"What's going on?"
"Where is this place?"
"Which bastard is behind this?!"
The superhumans in the stands shouted and cursed, quickly raising their guard. Being teleported with zero warning left them feeling incredibly vulnerable and exposed.
"Good evening, contestants!"
The blonde, blue-eyed man in the suit materialized in the center of the stadium. Clutching a microphone, he shouted with a face full of excitement and zeal.
"It's you!"
"What did you do to us?"
The superhumans recognized him instantly. Several of the more hot-headed ones dashed down toward the field without a second thought, only for a flash of white light to send them instantly back to their original seats.
"Rule Number One: No wandering about, no hijacking other people's seats, and no threatening the physical safety of fellow spectators. Please keep this in mind."
This display of absolute, logic-defying spatial teleportation instantly quieted the outraged superhumans. Left with no other choice, they reluctantly sat back down.
"I know everyone is desperate for answers regarding our current situation, but please don't fret. I will explain everything shortly. First, allow me to introduce myself!"
As the suited man paced across the field, the massive screens hovering above the stadium projected his face.
"I am profoundly honored to host this iteration of the Hall of Fame Tournament. I am merely an ordinary host hailing from Planet NPC. I harbor no ill intent; my duty is simply to travel from planet to planet, select contestants, and run these evaluations. The most exceptional performer will be inducted into the Planet NPC Hall of Fame and receive a mysterious grand prize!"
The host delivered his speech with grand theatricality. In the stands, the contestants exchanged bewildered glances; for many, this was their very first time learning that extraterrestrial life existed.
"Is this for real?"
"An actual alien?"
"As real as it gets!"
A flash of light enveloped the host as he reverted to his true form. While his body remained in a human suit, looking no different from anyone else, his head had transformed into a four-sided television set, each screen displaying a digitized human face.
SNAP!
He snapped his fingers, raising his microphone and pointing toward the VIP section. The massive screens immediately shifted to highlight the prime seats. "First, let us welcome tonight's special guests and three heavyweight contestants!"
"From Asia: Powerful!"
"From the Americas: Radiant Man!"
"And from Northern Europe: Leviathan!"
With that,
the host clapped frantically. Despite the absolute silence from the spectators in the stands, simulated thunderous applause and raucous cheers reverberated throughout the stadium. The confused contestants looked around, finding neither clapping hands nor visible speakers.
Hyuk glanced at the two men sitting beside her. The bulkier one was Leviathan, while the taller, slender one was Radiant Man. Both appeared to be slightly older than her.
Radiant Man remained silent.
Leviathan, however, examined Hyuk with interest.
"So you're Powerful?"
Hyuk gave him no response.
Leviathan chuckled to himself. "You're much younger than I imagined, young lady."
The crowd fell into a hushed frenzy.
"That's Powerful?!"
"The legendary menace."
"Powerful, Radiant Man, and Leviathan, the three individuals with the most terrifying displays of power are all here. You could call them Earth's Big Three."
Aside from Hyuk, over the past year, several other superhumans had made themselves known, with clashes breaking out across the globe. Yet, none had demonstrated a level of destruction that could rival these three.
Especially Hyuk.
She had practically flattened half of Jpscan City.
"Who is Powerful?"
A few superhumans who had never heard of the name expressed their confusion. Hyuk was simply too inactive, meaning those outside of high-level government agencies rarely had access to such classified intelligence.
"Quit the endless babbling! What the hell do you want from us?"
"What exactly are we evaluating anyway?"
Facing their questions,
the host finally got down to business. "Very well! Let us now explain the rules of this tournament and the criteria for our evaluation."
At his words,
the audience quieted down.
Hyuk focused her attention. Based on her observations of this Planet NPC native, his physical body was likely no different from an ordinary Terran. The real danger lay in his logic-defying, conceptual-type abilities.
It appeared that as long as they were inside this arena, absolutely no one could violate the rules he established. This brand of opponent was, without a question, the most troublesome to deal with.
She tried to contact Type Zero, but because Type Zero was not registered as a contestant, she was blocked from accessing the arena. Hyuk's phone remained completely unresponsive.
