"Should we follow?"
Asaka Hanako was deeply worried. She feared Kaito Ren, in his current state, might be in mortal danger.
"This…"
Saitama hesitated. Kaito Ren disliked being disturbed. Following him might upset him. But not following him meant risking Kaito Ren's safety.
Before he could decide, Hellish Blizzard had already set off. Asaka Hanako immediately followed, unwilling to let Hellish Blizzard have alone time with Kaito Ren. Saitama, after a moment's hesitation, also followed.
Kaito Ren left the Reserve Hero School, heading straight for the cave where he'd encountered monsters before.
Last time, there were seven monsters, including a Wolf-level Upper. He'd been cautious then, but now, with Little Black at Tiger-level Lower, he was ready to face whatever lay within.
Several hundred meters behind Kaito Ren, Saitama, Asaka Hanako, and Hellish Blizzard followed his trail discreetly, maintaining a safe distance to avoid detection.
Unbeknownst to them, approximately one hundred meters behind them, Zombieman was also following. He'd initially intended to follow Kaito Ren alone, but seeing Saitama, Asaka Hanako, and Hellish Blizzard, he decided to follow them instead.
Kaito Ren remained oblivious to the two groups trailing him, his attention focused on the cave twenty to thirty meters away. The timing was perfect; the seven monsters he'd encountered before had recently entered. Based on his previous experience, they would soon return.
As Kaito Ren predicted, the seven monsters reappeared shortly, carrying boxes that seemed even heavier than before. Kaito Ren didn't act immediately but followed discreetly. The monsters remained unaware of his presence.
"Hey, did you hear? The Hero, Gouketsu, was seriously injured and is recovering."
"Yeah, apparently, he fought some human old man named Bang. Incredible that a human could injure Gouketsu!"
"Right? I heard Gouketsu was already a champion martial artist as a human, and his strength increased exponentially after becoming a monster. Yet, he was injured by a human!"
"If only that Bang guy joined us monsters."
"Yeah, but I heard the Chief of Staff is already looking into it. They found someone with incredible talent, a human who acts like a monster!"
"Haha, really? That guy will definitely join our monster army!"
"Exactly! Our monster army will become even stronger!"
Kaito Ren learned from their conversation why he'd encountered Bang sleeping on the street: injuries sustained from fighting Gouketsu.
Bang had claimed he was simply tired. Kaito Ren also discovered that these monsters belonged to the Monster Association.
Their "Chief of Staff" was likely the heavily eyepatched Psykos, Psykos's monsterized form. Gouketsu's monsterization indicated Monster King Orochi's presence, though he likely wouldn't act for at least three years—a fortunate reprieve, giving Kaito Ren time to grow stronger.
He wondered how many Dragon-level monsters were currently in the Monster Association—Black Sperm, Centipede Elder, Gums, Homeless Emperor, etc.
He suspected these were later additions; otherwise, the Monster Association wouldn't have remained dormant for three years, waiting for the Hero Association to grow stronger before acting.
If these monsters were from the Monster Association… Kaito Ren's gaze fell upon the boxes they carried.
The most valuable asset of the Monster Association was undoubtedly monster cells—capable of inducing monsterization, albeit with significant side effects.
Those with weak willpower easily lost control, becoming mindless beasts, like Gouketsu's disciples. Kaito Ren himself possessed a high-quality monster cell. Weapons could be synthesized; could monster cells be synthesized too?
The thought consumed him. He followed the monsters, ensuring the ensuing battle wouldn't alert others inside the cave, then acted decisively.
One-hit kill punch!
Kaito Ren silently approached the monsters, launching a surprise attack. Two rearguard monsters fell with a single blow each.
"Damn it! You're looking for death!"
The remaining five monsters reacted instantly, charging at Kaito Ren upon seeing their fallen comrades.
Intimidation!
Kaito Ren activated Intimidation. Three Wolf-level Middle monsters fell into a daze. The two Wolf-level Upper monsters, though momentarily stunned, quickly recovered and attacked.
Kaito Ren dodged their attacks, then swiftly turned, targeting the dazed Wolf-level Middle monsters. Two more fell. As he moved to finish off the last Wolf-level Middle monster, the two Wolf-level Upper monsters intercepted him.
"Wake up!"
The dazed monster was roused by its comrades.
"This guy's abilities are strange. Be careful!"
The bear monster's face was grim, its eyes wary of Kaito Ren. They weren't skilled in speed and continuing to fight would be fruitless. The monster cells in the boxes couldn't be lost. They couldn't fall into the human's hands.
The bear monster exchanged a look with the boar and elk monsters. The three monsters quickly reached an agreement.
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