"Look, everyone! It's the civilian hunting team!"
"Captain Accel is so handsome!"
"I recognize that monster on the screen, he's the registered hero from the Hero Association's official website, Underwear Mask."
"Lately, there have been more and more negative reports about the Hero Association. I didn't expect the hunting team to actually run into a hero undergoing monsterization this time."
"The Hero Association is nothing more than an agency serving a few wealthy people, they don't care about the lives of ordinary citizens at all."
"Right! I even heard they keep monsters in captivity to use as betting chips for the rich. They really are a cancer on human society."
"If this hunt is successful, the Hero Association's reputation will likely be ruined instantly."
"That goes without saying. I heard S-Class Heroes Superalloy Darkshine, Child Emperor, and Metal Bat have all jumped ship and are now serving as executives in Neo."
As the city crowds watched the hunting scene on the screens, they immediately began a heated discussion. This was the first direct confrontation between the old and new powers.
However, the Hero Association could only watch helplessly. After all, the fact that Dark Mask had become a monster was undeniable. They were defenseless against the accusations.
"Minister Sitch, should we send someone over?"
At the Hero Association headquarters, Jess spoke with a face full of worry.
"What would sending someone over accomplish? I've already contacted Blast, but there's no news yet." Sitch said.
"I hope he can hold out until Blast arrives."
Sitch looked helpless.
The timing of Dark Mask's discovery was terrible, Blast happened to be away.
"Moreover, they've started a live broadcast. At this point, any move we make will cause misunderstandings among the general public."
"Are we just going to watch like this?"
"Don't worry, Dark Mask's strength is definitely not that simple."
—
In the forest, King's eyes were calm. He naturally knew something about Neo. If the Hero Association served a small number of wealthy people, then Neo was completely insane. They bred monsters, didn't hesitate to recruit wanted criminals to increase their strength, and even deliberately assassinated experts who entered the Association to transform them into cyborgs for their use.
"As a captain, it seems you don't understand what the correct path is." King's gaze was flat.
Actually, the original intentions of civilian teams like Accel's were good. They were just being used by the higher-ups of Neo.
"Hmph! Regardless, I know that Monsterization is definitely not the correct path."
Whoosh!
Accel charged forward again, countless blades cutting through the air. King remained motionless as the bone spikes surging out easily blocked all the attacks.
'No way, this guy is too tough.'
As time passed, cold sweat broke out on Accel's forehead. He had never encountered an enemy like King before. It seemed as though he was indifferent to all of his attacks. The strength of the two sides didn't seem to be on the same level at all.
Slam!
King caught an axe with one hand.
A sharp light flashed in Accel's eyes as he swung the other axe toward King's arm.
'As long as I can create a wound, then the rest will be my home court!' Accel was inwardly excited.
His axes were coated in a potent poison. Once an ordinary monster was nicked, they would gradually lose consciousness and then die.
Clang!
Unfortunately, reality didn't match his imagination. The axe couldn't even break through King's skin.
"Is this all you've got?" King felt quite bored.
He flung Accel away and prepared to leave the area. After all, he didn't know when Blast would show up. If he waited until then, he wouldn't be able to leave even if he wanted to.
"Don't think you're escaping! Captain, we're here to help!"
Seeing that Accel's attacks were failing to cause any damage, the vice-captain immediately led all the team members out, surrounding King completely.
"Look! The hunting team is finally making a collective move!"
"It looked like Accel's attacks didn't have any effect just now."
"Hmph! It seems this monster has some skill. He was a hero of the Hero Association after all."
"No matter how strong he is, he can't possibly deal with this many people. Accel's team has hunted Peak Demon-level Monsters before. The whole team is equipped with high-performance Battle Suits, it's said they can even fight a Dragon-level monster."
"That's good then. I was worried they might have an accident."
"Impossible. How can evil ever defeat justice? The hunting team is bound to win!"
The citizens in the city were chattering about Accel's performance, but most people believed that Dark Mask was definitely doomed today.
"Captain, this guy is a bit tricky. Let's attack together."
"Fine. Launch attacks in sequence according to the training formation. Don't give him a chance to breathe." Accel nodded.
For now, the only plan was to use human wave tactics to slowly wear King down.
Rumble!
Countless missiles shot out, instantly submerging King's figure.
When the dust settled, King appeared before everyone unharmed once again.
Subsequently, countless attacks surged from all directions.
Bang... Bang...
Endless punches and weapons frantically attacked King, yet he still stood there motionless.
"A live broadcast? Interesting." The corners of King's lips curled up slightly.
It was precisely because he saw the cameras that he wanted to play around for a bit longer.
The Chairman of Neo must be very anxious right now. Since this battle concerned their honor, he would definitely send more people as reinforcements. When the time came, he would wipe them all out in one go.
"Fantastic! Keep going, Captain Accel!"
"Look, Dark Mask has been suppressed and can't even move!"
"Neo Hunters are simply too strong. Their strength is more than a hundred times greater than that bullshit Hero Association."
"Yeah, it's said the Hero Association shamelessly invited Accel many times. How thick-skinned."
"Who with any actual strength would go to the Hero Association now? That place only produces monsters these days."
"Right! Even the most popular Sweet Mask turned out to be a monster. I seriously suspect the monster riot from a while ago was orchestrated by the Hero Association."
"I'm going to sign up for Neo right away. Once I pass the test, I can become a handsome hero like Captain Accel."
"Remember to bring me along. I heard Superalloy Darkshine from the former Hero Association also jumped to Neo and is currently serving as an instructor."
"A wise man submits to the circumstances. The dissolution of the Hero Association is only a matter of time."
Watching the intense battle scenes, the citizens in the city thought the hunting team had the upper hand, and they instantly boiled over with excitement. Their words continuously poured out dissatisfaction with the Hero Association and approval for Neo.
"You guys have played enough by now, haven't you?" King boredly picked his ear.
The nearby hunting team members were already panting heavily after an hour of continuous high-intensity attacking. Unfortunately, they hadn't broken through King's defense from start to finish.
Accel had long since gone from being full of confidence to being terrified.
'This won't work. This guy is definitely not someone we can deal with.'
Cold sweat flowed down Accel's forehead, but since it was a live broadcast, he was caught in a dilemma.
Boom!
A ten-meter-long bone tail swept out, sending all the nearby hunting team members flying.
"Pfft!"
Dozens of members spat blood and fell to the ground, unable to get up. Only Accel managed to stagger to his feet.
"This... this..."
At that moment, the city instantly fell into a deathly silence. The crowd that had been cheering and jumping for joy just now were all staring at the screen in a daze.
With just one strike, the hunting team was nearly wiped out. This was Dark Mask's strength.
"Is Dark Mask... God-level?"