"Ugh, ahhhhhh—!!"
Amidst the screams, Ocean Trash instinctively crossed its arms over its head, attempting to block the apocalyptic attack. But in the face of Jack's destructive normal attack—imbued with special effects—its hastily erected defense was as fragile as a bubble in the sun. Utterly vulnerable.
Rampaging energy, accompanying the descending iron fist, pierced into the ground. The Monster's body was instantly torn apart. Its muddy, pitch-black flesh exploded—and was still flying through the air when it rapidly evaporated.
One hit. Instant kill.
The rampant energy aftermath, mixed with the sea breeze, gradually subsided. A charred, deep pit remained on the beach—its edges vitrified, more than ten meters in diameter. Aside from the faint smell of charring and ozone still lingering in the air, there was no trace left of the Demon-level Monster that had previously been beating Amai Mask senseless.
[Killed Demon-level Monster 'Ocean Trash' | Gained Origin Points × 807!]
King's heart, which had been pounding out of his chest, gradually calmed. He silently took a deep breath.
"…I'm… saved…!"
Not far away, Amai Mask propped himself up, spitting out a mouthful of blood mixed with mud. Looking at the messy beach and Jack—whose electrical glow had dissipated—his handsome face was filled with shock and bewilderment.
—Who exactly is this guy…?!
Under the parasol, Alice and Tifa, having survived the ordeal, embraced each other excitedly. Their lightly dressed figures formed a beautiful scenic line. They looked at the god-like figure in the center of the battlefield, their beautiful eyes shimmering with admiration and infatuation.
"Wow~~ So… so amazing!"
"Able to fight alongside Amai Mask—is Claude also a hero?!"
This man was not only handsome, charming, and humorous—he also possessed such powerful superpowers. For the two girls protected by Jack, his calm and composed demeanor was far more captivating than Amai Mask's lofty, perfect idol image.
Jack had figured it out. These two girls' understanding of the Hero Association probably only extended to popular idols like Amai Mask. After all, having met King twice without recognizing his identity indicated that the Strongest Man on Earth, despite his equally high popularity, was not on their list of celebrity crushes.
On the other side, King slowly let out a breath of relief. The roar of his King Engine gradually softened. His indifferent and brutal exterior remained, but in reality, he had long felt his legs turn to jelly—on the verge of collapse.
—As expected, combat is still far beyond me right now.
At this moment, the shock in Amai Mask's heart was no less than King's when he first met Jack.
This man…
So strong!!
Not just strong, but also… clear eyes. Delicate features. Talented. Brave and decisive. Fearless in the face of danger. His every move exudes an indescribable confidence and nonchalance. His abilities in all aspects are surprisingly not inferior to my own—which are already close to perfection.
Even with Amai Mask's strength, he hadn't noticed Jack's extraordinary nature until Jack made his move. He watched helplessly as that monstrous, ugly creature—whose aura had surged—was casually blasted to smithereens by a single punch.
—Not fearing the ugly creature indicates that he and I are not the same type. His strength is pure and absolute.
—Then, with this level of strength, this appearance, this nearly perfect heroic demeanor… if his humanity and character pass muster, he would be the very embodiment of my ideal hero.
Who is he?
King's friend?
Why is there no record of this powerful individual in the Hero Association's data?
Amai Mask's heart was shaken, countless thoughts racing through his mind.
Suppressing his physical discomfort and inner shock, he quickly cleaned off the grime clinging to his body. Since the ugly Monster 'Ocean Trash' had been killed, his terrifying regenerative ability—which had been suppressed earlier—began to rapidly recover. In just a few breaths, all the injuries on his face and body had completely healed. His posture was upright, radiating brilliance—already recovered to the demeanor befitting a super-popular idol and a top A-Class professional hero.
Taking a deep breath, he proactively walked toward Jack.
"Sir, thank you for your assistance." His face bore a sincere and perfect smile. His tone was gentle and polite. "I am Amai Mask, a hero from the Hero Association. May I know your name?"
Looking at Amai Mask—who had regained his idol persona and was proactively shaking his hand—Jack blinked. He didn't refuse the other party's sudden enthusiasm.
While shaking hands, he softly introduced himself.
"It's an honor, Mask-sama. You can call me Jack."
King, who heard clearly from the side, couldn't help but twitch his lips.
—Didn't you just call yourself Claude…?
"Jack… handsome…?"
Amai Mask's heart stirred. For some reason, the more he looked at Jack, the more pleasing he found him.
Even his name was so handsome. This man… he was simply born to be a hero!
Handsome men attract each other. The elegant, approachable smile on Amai Mask's face grew even more eager. He leaned in slightly and spoke in an understanding tone.
"Forgive my presumption, Jack—do you have any interest in joining the Hero Association? If you are willing, I can help with the introduction."
A pause.
"With your strength and image, you are sure to reach the pinnacle of heroes and become a role model for all heroes!"
Now it was King's turn to blink.
Though he didn't possess top-tier S-Class strength, he was one of the veteran S-Class heroes. His status and position were established. Having been exposed to hero society over time, King understood Amai Mask's character and demeanor well. The guy had always acted as a "gatekeeper," being very picky about S-Class heroes.
—Didn't they say that this A-Class Rank 1 was usually arrogant and difficult to approach? Why is he so enthusiastic toward Jack?
Jack didn't know what the two were thinking. At this moment, he was looking at the system message that had just appeared, trying hard to suppress the corners of his mouth that wanted to curl upward wildly.
[Ding! Detected replicable target 'Amai Mask'!]
[Successfully replicated SSR ability: 'Perfect Transformation' Lv1!]
['Perfect Transformation (SSR)'
]** : Allows perfect switching between human and Monster forms. In human form, it can maximally hide Monster aura and characteristics, and possesses extreme charm and affinity. In Monster form, all attributes—strength, speed, physique—receive a massive boost.]
[Current ability slots occupied: 11/20.
]**
Just by shaking hands—another extremely practical SSR obtained. This truly is an unexpected surprise!
Amai Mask's 'Perfect Transformation' was essentially a superior ability to 'Monsterification.' It not only allowed for more perfect disguise as a human but also provided a more comprehensive and significant boost to combat power in Monster form.
It truly was a must-have divine skill for travel, for—ahem—for maintaining peace and punishing evil. Practically tailor-made for Jack.