"I killed two Dragon-level monsters," Lexon stated. "One was the three-headed hound that appeared in T-City a while ago, and the other was Vaccine Man who just showed up in City A."
But after he spoke, the short-haired woman's fingers remained frozen over her keyboard.
"Is that it?" Lexon asked.
"You... You... What did you... just say...?" The short-haired woman finally turned her face toward Lexon, her voice trembling with disbelief and hesitation.
"Couldn't hear me? Do I need to repeat myself?" Lexon asked gently.
"No... No... I heard you," the short-haired woman said, waving her hands. "I just want to know if you're sure about this. You killed two Dragon-level monsters? Not some other rank? Dragon-level?"
"Yes, Dragon-level," Lexon nodded.
"This..." The woman's face was filled with astonishment. Her fingers hovered over the keys, unsure if she should record this information.
She knew about the two Dragon-level monsters he mentioned.
Frequent Dragon-level crises were etched into everyone's memory.
Only... she remembered that the headquarters had sent out the S-Class Rank 2 hero, Terrible Tornado, to handle both of them.
What did this have to do with the obscure B-Class hero standing in front of her?
Even if he had been involved... if he had contributed somehow...
He couldn't just take all the credit for killing two Dragon-level monsters himself, could he?
It felt a bit too shameless.
Gradually, her impression of Lexon worsened.
Claiming another hero's achievements was the height of disrespect.
Especially claiming credit for Terrible Tornado's work... was he really not afraid of being swatted to death by her?
Given her personality...
Thinking of this, the woman couldn't help but admire the B-Class hero's sheer audacity.
Finally, the kind-hearted woman spoke up with a hint of warning. "Regarding those two Dragon-level incidents, headquarters dispatched the S-Class Rank 2 hero, Terrible Tornado..."
"Yeah, she was there watching too. She can act as a witness."
You really have the nerve to say that!
The short-haired woman practically screamed in her head at Lexon's remark.
Even with her professional training, she was about to lose it.
What kind of hero was this?
Why bother being a hero at all if you're like this?
She continued to grumble internally.
However... a voice echoed her thoughts from an entrance nearby.
"Why bother being a hero at all if you're like this?"
It was a crisp, clear male voice. One could tell just by hearing it that its owner was undoubtedly handsome.
Lexon and the staff member turned toward the entrance simultaneously.
Sure enough, they saw an incredibly handsome man.
Shoulder-length blue hair, fair skin, a slender build, and sharp features that formed a stunning face.
Whether it was his clothes, his physique, or his looks... he was the pinnacle of perfection.
"Lord Sweet Mask!" The receptionist cried out, covering her mouth the moment she saw him.
Her tone was full of admiration.
Clearly, she was a fan of this handsome man.
With her cry, the man's identity was obvious.
Sweet Mask.
The Rank 1 A-Class hero.
He held a dual status as both a hero and an idol.
Having massive popularity and fanbases in both worlds gave him significant influence within the Hero Association.
He was the gatekeeper at the top of A-Class, preventing unqualified heroes from rising to S-Class, and he held heroes to exceptionally high expectations and standards.
"Claiming credit... just for profit... someone like you would be better off dead than being a hero." Sweet Mask approached Lexon. His face suddenly turned grotesque as veins bulged, completely ruining his handsome image. He spoke to Lexon in a low, menacing voice.
Clearly, he had overheard the conversation between Lexon and the receptionist.
He couldn't stand people who weren't qualified acting as heroes.
'He's practically dead already...'
'I'll probably vanish as soon as I claim the credit.'
The Wood Clone's internal thoughts were quite indifferent.
"Lord Sweet Mask..." The receptionist was dazed, seeing Sweet Mask show a side of himself so different from his usual persona.
"Could you back off a bit?" Lexon's Wood Clone reached out to nudge him away.
But the moment his hand moved toward Sweet Mask, the latter swiped his hand away with a violent slap.
"Don't touch me with your filthy hands!" Sweet Mask shouted with intense repulsion.
"How rude..."
Even the Wood Clone, who inherited the main body's apathetic attitude, felt a bit annoyed.
A smile identical to his main body's appeared on his face.
"Gentlemen! Please!..." The receptionist realized the conflict was escalating and tried to intervene.
"Wait." Suddenly, a scruffy man in a black suit came running down the headquarters' stairs, shouting as he arrived in the lobby.
"What is it, Guqi?" Sweet Mask asked with a frown, clearly recognizing the staff member.
He had been planning to teach this unworthy hero a lesson.
"What he said is true... it's true..." The scruffy Guqi panted as he reached them. "Tornado already confirmed his story."
Tornado?
The receptionist, Sweet Mask, and even Lexon were surprised. The first two couldn't believe Tornado would confirm such a thing. Lexon, inheriting his main body's memories, was surprised that the proud Tornado, who claimed she wouldn't help, actually spoke up in private.
She really doesn't say what she means.
But it doesn't matter to me. The main body is the one who will have to deal with the trouble of interacting with her later.
The Wood Clone didn't care at all.
"Guqi, are you sure? He handled two Dragon-level monsters?" Sweet Mask asked, seeking confirmation.
He didn't believe a B-Class rookie could take down two Dragon-level threats.
There had to be more to the story...
"That's exactly what Miss Tornado said..." Guqi replied.
To be honest, he didn't quite believe it either.
Tornado had sounded very annoyed when she said it, so he assumed something else had happened.
'Did they have a bet?'
Guqi wondered to himself.
Although Tornado was the S-Class Rank 2 hero, she was still very childish.
It was entirely possible she'd been tricked into it.
Ultimately, because he didn't understand Lexon's true power, Guqi felt Lexon might have played a role in the Dragon-level crisis, but actually being the one to resolve it seemed impossible.
"Don't look so skeptical... if you want, I can give you a demonstration right now by stuffing Lord Sweet Mask's head into the headquarters' toilet." Lexon spoke up suddenly, a kind smile on his face as he uttered words that shocked everyone present.
"Mr. Lexon..." Guqi gasped.
"What did you say, you bastard!?" Sweet Mask exploded in rage. Veins on his face and body bulged, his muscles expanded, and his fashionable clothes began to tear.
He swung his palm toward Lexon's ribs, intending to shatter them with absolute force.
But in the next instant... Sweet Mask felt the world spin.
He realized too late that the hand he attacked with had been caught. He was hoisted into the air by a massive force, and after a mid-air rotation, his entire view was filled with the steel floor of the Hero Association headquarters.
"BAM!!"
A thunderous crash echoed. Sweet Mask's handsome face made very intimate contact with the ground.
[Reviews - Power St0nes - Comments are highly appreciated to keep me going.....(+50 chapters) patre0n.c0m/talecrafter]