"Tanktop Master, may I ask—your injuries look quite severe. Did you engage a Dragon-level monster?"
"And the lightning that filled the sky just now—was that released by you?"
"N–No… it wasn't me… I don't have that kind of ability…"
Tanktop Master answered honestly, though his expression was grim.
"Not you? Then was there another S-Class hero present?"
Tanktop Master shook his head.
"No. Uh… actually, I'm not sure either. I didn't see the person clearly. After the monster was dealt with, he left immediately…"
Sensing there was nothing more to dig out, the reporter politely withdrew.
Unfortunately, another confused reporter immediately stepped in, repeating the same questions.
Tanktop Master was utterly speechless.
He had wanted to leave as soon as possible.
But after only hastily bandaging himself on the spot, he was swallowed by a tide of reporters.
What made it worse—
The questions were truly cruel.
Anyone with eyes could tell he had fought the Dragon-level monster.
Yet he had to publicly admit that he wasn't the one who killed it.
Which basically meant—
He was weak.
And someone else had stolen the spotlight.
Tanktop Master felt utterly exhausted.
That mysterious guy took all the glory and vanished—
Leaving him here to be grilled by reporters.
Meanwhile, Tanktop Black Hole was also being interviewed.
Uninjured and full of energy, he spoke excitedly.
"Yes, that hero was someone I've never seen before. He rode a black motorcycle and wore a black helmet, but he definitely wasn't Drive Knight."
"He just pointed at the sky, and the clouds turned into lightning. A bolt over a hundred meters thick came down and vaporized the monster in a single strike. It was insane!"
"And it wasn't just lightning. When we first met him, I tried to stop him because I thought he was heading to his death."
"But a beam of light hit me, and I couldn't move at all. He might even have psychic powers!"
The TV station broadcast the interviews live.
When the footage reached the Hero Association—
The higher-ups were completely stunned.
"We thought the Association headquarters was doomed, yet the monster was eliminated so quickly."
"Which hero was that? His strength doesn't seem inferior to Tornado's."
"Lightning of that magnitude is unheard of. And psychic abilities too? That doesn't match any known S-Class hero."
"Find him. No matter what, find him."
"With strength like that—and reports say he's already a registered hero—he may have just awakened his powers."
"If we recruit him, the Association gains another trump card on Tornado's level!"
After the initial shock—
The Hero Association mobilized fully.
Every department was activated.
Messages were sent to all heroes below S-Class, calling on the one who defeated Vaccine Man to step forward.
In return, they promised immediate S-Class status and extremely generous待遇 (benefits).
A true一步登天 opportunity.
Heroes who received the message could only feel envy—
And helplessness.
On a beach in City A.
A cold and elegant woman wearing a lily-themed swimsuit glanced at the message on her phone, then immediately turned to the woman beside her.
"Lily, are you sure Mr. Luo Yu is about to arrive here?"
"When you called him earlier, where was he exactly?"
Lily, who had also just read the Hero Association's announcement, froze—then her eyes widened dramatically.
"W–Wait, Miss Blizzard… are you saying the hero who killed the Dragon-level monster…"
"…was Mr. Luo Yu?!"
"It actually matches in a lot of ways… wait—didn't we give him a motorcycle recently?"
"That black one… that has to be him!"
"When I called him earlier, he was already outside City A. The monster had only appeared for a few minutes…"
"Mr. Luo Yu really could have run into it!"
Lily was completely shaken.
Defeating a Demon-level monster had already been shocking enough.
But a Dragon-level monster?
That was an entirely different league.
Dragon-level disasters were beings that could destroy cities at will.
And yet—
They were eliminated by Luo Yu, who looked no different from an ordinary person.
Was there any monster he couldn't kill?
After confirming the timeline, Hellish Blizzard didn't show shock.
Instead, joy surfaced in her eyes.
"Lily, inform all members of the Blizzard Group."
"From now on, when you see Mr. Luo Yu, treat him with the same respect as you do me."
"Make sure everyone builds a good relationship with him."
"And do everything you can to recruit him into the Blizzard Group."
"Yes!"
Lily immediately sent the instructions to the entire group.
After that—
She called over the female members on the beach, telling them to redo their makeup and dress more attractively…
In a villa in City C.
A petite-looking woman with green, curly hair, wearing a black high-slit dress—her appearance completely mismatched with her overwhelming presence—frowned while scrolling through her phone.
Online, discussions about the hero who annihilated Vaccine Man were exploding.
That alone was bad enough.
What truly infuriated her—
Was that people were comparing him to her.
Many netizens believed that Tatsumaki, the Terrible Tornado herself, might be inferior to this so-called "Psychic Thunder God."
She crushed her phone into pieces with a single squeeze.
"What a joke!"
"If the distance weren't too far and I hadn't been late, would it even be his turn to deal with that monster?"
"I'm a veteran S-Class hero!"
"How dare they compare me to some nobody?"
"Idiots. Absolute idiots!"
"Hmph. I will find out who this guy is."
"And if he dares show his face, I'll beat him senseless and teach him who's stronger!"
Arms crossed, Tatsumaki pouted angrily—
Then casually crushed the shattered phone again with her psychic power.
Deep underground in City Z.
A giant eye stared at the television screen in silence.
The acknowledged strategist of the Monster Association—Psykos—slowly frowned, rubbing her temples.
"This is troublesome…"
"That monster had reached Dragon-level, yet was eliminated by an unknown hero."
"This means the Hero Association has gained another powerful esper."
"Our strength assessment needs updating."
"Still… no one has actually seen him fight up close."
"So far, he appears to wield both psychic power and lightning."
"How strong he really is will require careful confirmation…"
From that day onward—
City Z became a hotspot for monster activity.
Most civilians moved away.
As a result, everything in City Z became absurdly cheap.
Even housing could be occupied for free.
And yet—
The rumored Psychic Thunder God never appeared again.
Just as most people began doubting whether he even existed—
The Blizzard Group grew increasingly close to Luo Yu.
Female members somehow became more and more meticulously dressed.
Their skirts grew so short they were nearly indecent.
During downtime, they frequently invited Luo Yu to gatherings and outings.
Fully aware of their intentions—
Luo Yu calmly relied on Clarity Talismans to steady his mind.
Any gathering he could avoid—
He avoided.
Advance Chapters available on Patreon
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