Infighting Among Tools! A New World! Please Keep Reading

Foster hadn’t spelled it out, but Chu Yang had guessed what the Hero Association’s higher-ups were thinking.

They wanted to use him as a tool to make money without paying the corresponding price? How could that be allowed?

Chu Yang could freeload off others, but others wanted to freeload off him? Not a chance.

The directors had only two choices before them.

Either agree to Chu Yang’s terms and cooperate happily.

Or cover up Tatsumaki’s crushing defeat and pretend nothing had happened.

They chose the difficult latter option.

Keeping the news contained within headquarters and preventing it from leaking would take considerable effort.

"These people really are greedy. No wonder the Hero Association declines from here on out."

After seeing Foster off, Chu Yang refocused on his research. Finding the truth behind the limiter was more important than anything else.

Foster, escorted all the way outside by Armored Gorilla, wore such a miserable expression that he looked like his father had died.

The happier he had been before coming, the worse he felt now.

His dream of promotion and wealth had turned to dust in an instant, leaving behind only shattered fragments of reality.

Watching Foster’s retreating back, Armored Gorilla felt somewhat emotional as well.

Chu Yang’s rejection of the Hero Association’s new contract meant their relationship would be hard to restore to what it had been.

Nothing might be apparent in the short term.

But once enough time passed, all sorts of underhanded dealings would inevitably follow.

When Armored Gorilla returned to the House of Evolution, he saw Chu Yang and Dr. Genus tinkering with a brand-new suit of armor in the hall.

More accurately, it was only half a suit…

Only the lower half.

Who would wear armor that was only half complete?

Armored Gorilla was utterly baffled.

"Gorilla, you’re just in time. Go to the medical room and bring Mosquito Girl out. She should be mostly recovered by now."

Armored Gorilla suddenly understood.

Mosquito Girl hadn’t died after taking one punch from Saitama. Only her lower body had been blown apart.

When Armored Gorilla had brought her back from Z-City, she had already been barely alive. She had spent this entire time being treated in the medical room.

The dying Mosquito Girl had become Chu Yang’s second experimental subject after Sonic successfully received a Lineage Factor transplant.

At the same time, she was Chu Yang’s highly anticipated second tool.

Since negotiations with the Hero Association had fallen through, he would have to collect monster corpses himself from now on. Increasing their manpower was urgent.

Until they found stronger materials, the Iron Man Legion would be of little use. At most, it could guard the base and raise their security level.

Mosquito Girl’s specialty was bloodsucking.

Before officially transplanting the Lineage Factor, Chu Yang had fed her some of his blood.

Just a few drops had brought about earth-shattering changes in Mosquito Girl. Nearly all her injuries had healed.

Even her overall form had undergone a drastic transformation.

She was becoming more and more human.

Her body was a size smaller than before, closer to that of a human woman.

Her features had softened considerably.

She had transformed from a queen into the image of a girl-next-door older sister.

But her two legs hadn’t grown back.

So Chu Yang decided to turn her into a cyborg like Genos while he was at it.

With greater vitality, the Lineage Factor genetic surgery would have a higher margin for error.

Armored Gorilla wheeled Mosquito Girl into the hall. She looked extremely nervous.

Ever since receiving Chu Yang’s blood, Mosquito Girl had understood just how terrifying the man before her was.

That vast life force was not something a human could possess.

Calling him a god wouldn’t be an exaggeration.

"We’ll perform the modification surgery first. Once you’ve adapted, we’ll proceed with the next round of transplant surgery."

Chu Yang’s voice wasn’t loud, but to Mosquito Girl, every word seemed to strike directly at her heart, making her whole body tremble.

"I will obey your orders, my lord…"

Before Chu Yang, Mosquito Girl felt suffocated. It was like bloodline suppression. She kept her head lowered the entire time, not daring to look at him even once.

Dr. Genus then took her away for the modification surgery.

Screams suddenly erupted from the operating room.

"Aaaahhh!!!"

It sounded more like she was being dismembered.

Chu Yang turned to Armored Gorilla. "Does Genus have a medical license?"

Armored Gorilla regretfully shook his head.

That meant Mosquito Girl would have to endure some truly horrifying torment.

Fortunately, monsters had strong life force and weren’t as fragile as humans. It didn’t matter if the surgery was a little rough. Results were what mattered most.

Half a day passed.

The screams gradually weakened.

It was impossible to tell whether the modification had succeeded or whether Mosquito Girl had fallen completely unconscious.

