Chapter 98: I've Been Exposed?!
King walked over slowly; he had heard the argument between the group of heroes and Sweet Mask.
Looking at that tall, blonde figure, everyone lowered their heads, not daring to meet his gaze.
"It's over... we were just making such a scene here... Mr. King just finished an intense battle, only to hear us arguing. It seems we've made him angry."
"Nonsense, Mr. King is definitely angry. Didn't you hear the King Engine? That's the sound that only appears after Mr. King enters his combat state. He's clearly very dissatisfied with our arguing."
Sweet Mask was equally intimidated. As the A-Class Rank 1 who actually possessed the strength of a top-tier S-Class, he found his entire body stiffening before The Strongest Man on Earth just from hearing the legendary [King Engine].
Is this King?!
Although Sweet Mask often heard of King's various legendary feats and truly believed the man was a qualified hero, he had never personally experienced his power.
Only now did Sweet Mask realize that although he had tried his best to overestimate the strength of The Strongest Man on Earth, he had still underestimated him.
The moment he saw King, the soul-shaking Aura and terrifying pressure emanating from him made Sweet Mask feel as if every cell in his body was screaming; his Monster body almost couldn't resist bursting through his human skin.
That's right, the A-Class Rank 1 popular hero and world-class idol, Sweet Mask, was actually a Monster in essence, and his appearance was extremely hideous.
Years ago, Sweet Mask was saved by Blast, and under Blast's guidance, he had been performing heroic deeds ever since. When the Hero Association was established, he became a professional hero without hesitation.
Over the years, the reason Sweet Mask remained stuck at Rank 1 in A-Class wasn't because he lacked S-Class strength, but because he proactively requested to stay there.
Only by doing so could he filter out the weak S-Classes, preventing so-called weaklings from becoming S-Class Heroes and dying while executing even more difficult missions.
In Sweet Mask's view, to become a hero of justice and carry out the justice in one's heart, one must kill Monsters without hesitation; any Monster is evil!
Just then, King scanned the crowd. The weakening side effects of the [Death Gate] were surging through his body. He felt a wave of exhaustion all over, as hollow as if he had fired dozens of times in a row.
He was a bit sleepy... Of course, as the saying goes, even if the current King was in a weakened state, he could still kill most Dragon-Level Monsters with a single punch.
After all, I'm just weak; it's not that you've become stronger.
Speaking of which, this guy Sweet Mask really is paranoid enough.
Looking at the fragments of alien corpses scattered across the ground, King sighed tiredly and then spoke:
"Sweet Mask, why did you choose to kill these alien soldiers immediately? There was still much important intelligence to be gathered from them."
Hearing even The Strongest Man on Earth question his decision, Sweet Mask felt as if he had been struck by a bolt from the blue, and his face instantly became contorted.
The justice in his heart drove him to speak; even though his Monster body was intimidated by King, he still forced out a complete sentence.
"King, you've disappointed me too much. I originally thought you were a reasonable person, but even you think this way!"
"Shouldn't Monsters be killed?! All Monsters are paranoid and evil; they all tarnish the word 'justice.' They all deserve to die! Monsters have no value in living!"
Sweet Mask explained the justice in his heart: to kill every single Monster in the world. Only such a person could be called a hero.
Hearing this, King suddenly had a good response in mind.
He raised an eyebrow. That domineering face and the rumbling King Engine constantly stimulated Sweet Mask's nerves as a low voice rang in his ears:
"You mean, in your eyes, as long as it's a Monster, it should be killed, right?"
The pressure on Sweet Mask grew immense, drops of cold sweat trickling down his forehead, but even so, he still gritted his teeth:
"That's right! That's exactly what I believe! All Monsters should die! Their so-called docility is nothing more than a disguise; the essence of a Monster is inherently evil!"
A curve formed at the corner of King's mouth, and with just one sentence, all of Sweet Mask's words came to a screeching halt:
"In that case, if there is a Monster who has become a hero and pursues their own justice, should I choose to kill them directly?"
These words were like a sudden clap of thunder, exploding in Sweet Mask's heart.
His handsome and eerie face instantly turned pale, and he subconsciously took two steps back, his inner panic reaching its peak.
What does King mean by this... Has he already seen through me... In Sweet Mask's ears, "a Monster who became a hero" and "a Monster pursuing their own justice"—wasn't he fucking talking about him?!
At this moment, Sweet Mask was overwhelmed by massive panic.
In Sweet Mask's eyes, King's gaze seemed to have already pierced through this beautiful human skin and seen his hideous essence.
He couldn't imagine what severe consequences would follow if King, The Strongest Man on Earth, spoke of this matter.
First of all, as a national idol who also possessed the strength of the strongest man on earth, the vast majority of the public would believe whatever King said.
When that time came, his image would collapse in an instant, turning from a beloved popular hero into a street rat that everyone wanted to beat.
Most importantly, if he lost his status as a hero, he could only live as a Monster from then on.
No! I can't become like that!
Sweet Mask's breathing became increasingly rapid, his eyes fixed intently on King.
Finally, he lowered his head. This proud, popular hero eventually chose to compromise, his tone sincere:
"I'm sorry, Mr. King. I was obsessed. Perhaps the justice I pursue is too extreme; I will reflect on it properly."
Seeing that Sweet Mask was scared out of his wits, King waved his hand, no longer interested in teasing the guy, and turned to leave.
"Go back and think again whether the extreme justice you pursue is truly correct, and whether it truly fits you."