Facing Neuvillette, who was prepared to take a beating, King said just one word.
"Fine."
Neuvillette was slightly taken aback.
King seemed to feel that a single "Fine" wasn't clear enough, so he added another sentence, his tone carrying a simple directness that said "Let's leave it at that, say no more":
"If something comes up, just tell me the location."
He paused and glanced at Neuvillette, seemingly organizing his words.
After all, as a true shut-in, he hadn't dealt with people for a long time.
"Forget about being a Duke or whatever."
"I'm not doing this for those things."
"Just consider it..."
King froze; he didn't know how to explain to Neuvillette why he was willing to take on these "high-risk missions," so he finally summarized somewhat stiffly:
"Just consider it a way to thank Furina for letting me stay here."
Neuvillette was also stunned.
To agree to a harsh "mission list" so nonchalantly, yet so decisively refuse the highest title that countless people dreamed of and was within his reach?
Not for status, not for profit, and he didn't even mention any other Reward.
Simply for "thanks"?
The word was too ordinary, even somewhat hypocritical, but coming from King's mouth, combined with his "strength," it gave Neuvillette an unprecedented shock.
He had seen too many faces chasing power and fame, and he knew well the law of Teyvat where strength is respected above all.
But an existence like King, who possessed overwhelming power yet was so indifferent to worldly glory... he could not understand.
But precisely because it was incomprehensible, this purity seemed all the more precious, even inspiring a sense of solemn respect.
Neuvillette looked deeply at King, trying to find any trace of pretense on his calm face, but all he saw was a near-blunt frankness.
Perhaps this was the perspective of a "Descender"?
Or was it his unique code of conduct?
Regardless, this answer completely disrupted Neuvillette's original plans, but it also made a certain plan in his heart even firmer.
"I understand, Mr. Su Ze."
Neuvillette's voice was deeper than before, carrying a solemn tone: "I will respect your wishes. Thank you for being willing to lend a hand to Fontaine."
He didn't mention the matter of the Duke again, simply nodding slightly: "Then, I won't disturb your rest. As for specific matters, I will have Clorinde or a Melusine communicate with you in a timely manner."
King said nothing more, only nodding.
Neuvillette turned and left, his steps seemingly steadier than when he arrived, and he appeared to be contemplating more things.
The door closed slowly; King's eyes were sharp as he silently exhaled a breath of turbid air.
Not for a title, nor for Mora.
He stayed here simply because someone needed a "hero" to stand here.
Even if the inside of this "hero" was a shut-in who couldn't even beat a wild boar.
King walked slowly to the bedside, glanced at Paimon, who was still unconscious and sobbing occasionally, and then looked at his own weak and powerless fists.
Power!
He urgently needed real power!
He couldn't do the work of upholding justice just by scaring people!
"System, I want to draw." he muttered in his heart.
[Ding.]
[Current Emotion Points: 115,000]
[Would you like to perform a draw?]
"Let's start with an A-rank one!"
Without the slightest hesitation, King spent 100,000 Emotion Points.
Resolve is one thing, but strength is the hard truth.
Resolve without strength is nothing more than tragic cannon fodder.
[Consuming 10,000 Emotion Points to perform an A-rank draw... Drawing...]
The light wheel spun rapidly before King's eyes, carrying his hopes and anxieties.
Having drawn a bunch of "trash" in D-rank and B-rank, something solid should finally come out of A-rank, right?
He held his breath, his eyes fixed intently on the center of the light wheel.
The light wheel spun rapidly, a kaleidoscope of colors, finally settling on a dynamic image: a man in a black bodysuit with hair pointing to the sky and a frivolous expression was throwing a punch at a monster at a speed exceeding the limits of Vision. Wherever the fist passed, the air distorted, and the Demon Level monster disintegrated!
[Draw complete.]
