The entire venue fell silent.
That gleaming bald head, shining under the stadium lights, was so striking, so… familiar.
"Ah!"
The first to break the silence was Saitama himself.
He let out a short yelp, and visible panic appeared on his face.
"My, my wig fell off!"
He grabbed the wig from the ground, haphazardly patted off the dust, and tried to put it back on, but the more he rushed, the messier it got, and he couldn't get it on straight.
Meanwhile, the murmuring in the audience had already spread.
"Bald… bald head?" a spectator in the front row rubbed his eyes, saying uncertainly.
"Wait a minute, this bald head… this side profile… I think I've seen it somewhere before…"
Another person frowned, desperately searching their memory.
"I remember! I remember!"
A spectacled audience member excitedly stood up from his seat, pulled out his phone, quickly brought up the Hero Association's official directory, and held the screen high.
"Look, everyone! The Hero Directory! Isn't this… isn't this S-Class Hero Rank 18?!"
On the screen, a low-resolution, blank-faced bald head ID photo was clearly displayed.
Someone, using all his strength, shouted out the name:
"'Caped Baldy'?!!!"
This name was like a thunderclap, instantly clearing the muddled memories of all the spectators.
That mysterious hero who only had a blank photo in the Hero Directory and rose from A-Class to S-Class in just a few short months!
In an instant, all the pieces connected.
It turned out that "Charanko" was fake, "Water Ball Carbonated Fist" was fake, and even the hair was fake!
This unassuming man was actually the legendary S-Class Hero with unfathomable strength—the Caped Baldy!
"Oh no, oh no, oh no…" Saitama broke out in a cold sweat, listening to the roaring discussions around him.
He came for the three million prize money and to experience martial arts!
Now that his identity was exposed, would his qualification for the competition be canceled? Would he still get the prize money?
The more he thought about it, the more troublesome it seemed, and only one thought remained in Saitama's mind—run!
"Whoosh—!"
A white blur flashed by, and before anyone could react, Saitama disappeared without a trace from the contestant's aisle.
Only the bewildered referee, Suiryu, and a chaotic audience remained.
In the ring, Suiryu's body trembled slightly, and he slowly lowered his head, looking at his martial arts uniform, which had been shattered by the air pressure, then at the empty contestant's aisle.
He was defeated, utterly defeated.
"Is this the strength of an S-Class Hero…?"
Suiryu murmured to himself, his perception of heroes changed.
He originally felt that his own happiness was the most important, and he disdained heroic acts, but now… Saitama's power had changed his mind.
— — — — — —
At the same time, in the suburbs of City F.
"Roar—!!!"
Three Monsters, each over ten meters tall, were wreaking havoc on the city's outskirts.
They varied in appearance; one resembled a giant praying mantis, another was covered in a hard carapace, and the last could spew highly corrosive acid from its mouth.
Several A-Class and B-Class Heroes were desperately resisting, but their attacks landed on the Monsters without causing effective damage, instead forcing them to retreat repeatedly.
"Damn it! These guys' defenses are too strong!"
The A-Class Hero Springbeard gasped for breath; his rapier already had several nicks, and a large area of his arm was burned by acid.
Just as they were about to collapse, a figure appeared in the center of the battlefield without warning.
Lin Mo's figure appeared exceptionally clear amidst the smoke and dust.
He was dressed only in casual clothes, but the moment he appeared, an invisible Intimidation instantly enveloped the entire scene.
"Woo…"
The three Monsters, originally incredibly violent, instantly froze, and an unprecedented fear was revealed in their crimson pupils.
"Mr. KING!"
The surviving Heroes immediately showed expressions of ecstasy when they saw the newcomer.
The title of The Strongest Man on Earth, in this world, was the ultimate guarantee of safety and victory!
Lin Mo ignored them; his gaze calmly swept over the three Monsters.
"Roar!"
The Mantis Monster seemed unable to bear the pressure and let out an angry roar, launching the first attack!
Its huge scythe-like forelimbs tore through the air, striking at Lin Mo's head with lightning speed!
Lin Mo merely shifted his body slightly, and the scythe brushed past his clothes, then his right hand reached out, fingers spread, precisely gripping the joint connection.
"Crack!"
A crisp sound of bone breaking echoed.
Lin Mo's arm muscles flexed slightly, and a terrifying immense force instantly erupted.
Using the Monster's joint as a pivot, he actually swung its massive body, over ten meters long, and smashed it fiercely into another Carapace Monster!
"Boom—!!!"
The ground shook!
The Carapace Monster's proudly solid shell groaned under the impact of its companion, and countless cracks instantly spread across it.
Before they could react, Lin Mo lightly tapped the ground with his toe, and his entire body appeared before the last Monster as if teleporting.
The Monster opened its mouth in terror, and green acid spewed out.
Lin Mo did not dodge, and a ball of energy light had gathered in his left palm at some point.
He casually pushed the light ball forward.
"Sizzle—"
As soon as the ball of energy light touched the acid, it instantly evaporated it, and then, with undiminished force, it blasted into the Monster's mouth.
The next second, the Monster's body lit up with a dazzling light from within, then exploded, turning into a shower of debris.
[Terror from a Demon-level Monster, Energy Value +2500!]
In a flash, three Monsters: two dead, one severely injured.
"So… so strong!"
A B-Class Hero stammered out in surprise, his eyes filled with admiration and reverence.
From the moment Mr. KING arrived on the battlefield to the end of the battle, the entire process took less than ten seconds!
This was the strength of The Strongest Man on Earth!
"I'll leave the rest to you all."
Lin Mo turned and said to the stunned Heroes.
Then his figure flickered and disappeared into the depths of the ruins, heading to the next battlefield requiring "rescue."
— — — — — —
Martial Arts Tournament venue.
Just as everyone was still shocked by Saitama's true identity—
"Boom!!!!!!!!!"
A deafening sound suddenly exploded!
The entire massive arena shook violently, and screams of terror instantly erupted in the audience.
A shadow that covered the sky was cast down, and then, a colossal object tore through the sky and crashed heavily into the already dilapidated ring's center!
"Boom—!!!"
The ring instantly shattered, and the shockwave kicked up a sky full of dust, spreading outwards and knocking over the front rows of the audience!
As the dust slowly settled, a figure appeared before everyone's eyes.
It was a giant monster over ten meters tall, with bulging muscles and an ominous aura emanating from its entire body.
He had four eyes that gleamed with malevolence, and every inch of his skin was filled with a sense of explosive power.
He was the champion of the first Super Fight tournament, later transformed into a Dragon-Level Monster by the Monster Association—
Gouket!
"Waaahhh—!!!"
The audience instantly plunged into panic, people screaming, pushing, and rushing desperately towards the exits, the scene a chaotic mess.