"Which is to say, about three years ago, a large number of agencies began to appear, using famous heroes as their signboard. Everyone could call for help when in danger and receive designated rescue from those powerful heroes."
"Child Emperor, Metal Knight, Flashy Flash, and other S-class heroes successively left the Hero Association to operate independently."
"In the following year, a large number of new hero agencies began to appear. The Hero Association started losing sponsorship and declined, but at that time, powerful heroes like Tornado of Terror still took action."
"Then a terrifying battle occurred. The sky was torn apart, and someone witnessed a giant reaching the heavens being shattered. After that, the number of monsters began to decrease, but the professional heroes became more and more numerous…"
Lilith sorted through the information provided by Ayase Hoshiko. She didn't know why she was doing this, but after no longer feeling Tao Bai Bai's chilling killing intent, she found that acting with Tao Bai Bai was far safer than with Short Hair, Loka, and others.
She tried her best to make herself useful.
As she spoke, she glanced at Tao Bai Bai out of the corner of her eye, seeing a smile on his lips. Her heart was invigorated, and she sorted the information even more diligently.
"For the next year and a half, the old heroes were reported less and less, while a large number of previously unknown new heroes dominated various videos and reports. Hero agencies began to charge fees, and the cost of seeking help continuously increased."
"Then, half a year ago, the so-called 'Great Cataclysm' event occurred. The event caused Diaowei City to become a spirit realm contamination zone, with less than 5% of the city's population surviving."
"In the following six months, spirit realm contamination events began to occur everywhere. Yokai and ghosts appeared in large numbers, and monsters also started appearing continuously again, leading to a considerable number of professional hero deaths. Now, many hero agencies are starting to refuse to accept requests for help."
This information roughly revealed the changes in this world and the movements of some top-tier plot characters, making it very useful information.
Bai Cangshu's smile was strange. He had initially thought that Kageyama Shigeo's blackening had led to this world becoming what it was now, but it seemed that Kageyama Shigeo's blackening was probably just one part of the world's changes.
Behind these changes lay a rather exquisite arrangement. The existence of 'Heroes' was inherently non-utilitarian and altruistic. Although the heroes of the Hero Association enjoyed certain benefits, essentially, the benefits they enjoyed came from sponsors' donations.
There was no direct, equivalent relationship with their risking their lives to fight monsters and save civilians.
For example, if someone saw injustice and drew their sword to help, and afterward, the person who was helped voluntarily offered some money as a token of gratitude.
In this act, the hero was definitely the one who saw an injustice and directly chose to help. He did not know whether the other party would be grateful.
'Heroes' are a product of the unique moral values generated by humans as social creatures. The most direct sense of gratification these heroes gain from engaging in heroic activities comes from the reward of their own moral sense.
But the professional heroes who appeared three years ago directly changed this process. They transformed 'Heroes' into a special profession, receiving remuneration and combating monsters.
Initially, this mode of behavior was difficult to distinguish from traditional classical heroism due to unclear remuneration, but at this point in time, the result was already clear: these 'Professional Heroes' completely killed the existence of 'Heroes'.
If this wasn't an arrangement by space, but rather a change made by a Reincarnator who had previously entered this world, then Bai Cangshu would almost applaud the other party.
This method of manipulating the world was far more subtle than 'Heaven's Will' or White Mask. The former relied on pure power, while the latter relied on the information accompanying power. But this person's actions showed no trace of power, yet caused an unimaginable subversion of the world.
This influence would even greatly affect those plot characters who were too powerful for Reincarnators to face.
Bai Cangshu had just specifically inquired, and the former strongest ace hero of the Hero Association, code-named Tornado of Terror, had not appeared for a year and a half.
The B-class hero code-named 'Caped Baldy' had long been forgotten by society.
That S-class, A-class, B-class hero ranking system had already been discarded, and the small B-class hero was completely unheard of.
"Interesting, no, it's brilliant, a brilliant arrangement!"
Bai Cangshu's smile distorted slightly. The earring on his earlobe moved without wind. Even he hadn't imagined that Reincarnators could seal monsters like Saitama and Tatsumaki in this way.
He had a feeling that this change was deliberately orchestrated by a Reincarnator to make this world a hunting ground for Reincarnators.
