Chapter 189: What the Hell is Going On?!!
Hm?
Looking at the new item in his inventory, King raised an eyebrow.
[Time Stop Forcefield]?
He clicked on the details, and the translucent blue data panel appeared before him.
[Time Stop Forcefield: A special item capable of pausing time. Upon activation, time within a 100km radius is suspended. Energy is consumed during the pause. The user can choose to resume time at any moment.]
This feels familiar...
For some reason, the image of a vampire in a yellow jacket with a green heart on his forehead flashed through King's mind.
Isn't this literally just "The World"?
With a thought, King withdrew the Time Stop Forcefield from his inventory, and it materialized in his hand.
Looking at the device, which resembled a sleek remote control, King rubbed his chin and decided to give it a field test.
He took a step and flickered, appearing in the middle of a bustling city plaza.
Young couples leaned against each other, their eyes filled with sweetness and affection. Groups of students walked by, laughing and chatting about the day's simple joys. Anxious salarymen clutched their briefcases, checking their watches as they power-walked toward their destinations.
Observing the tapestry of human life, King pulled out the remote and pressed the large [STOP] button.
In an instant, the world fell silent.
A faint purple ripple expanded outward from King, blanketing the area for a hundred kilometers in the blink of an eye.
Everything froze.
The affectionate gazes of the couples were locked in the void; though they stared into each other's eyes, the emotion could no longer be transmitted. The salaryman was pinned in place, anxiety etched into his features, his left foot hovering mid-air. The students' laughter was frozen on their lips, their hands caught in mid-gesture like a gallery of hyper-realistic statues.
In this frozen domain, only King moved.
He stood still, his divine sense sweeping across the entire 100km radius.
Everything has entered a state of absolute stasis...
Looking at the unmoving people, King did a few brief experiments. He found that he could move their bodies as easily as mannequins.
So... all those 'Time Stop' tropes from those... certain videos... can actually be achieved with this thing.
Ahem...
King quickly tossed those unhealthy thoughts aside. A new question popped into his head.
During the pause, do these people retain their consciousness?
King pulled out the remote and clicked [START].
The purple glow rippled back, and everyone resumed their interrupted actions.
The couple's fingers remained interlaced, their happiness undiminished. The salaryman's face remained a mask of stress as he continued his sprint, muttering under his breath:
"That damn boss... I'm gonna be late again, f*ck..."
The laughter of the students filled the air once more.
King nodded.
Based on their reactions, the time stop effectively "froze" their consciousness as well. They had no awareness of the gap in time.
As of now, King hadn't found a particularly grand use for this item; it was a decent support tool or crowd-control device at best.
I wonder... can the [Time Stop Forcefield] trap the Bald Demon?
King was a man of action. With a flicker, he appeared in front of a small villa.
This was the home the Hero Association had gifted Saitama. Interestingly, several more luxurious villas had sprung up around it recently, belonging to "old money" types who wanted to live near the world's strongest heroes.
"Let's see if the power of time can affect a 'Cheat Code'."
King pulled out the device and slammed his thumb onto the button.
Inside Saitama's Home.
A certain shiny bald head lay lazily on a floor mat. Saitama was holding a freshly opened bag of tomato-flavored chips, popping them into his mouth while staring intently at the TV.
On screen, a parody of a famous shonen anime was playing:
"Don't you know? A Soul Reaper's battle is a battle of spiritual pressure! A Soul Reaper's power is, in essence, the power of Spirit!"
"You, who possess a fusion of multiple powers, have been in my sights for a very long time."
"You bastard... WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?! BANKAI!"
Saitama couldn't help but roast the show:
"Is this protagonist's hearing worse than mine? Every time the villain explains something, he acts like he can't hear a word. Does he even have ears?"
In the kitchen, Solar Sperm had completely suppressed his golden flames. He was wearing a pink apron with a heart on it, carefully washing the dishes.
He glanced toward the living room, watching Saitama happily eating snacks and watching TV. He nearly crushed the bowl in his hand out of pure frustration.
A fallen God bullied by a human... I am a God-level entity! A majestic being capable of dicing the Earth!
And yet... I'm reduced to doing housework for a human every single day! I don't even get weekends or holidays!
This was Solar Sperm's greatest grievance. Ever since the Caped Baldy turned him into a pet, his life consisted of chores, grocery shopping, and cooking. He had zero freedom.
I'm literally an unpaid mechanical intern!
Just as Solar Sperm was wallowing in self-pity, a terrifying aura—deep as an abyss—suddenly entered his perception.
The aura was so domineering it felt like a ten-thousand-foot mountain had been dropped onto his soul. He shuddered violently.
K-K-K... King?!
Why is he here suddenly?!
Oh, right. He's best friends with the Baldy.
Should I just go to the entrance and kowtow immediately? Maybe if I catch him in a good mood, he'll convince his friend to set me free...
Solar Sperm's throat bobbed as he swallowed a gulp of phantom saliva, his mind racing.
But in the very next instant, a massive sense of crisis enveloped his entire body. Every cell in his frame screamed of impending danger.
What the—
Before he could finish the thought, a purple radiance rippled through the air. The entire 100km radius around the villa plunged into absolute silence.
As a God-level entity, Solar Sperm's consciousness was too powerful to be fully suppressed. Even within the time stop, he remained conscious.
He found that he couldn't even roll his eyes, but his mind was still functioning. He was effectively locked in a state of mental system failure.
What the hell is going on?!!