Vincent Fox wasn't the least bit surprised that someone would come questioning him.
After all, the Forbidden Zone had vanished. If the military bigwigs didn't react, that would've been suspicious.
"Thank you for your cooperation, Mr. Fox."
Colonel Daniel Walker stood up and nodded. "You're free to go now."
Vincent gave a nod in return, turned, and walked out of the room.
Not far from there, inside a dimly lit conference room, several high-ranking military officers sat watching the surveillance feed of Vincent walking out.
After a long silence, one of the generals finally asked, "So, how much of what that young man said do you believe?"
"About eighty percent," answered a nearby major general. "Based on the information gathered inside the Forbidden Zone, those White Spike creatures really did first appear on Earth in 2048. The people there hadn't detected any alien vessels entering the planet. So his explanation about finding them in the peaceful era is actually the most logical one. I'd give it a ten out of ten on plausibility."
"Oh?" The general raised a brow. "Then why only believe it eighty percent?"
"Because it's too convenient," the major general replied. "Plenty of smart people have likely thought along similar lines. Some might have even tried the same approach. But he's the only one who found the White Spikes and he did it in just a few days. I'm almost certain he's hiding something from us."
The general nodded, acknowledging the logic.
"Shall we question him again?" the major general asked.
The general understood what he meant. A second interrogation probably wouldn't be so cordial.
After a brief moment of thought, the general shook his head. "No need. The disappearance of that Forbidden Zone is actually a blessing for our Fifth Military District. We don't need to allocate personnel to guard it anymore."
"As for what that boy's hiding, it doesn't matter."
The major general stayed silent for a moment before adding, "Commander, I've looked into this Vincent Fox. He's… extraordinary. First mission in Zone #2, broke records, received the highest possible rating. In Zone #3, again the highest rating. This time too, he cleared the mission flawlessly."
"To this day, he hasn't failed once. He's arguably the strongest freshman we've ever seen. His future potential is limitless. The only thing that puzzles me is… why would someone like him choose to bond with a C-Class hero during the entrance exams?"
"With that kind of talent, it makes no sense to make such a foolish choice. Which leads me to believe maybe that C-Class hero isn't so simple. Perhaps it hides some kind of untapped potential."
"Oh? What's the name of that C-Class hero?" the general asked with mild curiosity.
"Bald Cape Hero," the major general replied.
The general went speechless for a moment.
What a name…
The major general quickly added, "Of course, this is just a personal theory. I'd like to request permission to test it. In the next batch of recruits, I want to have a few volunteers bond with this C-Class hero and see what happens."
The general paused, then nodded. "Go ahead. But it must be voluntary. No forcing anyone."
"Understood!" The major general stood up straight, his eyes gleaming with determination.
Truth be told, several people had already tried bonding with Saitama.
But without understanding the "Saitama Training Method," even if they managed to bond with him, their stats wouldn't improve.
Every one of those attempts ended in failure.
Vincent didn't know it yet, but his stunning performance had already drawn attention to the humble Bald Cape Hero.
Not that he'd care.
Vincent knew full well that the stronger he became, the more people would dissect his background, trying to uncover the secret of his rise.
It was only a matter of time before they set their sights on Saitama.
When they all hit a dead end, they'd have no choice but to give up.
At that moment…
Vincent had already left the military base.
At the gate, Autumn Summer and the others were waiting for him.
"Vincent!"
"Fox!"
Seeing him appear, Autumn Summer and the rest hurried over to greet him.
"Why are only you guys still here?" Vincent asked, looking around. "Where are the other students from the other schools?"
Ben Carter answered, "They've already gone home."
Autumn stepped forward, concern in her eyes. "Vincent, are you alright? What did they want from you?"
"It's nothing. Just asked a few questions." Vincent waved it off casually. "Let's head back."
Everyone naturally agreed. If not for waiting on Vincent, they'd have left already.
When they returned to the Martial Saint Academy, they were met with an overwhelming reception.
The principal himself led a group of senior faculty and school board members, all standing at the school gates like they were greeting visiting dignitaries rather than students returning from a mission.
It was almost embarrassing.
To make things even more over-the-top, massive banners had been hung all around campus:
"Warm congratulations to Martial Saint Academy for winning the National Freshman Championship!"
"Welcome back, our victorious champions!"
"Learn from the champions! Bring glory to the school!"
Everywhere they turned, some form of congratulatory message awaited them.
Vincent's team instantly became the most attention-grabbing group on campus. It made him extremely uncomfortable.
The others, however, basked in the attention and enjoyed every second of it.
Then came the official commendation ceremony.
Each member of the team, including Vincent, received a generous bonus.
Even the instructors like Terry Yan and the disciplinary head were awarded. Their bravery in responding to the military's call and fending off monsters earned them that honor.
After the ceremony, the school even instructed the cafeteria to prepare a lavish dinner that all students could enjoy free of charge.
By the time the lively celebration was over and Vincent returned to his private dorm, it was already past ten at night.
From that point forward, he resumed his usual daily routine.
He kept up his training without fail.
And his attributes continued to grow at a ridiculous pace.
Vincent had initially assumed that as his stats increased, the fixed training routine would become less effective.
Back in the beginning, completing the Saitama regimen 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, 100 squats, and a 10 km run took him most of the day and left him utterly exhausted.
Now, he could breeze through it all in under an hour.
Logically, for a normal person, the stronger your body gets, the less effective a fixed training load becomes.
But in Vincent's case… the opposite happened.
He kept doing the same routine, yet the stat gains were only getting higher.
Before, his average daily stat gain was about 30 points 10 each for Strength and Physique, 8 for Agility, and 2 for Spirit.
Now, after the same training, he was gaining nearly 60 points a day.
His progress had doubled.
The Saitama Physique was truly incredible.
"No wonder Saitama became so godlike in just three years," Vincent thought. "If I keep going like this, I won't even need three years. My stats will hit astronomical levels in no time."
----------------------------------------------------
The deeper he goes, the more the truth unravels. Don't wait read ahead and witness Vincent's rise before the world catches up!
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