Chapter 150: What Happened?
"Heh, Saitama is on the move... He's so fast... Is he rushing to a supermarket sale?"
King exited the coffee shop and reset the target of his mental radar to Saitama. To his surprise, he discovered that Saitama, who hadn't moved an inch before, had already left the Ghost Town and entered the central avenue of Z-City.
It had only been a few minutes since he checked Genos's location and switched back, yet Saitama's position had shifted as if he had teleported. It was easy to imagine just how fast Saitama was.
He naturally changed direction to follow Saitama.
However, he had only gotten halfway when...
"Ah! My face..."
"Ah, ah, I've become ugly..."
Several miserable screams startled King. He looked on in surprise as several old men and women wailed on the ground, while a few people beside them anxiously called for an ambulance.
"Hello, what happened to these elderly people? Did they fall ill?"
King stepped forward to ask with concern, secretly thinking that it looked like a collective heart attack. What a coincidence!
A young man shook his head, still shaken. "No, they aren't old people. They're young, about the same age as me. Their faces became aged only because they were attacked by a monster."
"A monster?"
King's heart skipped a beat. Hadn't the monster alarm just said a monster had appeared on the central avenue?
The young man kindly added, "Don't worry, someone has already eliminated the monster. The corpse is up ahead, just waiting for the Hero Association staff to come and handle it."
"A monster corpse!?"
King's eyes lit up. He bypassed the unlucky "elderly people" and quickly went to find the monster's remains. After entering a certain range, the system prompted that a monster card could be converted. He happily stepped forward and reached out to touch it.
"Ding! Congratulations, Host, for obtaining a two-star monster card: Male Beauty Serum Man."
Another monster card in hand.
He habitually checked the new card's attributes and skills. After opening the monster card, he looked at the description, and his expression instantly turned strange.
The Male Beauty Serum Man had two special skills, each capable of firing a different chemical solution. The first skill was called "Balala, Turn Ugly Juice for Me!" As long as it was sprayed on someone's face, their face would corrode, becoming old and ugly. The second skill was called "Balala, Give Me Back My Pretty Liquid!" It could restore a disfigured face and was the antidote to the "Turn Ugly Juice."
*These skill names... are so childish!*
King was speechless. He composed his strange expression and prepared to rescue the victims.
*Ring, ring, ring!*
At that moment, his phone rang. He took it out and saw the caller ID was Child Emperor.
"Hello, is this King? There's an emergency at the hospital. Yali is missing again. Only a bouquet of roses and a note were left on her bed. I suspect this might really be the work of that romance-themed killer."
Child Emperor's serious voice came from the other end of the line.
King replied very calmly, "Oh, I see."
"King, aren't you coming to the hospital to take a look?"
He thought for a moment and shook his head. "I won't go to the hospital for now."
He quickly hung up and returned to the "elderly people" awaiting medical treatment, informing them, "Don't be afraid, everyone. I can restore your original appearances."
Everyone was baffled. Where did this idiot come from?
"System, I want to use the two-star monster card: Male Beauty Serum Man."
*A hero by luck is still a hero! It's great to be able to do something for the people.*
"Card character possession successful!"
"Ding! Consumed one two-star card, obtained 1107 experience points."
"Ding! Host failed to learn the card character's skills."
Under the stunned gazes of the "elderly people," he spat into his hands twice, rubbed them together flamboyantly, and then smeared his saliva on the terrified face of one of them.
"Waaah! First disfigured, now insulted! I might as well just die!"
The first "elderly person" to receive King's loving touch wailed like a two-hundred-pound child.
The other "elderly people" were equally distraught. It was bad enough being bullied by a monster, but now one of their own was bullying them too. Is there any justice left in this world?
"What the hell are you doing?"
"You bastard, I'll kill you!"
Several kind onlookers glared at King, gritting their teeth, itching to pounce on him and deliver a righteous beating.
King looked innocent. "Hey, hey, don't be sad. Take a look, isn't your face better?"
"Huh?"
Those who had been denouncing and accusing King stared in amazement at the "elderly person," whose face was rapidly recovering after being smeared with King's saliva. "He's better! His face is back to normal!"
That "elderly person" was overjoyed. "My face, my face... Haha, I'm handsome again!"
*Pfft.*
Everyone shot a disdainful look at the guy whose face was still full of potholes. On him, "handsome" was a derogatory term.
"Come on, line up."
King spat forcefully into his palms again, beckoning the victims to come and get their dose of saliva.
"Um... can we use a different liquid?"
"Of course. My urine also has detoxifying effects."
"Please, smear your saliva all over my face! Don't show me any mercy!"
*Smack!*
A slap rang out. *Alright, faithfully executing your request. I definitely won't show you any mercy.*
In just a moment, King had returned the "elderly people" to their original states. After they recovered, however, their gazes suddenly turned hostile.
"Why can you neutralize the monster's poison? What's your relationship with the monster?" They looked ready to call the police or notify the Hero Association if King didn't give a reasonable explanation.
King: "..." *So ungrateful after getting what you want.*
"King, did you kill the monster!?"
At that moment, an angry question echoed from the sky. A green light flashed, and Tatsumaki came to a steady halt in mid-air. Her expression was uncertain as she stared at King's arms, which were grimy from dealing with the monster.
The bystanders were stunned. *What!? Terrible Tornado? King?*
"He's the one who killed the monster. He blew its head off with one punch. His fist still has traces of it. I... I lost again." Tatsumaki was aggrieved. She had tried so hard, searching almost all of Z-City for this monster, but... she still lost to that stinky King.
*No, I can't admit defeat! I'm the strongest human!*
She glared fiercely at King, her words, spoken through gritted teeth, raining down from the sky:
"Damn you, King! You got lucky and won again, but next time... next time, I'll definitely beat you! Just you wait! Our agreement isn't over. Sooner or later, we'll compete with our psychic powers. I'll prove to everyone that I am the strongest human!"
Terrible Tornado didn't stay a second longer. After spitting out her threat with a heart full of grief and anger, she quickly vanished over the horizon, becoming a tiny, twinkling star.
King stared with a bewildered expression at Tatsumaki, who had come and gone in a flash, like the wind, like a mystery.
"Huh? What just happened? Can anyone tell me? I'm so confused..."
He thought about it for a long time but still couldn't make sense of it. He could only attribute Tatsumaki's overreaction to her being on her period. That would explain why she, who almost never took a day off, had suddenly taken a vacation without warning. So she was at home "accompanying her relative"! But seeing her so full of energy, he was deeply puzzled. *Does a legal loli's period go away faster than a normal woman's?*
He turned his head and suddenly found himself surrounded by wolf-like gazes. Yep, a pack of wolves.
"Wow, it's Mr. King! I want to have your babies!"
*Hey, you're a man, aren't you? Are you sure you can have babies?*
"So it was Mr. King who killed the monster and healed our faces! Such incredible kindness... I could never repay it in a lifetime. I've decided! I'll offer myself to you to repay your kindness!"
*Ma'am, that's not repaying a kindness, that's seeking revenge!*
"Mr. King, let's take a couple's photo together!"
*Hmph, don't you dare pounce on me, or you'll be sorry. I'll turn that photo you take into your funeral portrait.*
(end of chapter)