"She won’t fail to make it through even the first hurdle, will she?"

Chu Yang was afraid his investment would go down the drain.

Fortunately, after only a short wait, Dr. Genus appeared before him with the brand-new Mosquito Girl.

The lower-body armor, made from the Subterranean King’s tough hide and high-strength alloy, fit perfectly onto Mosquito Girl’s lower half. The extended exoskeleton protected every vital part of her body.

Chu Yang and the others had tested the armor’s defense long ago. Nothing below Dragon level could break through it.

As for offense.

The improved armor focused more on laser-type weapons. Its power was roughly on par with Genos’s Incineration Cannon.

After all, it was only half a suit of armor and couldn’t carry too many weapons.

Chu Yang’s original intention had simply been to raise Mosquito Girl’s mobility by a level, so she wouldn’t be so easily killed once someone got close.

The mechanical modification was only the opening act. The real focus was the upcoming Lineage Factor transplant.

"Take her to the laboratory."

Chu Yang walked up to Mosquito Girl and gently patted her shoulder. "Whether you survive depends on your luck."

Such a brief sentence plunged Mosquito Girl into immense terror.

She desperately wanted to refuse, but Chu Yang’s indifferent gaze made her unable to utter those words.

If she dared say them, she would die.

"Rest assured, my lord. I’ll do my best."

Mosquito Girl forced a smile through clenched teeth.

Chu Yang nodded and entered the laboratory first, placing the two prepared test tubes into the slots of the machine.

Dr. Genus’s expression changed when he saw this. He walked up to Chu Yang and said quietly, "My lord, the experiment has only just begun. Isn’t it too risky to transplant two Lineage Factors at once?"

"Mr. Sonic only received one."

"That’s exactly why we need more data to support us while the experiment is still in its early stages," Chu Yang said matter-of-factly.

Dr. Genus gave Mosquito Girl a pitying look, then said nothing more.

She had finally managed to claw her way back from death. It looked like she would have to return the life she had been given.

Unaware of any of this, Mosquito Girl nervously entered the machine. The instant the hatch closed, an intense sense of dread surged through her heart.

She lay there in terror, like a lamb awaiting slaughter.

Outside.

After hearing Chu Yang’s conversation with Dr. Genus, Armored Gorilla revealed an expression of reluctant sympathy, but what he felt more strongly was the sorrow of knowing that he could suffer the same fate.

He was a monster too. Sooner or later, he would follow in Mosquito Girl’s footsteps.

"She won’t die!"

Chu Yang suddenly spoke as he operated the machine.

Dr. Genus and Armored Gorilla both froze. When they looked at Chu Yang again, their expressions softened considerably.

This was completely different from when Sonic had received his Lineage Factor transplant.

This time, the machine was quiet.

There was no high temperature and no intense humming.

After breaking the rules for the first time, the entire transplant process had become much smoother.

The only drawback was that the wait was especially long.

The transplant lasted the entire night.

Not until noon the next day, when the sunlight was at its strongest.

Did the hatch open.

A human woman stepped out of the machine.

There was no trace of a monster’s characteristics on her.

The mosquito-like eyes and proboscis on Mosquito Girl’s head had completely disappeared.

Judging from her upper body alone, she looked like an ordinary human.

Mosquito Girl opened her eyes.

Her pupils had turned dark green, while the wings on her back had become nearly transparent.

She gave off a vibrant, lively feeling.

Chu Yang smiled. "How do you feel?"

Mosquito Girl slowly sensed the changes in her body. She took a deep breath and answered in delighted surprise, "Better than ever before."

Chu Yang looked at her with satisfaction.

The two test tubes from earlier had contained Tatsumaki’s Lineage Factor and the Senju clan’s Lineage Factor.

Chu Yang had used Tatsumaki’s Lineage Factor in the hope that Mosquito Girl could gain psychic powers.

Even if she couldn’t reach Tatsumaki’s level, she could still display formidable combat power with the help of the armor.

As for the Senju clan’s.

Chu Yang had considered the fact that Mosquito Girl had drunk his blood and received some of its pure life force.

If the two could react with each other, it might increase the transplant’s success rate. At worst, it could preserve her life.

That was why Chu Yang had said she wouldn’t die.

"Try to see if you can use psychic powers."

Chu Yang’s tone turned serious. Although Mosquito Girl had walked out of the hatch, whether the transplant had succeeded was still uncertain.