The host began detailing the match format and guidelines.
"This tournament will evaluate the single battle that showcased each contestant's greatest display of raw power, destructive capacity, and overall impact to date. I will select the ten most representative battles with the utmost authority and objectivity."
"For every battle selected, the featured contestant will receive ten points. Those whose battles were not selected can choose to enter those featured scenarios; if they can defeat the featured contestant's original opponent, they will also earn ten points."
"Ultimately, the three contestants with the highest scores will be inducted into the Planet NPC Hall of Fame and win a mysterious grand prize. Other contestants with points will also receive rewards of varying tiers based on their final scores."
SNAP!
The host snapped his fingers once more. "Each planet gets only one evaluation. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so please give it your all, contestants!"
"Furthermore, Rule Number Two: This tournament strictly prohibits any form of recording, photography, or videography. Once the event concludes, all contestants' memories will be blurred, rendering it impossible to extract any details through any means. You will completely forget the combat styles and specific techniques of the featured contestants, this is solely to protect each participant's privacy."
As he spoke,
the host pointed a finger. The massive screens cut to show a contestant covertly trying to record with their phone. With a sudden flash of white light, the device vanished from the person's hand.
"Confiscated!"
At this, the crowd let out a collective sigh of relief. Their greatest fear was having their own abilities and trump cards exposed; rules that safeguarded their privacy were highly welcome.
This display further underscored the sheer power of this Planet NPC native. So far, Hyuk had not detected a single exploit or loophole that could bypass his rules.
Gradually, as the host finished explaining the tournament's details and regulations, the superhumans in the stands came to accept the reality of their situation and immersed themselves in the upcoming event.
"Now, I am sure everyone is absolutely brimming with anticipation for the evaluation phase! Don't you want your own battles to rank in the top ten and bask in the spotlight? Don't you want to witness the staggering power of the other featured contestants and feast your eyes?"
"Just start already!"
"Quit stalling!!"
The contestants were indeed growing restless.
"Excellent! Let us skip the chatter. Just moments ago, I selected the ten most representative battles that perfectly satisfy our three criteria: maximum power, maximum destruction, and maximum impact."
A dramatic battle scene flashed onto the massive screens.
The host shouted into his microphone with raw excitement.
"The tenth-ranked most representative battle: Contestant Powerful's Battle of Talius!"
"Powerful is on already?"
The contestants gasped in surprise.
Once again, Hyuk found herself the center of everyone's attention. Her expression hardened. She hadn't expected this Planet NPC native to actually possess the means to display a battle that had taken place in another world, completely unwitnessed.
It meant that no battle fought across any world could escape his selection grid. This undoubtedly served as yet another display of his unimaginable, absolute power.
The screen shifted to display Hyuk's battle in the Talius Empire, starting from the exact moment she emerged from the valley and clashed with the Talius imperial army.
The host's narration was incredibly captivating.
"This was a battle that took place behind a certain door. Contestant Powerful was subjected to a coordinated military strike by the Talius Empire. Though her combat experience was slightly unrefined back then, her sheer, oppressive power was still plain as day."
"First, she endured intense bombardment from a modern artillery battalion and heavy missile strikes. Afterward, she clashed directly with the Talius Empire's secret weapons. It is an incredibly fierce struggle; please enjoy!"
"I am certain this scale of warfare will send shivers down the spines of many contestants. Facing a modern artillery division and guided missile strikes, very few participants would have survived."
"Therefore, this battle fully qualifies to be selected, ranking tenth. Let us congratulate contestant Powerful! Contestant Powerful, congratulations on earning ten points!"
DING!
A "+10 points" indicator materialized above Hyuk's head. Watching her past clash play out on the massive screen felt somewhat surreal.
She had never expected to revisit those memories in such a manner.
The other contestants watched the footage, truly sensing Hyuk's terrifying capabilities. The sheer magnitude of a modern artillery division's relentless bombardment was genuinely frightening.
A few scoffed, "Pfft, I could easily do that too."
The host lost no time in granting their wish.
