"Ugh… my body aches… it feels like I just ran a marathon…"
Ryan murmured to himself as he rubbed the sore spots all over his body.
Sweat dripped down his forehead.
A red ball was strapped to his nose, giving him the look of a clown, yet it couldn't hide the sharp features of his face or the undeniable handsomeness beneath.
After a moment to catch his breath, he took in his surroundings.
Everything was strange.
He found himself lying on the side of a road, resting.
The buildings around him were unfamiliar, towering structures he had never seen before.
Even the clothes he wore felt odd, unlike anything from his world.
Then, in the next instant, memories surged through his mind like a tidal wave, so intense that he rolled on the ground in pain from the mental and physical strain.
Once he had digested all the information flooding his mind, Ryan finally understood.
"So, I've crossed over… and this world isn't quite like my original Blue Planet…"
"And it seems I'm some kind of hero now, just promoted to a B-rank not long ago… what a strange profession…"
"Wait a minute… S-rank heroes have names like… Tornado… King something… Hold on… this is… the One Punch Man world?"
Realization hit him like a bolt of lightning.
This was the world of One Punch Man.
A world overrun by monsters.
A world where an entire planet could be bombed without hesitation.
And he, a low-tier B-rank hero, was now a part of it.
His strength was… okay. Just barely enough to handle the weakest wolf-level monsters without much trouble.
Anything stronger than that would push him to his limits.
Honestly, he really didn't want to be in this world, and he had even less desire to be a hero.
With his current abilities, a demon-class creature could crush him outright.
And a dragon-class monster could destroy entire towns with a single gesture, killing thousands in an instant.
If luck was against him, he could end up one of those thousands.
To make things worse, monsters appeared with alarming frequency. Almost every day, at least one or two would show up in each town.
Sleeping at night was no longer peaceful.
Even ordinary citizens had to live on edge.
And here he was, a hero, practically stationed on the front lines against armies of monsters.
"This is a terrible start. Maybe I should just quit… the salary's not that different from a regular job anyway," he muttered to himself.
Suddenly, a phone rang, breaking his thoughts.
Seeing a familiar number flash across the screen, Ryan hesitated before answering.
"Hello, is this Mr. Clown? A fan-shaped monster has appeared at a factory ten kilometers northeast of District B. Disaster rating: Tiger."
"We request your immediate assistance!"
"Alright… I understand… I'll head over right away," Ryan replied automatically, then hung up.
But he didn't move immediately.
He wasn't burdened by the responsibilities of his predecessor, and he had little sense of duty as a hero.
Right now, survival was his top priority.
He had promised to go, but that didn't mean he had to rush headlong into danger.
If other heroes were already on the scene, he could let them handle the fight while he observed from a safe distance.
In a world this dangerous, staying alive was the ultimate goal.
Then, a voice echoed inside his head.
"Ding! Detection complete. Host body has fully integrated. God-level Simulation System activated."
"Your foundational ability, the Eight Marvelous Arts, is now being calculated…"
Host: Ryan
Age: 20
Lifespan: 69
Combat Power: 1250 (Low Tiger-level)
Ability: None
Simulation Progress: Eight Marvelous Arts (0%)
Simulation Energy: 0
The continuous chime of the system and the display of a holographic interface on his retina sent a thrill racing through Ryan.
He was familiar with systems, and he had heard of the Eight Marvelous Arts.
Even if the Arts wouldn't make him the strongest immediately, they were a lifeline.
If he managed to master all eight, even God-level monsters might hesitate.
Victory over dragon-class monsters could become conceivable.
And who knew? With these abilities, he might even become the strongest in this world.
"Ding! Initial simulation automatically progresses by 15%."
"Congratulations! Host has acquired the Heaven-Connecting Talisman!"
A flood of information surged into Ryan's mind, leaving him dizzy.
But after a moment, he grasped the basics of the talisman, and a wave of relief washed over him.
The Heaven-Connecting Talisman simply put allowed him to harness the forces of heaven and earth with ease.
It could fight, run, trap, ward off evil, and even influence life itself.
Its versatility was nearly unmatched.
With such an impressive ability, Ryan felt a lightness in his chest that had been absent since he arrived.
"System, how long until the Eight Marvelous Arts are fully calculated?"
"Ding! At the current rate, completing the simulation will take three more years."
"Three years?"
Ryan's face twisted in disbelief.
By the time that period ended, he might be nothing but ashes.
Even with the Heaven-Connecting Talisman, survival wasn't guaranteed.
Monsters would only become more organized with time, and entire cities could be overrun by their combined might.
Given the current intel, the worst hadn't happened yet.
Still, three years was an eternity. How could he wait that long?
"System, is there any way to accelerate the calculation?"
"Ding! To accelerate simulation progress, energy must be collected."
"Energy can be obtained from defeated monsters."
Ryan's eyes gleamed.
"Energy… of course! The system is clever, scaling progress with monster strength."
"Tiger-level monsters have roughly a thousand combat power. I'm already at over ten thousand, strong enough to fight demon-level monsters. Tiger-level is a piece of cake!"
"In that case, the logical choice is obvious… I'm going hunting!"
The old motorcycle rumbled beneath him, its engine sputtering with slight lag.
The scenery around him blurred as he sped forward.
Fewer pedestrians remained on the streets, and scattered B-rank heroes were helping evacuate civilians.
In the distance, factories lay in ruin, glass shattered across the roads.
Several heroes in striking outfits seemed to be arguing with someone outside a factory.
Just then, Ryan's phone vibrated.
"Hello, Mr. Clown? The fan-shaped monster has been reclassified. It's actually a demon-level creature. The Blizzard Squad will handle it, so you need not go."
"Demon-level?" Ryan's expression shifted. He considered for a moment before responding, "Alright, got it."
He hung up without another thought.
Despite the reclassification, he didn't panic. Demon-level monsters typically had around 5,000 combat power well within his range to handle or at least observe.
He wasn't here to prove anything. Moreover, the Blizzard Squad and over twenty other B-rank heroes were already on the scene.
Even if they couldn't defeat the monster entirely, they could wear it down.
And if the monster was already taken care of by the time he arrived, he'd reap the benefits without the risk.
For a newcomer like him, the so-called heroic duty was a minor concern compared to survival.