Having received the order, Mosquito Girl began concentrating and tried to control the documents and tools on the nearby table.

Dr. Genus and Armored Gorilla watched her nervously.

About twenty seconds later, the papers began moving without wind and slowly floated into the air.

Under Mosquito Girl’s control, sheets of documents rose up and circled around everyone in the laboratory.

Joy appeared on Chu Yang’s face.

"Not bad. Next, try gathering your mental energy and physical energy."

Chu Yang brought out the same lesson he had taught Sonic before.

Mosquito Girl had great difficulty understanding it.

Compared to Sonic’s talent, she was like an ordinary person. Even after studying for half a day, she couldn’t grasp the essence.

Chu Yang could only patiently give her time.

At every moment, Mosquito Girl tried to follow Chu Yang’s method to gather Chakra.

Another three days passed.

There was no progress at all.

"She only inherited the psychic powers…"

"It’s still not a bad result. In the end, I was just being too greedy."

"For now, it seems that transplanting only one Lineage Factor has the highest success rate."

Chu Yang silently recorded all the experimental data and discussed the possible issues with Dr. Genus.

Mosquito Girl sensed Chu Yang’s disappointment, and her heart ached a little. To her, the man who had granted her a new life was like a god.

"My lord, although I can’t sense the existence of Chakra, I can sense another kind of power!"

Mosquito Girl spoke cautiously.

"Oh? Show me."

Chu Yang immediately perked up, anticipation shining in his eyes.

"This may be somewhat disrespectful. I hope you won’t mind."

After saying that, Mosquito Girl made a sucking motion with her crystalline red lips.

Then…

Specks of green light flew out of Chu Yang’s body and entered her mouth.

After swallowing the green light, Mosquito Girl licked her lips and revealed a satisfied expression.

Chu Yang felt his life force draining away. Though it was only a tiny amount, he still noticed it.

"Her original bloodsucking ability has evolved into the ability to drain life force!"

"The Senju clan’s Lineage Factor didn’t fail to transplant. It fused with her own ability and created a mutation!"

"Interesting! This is truly fascinating!"

Chu Yang was extremely excited. Mosquito Girl’s mutation had provided exceptionally valuable data, proving another possibility for Lineage Factor technology.

"You helped me complete the experiment admirably. As a reward, I can give you the chance to choose a name for yourself."

As Dr. Genus’s experimental creation, Mosquito Girl had only a designation, not a name.

She had never imagined that one day, she would have a name of her own.

"My lord, could you name me?"

Mosquito Girl looked at Chu Yang with hopeful eyes.

"Mia."

Chu Yang thought for a moment before answering.

"I like this name!"

Mia excitedly paced around the room, her steps noticeably lighter.

Later, Sonic returned, bringing back the corpse of a Demon-Level Threat.

Chu Yang had him spar with Mia to test the limits of her abilities.

When Sonic heard that she was also an experimental subject who had completed the transplant, he immediately became interested as well.

When Tatsumaki attacked last time, Sonic had happened to be away. Missing the chance to fight such a powerful esper had become a regret of his.

That was why he was especially fired up this time.

Mia was equally eager to try, wanting to perform well in front of Chu Yang.

Their battleground was the room where Saitama had fought Carnage Kabuto.

The battle began.

Sonic seized the initiative, closing in on Mia at incredible speed, intending to end the fight with the close-quarters combat he excelled at.

Based on his experience, Mia should not have been good at handling close-range combat.

And that was indeed the case.

Mia tried to forcibly control Sonic’s body with telekinesis, but she could not even catch sight of him.

To activate her ability, she needed a target first.

Chu Yang had anticipated this situation long ago, which was why he had transformed her into a cyborg.

The armor on Mia’s lower body activated.

Just as Sonic launched his attack, the armor erupted with a powerful blast of air, propelling Mia out of danger.

The attack missed.

Sonic looked at Mia in surprise. The explosive power she had displayed just now far surpassed Genos’s.

"Your speed is decent, but compared to me, you’re still far too slow."

Sonic used the Shadow Clone Technique. Several clones became black shadows and charged at Mia simultaneously.

Relying on the armor’s high mobility, Mia quickly flew into the sky, denying Sonic the opportunity to surround her.

Then, she aimed all of her laser weapons at the ground, intending to blanket the area with firepower.

Sonic had guessed her plan as well.

Several Shadow Clones stood together and formed hand seals at the same time, faint firelight flickering in their mouths.

