Only after the storm passed could people pay attention to the newly promoted S-Class heroes.
Exaggerated ability descriptions, screen after screen of battle records, and combat photos and videos circulated across the internet. The onlookers suddenly realized something.
Holy crap. These guys look weird at first glance but are actually pretty cool.
That seems ridiculously strong!
That seemingly arrogant samurai uncle could slice through a ten-meter-tall monster with a flick of a toothpick?
The seemingly unassuming white-haired old man known as Silver Fang, who was ranked A-Class until recently, was actually an incredibly muscular elder with eight-pack abs!
The Metal Bat, who looked no different from delinquents at any school, had smashed a giant monster's head with a single blow.
These intense scenes quickly caused a massive uproar, with netizens jokingly declaring: "Coach, I want to learn this too!"
Coach: Get lost! I still want to learn!
Fans photoshopped close-up shots of Super Cop, Zombieman, and Flashy Flash together. The resulting good-looking group quickly captivated many female fans, who donated considerable money and became so engrossed in shipping various pairings they nearly fainted.
Soon, the reputation of S-Class heroes completely surpassed that of ordinary heroes. Whether fans were drawn to their strength, appearance, physique, or even cuteness, they could always find someone in this group of powerful heroes who matched their preferences. As a result, overall S-Class popularity soared, and they gained massive numbers of new fans.
In any case, the reforms implemented by the Hero Association had yielded the desired results. People were beginning to pay more attention to the genuinely strong rather than those who took advantage of the system. The hero industry, which had begun to decay, seemed to be getting back on track.
As the evening sun descended, the whole world was painted in warm hues.
Ding dong, ding dong!
The doorbell rang. Jordan dispersed the chakra ball crackling with electricity in his hand and cursed as he ran to answer the door.
Wanted to run before I could walk. Unfortunately, that doesn't work.
Another day of failing at Rasengan development.
"Jordan! Jordan, open the door! Open the door!"
"Coming, coming!"
Upon opening the door, Saitama's increasingly thinning hair came into view.
The man stood pacing back and forth at the apartment entrance, showing no intention of coming inside. His face radiated pure impatience.
"Saitama, what's up? Uh..."
Before Jordan could finish speaking, a crumpled flyer was shoved into his hands.
"Grand Opening Sale, last day of consecutive supermarket special sales, location... M-City?"
He looked up to see Saitama wearing a repaired blue tracksuit and carrying a woven basket that someone's grandmother would use for grocery shopping.
This is like speechless opening the door for speechless. Speechless has arrived home.
Jordan pointed to the wall clock in the living room, trying to change Saitama's mind. "No, listen. This supermarket opened in M-City, and the closing time is 6 PM today. Don't you see it's already 5:40?"
The Saitama standing before him wasn't the fully-fledged version who could rush from Z-City to A-City to rescue people just by seeing disaster news. Besides, M-City was located southeast of A-City. The distance from Z-City to M-City was actually farther than the distance to A-City.
Despite the logical persuasion, Saitama remained unmoved. "That's why I came to find you! Jordan, don't you know how to teleport? Can't you take me with you? Please!"
Oh right. What he said makes perfect sense. Turns out I'm just a tool!
Should've known better than to tell him everything when we were drinking!
Jordan was successfully persuaded by Saitama.
Urged on by his persistent friend, Jordan changed his clothes and habitually grabbed a Limiter Fragment card, sliding it into his pocket.
A purple hand appeared in the pocket, took the card, and instantly withdrew. Perfect teamwork demonstrated through a series of coordinated movements.
Upon returning, Jordan noticed that Saitama's hair loss was becoming increasingly noticeable. The progress in collecting fragments had also accelerated dramatically compared to before.
No way. This guy isn't going to evolve into a bald cape-wearing hero earlier than in the original timeline, is he?
Once Saitama completes his evolution, I won't be able to get free Limiter Fragments anymore!
Life is tough.
However, considering that his own leveling speed wasn't much slower than Saitama's, Jordan rallied his spirits.
Let's buy today's special offer vegetables first.
"Hold on tight. We're about to go!"
Saitama, his plan having succeeded, laughed heartily. "Alright!"
A surge of blue psychic energy appeared. The two figures enveloped by it rippled and disappeared simultaneously.
Downtown M-City
As a large city with an area similar to A-City, M-City's downtown was filled with skyscrapers. Even apartment buildings averaged over thirty stories. The streets bustled with prosperity, far surpassing the rural atmosphere of Z-City.
Blue telekinetic light flashed and vanished. Saitama and Jordan appeared on the pedestrian street in the city center.
Not far away stood the large supermarket having its grand opening sale, exactly as shown on Saitama's crumpled flyer.
"Wow, we arrived in an instant! That was fast!" Saitama's voice brimmed with energy as he compared what he saw with the flyer information. "There are still twenty minutes left. We should make it! Wait, these people..."
"Hey, who are you? What are you trying to do by crowding around? Stop pushing... someone stepped on my foot!"
Saitama's voice grew increasingly doubtful. His leg, which hadn't even had a chance to step forward, was blocked back by the surging crowd.
"Excuse me, are you Mr. Jordan Evans, the second-ranked S-Class 'Super Cop'?"
"Look, it really is Super Cop!"
"I remember he was a resident hero in Z-City. I never expected to run into him in M-City!"
"Lord Jordan! I'm a huge fan! May I take a picture with you?"
"Picture! Picture!"
"It was a mistake. I forgot I'm a popular celebrity now."
Looking at the fans crowding around him like zombies, Jordan couldn't help but sigh.
"Jor... Jordan... who are these... people? Quick, get them... away from me! I... need to get to the supermarket! Time... time is almost up!"
Saitama, his face contorted from being jostled by the frenzied crowd, struggled to speak. In contrast, Jordan's habitually and passively activated biomagnetic field prevented even the most determined fans from getting within half a meter of him, no matter how hard they tried.
The stark contrast vividly illustrated the consequences for men who failed to protect themselves when out in public!
"Ahem. I'm sorry for causing trouble. These people are probably all my fans."
Wow, you're so popular!
Looking at the growing crowds on the pedestrian street, Jordan said to Saitama, "I'll try to distract them in a bit. You can head to the supermarket while they're occupied. As for whether you can make it before the sale ends—good luck to you!"
"I... can... do it!!"