Half an hour later.
At a street-side restaurant.
Qingshui wiped his mouth with a napkin, patted his stomach contentedly, and watched the sky gradually darken in the distance.
The Hero Association was already a part of his life. His first step was to quickly climb to A-Class, accumulate wealth and resources, and upgrade his armor.
With an upgraded armor, his strength would naturally increase, making promotion to S-Class hero an easy feat.
Beyond that, he planned to use other familiar methods to acquire Fortune, resources, and knowledge to support himself.
In this regard, he could look to Sweet Mask's growth trajectory.
As the top A-Class hero and the most popular, Sweet Mask was the Hero Association's most profitable IP, an idol who had built a commercial empire based on his massive fan base.
Qingshui could also establish his own personal company. He could use his hero status to secure sufficient seed funding, then leverage that initial capital, his technological knowledge, and his formidable strength to build a technology-centric empire with an even higher ceiling.
By then, his wealth and status might even surpass Arunig, the founder and chairman of the Hero Association.
After all, he remembered that in the original timeline, there were many internal problems within the Hero Association. Soon, a new hero organization called Neo Heroes emerged to contend with them, and this new organization seemed to hide even more issues internally and behind the scenes than the Hero Association.
If he could accumulate enough capital before then, the eventual clash between the two hero organizations might present a golden opportunity.
However, any such planning was for the distant future.
For now, he needed to focus on improving his strength and ranking.
He'd set a small goal: reach A-Class within this month if possible.
Fortunately, B-Class heroes weren't subject to the same strict weekly training requirements or mission quotas as C-Class heroes. Failing to meet those would result in a significant drop in rank. If a C-Class hero consistently slacked off and ended up at the bottom of the C-Class rankings, they could even be expelled from the Hero Association.
As Qingshui thought this, he pulled out his phone and opened an app specifically for professional heroes from the Hero Association, then began browsing.
The app listed pending tasks that various heroes could accept, such as patrolling areas, investigating suspected Monster sightings, apprehending wanted criminals, and even serving as bodyguards for wealthy individuals for a set period.
These types of tasks typically had longer durations, involved potential danger, but didn't pose an immediate threat to society.
There was also a category for emergency tasks. When a Monster or other disaster occurred, the Association would urgently contact heroes near the disaster area to resolve the situation.
For the former type of task, because time wasn't critical, the Association would assess the danger and impose level restrictions on heroes applying to undertake them. However, a higher-ranked hero could lead a team of lower-ranked heroes to complete the mission.
The latter type was for sudden incidents, which could potentially cause numerous civilian casualties in a short time. In such cases, regardless of hero rank, if you could get there and were willing to fight, even a low-ranked hero could participate. This was because they could at least potentially delay the Monster until higher-ranked heroes arrived as backup.
If the power gap was too great, not engaging was also acceptable. When facing Dragon-level or Demon-level disasters, it was reasonable and permitted by the Association for a C-Class hero not to intervene.
Besides the task board, there were other features, such as a forum for professional heroes to chat and form teams for missions, a database for Monster information, and a quick alert function to notify Association staff of emergencies.
Overall, the functionality was quite comprehensive, but it lacked the technology and cultivation-related techniques Qingshui was looking for.
However, while acquiring technology had a high barrier to entry, Swordplay and Taijutsu might not be as strict.
As Qingshui looked at the advertisement for the Haragiri Sword Dojo displayed on a promotional screen in the city ahead, this thought immediately came to mind.
This world had many famous martial artists. Silver Fang and Atomic Samurai, who represented the pinnacle of martial arts, were both capable of defeating Dragon-level Monsters and even holding their own against some peak Dragon-level masters. Their physical prowess and combat skills were at an exceptionally high level.
There was even Garou, whose martial arts talent was astounding. He integrated various styles, gradually breaking his limiters, and ultimately grew into a terrifying, god-level existence.
Haragiri's skill was certainly far below Atomic Samurai's, but as a member of the Sword Saint Association, he was definitely considered a high-end combatant in this world.
It might be worth looking into the Haragiri Sword Dojo first. Later, he could also inquire about the dojos of the brothers Bang and Bomb.
Qingshui jotted down the phone number and website address from the advertisement. Just as he was about to head to the gym for another workout, his phone rang.