Fire Release: Dragon Flame Release Song Technique.

Sonic spewed fire serpents that formed several flaming dragon heads in the air. The Shadow Clones used the same Ninjutsu, and countless flaming dragon heads flew toward Mia.

At that moment.

A barrage of laser beams also rained down like a torrential downpour.

Flames and lasers collided, triggering violent explosions. The entire underground laboratory trembled on the verge of collapse.

Smoke filled the air.

The two fought amid the darkness.

With her weapons entering cooldown, Mia immediately fell into a disadvantageous position and was bombarded relentlessly by Sonic’s Fire Release Ninjutsu.

Fortunately, she seized an opportunity to drain some of Sonic’s life force, slowing his offensive as well.

Chu Yang watched from the side, observing the weaknesses they had revealed.

Sonic was only adept at dealing with enemies on the ground. Once he could not make full use of his speed, the battle became extremely passive.

Ninjutsu had helped ease that awkward situation, but it was still not enough. His Sharingan needed further growth.

Mia’s telekinesis still had plenty of room to grow. At this stage, it could not pose much of a threat to enemies.

But the potential she displayed exceeded Chu Yang’s expectations.

Just as the battle reached a stalemate.

Dr. Genus suddenly appeared and handed Chu Yang a laptop displaying the news.

A large number of monsters had suddenly emerged along the coast of City J. A-Class Hero Stinger was locked in a bitter battle.

Chu Yang rose to his feet and clapped his hands sharply.

"Put the sparring aside for now. It’s time to work."

The Deep Sea King was a very interesting monster.

Because it had voluntarily left the ocean and gone onto land, prolonged dehydration had put it into a weakened "dry state."

In that state, the Deep Sea King defeated the S-Class Hero Puri-Puri Prisoner.

Afterward, it rained in City J, and the Deep Sea King returned to its normal state. It then repelled Sonic and nearly killed Genos.

With such strength, although it was rated as a Demon-Level Threat, it should have already stepped halfway into the Dragon-Level realm.

At the very least, it was far stronger than the Subterranean King.

Given the toughness of the Deep Sea King’s body, using it to create armor would greatly improve its defensive power.

It would also make an excellent experimental subject.

"I’m going with you."

Just as Sonic and Mia were preparing to leave, Chu Yang suddenly set down the research materials in his hands.

"Teacher, it’s only a Demon-Level Threat. There’s no need to trouble you personally."

Sonic became a little flustered. He was afraid Chu Yang thought he could not handle the task, which was why he intended to do it himself.

Mia also looked nervous, not daring to meet Chu Yang’s eyes.

"There’s someone I’m interested in. I just want to observe them."

Chu Yang signaled for them not to be nervous and smiled as he walked toward the entrance.

Curiosity flashed through Sonic and Mia’s eyes, and they obediently followed behind Chu Yang.

Aboveground, the ruined building had already been demolished for reconstruction. Armored Gorilla was leading a group of mechanical modified beings in construction work.

Genus estimated that rebuilding from scratch would take about a week.

The new base would be roughly twenty times larger than the original.

Rather than a building, it was more like a heavily fortified military fortress.

"Driving there will probably be too late. We’ll fly there directly. As for Sonic, Mia can take you with her."

Neither of them moved.

Sonic and Mia had a strong competitive rivalry between them.

They disdainfully turned their heads away, unwilling even to glance at each other.

Chu Yang could not be bothered with them. He flew into the sky and vanished from sight in the blink of an eye.

Mia panicked and immediately flew after him.

Sonic panicked even more, swiftly grabbing Mia by the ankle.

The three of them sped through the air toward City J.

Meanwhile, more and more Sea Clan monsters appeared in City J. Stinger, all alone, simply could not take care of everyone else.

If he wanted to save people, he had to first deal with the monsters in front of him.

Fortunately, these monsters were not particularly strong on average. As an A-Class Hero, Stinger unleashed his full strength and instantly dealt with a huge wave of monsters.

Though he himself was severely injured, his face so swollen even his own mother would not recognize him.

Still, the nearby civilians had been saved.

Stinger was delighted.

Just as he was feeling triumphant, thinking he could once again challenge for the tenth rank of A-Class.

A bolt of lightning split the sky!

A massive figure appeared behind him.

It was a muscular monster with bluish-green skin and a crown on its head.

Fins grew from its cheeks, and its mouth was filled with sharp teeth.

