Hero's great head rolled to the ground in front of Water Dragon with a "thud," raising a small cloud of dust.
In that instant, the entire world seemed to quiet down, with only the sound of Saitama skewering meat remaining.
Kaito slowly withdrew his hand, as if he had only done a trivial matter.
"How was it?" He turned around, his gaze falling on Water Dragon.
At this moment, Water Dragon was completely stunned, his mouth wide enough to fit an egg.
Water Dragon's body trembled violently—not from fear, but from an unprecedented excitement—and his inner conviction was ignited instantly.
"Kaito!!! I... I want to follow you!! I want to become a Hero! Become a powerful Hero like you, protecting the weak and fighting evil! Please... please let me be your disciple!"
At this moment, Water Dragon's Dao Heart was completely reshaped. His eyes were filled with fervent admiration and infinite longing for Kaito. Kaito's calm and effortless defeat of a powerful enemy was deeply imprinted in his heart.
Kaito did not say much, walking forward and gently patting Water Dragon's trembling shoulder, leaving him with an encouraging look.
"Saitama, it's time to go." Kaito called out, no longer delaying, and put his arm around Black-Eyed Psykos's waist, who was also somewhat dazed from the shock. He leaped, and his figure disappeared into the deep pit.
Saitama mumbled in response, stuffed the last bite of meat skewer into his mouth, and followed by jumping down.
Two flowers bloom, each telling its own story.
At this time, the camera turned to the lowest level of the Monster Cave, which was the level where Great Eyes, the Monster Association's chief of staff, resided.
In the dim cave, only a few eerie green wall lamps emitted faint light. The air was filled with a damp and decaying smell, and from time to time, one could hear the low growls of monsters from afar.
Garou, covered in bandages, sat at a stone table, having just finished a delicious meal of Monster meat. He looked at the Monster Cells that were brought out last and disdainfully shouted at Great Eyes beside him:
"Hey, Great Eyes, is this your so-called 'shortcut' to becoming a monster? To make me into a weakling who can only get stronger by taking drugs?"
The Monster Cells wriggled like living creatures, their surface covered with disgusting mucus, emitting a nauseating stench.
In the original timeline, Garou had entered the Monster Association alone to save Tareo. However, the situation was different this time. Previously, Garou had caused a ruckus at the Hero Association headquarters. He destroyed Child Emperor's proud "Saitama" mech and left Child Emperor with psychological trauma.
Afterward, as he swaggered away, he ran into his master Bang and his senior brother Bomb, who had been waiting for a long time.
The two martial arts masters cooperated perfectly, with Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist and Whirlwind Iron Cutting Fist intertwining like a net, instantly forcing Garou into a desperate situation.
If Bang had not held back half his strength at the critical moment, out of consideration for their master-disciple relationship, Garou would have died on the spot.
Later, taking advantage of the chaos created by Psykos's full-scale attack, Garou was rescued by members of the Monster Association and invited to this deep underground.
Great Eyes let out a low and strange laugh. "Hehehe... No, that's just the most convenient, but also the least efficient way to become a monster. I have another way, more efficient, but... the risk also increases proportionally. Do you dare to try it?"
Garou raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Tell me about it."
Great Eyes' voice carried a seductive tone. "In short, it is to defeat death multiple times as a human, putting a load on the abnormal body and Spirit. It sounds simple, but in reality, it's very easy to really die!"
Garou moved his shoulders, and the sound of bones rubbing came from under the bandages. "From your tone, it seems you've tried it many times?"
"Not many times, but countless times." A fanatical light flickered in Great Eyes' single eye.
"Although Monster Cells can now simply turn humans into monsters, they cannot make them grow further. I really want to know the method to break through the limits of growth. So far, after experiencing a mountain of failures, the first successful creation has finally appeared."
A glint flashed in Garou's eyes. "So Orochi, the leader of the Monster Association, was created by you?"
When he was brought before Great Eyes, he had heard those weakling monsters talk about the terrifying nature of Orochi along the way until his ears were almost calloused.
Great Eyes did not deny it, but instead proudly retorted, "Precisely. How about it, the strongest martial arts genius among humans? Do you want to try this path to ultimate power? Or choose... a safer path?"
"Hmph!" Garou twisted his neck sharply, emitting a crisp crack. "If others can do it, there's no reason why I, Garou, can't! Come on, let me see your so-called 'death tempering'!"
There was no fear of death in his eyes, only a pure desire for battle and breakthrough.
Great Eyes was very satisfied with Garou's answer. If the other party could truly succeed, then he would have another trump card against Kaito!
Its thought shifted slightly, and the floating soft couch beneath it silently rose.
At the same time, the elevator on one side of the cavern roared open, and three figures radiating powerful and evil auras stepped into the arena.
The first was the strangely shaped Showerhead. Its head was completely a giant shower nozzle, and with every step it took, various corrosive liquids dripped from it, burning small pits in the ground.
The second was Super Rat-Man, a human-bodied, rat-brained creature with terrifying monstrous strength. It was hunched over, its body covered in gray bristles, its sharp claws leaving deep marks on the ground, and its crimson eyes gleamed with a mad light.
The third was One-Horn, whose head resembled a drill. Its body was densely covered with rotating eyeballs, each spinning in a different direction, making one's scalp tingle. The drill on its head spun at high speed, emitting a piercing hum.
"Alright, the duel begins. There is only one rule—the victor lives, the loser dies!"
With Great Eyes' command, the three Demon-Level monsters launched their attacks first.
"Little brat, watch me dissolve you into a puddle of blood!" Showerhead shrieked, its head suddenly expanding, spraying a stream of dark green acid like a waterfall toward Garou.
Garou's figure flickered, the footwork of Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist allowing him to slide away like a swimming fish. The acid landed where he had just stood, and the ground immediately corroded into a large pit, emitting pungent white smoke.
"Not bad speed, little cub!" Super Rat-Man grinned menacingly, suddenly pouncing from the side. Its speed was astonishing, its sharp claws aiming directly for Garou's throat.
Garou hastily raised his arms to block, but was still knocked back several steps by the blow. The Rat-Man's monstrous strength far exceeded his expectations; the bandages on his arm were torn open, revealing a seeping wound underneath.
"Got you!" One-Horn suddenly appeared behind Garou, its drill-like head spinning at high speed, stabbing directly toward his lower back.
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