It was from the Hero Association.
"Moshi moshi, may I speak with Mr. Qingshui, B-Class Rank 10?"
A sweet female voice came through the phone.
"This is he."
"Wonderful! Mr. Qingshui, could you please proceed immediately to the streets of Kawagoe Town, Section 3? A Tiger-level Monster disaster has occurred there. Mourning Suspenders, C-Class Rank 9, and Pineapple Man Warrior, B-Class Rank 37, are already engaging the Monster and requesting reinforcements!"
"Alright, I'm on my way."
"We'll send the real-time location to your phone. The enemy is moving very fast and has high destructive power, so please be careful!"
As they spoke, the Black Samurai Armor was materialized, covering Qingshui's body from the neck down.
In the distance, a helicopter with a searchlight appeared in the sky, flying towards another part of the city.
At the same time, the radio station began broadcasting an alarm loudly.
"Emergency evacuation alert! A Tiger-level Monster disaster has occurred in Kawagoe Town, City D, and is moving towards Commercial District 1-chome. Residents in the vicinity, please evacuate immediately.
Repeat, emergency evacuation alert! City D..."
...
A commercial street in City D.
Amidst the explosions, the powerful roar of engines was unsettling.
Through the dissipating smoke and dust.
"Cough, cough! Are you alright, Mourning Suspenders!"
A hero wearing a pineapple helmet and wielding two short sticks shouted towards the ruins behind him.
"Sorry, Pineapple Man Warrior, I might not last much longer. A Tiger-level Monster of this caliber is just too much for a C-class like me."
In the ruins, a hero wearing a white mourning suit and overalls lay amidst the rubble. His weak voice crackled over the radio to the Pineapple Man Warrior's ear.
"Damn it, this Monster is probably one of the strongest among the Tiger-levels. If there isn't an A-class hero or higher, it'll take at least two B-class heroes to barely hold him off, and three to have a chance at winning. Now that Mourning Suspenders is out of commission, I don't know if I can hold out until reinforcements arrive."
Listening to the explosions echoing outside, the Pineapple Man Warrior glanced at his orange spiky armor, which had sustained minor damage, then re-gripped his short staff and charged back out.
"Wahahahahaha! I'm the Dragon-level Monster who threatens bad reviews, Runaway Deliveryman! All of you who gave me bad reviews deserve to die!"
On a modified electric motorcycle emitting blue flames, a Monster wearing a "Mission Accomplished" helmet and carrying a giant delivery box yelled at the top of his lungs.
Whenever he spotted a living person, he would pull a package from the delivery box on his back and toss it.
But these packages were all bombs with lit fuses.
One minute later.
The electric baton fell. The Pineapple Man Warrior's orange spiky armor was scorched black and covered in cracks, and his body had sustained multiple injuries.
"Oh, such enthusiastic customers! To accept so many of my deliveries! Now then, take this fragile item delivery!"
The scruffy-looking Runaway Deliveryman pulled two glass bottles from his delivery box and threw them at the Pineapple Man Warrior, who easily dodged them.
The glass shattered the moment it hit the ground, and tendrils of green poisonous smoke spread out, causing the Pineapple Man Warrior to quickly cover his mouth and nose with one hand.
In the sky, helicopter searchlights illuminated the scene, broadcasting live footage.
At the Hero Association headquarters, Sitch watched the screen with a relatively calm expression.
In addition to this battlefield, there were split screens showing several heroes rushing towards the area. The highest-ranked among them was Light Ray Genji, A-class Rank 19, who was on roller skates with two swords in hand, but still some distance away.
The most striking sight was a black figure moving so fast it looked like a streak of light, like a speeding bolt of lightning.
The battle continued.
"Heheheh, without being able to breathe oxygen, how long can you last with those injuries?"
The Runaway Deliveryman chuckled, twisted the throttle of his electric motorcycle, and prepared to run over the Pineapple Man Warrior.
The roar of the engine sounded, and the electric motorcycle accelerated into a sprint, but its rhythm was disrupted by an explosive missile fired from a distance, forcing it to dodge.
A hand covered in black metal clapped the Pineapple Man Warrior's shoulder.