It wore a savage grin.

Then it sent Stinger flying with a punch from behind.

Stinger’s smile froze as he completely lost consciousness in a corner.

The Hero Association immediately raised the disaster level after monitoring this scene!

Emergency broadcasts sounded throughout the city.

Large numbers of civilians began evacuating from the city.

Areas closer to the coastline could not evacuate in time and could only hide from the monsters in nearby shelters.

Among the evacuation crowd, professional heroes could also be seen.

Suddenly.

Everyone saw a figure moving against the flow of people, heading toward the area where the monsters had appeared.

It was a man riding a bicycle.

"Hey! Mumen Rider, don’t go any farther! Didn’t you hear that the disaster level was raised?"

"This isn’t something C-Class Heroes can interfere with anymore."

"Hurry and evacuate with us. Leave the rest to higher-ranked heroes."

Several C-Class Heroes sat in a pickup truck. When they saw Mumen Rider, they tried to persuade him to leave with the group.

Mumen Rider merely exchanged a few words with them. After learning the monsters’ exact location, he hurried away.

"That idiot really thinks he’s a hero?"

"Forget it, forget it. If he wants to die, let him go!"

As they grumbled, they watched Mumen Rider leave with complicated expressions.

Rain began to fall from the sky.

Saitama and Genos, who had rushed over from City D, heard the announcement that the disaster level had been raised.

At the same time.

The Deep Sea King was pacing through the city.

Two more heroes lay beneath its feet.

A-Class Hero Lightning Max, ranked twentieth.

S-Class Hero Puri-Puri Prisoner, ranked seventeenth—the very last among the S-Class Heroes.

The Deep Sea King defeating an S-Class Hero meant the severity of the disaster was still escalating.

Suddenly.

The Deep Sea King spotted a shelter.

It revealed a cruel smile, leaped from the ground, and landed directly atop the shelter, smashing through the ceiling.

Amid the terrified screams of the people inside, it jumped in.

The rain grew heavier and heavier.

Mumen Rider pedaled desperately, speeding toward the shelter.

"Hey! Riding so fast in this weather could easily cause a traffic accident."

An unfamiliar voice suddenly came from behind him, startling Mumen Rider.

In his panic, the bicycle skidded. Mumen Rider lost control of his body and was thrown off.

Just as he was about to crash into a nearby building, his body suddenly stopped in midair, as though seized by a pair of invisible hands.

"Oh, sorry. I hope I didn’t scare you."

A beautiful girl appeared before him. Mumen Rider took one look at her, and his cheeks began to redden.

The girl traced a circle with her finger.

Mumen Rider slowly descended from the air, then felt the invisible force around him disappear.

"Judging by his outfit, he should be a hero too. Why does he seem no different from an ordinary person?"

The tone of the boy standing beside the girl made everyone who heard it uncomfortable.

Mia and Sonic.

They had failed to catch up with Chu Yang, so they entered the city first to search for monsters, only to run into Mumen Rider.

Mumen Rider recognized Sonic. "You’re the second-to-last C-Class Hero, right? Your title seems to be… Speed-o’-Sound Sonic?"

Sonic’s lips curled upward as he nodded. "That’s right, it’s me!"

Mia curled her lips. She knew Sonic liked being called a ninja, and the more pleased he looked, the more uncomfortable she felt.

"Do you know where the city’s shelter is?"

Mia interrupted Sonic without hesitation.

Sonic’s expression darkened.

"I was just heading there."

Mumen Rider nodded.

"Tell us the location. You should head back first. It’s dangerous here," Sonic said as though it were only natural.

Mumen Rider paused, then burst into laughter. "Don’t judge me by how I look. I’m still the number one C-Class Hero. I won’t hold you back."

Only then did Sonic remember that he was second from the bottom, so he fell silent with a grim expression.

"Then let’s go together."

Mumen Rider led the way as the three of them headed toward the shelter.

Elsewhere.

Deep Sea King took out several more heroes hiding inside the shelter.

It slowly approached the crowd.

At the critical moment.

A blazing light descended from the sky.

Long before Sonic and Mia arrived in City J, Chu Yang had already entered the shelter with the crowd.

He stood quietly to one side, watching several heroes get knocked down by Deep Sea King, then watching Genos descend like a divine weapon and battle Deep Sea King fiercely.

Like a dutiful spectator.

The person who interested Chu Yang was neither Genos nor Deep Sea King, but Mumen Rider.