"Are you strong?"
A hoarse voice, with no fluctuations in tone. Just by listening to the voice, one knew that this person's heart was already dead silent.
Reigen Arataka had turned his head at some point. The sunlight streamed from behind him, and against the light, the man's face looked even more somber.
He dropped his cigarette and almost crawled into the room. Ayase Hoshiko frowned; she felt that this despondent man was like a living corpse.
Reigen Arataka was a man who knew a bit of everything except psychic powers. He was very good at observing people and discerning others' psychology.
He came before Bai Cangshu, squatted down, and looked directly into Bai Cangshu's face as he sat on the ground. Then he nodded, answering his own question.
"Yes, you are very strong. At least you yourself believe you are strong, and that little girl also believes you are strong…"
As if to strengthen his own confidence, he nodded, agreeing with his analysis.
"It wasn't you who called me for help from that forbidden zone, but you escaped using your own abilities. You are not one of those useless people who package themselves as heroes with money."
"So, may I entrust you with a request, great hero?"
[You have triggered the Hidden Main Quest: Lament of the Spirit Realm.]
[Quest Description: The individual named Kageyama Shigeo has completely gone berserk and lost control, transforming into an unknown entity. His master, Reigen Arataka, requests that you end the chaos caused by ???.]
[Quest Reward: Depending on completion, receive a singularity point from a minimum of B-class to a maximum of S-class, and obtain a bloodline item of corresponding quality * 1.]
[Failure Penalty: None.]
Lilith looked at the spatial prompt that also appeared before her. This was the first time she had seen such a high reward with no penalty.
"To ask someone else to kill one's own disciple, what a cruel bond between master and disciple…"
Hearing Bai Cangshu's sarcasm, Reigen Arataka shook his head and said hoarsely,
"No, that's not Kageyama Shigeo, that's not that child…"
"Only by defeating that monster… can I get that child back…"
Bai Cangshu thought for a moment, then confirmed with Lilith,
"You have the ability to 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 then accepted the commission.
He already had a general understanding of this world and a plan for his next actions.
There was basically only one way to complete this richly rewarded hidden main quest relatively safely: find Saitama, who was currently nowhere to be found, and figure out how to get him to cooperate.
Coincidentally, Bai Cangshu himself, upon realizing the connection between this world and the one-punch man world, found his greed almost irrepressible.
Unlike the relatively low-difficulty worlds he had experienced before, the one-punch man world had many powerful things, especially the special setting called 'Limiter'.
That was a power far beyond any item or ability he had ever seen.
He wanted it, he wanted it very much!
Bai Cangshu's eyes showed greed, and the shadow beneath his feet no longer seemed human-shaped.
Ayase Hoshiko slowly stood up. She had already realized that this guy was probably not a good person at all.
Ring, ring, ring.
The phone rang at that moment. The woman answered, and an anxious voice came from within.
"Help, there's a yokai, there's a yokai here!"
Amidst the chaotic pleas for help, Ayase Hoshiko, who had also registered as a professional hero, clarified the location while picking up her magical artifact, ready to leave.
Pfft!
A golden light pierced through the floor. Ayase Hoshiko's heart skipped a beat. She turned around and saw the man she had brought back with a cruel smile on his lips.
"Excuse me, can I take this job?"
"As compensation for sparing your life, how about letting this rescue mission be the debut of a new hero?"
"Hero?"
Ayase Hoshiko couldn't understand Bai Cangshu. She didn't understand why he said he spared her life; they had no enmity and it was their first meeting. Even more, she couldn't understand why he would say he wanted to become a hero when she had already explained that 'Hero' was now a despised profession.
Bai Cangshu spread his hands, his expression peculiar.
"Yes, I'm going to be… an Interest-Driven Hero!"
With a flash of light, a slender, blue-and-white single-person speedboat appeared at the doorway. Bai Cangshu stepped onto it, then gestured for the Reincarnator who claimed to possess a special ability to find people to step on as well.
He already had a plan. Whether it was space or some highly intelligent Reincarnator, their actions had completely killed the concept of 'Hero'. So now, he would do the opposite and revive 'Hero'.
Only then would he have a chance to make 'Caped Baldy' reappear.