"And now, the challenge phase begins! Selected contestants have their ten points, but any other participant can choose to enter this featured scenario. If you can defeat the featured contestant's original opponents, you will also earn ten points. To secure your place in the Hall of Fame, show us what you're made of!"
With that,
everyone in the stadium vanished with a soft whoosh. As the host had explained, they had been transported directly into the Battle of Talius scenario.
As the original survivor of this battle, Hyuk did not enter. In gaming terms, she had already cleared the stage and was exempt from replaying it.
The host turned to Hyuk. "Contestant Powerful, the other participants will return in five minutes. As a little entertainment while we wait, you may use the big screens to monitor their battles inside the scenario."
"Alright."
Hyuk nodded.
Guided by her thoughts, the feeds on the screens began cycling rapidly.
...
Inside the Battle of Talius scenario.
The contestant who had boasted "I could easily do that too" emerged from the valley and instantly slaughtered the alien sentries stationed outside.
"Tch, too easy."
Having dealt with them, this boaster scrambled away, relying on his foresight to slip past the subsequent carpet-bombing. Once again, he boasted about how easy it was.
Right up until a moment later, when a hypersonic missile struck with thunderous velocity. With a deafening boom, his battle came to an abrupt and violent end.
This wasn't the kind of threat you could dodge just because you had foresight. The Talius Empire's military satellites were hovering in orbit, tracking your exact coordinates and locking on with absolute precision.
Quite a few contestants possessed decent strength, easily clearing the sentries and surviving the artillery barrage, but the vast majority of them fell before the hypersonic missiles.
This single phase eliminated over seventy percent of the participants. For the few who could survive the hypersonic missile strikes, they were forced to face the final boss.
Militmony.
He was the first powerful foe Hyuk had ever faced. Had she not unlocked her Ultimate Leap, she would never have been Militmony's match. Facing him now proved to be an absolute nightmare for the other contestants.
Just as Hyuk had anticipated,
the vast majority of the contestants were instantly obliterated by a single punch from Militmony. Their deaths were swift and merciless, leaving them with absolutely no opportunity to fight back.
Only a select few were capable of holding their ground against him. Among them were the other two VIPs of the tournament, Radiant Man and Leviathan.
Leviathan, true to his name, was capable of morphing into a monstrous hybrid. Unleashing his inhuman power, he chose to transform into a towering dragon-man to clash with Militmony.
Their hand-to-hand combat was incredibly brutal and high-octane. Yet, even in this form, Leviathan could not establish a decisive, overwhelming advantage over his opponent.
BOOM!
The ground shook violently.
Leviathan was smashed deep into the earth by a heavy fist, the protective scales covering his body shattering upon impact. He couldn't help but marvel, "To think such power exists!"
And this was merely a foe that Powerful had encountered at the very beginning of her rise. Realizing this made Leviathan feel a sense of disbelief: Militmony's strength was simply too absurdly high.
Elsewhere,
Radiant Man appeared relatively relaxed. His ability centered on the release of nuclear energy, earning him the moniker "Nuclear Man" from those who understood his powers. Currently, he could trigger nuclear fission inside his body and project the resulting energy outward.
This granted him immense combat capabilities. His body temperature could spike to several thousand degrees, emitting lethal radiation while utilizing nuclear-propelled force to fly.
Once he had successfully worn down and destroyed Militmony, he let out a cold sneer.
"Nothing special."
Regardless of how much time had elapsed within the simulated scenario, only five minutes had passed in the actual stadium. Once the time was up, all contestants were instantly teleported back to the stands.
"..."
The stadium fell dead silent for a moment before the participants began looking around at one another.
"You died?"
"Didn't you?"
"Looks like it was a team wipe."
"Met a pretty horrific end."
Only a select few displayed the "+10 points" indicator above their heads. The contestants counted carefully, finding that only about twenty to thirty people had managed to bypass Militmony.
These individuals didn't necessarily all possess monstrous physical conditioning or brute strength, but their auxiliary abilities were undeniably powerful; otherwise, defeating Militmony would have been an impossibility.
The crowd couldn't help but marvel,
"Talk about crouching tigers and hidden dragons!"