He had come specifically to observe this man.

Mumen Rider was a very special character.

His courage, his sense of justice, and his determination to protect the weak.

In another world, someone like Mumen Rider would undoubtedly be the protagonist.

Chu Yang felt that he might possess at least a little of a protagonist’s fortune.

If there was anyone in this world who could become the second ordinary person after Saitama to break through their limiter.

Chu Yang believed Mumen Rider had a high chance.

So.

Chu Yang had a bold idea.

He wanted to try transplanting Saitama’s Lineage Factor into Mumen Rider and see what kind of result it would bring.

The extracted Lineage Factor could be backed up, so it would not be wasted. Even if something went wrong, he could always find Saitama and "get a little more."

Compared to the potential losses, the data revealed during the experiment was what truly mattered.

It might even become the key to finding a way to break through the limiter.

But before transplanting Saitama’s Lineage Factor, some groundwork was needed. Mumen Rider needed to experience more growth first.

While Chu Yang was considering these matters, Genos had already had an arm torn off by Deep Sea King.

Realizing that he might lose, Genos loudly warned the civilians to retreat, then used his own body to shield everyone behind him.

"Go, big brother!"

A little girl’s encouragement suddenly changed the course of the battle.

Deep Sea King suddenly flashed in front of the little girl.

A dramatic situation unfolded.

The little girl being dragged by her parents happened to be standing beside Chu Yang, leaving Chu Yang caught between Deep Sea King and the girl.

Deep Sea King prepared to spit acid at them.

Before Genos could arrive, Chu Yang instinctively reached out and pinched its mouth shut.

Deep Sea King froze.

Genos froze as well.

The fleeing crowd also stopped in their tracks.

With the acid trapped in its mouth, Deep Sea King felt even worse than if a wad of phlegm were stuck in its throat.

Its mouth hurt terribly, as if it would be crushed apart the next second.

It grabbed Chu Yang’s arm with both hands and tried to pry it away. Its face turned red from the strain, yet Chu Yang did not budge in the slightest.

Everyone stared at the scene in utter disbelief!

The image became bizarre.

Deep Sea King gave up on prying Chu Yang’s arm away and instead threw a punch at his face.

A dazzling flash of sword light lit up.

The civilians instinctively shut their eyes. When they opened them again, one of Deep Sea King’s arms had already landed at their feet.

At that moment, Chu Yang released its mouth and wiped his hand with a disgusted expression.

Honestly, it was pretty disgusting.

Deep Sea King stared at Chu Yang in terror. That sword strike just now—forget reacting to it, it had not even seen where the sword was.

"No wonder he’s Sonic’s master. He’s really strong. That monster doesn’t have any power to resist at all."

"He can’t possibly be just an A-Class Hero."

Sitting in the corner, Genos’s battered body occasionally sparked. Several circuits were shorting out, leaving him unable to move.

"You actually dared to ambush me!"

Having an arm cut off in front of everyone sent Deep Sea King into a rage, and even the fear in its heart was drowned by anger.

Wanting to vent its emotions, Deep Sea King launched another attack at Chu Yang.

Everyone held their breath and watched their battle nervously.

With only one arm left, Deep Sea King’s attack speed did not decrease—it increased. Its fist moved so fast that afterimages appeared in the air.

"Monsters share a common flaw. In battle, they are easily controlled by their emotions and lose their reason. Once they give up thinking, they are not far from death."

A terrifying aura emanated from Chu Yang’s body. Though it only flashed by for an instant, both Genos and Deep Sea King caught it.

Then another burst of sword light flashed.

Deep Sea King’s fist afterimages paused for an instant, and its remaining arm flew high into the air as well.

Losing another arm finally cooled its emotions.

Deep Sea King warily backed away several steps. The human before it did not seem to be an opponent it could defeat.

"Careful, it wants to run! Don’t let it escape!"

Genos had analyzed Deep Sea King’s intentions, but the moment he finished speaking, Deep Sea King turned and leaped through the broken wall.

The crowd erupted in wild cheers.

Chu Yang had no intention of pursuing it and simply stood where he was.

Because he saw Sonic outside, and Mumen Rider had already encountered Deep Sea King.

Sonic and Mia also noticed Chu Yang inside the shelter.

Chu Yang signaled for them not to interfere and to watch Mumen Rider’s battle with Deep Sea King from the side first.

