old tree renewed for spring!
King shot up from the sofa. Fully revived. The fatigue on his scarred face evaporated—replaced by barely contained excitement.
Mr. Han Sen is leaving?
This demon is finally leaving?!
FREEDOM!
My games! My waifus! My warm bed!
I can go back to my happy otaku life—can't I?!
Internally—fireworks. Parades. Unbridled celebration.
Externally—the composed mask of an S-Class Hero.
(The composure of an old artist.JPG)
He fought to suppress the wild smile threatening to split his face. When he spoke, his voice was steady. Slightly regretful. Perfectly modulated.
"Is that so? That's truly… too bad. I was hoping to ask Mr. Han Sen for more muscle training tips."
A pause. Sincere eyes.
"But career comes first! Mr. Han Sen—I wish you a successful interview. A bright future!"
Jack met those sincere eyes. His expression softened. Moved, even.
"King. You are truly my good friend." He patted King's shoulder. Warm. Genuine. "With your words—I'm relieved. Since that's the case…"
A pause.
"To live up to your blessings. And to continue supervising you through the 'Strongest Man on Earth Training Plan'…"
His tone became resolute.
"Whether this interview succeeds or not—I will rush back as soon as possible. Tomorrow."
Across from Jack, the smile on King's face froze solid.
His entire being shifted to monochrome. Black. White. Gray.
Ah…
He's coming back?
Tomorrow?
Can this world even be saved anymore?!