The Pantsu Pervert Monster's remaining lower body flew backward like a kite with a broken string. It arced through the air before crashing heavily onto the lawn a dozen meters away. Its thick legs twitched twice. Then—stillness.
[Killed Tiger-level Monster 'Pantsu Pervert' | Gained Origin Points × 48!]
Fast. Too fast.
The entire process happened in a flash—far exceeding ordinary human reaction time. The morning joggers watching from a distance saw nothing. Even King, closest to the action, only registered a blur and a bang.
Then… nothing.
Jack shook his hand. It was still smoking slightly from friction with the air. He looked like a man who'd just casually swatted a fly.
The ponytail girl felt wind brush past her ears. The expected assault never came. She opened her beautiful eyes in surprise.
Before her: the Monster's corpse. Only half a body remained. Tragic. Cold. Still.
"I… I'm saved…?"
Still shaken, she clutched her heaving chest—the curves outlined by her fitted sports vest undeniably breathtaking. She looked around wildly, searching for her savior.
Then her eyes lit up.
With an expression of surprise and adoration, she took off on her fair, firm legs. Pattered directly toward the park bench.
Jack allowed a small smile. Began to speak.
"It's alright now. No need to than—"
His smile froze.
The ponytail girl—eyes full of little stars—walked right past him. Rushed to King. Gave a deep ninety-degree bow.
"Thank you for saving me! KING!!"
Not just her. Several sharp-eyed morning joggers nearby had already recognized the scarred face. They crowded around.
"I heard it!" An uncle with glasses pushed them up excitedly. "The roaring 'Emperor Engine'—like war drums! No mistake—it's that man!"
"Those three scars! From legendary battles with Dragon-level Monsters!" An aunt covered her mouth, eyes full of admiration. "It's King-sama! S-Class Hero King-sama!"
"Wow! King-sama is so handsome!" Young girls' eyes sparkled. "He dealt with that Monster instantly!"
"As expected of the strongest man on Earth! So reliable!"
Everyone surrounded King. Praised him lavishly. Completely ignored the actual person who'd made the move.
Jack: …
(눈 ~ 눈)
Forget it. I'm used to it.
King: …
(ʘ ᗩ ʘ')
Sudden deep cleavage appeared before his eyes. His mouth twitched. He was in no mood to appreciate this unexpected free benefit.
Because mixed in with the crowd's adoring gazes—Jack's half-smiling eyes.
King felt a chill run down his spine. Another layer of cold sweat joined the exercise-induced dampness already soaking his back.
Mr. Jack—listen—I—this was forced on me!
(ﾟдﾟ;)
The sky brightened. Morning sun rose.
For King, this was only the beginning of a day in hell.
Throughout the morning, his innate Monster-attracting constitution performed excellently. A mobile Monster spawn point. Wild creatures erupted from roadside bushes. Popped out from under manhole covers. Lurked behind billboards.
Most were Wolf-level. Several Tiger-level. One unlucky Demon-level.
This single morning, Jack's main body gains nearly exceeded the total of his clone army's worldwide haul during the same period.
(Clones, scattered across the globe: …Don't we deserve some respect?)
Jack: Tell Psykos I don't want to go back. And don't let Little Eyeball look for me. I'm afraid King will misunderstand.
But not everything went smoothly.
Jack hadn't registered as a hero. To ordinary eyes, he was just a handsome, well-built, good-looking passerby. Nothing more.
Every time—without fail—when victims and bystanders recovered from shock, what they saw was King.
Standing nearby. Cold expression. (Internally panicking.) Emperor Engine roaring in his chest.
And Jack? Invisible.
And beside King—one or more sets of Monster remains. Dealt with. Instantly.
Thus, all the flowers. The applause. The heartfelt thanks. The small notes slipped into pockets by adoring fans. All of it—naturally—went to King.
Occasionally, a sharp-eyed passerby might catch a flicker of Jack's movement. But they never saw it clearly. Or if they did, their memory would conveniently edit itself. By the end, they always firmly believed: it was the S-Class Hero King—present at the scene—who had handled the Monster.
After all—isn't it normal for S-Class Heroes to move so fast you can't see them?
This happened more than three times along the route. More than five. More than a dozen.
King felt embarrassed at first. Each time Jack was overlooked, he'd shoot an apologetic glance.
But Jack genuinely didn't care.
And once King realized that—he secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Anxiety slightly eased.
I didn't want this either. It's not my fault.
Meanwhile – A City, Hero Association Headquarters
The duty officer of the Disaster Countermeasures Department—a middle-aged man with slightly thinning hair—had just brewed himself a strong black coffee. He was preparing to start his day when an encrypted line buzzed.
M City Hero Association branch. Intelligence summary.
"Hmm?" He adjusted his black-framed glasses. "King-sama's activity report for today? It's not even eight in the morning yet, and it's already submitted? That efficient?"
Curious, he clicked open the encrypted file. Label: S-Class Hero King Special Project.
The report was concise. The battle records were shocking.
6:10 AM – Encountered Wolf-level Monster 'Pantsu Pervert' attacking female jogger in Wooden Man Park. King-sama instantly defeated it.
6:40 AM – Near park lake island, encountered Tiger-level Monster 'Kitchen Waste Skeleton Fish' launching sneak attack from water. Single blow. Instant kill. No remains.
6:50 AM – On return route, encountered Tiger-level Monster 'Sludge Stench Monster' overflowing from sewer. King-sama immobilized it with aura alone. Then easily disposed of it.
7:22 AM – On city street, defeated Tiger-level Monster 'Mutated Giant Mosquito Swarm.' Protected dozens of students en route to school.
7:50 AM – In commercial district, subdued berserk Monsterified vehicle 'Crazy Ice Cream Truck.' Prevented major traffic accident.
…
The duty officer scrolled through the dense series of achievements.
His nearly-bald head gleamed under the fluorescent lights. His eyes widened. Respect filled his expression.
"So many?"