Chapter 22
Coulson's investigation into King's "Emperor Mouth Cannon" quickly concluded. However, the results in the report were far from ideal; the answers from the teachers and children were all over the place.
Some said: At that moment, they only saw King's mouth open, and an invisible sound wave spread out like a ripple in water. The thug didn't even have a chance to react before being taken down in a single move.
An invisible sound wave? Very good, very powerful.
Some said: Lord King pursed his lips, and a giant red heart-shaped kiss flew out, exploding right next to the thug.
This... this... this is a bit too much, isn't it?
And some said: I think King is just like the Creator God. God said, "Let there be light," and so there was light. King said, "You should die," and so the thug fell down.
Huh? Who do you think you are? Daydreaming isn't taxed, you know.
Of course, aside from the teachers who, feeling indebted to King, were desperately trying to sing his praises and describe him as a being unparalleled in heaven and earth, there were also the innocent children at the kindergarten. Their answers were remarkably consistent: Uncle King spat on the bad guy and killed him!
"Killed... killed a thug with a mouthful of spit?"
Sitch scanned the investigation report a few times, his eyes fixed on Coulson. "Do you think this claim is reliable?"
Coulson pushed up his glasses and said sternly, "Director Sitch, I believe the children lack a proper understanding of the world, and they certainly lack the necessary vocabulary to accurately describe King's technique. In their eyes, the only thing that can be ejected from a mouth is spit. Therefore, I believe their answers only prove that King's attack is launched from his mouth, but cannot be used as evidence for the specific form of the technique. However, the teachers' descriptions are all wildly different, so we cannot determine the exact nature of King's move."
"Hmm, what you say makes a lot of sense." Sitch smiled with satisfaction. "Since we can't figure out the specifics of King's technique, let's go with Mike's definition and officially name it 'Emperor Mouth Cannon.' We'll write it up that way on the Hero Association's official website."
As one of the Hero Association's poster boys, how could King's signature move be spitting? That was too low-class and would damage his image. Therefore, even if what the children said was true, they would choose to ignore it for the sake of the Hero Association's interests and image. They were more willing to believe the exaggerated descriptions from Mike and the teachers. Besides, with King's power, no matter how exaggerated the description, the citizens would absolutely believe it. Thus, there was no risk of anyone questioning it.
"By the way, the promotional event at the Sunflower Kindergarten wasn't successfully held. Could you get King for me? We need to discuss when to reschedule the hero promotion."
"Director, for a small matter like this, a phone call should suffice, right? King is so busy (Which eye of yours sees King as busy? He's clearly bored out of his mind!), it's not good for us to keep bothering him."
"No. Aside from the hero promotional event, I've also come up with a creative idea for a new commercial. I must have King come over to discuss it properly."
"Huh? Director, you still dare to ask King to shoot a commercial? Aren't you afraid he'll smash the headquarters?" Coulson let out a bitter laugh. Last time, King had warned them not to mess around again. Director Sitch was playing with fire!
"It's fine. The one I'm shooting this time is a proper hero promotional ad."
Sitch stared at King's investigation report as a highly creative public service announcement began to take shape in his mind.
"Alright then, I'll have Mike go pick him up."
Coulson reluctantly accepted the task, secretly praying that Sitch hadn't lost his mind. Otherwise, he would have a new annual expense—buying incense to burn at Sitch's grave.
…
"Ding-dong!"
king was playing games at home when someone suddenly rang the doorbell.
*Click!*
"Mike?" After opening the door, he looked quizzically at Mike, who was holding a cardboard box. "What brings you here?"
Mike looked at king with reverence. "Lord King, Director Sitch instructed me to come and escort you to the headquarters. At the same time, I'm to deliver these thank-you letters from the teachers and children at the Sunflower Kindergarten."
king took the cardboard box and asked casually, "Oh, Sitch needs me for something?"
Mike replied, "It's mainly because the hero promotional event was interrupted. The director wants to discuss rescheduling it with you."
"Hm, just for that little thing?"
king gestured for Mike to come in and sit down.
Mike entered, glanced in amazement at the second floor with its missing floorboards, and answered respectfully, "Oh, it seems the director has other important matters to discuss with you, which is why he sent me to pick you up."
"Alright then. I'm bored anyway."
king tore open the cardboard box and looked at a few of the thank-you letters sent by the teachers and students of Sunflower Kindergarten. He found that almost all of them were apologies of some sort, which left him utterly bewildered and confused.
"Mike, wait for me to get ready, then we'll head out."
He moved the cardboard box into the storage room and glanced a few times at the Vaccine Man egg. Finding that the Vaccine Man egg still showed no reaction, he sullenly withdrew his gaze and followed Mike to the Hero Association headquarters.
…
O-City, by the sea.
"Humanity, full of desires, accept your judgment!"
*Splish, splash!*
The sea parted, and a seven or eight-meter-tall Desire Man walked out from the seabed. Its entire body was as shriveled as a dried corpse, and it had four faces—front, back, left, and right—with grotesque features like an alien's.
"A Desire Man..."
"Run..."
The moment the Desire Man appeared, the tourists on the beach shrieked in terror and scattered. But suddenly, they all collapsed limply, like a line of dominoes. From near to far, it was as if a rule-like wave emanated from the Desire Man's body; anyone who came into contact with this wave instantly lost consciousness and fell to the ground.
The Desire Man stepped onto the beach without a single glance at the fallen humans. It walked toward the center of O-City, leaving a trail of gigantic footprints on the sand.
"Attention, residents of O-City! Attention, residents of O-City! This is an emergency notice from the Hero Association. A Demon-level Desire Man has appeared on the beach and is currently invading the city center. The Hero Association is dispatching heroes to eliminate the Desire Man. Until the Desire Man is eliminated, all residents are advised to stay away from the beach and proceed to a shelter to take cover..."
The monster alarm in the center of O-City blared out an emergency alert. After hearing the broadcast, the terrified residents of O-City began to flee in panic toward shelters or other cities.
However, once a large-scale movement of people occurs, congestion is inevitable. Cars were stuck in traffic, and people crowded against each other, making the escape incredibly slow.
The Desire Man approached step by step. It didn't kill anyone, but countless people lost consciousness because of it, collapsing in disarray on the streets. From a distance, it looked as if a farmer were drying rice in the sun.
The Desire Man's left face constantly muttered, "Appetite." Its back face shouted, "Killing Intent." Its right face giggled, "Lust (Censored)." And its front face, with an air of righteousness, solemnly pronounced, "Judgment!"
Wherever it passed, all humans would faint and collapse, as if under a curse. No one could escape. Perhaps, just as it had proclaimed, it was the judge of desire. All who possessed the three desires—appetite, killing intent, and lust—must accept judgment.
However, appetite is fundamental to human survival, and lust is fundamental to human continuation. Basically, every human being possesses these two desires. Unless one were an immortal, no one could escape at least one of these two desires.
Furthermore, the Desire Man's back face represented killing intent, which meant that anyone who had the intent to kill would also be judged, regardless of whom that killing intent was directed at—be it an enemy or the Desire Man. As long as you had the intent to kill, you had to accept judgment.
How utterly tyrannical!
From this perspective, it was less accurate to say the Desire Man's ability was like a curse. It was more like a newly established law of nature—a rule designed to annihilate all of humanity!
This point was rather similar to Vaccine Man. Could it be another great protector of the Earth?
(end of chapter)