Chapter 207 : The ultimate meaning of heroes
At the end of the street, Lin Mo's figure silently merged into the city's shadows.
Behind him, the distant wail of an ambulance grew closer, and police officers resumed their busy work.
He knew he was no longer needed there.
Leaning against a wall in a secluded alley, he pulled a lollipop from his pocket, tore open the wrapper, and put it in his mouth.
A faint fruity sweetness spread across his tongue.
He looked up, through the alley entrance, at the towering Z-City Police Department in the distance, but his thoughts drifted to a deeper question.
The courage and duty displayed by Yamada Kenichi and his team in that seemingly doomed battle had deeply moved him.
It also made him re-examine an idea he once had.
After he had just perfected King Style Secret Technique: Martial Way - Mechanical Combat and taught it to Genos, a grander plan had quietly sprouted in his mind.
Since the 'Way of Mechanical Combat' could guide cyborgs to a new realm, could he create a set of... KING Style Mysteries · Martial Arts for ordinary people?
A training method that could systematically enhance the physical fitness and combat skills of ordinary humans.
He was perfectly capable of doing this.
After acquiring Martial Arts · Pinnacle, his understanding of human anatomy and energy flow was rare in the world.
He could design a system a hundred times more efficient than any martial art or fitness method on the market.
If this system were promoted worldwide through the Hero Association, or even the government... then the overall strength of humanity would undoubtedly experience a leap forward.
By then, perhaps an ordinary police officer, after rigorous training, could possess the strength to fight Wolf-level, or even Tiger-level, Monsters.
A highly trained SWAT team, under specific conditions, might even be able to deal with weaker Demon Level Monsters.
The entire world's disaster prevention capabilities would be elevated to a whole new level.
Humans would no longer be so fragile and helpless when facing Monsters.
This idea was filled with the brilliance of idealism, beautiful enough to be enchanting.
But in the end, Lin Mo still... gave up.
He sighed softly, and the lollipop in his mouth seemed to taste a little bitter.
There was only one reason for giving up.
— Most Monsters are transformed from humans.
Whether it's like Takahashi Yuji, due to extreme resentment; or like the Crab Monster, due to excessive obsession... in this world, the root cause of most Monsters comes from the complex and fragile inner self of humanity.
If he really made that training method, which could greatly enhance human strength, public, what would happen?
Yes, good people would become stronger, and the combat power of police and soldiers would increase.
But at the same time, bad people would also become stronger.
Those people lurking in the shadows of society, whose hearts are filled with negative emotions, would also gain power far beyond their previous capabilities through this method.
And when an ordinary person gains extraordinary power, their desires and ambitions will inevitably expand with it.
At that time, an ordinary person with ill intentions, after Monsterization, would become much more dangerous!
That would be a complete disaster.
His original intention was to enhance the world's defense capabilities.
But the result could be that he would personally open Pandora's box, raising the average disaster level of the entire world.
What's more... human hearts are unpredictable.
Even without Monsterization, when ordinary people generally possess great power, how would the order of the entire society be maintained?
Would laws and morality still maintain their due restraint in the face of absolute power?
At that time, perhaps the threat of Monsters would not yet be resolved, but human society itself would have already collapsed into chaos and disorder due to the imbalance of power.
Lin Mo thought long and hard, and very thoroughly.
His final conclusion was — until a way to solve the fundamental problem of 'human nature' is found, any attempt to enhance the strength of all humanity through 'forcing growth' is extremely dangerous and irresponsible.
So, he abandoned that grand plan.
He chose a gentler approach — to guide those 'individuals' with a sense of justice.
Like Genos, like Mumen Rider.
However, it seems the police are still trustworthy.
"Sigh..."
Lin Mo accurately tossed the finished lollipop stick into the alley's trash can, and the thoughts in his mind gradually settled.
He knew this path was long, so long it was endless.
"Hey, KING, what are you hiding here for?"
A familiar voice came from the alley entrance.
Saitama stood with his hands in his pockets, looking at him with a speechless expression.
"I thought you'd come looking for me, but I had to come find you instead."
"Just thinking about something." Lin Mo walked out of the alley and walked beside him.
"Thinking about something?" Saitama glanced at him curiously.
"Do you also have worries? I thought someone as strong as you should be able to solve anything in an instant."
"Even the strongest person has problems they can't solve." Lin Mo replied calmly.
"Is that so?" Saitama scratched his bald head, seemingly not quite understanding, "Like what?"
"For example," Lin Mo's gaze turned to the people on the distant street who had resumed their daily lives.
Their faces still carried a hint of relief at having survived the ordeal, but soon, it was replaced by new daily trivialities.
"How to make sure tragedies like the one just now no longer happen in this world."
"Isn't that simple?" Saitama said matter-of-factly, "If a Monster appears, just blast it away."
"Can you blast them all away?" Lin Mo retorted, "As long as humanity's negative emotions exist, Monsters will continuously be born."
"You and I can kill all the Monsters, but can we... kill the dark side of human nature?"
"Uh..." Saitama was stumped.
He found that things seemed... more complicated than he had imagined.
He was just a hero for fun.
As for why Monsters appear, and what happens after they're defeated... he had never thought about these questions, and he was too lazy to.
The two walked in silence.
The sun stretched their shadows long on the ground.
After a long while, Lin Mo slowly spoke again, his voice soft, yet carrying a wisdom that seemed to foresee the future.
"Saitama, do you know what I believe to be the ultimate meaning of a hero's existence?"
"What is it?" Saitama asked subconsciously.
Lin Mo stopped, turned to look at him, and at the world he chose to protect, enunciating the ideal deeply hidden in his heart, word by word.
"The meaning of a hero is to fight, to protect, to become hope."
"But the ultimate goal of a hero..."
He took a deep breath, every word he exhaled seemed to carry immense weight.
"Is to make this world, one day, no longer need heroes."
At that moment, Saitama looked into Lin Mo's eyes, and something deep within him was profoundly touched.
He remembered his original intention of becoming a hero, the passion he had before losing his hair, and the emptiness he now felt after solving all problems with one punch.
A world that no longer needs heroes... what kind of world would that be?
No Monsters, no disasters, people living in peace and prosperity.
In such a world, what would he do? Probably... he could enjoy every day without worry.
This thought brought him a strange sense of calm.
After a moment of silence, Saitama shifted his gaze, somewhat unnaturally picking his ear with his pinky, then he grinned, revealing a rare smile.
"Hmph, KING, you... you really impressed me."
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