With access to media networks and public reports, it was easy to determine the current point in the One Punch Man timeline.
Simply put, the bald trainee who would one day shake the world had not yet made his debut. Still, the conflict between monsters and heroes was already quietly building.
It was only a matter of time before monster incidents became more frequent across cities, with disaster levels steadily escalating.
Jason instinctively lowered the brim of his cap.
What a hassle.
A thunderous explosion shattered his thoughts.
Boom!
He snapped back to reality, brows tightening.
From the street ahead to his left, thick black smoke billowed into the sky. Faint screams and panicked cries echoed through the air.
"That direction… Senmori Commercial Street!"
He twisted the throttle.
The small motorcycle roared with surprising force, tearing toward the source of the explosion.
Five minutes later.
The bike skidded sideways to a stop at the roadside. Jason stepped off. Before him, flames raged wildly, and dense smoke swallowed the sky.
Office buildings on both sides of the street were blackened by soot. Burning vehicles and fallen debris formed a deadly barricade. Combined with the intense heat, escape had become nearly impossible for anyone trapped inside.
Those outside had already fled. The area was nearly deserted.
Jason nodded.
Saves me the trouble of clearing civilians.
He loosened his tie, removed his cap and coat, and tossed them into the storage compartment. Rolling up his sleeves, he cracked his neck.
Then he walked straight into the fire.
Click!
Behind him, a reporter who had just arrived instinctively snapped a photo, capturing the moment of a lone figure walking against the chaos.
What the camera could not see was what happened next.
As the flames swallowed him, a layer of azure energy ignited around Jason's body. The near-solid spiritual fire formed a barrier, isolating him from the heat and smoke.
Under the influence of this world's rules, a Stand user's spiritual power had evolved into something closer to telekinesis, like the psychic abilities seen in certain powerful individuals.
With a month and a half of training, plus daily draws from Draw of Fate, Jason's personal combat ability was far from weak.
…
"Help me!"
"Someone please save me!"
"No… no! I don't want to die!"
"Please, Mr. Monster, don't kill me…!"
…
Inside the shopping district.
Crackle…
A shattered storefront window sparked weakly as a broken neon sign flickered one last time before going dark.
The air reeked of blood, thick and metallic.
Following the cries for help, Jason moved forward. His expression hardened, his eyes growing colder with each step.
Bodies.
Everywhere.
Human bodies in all forms.
Humans had become prey, hunted down by something unknown.
Suddenly, a pet shop exploded nearby. Steel and debris shot across the street, smashing through the glass of a clothing store. Dust filled the air.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
Heavy, deliberate footsteps echoed through the smoke.
A massive claw emerged, blue-green and scaled, each toe tipped with a curved talon. The foot alone was over half a meter long, cracking the ground beneath it.
As the smoke cleared, the creature revealed itself.
Over three meters tall, it stood upright on thick, muscular hind legs. Its body was covered in hardened, keratin-like scales. A tail as thick as a barrel dragged behind it, carving deep grooves into the concrete.
"I mutated because I look too much like a lizard! I am the mighty Lizard Monster!"
It bared its teeth in a grotesque grin. A long, forked tongue hung from its mouth, dripping green saliva that hissed and corroded the ground wherever it fell.
"Pathetic humans. You will all pay for mocking me!"
Bang!
A gunshot cut it off.
The bullet, carrying far more force than normal, pierced straight into the monster's left eye. It tore through the tough eyelid and turned the eyeball into pulp.
Roar!
Clutching its ruined eye, the monster howled in rage.
"Who did that?! Who dares attack me?!"
Bang bang bang bang!
More shots answered.
Each bullet was wrapped in a layer of azure energy, amplifying its destructive power.
Thud thud thud thud!
The monster's armored scales, strong enough to resist conventional weapons, were torn apart like paper. Blood burst from over a dozen wounds.
Yet, due to its massive size, the damage was minimal. Muscles writhed, forcing the bullets out. Even the destroyed eye began to regenerate, as if growing a new one was only a matter of time.
That was the vitality of monsters.
"Figures. Tough as hell. Annoying."
Muttering under his breath, Jason stepped out from the shadows, discarding his empty magazine.
He stood firm, facing the towering creature head-on.
The monster's slit pupil locked onto him instantly.
With a violent twist of its body, its massive tail whipped through the air, smashing a streetlight to pieces.
"You actually dare show yourself!"
Boom! Boom! Boom!
In just three steps, it crossed over thirty meters. Its jaws opened wide, aiming to bite him in half.
In its mind, it had already imagined the human writhing helplessly on the ground.
Facing the incoming maw and the stench of decay, Jason suddenly looked up.
A cold smile spread across his lips.
Spider Time activated.
In an instant, the world slowed to a crawl.
The monster's amber eye reflected a single image.
A fist, wrapped in blue flames, growing larger and larger.
"ORA!"
"ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA!"
Punch after punch rained down in a relentless storm.
Time returned to normal.
Before it could react, the monster had already endured a barrage of blows. Its once fearsome head twisted out of shape, swollen and distorted into something almost comical.
"Ha…"
Jason exhaled sharply.
With one final, full-force hook, he sent the massive creature crashing to the ground. Then he snapped his fingers.
Snap!
His Stand activated.
A plain-looking N-rank card appeared instantly. It flashed brightly as he flicked it into the air.
The next moment, a massive shadow descended from above.
On the ground, the monster's remaining eye shrank in terror.
A yellow-painted steamroller materialized out of nowhere, dropping from the sky like a steel beast, driven by both gravity and Jason's power.
"NO!"
Crash!
The heavy roller slammed down without mercy, crushing its spine, chest, and most of its body in an instant.