Both of them looked puzzled. Mumen Rider looked like an ordinary person no matter how they saw him. What could he possibly use to fight Deep Sea King?

But it was Chu Yang’s order, so they could only comply.

The crowd that had escaped danger moved toward the opening, wanting to watch the battle, while Chu Yang used an earth-style technique to seal every opening.

Human Heart was a very complicated thing. No one knew what kind of malice it might give rise to.

Would they feel gratitude toward the heroes who had fallen?

Not necessarily…

But they would definitely resent those heroes who had failed to protect them.

Even without spectators, Mumen Rider’s battle would not lose its brilliance.

He was merely doing… what he believed was right.

Chu Yang sat atop the shelter, silently observing Mumen Rider’s perseverance and resilience.

Deep Sea King, on the other hand, was already close to being driven mad.

Sonic was watching it.

Mia was watching it.

Chu Yang was watching it.

The gazes of the three formed an immense pressure that all fell upon it.

As a result, Mumen Rider suffered terribly. In just a few breaths, he was beaten like a rag doll.

"You take the citizens and evacuate first. I’ll find a way to hold it back."

Mumen Rider was severely wounded, spitting bloody foam even as he spoke, yet he did not think of asking Sonic and Mia for help. Instead, he told them to leave first.

He was nearly dead, yet he was still thinking about others.

Man, it would be such a waste if someone like you did not become the protagonist.

Chu Yang sighed inwardly.

It was about time.

If this continued, he might really die.

Chu Yang quietly appeared beside Mumen Rider and placed a hand on his shoulder. Pure life force streamed endlessly into his body.

Deep Sea King still wanted to deliver the killing blow, but when it saw Chu Yang appear out of nowhere, its expression changed drastically and it instantly retreated more than ten meters away.

"You deal with the rest. Try to keep it alive."

Chu Yang carried Mumen Rider away from the battlefield and happened to run into Saitama walking toward him.

Saitama halted, his expression stiffening as memories of the torment in the Genjutsu space abruptly surfaced in his mind.

"You guys carry on. I’ve got something to do, so I’ll be leaving first."

It was not that Saitama could not defeat Chu Yang. He simply did not want to fight an enemy like him.

When fighting Chu Yang, Saitama felt like he was the only one losing out.

"Genos is in that shelter. He’s in pretty bad shape. You’d better take him away."

Chu Yang reminded him.

Saitama stopped leaving, turned around, and jogged toward the shelter.

At that moment.

Deep Sea King was being surrounded and attacked by Sonic and Mia.

One of them was so fast he could not be touched, while the other kept flying through the sky.

It could only take a beating.

If Chu Yang had not ordered them to capture it alive, Deep Sea King would have long since become a corpse.

Saitama looked at it with a little sympathy.

He jogged into the shelter, searching for Genos, who had become a pile of scrap metal.

With the replenishment of life force, Mumen Rider’s condition gradually improved. Seeing this, Chu Yang set him down.

"Thank you…"

"I thought you were all C-Class Heroes."

Mumen Rider laughed self-deprecatingly.

"Do you think you’re weak?"

Chu Yang asked calmly.

"Wouldn’t weak be an accurate way to describe someone like me?"

"A truly weak person would not stand in front of a monster with their body."

"But I lost. I couldn’t stop the monster at all."

"No one always wins, and no one keeps losing forever."

"Maybe…"

Mumen Rider took a deep breath, and a smile returned to his face. He had always been an exceptionally resilient person.

"Thank you. I enjoyed talking with you. May I ask your name?"

"Yang."

"Ah! I know you. The number one A-Class Hero. You’re amazing—you actually pushed Sweet Mask out of his spot."

"He came looking for me once. It was only after I beat him up that he acknowledged my ranking."

Mumen Rider looked at Chu Yang in surprise. He had never heard such secret gossip before.

Chu Yang smiled. He rarely mentioned it to others, but since it was Mumen Rider, he said a little more.

"Do you want to become stronger?"

Chu Yang suddenly asked.

Mumen Rider froze for a moment, then nodded with a soft laugh. "I don’t think anyone would refuse the chance to become stronger, right?"

"I can help you become stronger. Want to give it a try?"

Chu Yang continued.

Mumen Rider instinctively assumed Chu Yang was a con artist with ulterior motives.

"Those two are my creations."

Chu Yang pointed at Sonic and Mia.

The two of them had beaten Deep Sea King until it was completely battered. They neither killed it nor let it leave, focusing entirely on tormenting it.

