"Who…who is it…?"
King's voice, full of fright and the hoarseness of just waking up, heard a voice from outside the door say, "King, it's five o'clock. Time for morning exercise."
ψ(｀∇´)ψ
"…"
Han Sen's sunny, vibrant, and magnetic voice came from outside the door, but to King, it sounded like the whisper of a demon.
"Ah—!!"
King let out a desperate scream, pulling the covers over his head, attempting to escape the cruel reality in an ostrich-like manner.
However, reality is often more stark than a nightmare.
Ten minutes later.
On a path in a secluded park in M City, King, dressed in a new but slightly loose tracksuit, looked up blankly at the still inky black sky.
A cold wind blew, and he shivered, feeling as if he was still dreaming.
Or rather, a nightmare!
—It must be like this; I definitely haven't woken up yet…!
Han Sen, on the other hand, was full of energy, leisurely holding a steaming cup of freshly ground pour-over coffee: "Today is the first day, so let's start with the most basic exercises."
Han Sen took a delightful sip of his coffee, finally feeling the joy King had felt yesterday with a cola in one hand while abusing him.
King: "…"
—Sorry, Commander, if you had told me you held grudges so much, I wouldn't have dared…
(×﹏×)
"One hundred push-ups, one hundred sit-ups, one hundred squats, plus a ten-kilometer long run."
"How about it, pretty simple, right?"
King: "…"
Han Sen spoke lightly, while King's Strongest Face remained as expressionless as ever.
In reality, a tiny person inside him was spitting blood wildly.
—This terrifying amount of training… I'm going to die, aren't I?
Seeing King make no move, Han Sen seemingly casually squeezed his fingers, his knuckles producing a crisp pop that vibrated the air, like an invisible whip lashing at King's heart.
"King, this is a special training plan I meticulously designed for you after thinking about it all night, named—'Surface Strongest Cultivation Plan'!"
"You wouldn't want my efforts to go to waste, would you?"
Under Han Sen's kind gaze, King's body trembled, tears streaming down his face.
—Just kill me…
┌(.Д.)┐
…
…
One hour later.
"Huff… huff… I can't go on… there's truly nothing left…"
On a park bench, King was like a salted fish out of water, hands on his knees, gasping for breath.
Sweat had already thoroughly soaked his branded tracksuit, clinging tightly to his body, outlining a physique that was slightly flabby and even had a small potbelly due to long-term lack of exercise.
The sky began to show a hint of dawn's light, but King already felt his soul was about to follow the pre-dawn darkness into the distance.
"Here, take a break."
Han Sen, standing nearby, handed him a bottle of sports drink just bought from a vending machine: "See, if you just grit your teeth, you can actually keep going, right?"
"Don't underestimate your potential, Han Sen-jun."
King gratefully took the drink, twisted open the cap, and guzzled a few sips to recover some strength, forcing out a smile uglier than a cry: "Han Sen-jun, how about we call it a day… Let me get used to it."
"No!"
Han Sen flatly refused, saying righteously, "The training progress is already more than halfway. If you give up now, wouldn't all your previous efforts be wasted? Giving up halfway is not what a strong person does!"
"King…" Han Sen said earnestly, his gaze burning, "Do you want to be a coward your whole life, or become the true Surface Strongest!"
King: "…"
—I just feel like even if I train, I won't become the true Surface Strongest…
Just then, a helpless cry of alarm suddenly came from not far away.
"Eeek—! Pervert! You, you stay away from me!"
The two looked in the direction of the sound.
They saw a hot female jogger with a high ponytail, wearing cool, tight-fitting sports shorts and a tank top, cornered by a lecherous Monster in a park corner, trembling in fear!
It was an upright Jackal Monster, with gray fur, a lean physique, emitting a fishy, foul odor like someone who hadn't showered in three months while holed up in a rental room.
The most peculiar thing was that above its pair of wolf eyes, which gleamed with lecherous light, it wore what was clearly a woman's… pink lace thong, like a hat!
"Heheheh… Little miss, don't go! What color are your Pantsu? Hurry, show me!"
The Pantsu Pervert let out an unsettling, grating laugh like sandpaper rubbing, extending a claw to grab at the already revealing sports shorts the girl was wearing.
"Quickly hand over your fragrant Pantsu, so I, the 'Pantsu Pervert' Elder, who mutated due to an extreme obsession with girls' original-scented underwear, can properly admire them!"
The ponytail jogging girl was scared pale, her pretty face ashen.
She was forced back to the decorative wall in the park corner, with nowhere left to retreat.
She could only desperately hug her ample chest with both hands, close her eyes, and scream: "Help! There's a pervert—!"
Although King was so exhausted he felt like he was falling apart, with soreness radiating from his bones, upon hearing the girl's scream, he still struggled to sit up straight on the bench.
Seeing the Pantsu Pervert's unbridled demeanor, his heart pounded uncontrollably—"thump, thump, thump"—
The Emperor Engine, activated again!
King's face was pale, but his mind raced.
—Doesn't look very strong… Uh, should I…?
Having played the role of a top-tier strong person for years, King had long since summarized a set of experiences for dealing with Monsters from countless life-and-death situations—
Many times, as long as he remained silent and maintained that cold, strong demeanor, most weak Monsters would likely be scared out of their wits by his drumming heartbeat, or even faint on the spot.
However, Han Sen clearly didn't give him a chance to perform.
"Focus on your training; I'll handle this minor matter."
Before his words finished, Han Sen's figure blurred. King didn't even see any obvious movements from him before he had already made his move!
"…Hm!?"
The Pantsu Pervert was about to lay hands on the jogging girl when it suddenly felt a piercing gust of wind, strong enough to tear eardrums, Attack, and subconsciously looked up.
The last thing it saw in its life was a fist so fast that even afterimages couldn't be caught, rapidly expanding in its vision.
Boom—!
An instantaneous sonic boom, like a supersonic fighter jet flying at low altitude, resounded over the park!
The Pantsu Pervert's head suddenly twisted backward and distorted, as if hit head-on by a high-speed truck. Its deformed head, along with its upper torso, instantly exploded, turning into a splash of mosaic blood!