Predictably, the "+10 points" indicator appeared above the heads of both Leviathan and Radiant Man. Leviathan no longer underestimated Hyuk's age, displaying genuine respect for her instead.
No amount of second-hand intelligence could compare to personal experience. Previously, his understanding of Hyuk had been limited to dry text files and sporadic video clips.
"That opponent of yours was exceptionally tough," he admitted. "I barely managed to secure a win."
At that moment,
Radiant Man chimed in, "Average at best."
"Why you..."
Leviathan's brow furrowed. He thoroughly detested Radiant Man's condescending attitude. Being straightforward and blunt by nature, he was fundamentally incompatible with people like Radiant Man.
The host's voice cut Leviathan off, dialing up the stadium's atmosphere once more. The second he spoke, a wave of excitement seemed to sweep through the arena.
"I am sure experiencing just one heart-pounding battle wasn't nearly enough! But don't you worry, we are diving straight into our second featured battle!"
The massive screens shifted to display an aerial dogfight set in a futuristic metropolitan city, featuring a high-speed chase between two humanoid robots.
"Ranking ninth among our most representative battles: Mecha Knight's urban dogfight!"
"While this clash clearly did not take place on Earth, that does not diminish its top-ten status. The action is spectacularly explosive!"
"Mecha Knight showcases unparalleled firepower, single-handedly matching a modernized military division. His devastating arsenal is nothing short of a mobile armory, leaving onlookers completely awestruck!"
"Perhaps this battle doesn't carry the same raw weight as contestant Powerful's Battle of Talius, but in terms of sheer visual spectacle, it is undoubtedly a cut above."
Hyuk finally got it.
Apparently, the grander the scale of the visual destruction, the higher the battle ranked.
She watched Mecha Knight and the other robot clash, both sides unleashing endless torrents of heavy ammunition in a frantic, high-octane dogfight that reduced the surrounding architecture to rubble.
It was intensely chaotic.
"Now, contestants, please enter the scenario and begin your challenge!"
The second he finished speaking,
the participants vanished once more. Only Mecha Knight remained in his seat. Ignoring all other feeds, he immediately pulled up Hyuk's combat scenario to observe.
...
Inside the scenario.
Hyuk materialized on a bustling commercial street. People bustled past her, making the environment look completely identical to a real city on Earth.
"Could this place actually be real?"
She felt that such a possibility couldn't be ruled out.
Suddenly,
a brilliant trail of fire cut through the sky as a missile lunged toward Hyuk at blistering speed. Hyuk looked up, spotting a massive, heavy metal robot, twice the height of a human, charging directly at her.
CLANK! CLANK!
Amidst the screech of shifting gears, countless gun barrels and missile launchers deployed from the robot's frame, preparing to saturate Hyuk's position with a devastating barrage.
And then,
BOOM!
A deafening sonic boom instantly shattered every pane of glass in the vicinity. Hyuk vanished from her spot, materializing a split-second later a short distance behind the colossal machine.
She hovered in mid-air, casually holding the robot's severed head, exposed wires sparking wildly. The rest of the robot's body stood frozen, a massive, gaping hole blasted clean through its core.
The battle was over in less than a second.
Back in the real stadium,
Mecha Knight watched in stunned, absolute silence.
"..."
An instant kill.
An indisputable, absolute one-shot.
An unparalleled display of pure, crushing dominance.
Mecha Knight calculated that Hyuk's burst of speed in that single instant had exceeded Mach 15, a velocity his own maximum output couldn't possibly match.
Was this the true power of Powerful?
Just watching Hyuk's performance filled Mecha Knight with a crushing sense of dread. If he were to ever face her, he would undoubtedly be vaporized in a single second.
Therefore,
he reached a definitive conclusion: "Absolutely never make an enemy of her."
After five minutes, Hyuk returned to the stadium. A "+10 points" indicator popped up above her head with a crisp chime. Beside her, Leviathan and Radiant Man had earned theirs as well.
Honestly, this battle was far easier than the previous one; about thirty to forty people throughout the arena had successfully defeated Mecha Knight's opponent.
Leviathan muttered, "For this to rank ninth is highly overrated."
"Agreed."