"HAHAHAHA!!!!"

"Hehehehe!!!!"

Their twisted laughter echoed in Mumen Rider’s ears. He fell silent for a long while before solemnly saying, "If that’s the price of becoming stronger, then I’d rather not."

Chu Yang: "…"

"That’s just their original personality. Don’t take it to heart. I guarantee there are no side effects."

Chu Yang gave an awkward laugh and hurriedly explained.

"When it comes to getting stronger, it’s better to rely on your own efforts."

Mumen Rider politely declined again.

Chu Yang sighed and could only nod. "If you ever change your mind, come find me at the House of Evolution."

Chu Yang did not want to force him, because unknown problems might arise during the process of breaking through the limiter.

However, Chu Yang believed that Mumen Rider would come looking for him sooner or later.

When the day came that he could save nothing because of his own powerlessness, he would definitely come find him.

Mumen Rider left.

There was no longer any need for him here.

Meanwhile, the Deep Sea King had reached his limit. Both mentally and physically, he had been tormented beyond recognition.

Seeing this, Sonic immediately used the Sharingan to drag it into a Genjutsu space for one final round of torture.

A moment later.

The Deep Sea King let out a wail and passed out in tears.

Chu Yang gave the two of them a thumbs-up.

Not bad.

They had fully inherited this old man’s teachings!

Mia used telekinesis to lift the Deep Sea King’s body, and the three prepared to leave City J.

A surveillance camera in the distance transmitted the battle just now back to Hero Association headquarters in real time.

At that moment, a group of people sat before the screen, silently watching the scene.

"From now on, they might not leave the Association even a single monster corpse."

"He could refuse to become an S-Class Hero over this. We should have realized it long ago."

"Still no news from Blast?"

"We have to find someone to put him in his place. At this rate, does the Hero Association even need to exist?"

After returning to the House of Evolution, Chu Yang first extracted the Deep Sea King’s Lineage Factor, then eagerly performed a transplant operation on it together with Genus.

Mia had received two Lineage Factors during her last procedure, and Chu Yang decided to continue increasing the number of transplants.

He wanted to see what the upper limit was.

What were the odds of a Lineage Factor mutating?

And what triggered those mutations?

After the Deep Sea King was pushed into the machine, Chu Yang inserted five test tubes into the slots in one go, representing five Lineage Factors being transplanted into its body.

Everyone waited excitedly for the results.

The result…

The machine exploded!

It exploded without any warning!

The blast even destroyed more than half the laboratory.

Genus was nearly crushed to death on the spot.

Fortunately, Mia reacted quickly and put up a telekinetic barrier around him.

Even so, Genus was still seriously injured and needed a long period of recuperation to recover.

Chu Yang’s expression was grim. The previous transplants had gone too smoothly, making him feel as though success were only natural.

Reality gave him a hard slap across the face.

"It’s fine. Boros will be coming after a while. There’ll be plenty of new materials."

After comforting himself, Chu Yang began organizing people to repair the destroyed laboratory.

Just then.

In a daze, a mist rolled in.

By the time Chu Yang reacted, he was already in the Soul Palace.

Many familiar figures appeared one after another.

"Who cleared a level?"

One-Punch Chu Yang shouted.

They looked at one another, but no one answered.

A stranger suddenly stepped out from the corner.

Magic Chu Yang’s eyes lit up. "A newcomer’s here!"

The others quickly gathered around him.

The newly arrived Chu Yang was clearly unaccustomed to this. He crouched on the ground, trembling all over.

Once everyone synchronized their recent memories, they learned that the newcomer came from the Wind and Cloud world.

A high-martial world with one foot already in Xuanhuan.

After synchronizing memories, Wind and Cloud Chu Yang understood everything about the Soul Palace.

He quietly stood to one side, listening as everyone discussed information about Lineage Factors.

No one knew how much time had passed.

The mist rolled in.

When they opened their eyes again, they had already returned to their respective worlds.

Wind and Cloud world.

Invincible Citadel.

Chu Yang had transmigrated into this world and become a servant in Invincible Citadel. The master he served was called Ming Yue.

Ming Yue was a very kind girl. When Chu Yang had first arrived, he had nearly been beaten to death. It was Ming Yue who saved him.

However.

This kind girl’s fate was not a good one.

She met a man named Nie Feng, found her true love, and changed her destiny.

Ming Yue would soon die.

What Chu Yang had to do was keep her alive.