[Congratulations to the Host for obtaining the skill: Explosive Heart Release Fist (A-rank)]
[Skill Description: Originating from the one-punch man world, this was the secret technique of the 3rd ranked S-Class Heroes, "Silver Fang" Bang, in his youth. This skill does not rely solely on brute force; instead, it precisely concentrates the body's entire strength into a single point, releasing it instantly through a unique breathing method and power-exertion technique, creating an explosive destructive force from the inside out. It has an extremely strong penetration and annihilation effect on single targets.]
[Skill Note: This skill includes partial physical enhancement and energy boosting; the Host's constitution will be significantly strengthened as a result. Would you like to fuse the skill immediately?]
"Explosive Heart Release Fist!"
King was stunned for a moment, then ecstatic!
That's Bang's fist technique!
Although it's not the Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist, it's at least a top-tier martial art that can easily defeat Demon Level monsters and even deal DMG to Dragon Level ones!
It's on a completely different level from those previous "Cooking Mastery" and "Gaming Expert" skills!
"Fuse! Fuse immediately!"
Upon his confirmation, a massive flow of information instantly flooded his mind. At the same time, his muscle memory seemed to be carved by an invisible chisel, as countless subtle experiences regarding breathing rhythms, power-exertion angles, and force conduction were imprinted into his nerves and body.
A moment later, the fusion was complete.
King opened his eyes and subconsciously clenched his fists.
A strange sensation welled up in his heart. He felt that his control over his body had improved by a notch, especially in his arms and core area, where he felt a faint sense of being able to erupt with startling power at any moment.
He walked to an open space in the room, recalling the experience he had just gained, and tentatively struck a starting stance.
The posture wasn't perfect, but the stance already had a bit of the flavor of a martial arts master.
He inhaled slowly, following a specific rhythm, and used his mind to guide a small amount of power to circulate within his body, finally converging in his right fist.
Then, King thrust his fist silently and gently into the air in front of him.
He didn't hit any physical object, but... "Pshhh—!"
A series of subtle air-breaking sounds rang out, and the air in front of his fist was clearly compressed, forming several turbulent small air currents.
He could clearly feel a solid power within his body, as well as the "method" to release it violently.
Although it was far from the mountain-splitting power of Bang in the memory images, at least this was no longer a bluff.
Tiger Level peak... that's probably the level, right?
By one-punch man standards, it's a level that can easily defeat an ordinary army or cause localized damage to a city.
In Teyvat, it should be enough to deal with the vast majority of monsters and ordinary Vision holders.
But facing Harbingers, Godly familiars, or even Gods, it was still far from enough.
However, it was a solid starting point.
Moreover, although Explosive Heart Release Fist was an A-rank skill, would there be room for improvement in the future as his body grew stronger?
King looked at Paimon, who was still unconscious on the bed, his gaze deep.
This little fellow was his "Emotion Point treasury," but she could also be a "source of trouble."
He had to handle his relationship with her well; he needed to maintain deterrence without actually scaring her into a breakdown or letting her see any flaws.
He walked to the bedside and looked down at Paimon.
Her small body was curled up, and her brow was tightly furrowed even in unconsciousness, her mouth unconsciously muttering: "Don't eat me, I don't taste good at all..."
King was silent for a moment, then reached over to pull a soft velvet blanket from nearby and gently covered Paimon with it.
Then, he turned back to the lounge chair, closed his eyes, and began to silently digest the newly added "cultivation memories" in his mind while contemplating the path ahead.
Acting cool—no, maintaining the posture of a "powerhouse" was necessary; it was the core of obtaining Emotion Points and the foundation of his current survival.
But relying solely on pretending and scaring people would eventually lead to exposure.
Explosive Heart Release Fist gave him a bit of confidence, but it wasn't enough.
He needed more actual combat—not PK in a game, but real combat with real blades and spears on the line of life and death—to truly master this power while also continuing to "earn" Emotion Points and reputation.
Neuvillette's proposal, though dangerous, was also an opportunity in a sense.
King lay on his side on the lounge chair, looking at the sea outside the balcony, dreaming of the future.