The One Who “Sealed” Saitama and Tatsumaki

"In other words, around three years ago, agencies using famous heroes as their brand began appearing in large numbers. Anyone who encountered danger could call for help and receive designated rescue from those powerful heroes."

"Child Emperor, Metal Knight, Flashy Flash, and other S-Class Heroes left the Hero Association one after another and began operating independently."

"Over the following year, new hero agencies began appearing in large numbers. The Hero Association started losing sponsorships and declined, though powerful heroes such as Tatsumaki the Terror still took action at the time."

"Then a terrifying battle took place. The sky was torn apart, and someone witnessed a towering giant being shattered. After that, the number of monsters began to decrease, but Professional Heroes only grew more numerous…"

Lilith sorted through the information Ayase Seishi had provided. She did not know why she was doing this, but after no longer sensing Mercenary Tao’s chilling killing intent, she realized that acting alongside him felt far safer than staying with Short Hair, Loka, and the others.

She did everything she could to make herself a little more useful.

As she spoke, she studied Mercenary Tao from the corner of her eye and found a smile on his lips. Her spirits lifted, and she became even more diligent in organizing the information.

"For the next year and a half, the old-generation heroes appeared in reports less and less often. Instead, large numbers of previously unknown new heroes filled every video and news report, while hero agencies began charging fees. The cost of asking for help kept rising."

"Then, half a year ago, the so-called Great Cataclysm occurred. It turned Seasoning City into a Spirit World Infested Zone, leaving fewer than five percent of the city’s population alive."

"Over the past half year, Spirit World infestation incidents have begun occurring everywhere. Yokai and ghosts appeared in great numbers, while monsters began constantly reappearing as well. This caused a considerable number of Professional Hero deaths, and many hero agencies now refuse to accept calls for help."

This information offered a rough picture of the changes in this world and the movements of certain top-tier Plot Characters. It was extremely useful.

Bai Cangshu wore an odd smile. He had assumed Shigeo Kageyama’s descent into darkness had turned this world into what it was today, but it now seemed that Shigeo Kageyama’s darkness was merely one link in the chain of changes.

Behind these changes lay an exceptionally intricate arrangement. Heroes, by nature, were selfless and altruistic. While the heroes of the Hero Association enjoyed certain benefits, those benefits fundamentally came from sponsor donations.

There was no direct equivalent exchange between those benefits and their risking their lives against monsters to save civilians.

It was like someone drawing a blade to help when they saw injustice on the road, then receiving some valuables afterward from the person they had helped as a voluntary expression of gratitude.

In that act, a hero had to be the one who chose to step in upon seeing injustice. He did not know whether the other person would be grateful to him.

Heroes were products of the unique moral values born from humans as social creatures. The most direct sense of fulfillment heroes gained from heroic deeds came from the reward of their own moral conscience.

But the professionalized heroes who had appeared three years ago had directly altered this process. They turned heroism into a special profession, accepting payment while fighting monsters.

At first, because the compensation was unclear, this model was difficult to distinguish from traditional classical heroism. But at this point in time, the result was already obvious. These Professional Heroes had completely killed the very existence of heroes.

If this had not been the Space’s arrangement, but a change made by some Reincarnator who had entered this world before them, Bai Cangshu would almost have applauded the other person.

This method of manipulating the world was far more exquisite than either Heaven’s Will or White Face. One relied on pure power, the other on information carried by power, but this person’s actions bore no trace of power at all while bringing about an unimaginable upheaval in the world.

This influence could even have an enormous effect on Plot Characters so powerful that Reincarnators could scarcely face them.

Bai Cangshu had specifically asked earlier. The former Hero Association’s strongest trump card, the hero codenamed Tatsumaki the Terror, had not appeared for a year and a half.

The B-Class Hero codenamed Caped Baldy had long since been forgotten by society.

The S-Class, A-Class, and B-Class hero rankings had all been abandoned. A mere B-Class Hero had vanished without a trace.

"Interesting. No, brilliant. A brilliant arrangement!"

The smile on Bai Cangshu’s face turned strange. The earring beneath his earlobe swayed without wind. Even he had never imagined that Reincarnators could seal monsters like Saitama and Tatsumaki in this manner.

He had a feeling that a Reincarnator had deliberately caused these changes, turning this world into a place where Reincarnators could hunt.

