"Psykos, I brought you something good." King said.
Hum!
A portal appeared, and four massive corpses appeared in the laboratory.
"This is... The corpse of Dragon-level monsters! Great, I was just worrying about lacking new monster cells." Psykos's eyes lit up.
The more powerful the monster cell, the more formidable the monster that could be cultivated from it.
"Rover will follow me from now on. Black Sperm, you stay here, you can also serve as pretty good combat power."
"Okay, I understand."
Psykos naturally understood that King was worried about the safety of the Monster Association base, but with her and Sweet Mask there, she could handle anything as long as it wasn't a powerhouse above Dragon-level.
"I still have things to do, so I'll head back to the Hero Association first."
After finishing all his instructions, King took Rover and returned to the Hero Association.
After he resolved the invading monsters, the Hero Association had called him more than once. King knew there must be important matters to discuss with him.
—
Hero Association Headquarters, inside the underground laboratory.
Sitch and Blast were watching the treatment experiment for humans undergoing Monsterization, though there hadn't been a single successful case so far.
Whoosh!
Just then, the door opened, and King walked in, guided by staff members.
"King!" Sitch's eyes lit up.
Blast also looked over with curiosity. However, at this moment, the Divine Power within King had already converted into Union Power. Therefore, even in front of Blast, he didn't worry about the other party seeing through any flaws.
"Is there something important that made you call me over so urgently?" King asked.
"King, first of all, on behalf of the Hero Association, I would like to thank you for your help at the critical moment." Sitch looked sincere and bowed deeply to King.
If it weren't for him, who knows how many people would have perished in this disaster.
"It's my duty. After all, I am also a part of the Hero Association." King waved his hand, looking toward the experiment taking place below.
"This is?"
"This is a treatment experiment for humans undergoing Monsterization proposed by Blast." Sitch explained.
"Blast? Nice to meet you."
"King, I've heard much about you."
King and Blast locked eyes, both able to feel the immense power within the other.
"He really lives up to his reputation, no wonder he holds the title of the strongest man on Earth. Not even Tatsumaki has this kind of presence.' Blast thought to himself.
With a hero like King guarding the Hero Association headquarters, he could rest easy while confronting God in another dimension.
'Blast's strength is immense. It seems the intelligence about his battle with Elder Centipede two years ago was incorrect.'
King was certain that something must have happened during the battle that year. Otherwise, with Blast's strength, Elder Centipede would have been wiped out long ago.
"I summoned you here this time because there is an important matter to discuss. I'll let Blast explain the details." Sitch said.
"I wonder if you have heard of Empty Void?" Blast didn't beat around the bush and asked straight to the point.
"The founder of the Ninja Village." King replied.
"You actually know?"
Blast was somewhat surprised, as Empty Void's name didn't often appear in the Hero Association.
"It's because I have met members of the Ninja Village before." King's expression was calm.
He had already come into contact with ninjas from the Ninja Village before subjugating the Monster Association.
"What? You have fought them?" Blast was incredibly shocked.
He had assumed the one King fought was Empty Void.
"Yes, Gale Wind and Hellfire Flame, but unfortunately, I was busy dealing with Elder Centipede at the time, so I let them escape."
King spouted nonsense, though without those two, he wouldn't have embarked on the path of Monsterization.
"I see."
Blast breathed a sigh of relief. If it had really been Empty Void, even King might not have been able to gain the upper hand in battle.
"He was once my partner fighting side-by-side in another dimension, but he was seduced by God and became it's agent."
"He escaped after being injured by me and lay dormant for fifteen years, but he has recently awakened." Blast recounted the situation concisely.
"What do you want me to do?" King asked.
"His strength is extraordinary, and he may have other companions by his side. My purpose this time is to invite you, and also Flashy Flash, to join forces and encircle him." Blast's expression was sincere.
With his strength, he usually didn't join forces with others. But this time the situation was special, especially since this was Sitch's plea. After all, Empty Void had attacked the Hero Association a long time ago. Fortunately, he was blocked by Blast at the time and didn't succeed. If he were allowed to escape again, the Hero Association would never know peace.
"King, this is my intention. Please do not misunderstand. It just that the current Hero Association cannot withstand any more blows, and all possible problems must be nipped in the bud." Sitch had a sincere expression.
He had pleaded for a long time before Blast agreed to this.
"It's been hard on you. Alright, I agree."
King understood Sitch's difficulties. He must have been criticized by the higher-ups after this monster invasion, which is why he was so exceptionally cautious in his actions.
"Thank you so much."
"I have already notified Flashy Flash. He grew up in the Ninja Village and is very familiar with the situation inside. With him leading the way for you, there will definitely be no problems." Sitch was overjoyed.
Top powerhouses like Blast and King all had their own pride, and wanting them to fight side-by-side was extremely difficult.
—
Hero Apartment, outside King's room, stood a straight figure.
"Hmm? You are..."
King returned to the apartment after bidding farewell to Sitch and Blast, and just as he reached the door, he saw someone.
Before he could even greet him, a system prompt sounded.
[Ding! Detected holder of Hero's Heart, Mumen Rider.]
'As expected, he has it too.' King was not surprised.
Mumen Rider's strength could be said to be at the bottom of the Hero Association, but his fearless and never-give-up spirit made many people feel ashamed.
"Ki... King-san!"
Mumen Rider was incoherent with excitement when he saw King return.
"Mumen Rider, do you have something you need from me?"
Logically, there shouldn't be much interaction between the two.
"I came here this time because I have a favor to ask."
Mumen Rider's formal expression left King somewhat puzzled.
"Could it be that another monster disaster has occurred?"
"No. I came here this time to ask you to take me as your apprentice."
"Apprenticeship?" King was stunned.
He hadn't even gone to find the other party, yet Mumen Rider had delivered himself to his door.
But this couldn't be blamed on Mumen Rider. In fact, he had initially wanted to become Saitama's apprentice, but due to their friendship, he couldn't bring himself to ask.
King was different. Whether it was the Subterranean King or the Deep Sea King, he had saved him from danger several times.
During this monster invasion, he had been surrounded by dozens of monsters and was on the verge of losing his life. King appeared again and summoned thunder to blast countless monsters to death. That soul-stirring scene was something he could never forget.
This made him determined to find a way to become King's apprentice.
"I know that I am too weak right now and often cannot help everyone, but you can definitely change me. King-san, please take me as your apprentice."