"Take the guy in the overalls behind you and go rest. Leave this to me."
"You're... the new B-class hero who just joined the Association? Wait a moment, I'll support you after I get him out of here. The enemy is strong, maybe if the two of us team up, we can hold out until reinforcements... huh?"
The Pineapple Man Warrior watched as Qingshui simply charged forward, then proceeded to beat down the Tiger-level Monster who had made him feel so overwhelmed.
Without his armor and without using Ninjutsu, relying solely on his current physical abilities boosted by Breathing Style and his own Swordplay, Qingshui would have been able to protect himself against this reasonably strong Tiger-level Monster, but not necessarily defeat it. His strength would probably be similar to his current hero ranking, placing him in the upper echelons of B-class.
He had watched videos of heroes fighting Monsters online, and the Association also had relevant data, allowing him to make a fairly accurate judgment.
However, after equipping his armor, using Ninjutsu, and going all out, Qingshui didn't dare say he could surpass S-class heroes, but he should be no worse than mid-to-upper A-class heroes. He was also more versatile, and at the very least, he could protect himself against some Demon-level Monsters.
And if he could fully forge his armor and turn it into a Magic Tool, becoming an S-class hero would be no problem.
"Ahhh!!! Violent Sorting Impact!"
"Fragile Item Delivery!!"
"Overdue Order Sprint!!!!"
Explosions echoed endlessly, and wisps of poisonous smoke permeated the air.
Qingshui, clad in his armor, activated Wind Release Chakra Mode, pushing away the surrounding toxic gas. He moved as swiftly as the wind, holding his sword in his right hand, unleashing streaks of Separation Release Swordplay that split and detonated the bomb deliveries in mid-air.
In Wind Release Chakra Mode, he could not only accelerate into a high-speed ninja using Wind Release, but the strong winds surrounding him could also deflect incoming attacks to a certain extent. The tiny, powerful wind blades generated within the strong winds had a counter-damage effect, while also adding Wind Release damage to close-quarters attacks. Furthermore, his own Wind Release-related Ninjutsu would also be enhanced.
Separation Release was formed by Qingshui's fusion of Wind Release and Lightning Release, so Wind Release Chakra could naturally enhance Separation Release.
Overall, Qingshui believed that the practicality of his Wind Release Chakra Mode was no less than the Cloud Hidden Village's Lightning Release Chakra Mode. Even though the Chakra intensity of this body wasn't outstanding in his opinion at the moment, it could already display considerable power.
At least for now, his speed was so great that this Tiger-level Monster couldn't keep up with him at all.
"S-sugoi! Besides Hellish Blizzard, I've never heard of a B-class hero with such power! This guy definitely has the potential to become an A-class hero!"
At the end of the street, the Pineapple Man Warrior, who was hiding behind a wall and giving Mourning Suspenders emergency first aid, widened his eyes as he watched the battle ahead.
This scene was also transmitted to the Association headquarters via the camera on the helicopter in the sky.
Another minute later.
"Separation Breathing: Second Form - Separation Dance!"
A flash of blue sword light streaked across, precisely severing the "Mission Accomplished" helmet and the mutated blue-gray delivery uniform at the neck.
The head fell to the ground. The Separation Release Chakra on the long sword also extinguished, leaving the blade slightly reddish from the high heat.
At the same time, the sound of wheels rolling echoed. A tall figure in armor, wearing a mask, and carrying a large battery on his back, sped down from the top of a distant tall building and landed at the scene.
"Huh? Where's the Monster? Has it already been dealt with?"
The newcomer looked at the mess on the ground and the dead Monster's corpse, then pressed the two High-Voltage Electric Swords connected to the large battery in his hands.
"Hmm, you're Light Ray Genji, A-class Rank 19, right? I'm new to the Association. I've already dealt with the Monster. How are the remaining corpses usually handled? Can I take it back for research?"
Qingshui kicked the Monster's corpse at his feet and asked Light Ray Genji.
-----------
Machine Translation by: https:// beta.randomtranslator.com/
Read 1111+ original & fanfic translations in English, Español, Português, Deutsch, Français, or Русский at: https:// beta.randomtranslator.com/
Join our Discord: https:// discord.gg/NSWvfN7vua
-----------