"Are you… strong?"

The voice was hoarse, the tone utterly flat. Merely hearing it made it clear that this person’s heart was already dead.

At some point, Reigen Arataka had turned his head. Sunlight shone from behind him, and backlit as he was, the man’s face looked even more gloomy.

He tossed away his cigarette and practically crawled into the house. Ayase Seishi frowned. This despondent man felt like a living corpse.

Reigen Arataka was a man who knew a little about everything except psychic powers. He was skilled at observing people and reading their minds.

He came before Bai Cangshu, crouched down, and met the face of the seated Bai Cangshu at eye level. Then he nodded, answering his own question.

"Yes, you’re strong. At the very least, you think you’re strong. That little girl thinks you’re strong too…"

As though reinforcing his own confidence, he nodded along with his analysis.

"The one who called me for help from that restricted zone wasn’t you, but you escaped through your own ability. You’re not one of those trash who use money to package themselves as heroes."

"Then may I entrust you with a request, great hero?"

You have triggered the hidden main quest: Spirit World's Sorrow

Quest Description: The individual known as Shigeo Kageyama has completely gone berserk and lost control, becoming an unidentified ???. His master, Reigen Arataka, requests that you end the chaos caused by ???.

Quest Reward: Based on completion level, receive an S-rank Singularity ranging from B-rank to S-rank, as well as 1 Bloodline Item of corresponding quality.

Failure Penalty: None

Lilith looked at the Space prompt that had appeared before her as well. This was the first time she had seen rewards so generous, with no penalty whatsoever.

"Entrusting someone to kill your own disciple… What a cruel bond between master and disciple…"

Hearing Bai Cangshu’s mockery, Reigen Arataka shook his head and said hoarsely,

"No. That isn’t Shigeo Kageyama. That isn’t that child…"

"Only by defeating that monster… can we bring that child back…"

After thinking for a moment, Bai Cangshu asked Lilith for confirmation.

"You have an ability that can find anyone, right?"

Lilith nodded, but added,

"There’s a certain margin of error, but with enough time, I can always find them…"

Bai Cangshu immediately accepted the request.

He had already gained a general understanding of this world and formed a plan for what came next.

There was basically only one way to safely complete this highly rewarding hidden main quest: find Saitama, whose whereabouts were currently unknown, and somehow make him cooperate.

As it happened, once Bai Cangshu realized this world was connected to the One-Punch Man World, the greed in his heart had become nearly impossible to suppress.

Unlike the relatively low-difficulty worlds he had experienced before, the One-Punch Man World contained many powerful things, especially the special concept known as the Limiter.

It was a power greater than any item or ability he had ever seen.

He wanted it. He wanted it desperately!

Greed filled Bai Cangshu’s eyes, and even the shadow beneath his feet no longer seemed human.

Ayase Seishi slowly rose to her feet. She had already realized that this man was probably no good person at all.

Ring, ring, ring.

The phone rang just then. The woman answered it, and an urgent voice came from the other end.

"Help! There’s a yokai! There’s a yokai here!"

As chaotic cries for help rang out, Ayase Seishi, who had also registered as a Professional Hero, asked for the location while picking up her ritual tool and preparing to leave.

Pfft!

A streak of golden light pierced through the floor. Ayase Seishi’s heart lurched. She turned around and saw a cruel smile on the lips of the man she had brought home.

"Sorry, but can you leave this job to me?"

"As compensation for sparing your life, let this rescue mission become a new hero’s debut. What do you say?"

"A hero?"

Ayase Seishi could not understand Bai Cangshu. She neither understood why he said he had spared her life when they had no grudge and had only met for the first time, nor why he still wanted to become a hero after she had clearly told him that heroes were now nothing more than a despised profession.

Bai Cangshu spread his arms, his expression strange.

"Yes. I’m planning to become a… Hero for Fun!"

With a flash of light, a slender blue-and-white single-person speedboat appeared at the door. Bai Cangshu stepped onto it, then gestured with his eyes for the Reincarnator who claimed to possess a special ability to find people to board as well.

He already had a plan. Whether it was the Space or some exceptionally wise Reincarnator, their actions had completely killed the concept of heroes. So now, he would do the opposite and bring heroes back to life.

Only then would he have a chance to bring Caped Baldy back.