Radiant Man nodded in agreement this time.
...
The third battle.
A volcanic eruption. A colossal dragon crawled out of the boiling magma, roaring as it prepared to lay waste to the city at the foot of the mountain. Within moments, Hyuk turned it into easy prey.
The sheer, brutal savagery of the beatdown left the original survivor of this encounter completely speechless. His own battle against the beast had been an excruciating struggle where he had nearly lost his life.
...
The fourth battle.
Hyuk faced an entire aircraft carrier strike group at sea. In a mere twenty seconds, she systematically sank all thirty warships, including the carrier itself.
She had experienced warfare on this scale during her time on Planao, and not just once. This was merely a brief stroll down memory lane; during Planao's global war, she had sunk well over a hundred warships.
She had never bothered to keep an exact count, as there was simply no need. As long as the enemy fleet was resting at the bottom of the ocean, the numbers meant absolutely nothing to her.
...
The fifth battle.
Hyuk faced a full-scale alien invasion. These extraterrestrials swarmed through a certain door in waves, only to be instantly torn to shreds by the shockwaves generated by her high-speed flight.
She knew that killing Earthlings didn't trigger her Infinite Overload talent, but the lack of activation in this scenario was a dead giveaway. These entities were clearly aliens.
From this, Hyuk concluded that all the entities and events inside these simulated scenarios were entirely artificial. Otherwise, slaughtering these aliens would have continuously boosted her physical strength.
The original survivor of this battle watched Hyuk's feed in jaw-dropping shock. Hyuk hadn't just effortlessly crushed the invading alien army; she had dove headfirst through the door and systematically slaughtered her way across their home planet.
The contestant who had actually lived through the event trembled violently.
"So brutal!"
"Too damn brutal!"
Because her parents had lost their lives to alien hands, Hyuk harbored an extreme, deep-seated hostility toward any extraterrestrial species that carelessly threatened human life.
Consequently, her methods were utterly savage.
...
The sixth battle.
An ancient underwater city lay on the brink of total destruction. A revived Ancient One declared itself a god, only to be casually slapped to death like an insect by Hyuk as she strolled past.
The visuals of this battle were indeed incredibly violent and spectacular, but the Ancient One posed absolutely zero challenge to Hyuk.
It was a total, unmitigated steamroll.
Hyuk easily secured sixty points.
Likewise, Leviathan and Radiant Man both achieved sixty points. Aside from the three of them, five other contestants had also managed to reach a perfect sixty-point score.
It was clear that powerful figures were by no means in short supply.
While these encounters were a walk in the park for Hyuk, they were exceptionally difficult for other superhumans; without a certain tier of raw strength, securing sixty points would have been an impossibility.
The massive screens displayed the overall leaderboard, showing the scores in descending order. The top three slots were indisputably occupied by Hyuk, Leviathan, and Radiant Man.
The host praised them, "I did not expect eight of our contestants to secure sixty points! This has completely shattered my expectations. It means the eight of you have achieved a flawless, undefeated run across our first six evaluations. However, the final four battles will not be so easily dealt with."
At his words,
the contestants felt their spirits instantly jolt with tension.
"Is the main event finally here?!"
Having successfully built up their anticipation to a fever pitch, the host roared in satisfaction, "Ranking fourth among our final four most representative clashes: Contestant Leviathan's Clash of the Behemoths!"
ROAR!
The wild, primordial bellow of a massive titan echoed from the screens. A colossal body shook the earth with heavy tremors as two towering behemoths clashed in a metropolitan city, collapsing skyscrapers and splitting the concrete beneath them with every movement.
The visual impact was nothing short of staggering.
"Wild!"
"Destructive!"
"An utterly breathtaking spectacle!"
"This is a battle that took place on the Planet of the Behemoths! Contestant Leviathan transformed into a towering colossus to lock horns in a life-or-death struggle against another titan. Can you feel that raw, primal savagery washing over you?!"
"A body mass reaching tens of thousands of tons, an virtually indestructible physique, and a physical scale massive enough to drive anyone to despair! Contestants, have you ever felt such crushing, absolute pressure? Next, you may experience it for yourselves."