### Chapter 9: A-City, Dragon-Level Calamity Appears
"Wait...!"
Death Gatling reached out, but only grasped a wisp of rushing wind.
He stood frozen in place, looking in the direction where the youth had disappeared, waves of shock surging in his heart.
Not a hero?
Instakilled a Demon-level monster in one hit?!
He quickly suppressed his turbulent thoughts and reported this cognitively disruptive battle situation to the Association.
Then, enduring his pain, he stumbled towards the restaurant—he had to thank him personally!
***
Meanwhile.
In the shadows of a street corner.
Silver Fang Bang, who had witnessed the entire process, finally revealed an imperceptible smile of satisfaction on his wrinkled face.
Kouki's timely intervention, the power he displayed, and the heart to protect the weak all allowed him to set down the worry hanging in his heart.
With a slight nod, this grandmaster's figure quietly merged into the shadows, as if he had never appeared.
***
On the other side.
Kouki returned to his seat, waving his hand in disgust, trying to disperse the lingering stench of the Trash Monster on his clothes.
On the long table in front of him, empty plates were already stacked in the dozens, forming a small mountain.
"Phew... finally some peace."
He sighed, picked up his chopsticks, and launched another fierce attack on the remaining dishes on the table, his speed so fast it almost created afterimages.
The restaurant owner ran back, still shaken. Seeing the only remaining customer sweeping through the food like a whirlwind, he didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
"Boss! Another ten servings... no, twenty servings of that roast meat from just now! And this pork knuckle, another three servings!"
Kouki waved his hand heroically to add to the order without even lifting his head from eating.
"Th... this customer..." The owner looked troubled, rubbing his hands. "I'm really sorry, our chef just went to take shelter and hasn't come back yet... this food..."
"Huh? Wasn't the Monster turned into渣 (residue)?" Kouki finally lifted his head from the bowl, his cheeks stuffed full, speaking indistinctly. "Hurry and call him back! I'm not full yet!"
"But this..."
Just as the owner wanted to explain, the restaurant door was pushed open, and a figure walked in.
The owner took a closer look and instantly stood in awe: "De... Lord Death Gatling!"
The arrival was none other than the A-Class Rank 8 hero.
He looked quite bedraggled, his uniform torn, with scrapes and bruises on his body, but his eyes were sharp.
He nodded slightly to the owner: "Boss, sorry to trouble you, but please call the chef back as soon as possible."
After speaking, his gaze locked firmly onto the youth feasting at the table, filled with scrutiny and inquiry. He silently walked over and sat opposite Kouki.
Kouki glanced at him. Seeing the other party didn't speak, he couldn't be bothered to open his mouth either.
He continued to bury his head in the "battlefield" before him, sweeping the last bit of food clean like a tornado.
It wasn't until not even soup remained on the table that he put down his bowl and chopsticks with satisfaction, let out a loud burp, and patted his slightly protruding belly.
"Mmm~~ Barely seventy percent full, I guess? But that was really satisfying! The chef here has good skills!"
He smacked his lips, still wanting more.
Sitting opposite him, Death Gatling's eye twitched uncontrollably.
Seventy percent full?!
Those plates on the table... were enough to feed a small squad!
Is this kid a dimensional stomach wearing human skin?
What on earth is his background?!
Suppressing the shock in his heart, Death Gatling cleared his throat, his tone solemn: "Little brother, may I ask for your name?"
"Kouki." The answer was concise and powerful.
"Kouki..."
Death Gatling searched rapidly through his memory, confirming he had absolutely no impression of this name.
Indeed, an unknown hidden expert.
"You said earlier... you're not a hero yet? So, do you have any intention of joining the Hero Association?" he asked tentatively.
"Mm!" Kouki grinned, his eyes shining with pure light. "Grandpa let me come down the mountain this time to go to the Hero Association Headquarters in A-City and register as a hero!"
"So that's it!"
Death Gatling understood, and at the same time, a surge of anticipation welled up in his heart.
With the strength to instakill a Demon-level monster... once this guy joins, he'll probably be parachuted straight into the top ranks of A-Class.
Even... challenging S-Class isn't impossible!
"I wish you all the best! The Association needs power like yours."
He said sincerely, then changed the subject with a hint of imperceptible probing and gratitude. "Seeing you still wanting more... want to eat a bit more? My treat, consider it thanks for saving my life. Boss! Another round, same as before!"
He didn't wait for Kouki to answer at all, directly ordering the owner who had just returned.
Kouki's eyes lit up instantly. The little hesitation about being "strapped for cash" was immediately thrown to the winds.
His seventy-percent-full stomach was cheering!
Someone's treating?
Then why be polite!
"Oh! Then I won't hold back!"
And so, under Death Gatling's complex gaze, Kouki started his gluttonous feast again.
Annihilating the newly served food at an astonishing speed.
When Kouki finally put down his chopsticks with satisfaction again, Death Gatling paid the bill readily—looking at the shocking figure, the corner of his mouth twitched again—and then hurriedly said goodbye and left.
He still had post-disaster reports and injuries to deal with.
Kouki patted his belly contentedly and walked out of the restaurant under the owner's awe-filled gaze.
He identified the direction and boarded the train to A-City.
Soon, the train stopped at the A-City platform.
The moment the metal doors slid open, a breeze mixed with the scent of the city blew into the carriage.
Sunlight spilled down diagonally, reflecting on the figure of a tall youth.
"So this is A-City... it's quite big."
Kouki walked slowly out of the carriage, his gaze sweeping over the bustling metropolis before him.
Skyscrapers stood like forests, streets crisscrossed, and the flow of people was like weaving.
But just as he was preparing to head to the Hero Association—
*BOOM!!!*
A cold, twisted aura full of malice suddenly appeared in his perception.
"Hmm?"
Kouki paused, frowning slightly.
This aura... was more than ten times stronger than the Demon-level Monster he had dealt with in Z-City earlier?
"This has probably reached Dragon-level, right?!"
He whispered to himself, a spark of interest flashing in his eyes.
He didn't expect that just after finishing a Demon-level Monster, he would turn around and bump into a Dragon-level Monster.
But Kouki wasn't repelled.
On the contrary—the corner of his mouth raised in a nearly delighted smile.
"Since I caught up with it, I might as well deal with it."
He clenched his fist lightly, his knuckles emitting faint cracking sounds.
"Perfect, count it as a battle record for joining the Hero Association."
Almost at the same moment, in the monitoring room of the Hero Association Headquarters, red alarms flashed frantically.
[S-Class Energy Reaction Detected! Target Level: Dragon!]
[Location Locked: A-City Central Business District!]
[Threat Assessment: Possible Total Destruction of the City!]
"Activate the emergency broadcast system immediately!" Association executive Sitch ordered, his voice steady but unable to hide the urgency.
The next second, a mechanical and calm broadcast sounded over the entire A-City:
[Emergency Alert! Emergency Alert! This is the Hero Association! Dragon-level Calamity Detected—Codename 'Vaccine Man' has appeared in the city center area! Repeat, Dragon-level Calamity! All citizens please remain calm, follow evacuation guidelines, and proceed quickly to designated safe zones—!]
...