In the basement of the lakeside villa, Aomori's figure suddenly materialized.
"Finally, I'm back."
Stepping out of the basement and onto the viewing balcony, Aomori surveyed the familiar yet strangely distant scenery. It felt as though a lifetime had passed. Having stayed in the dungeon for over a year this time, it was his longest excursion yet.
It was dusk. The great orange-red orb of the sun had largely sunk below the horizon, bleeding out its final rays of light. He flew out of the villa and landed by the lakeshore, strolling slowly as he admired the view, savoring a rare moment of peace in the gentle breeze.
As he reached the far side of the lake, Aomori suddenly spotted two figures running toward him in the distance.
It's those two?
…
After classes ended that afternoon, Mumen Rider and Glasses had come to the lakeside for a run.
Because the cafeteria was incredibly crowded at this hour, they had calculated that they'd just end up waiting in line anyway. Instead, they decided to use this time to "grind" and get ahead of the curve.
"Senpai, today's firearms course was amazing. I didn't think we'd actually get to handle real guns," Glasses said enthusiastically. Having lived with Mumen Rider for many days, they were now well-acquainted, and the previous polite distance between them had vanished.
"Yeah. To be honest, I never expected a curriculum that would teach us how to use firearms."
It wasn't just firearms; there were courses on exoskeleton operation, vehicle driving, wilderness survival, first aid, tailing, and intelligence gathering. If they didn't know better, they'd think they were being trained as secret agents. Fortunately, the training was primarily hands-on; otherwise, the academically-challenged Mumen Rider would have been in trouble.
"After all, for an average person, using guns and cannons as weapons is more effective than relying on raw strength."
"True," Mumen Rider agreed. Depending on physical strength alone, it would be difficult for him to face a Monster.
"Being taught personally by senior staff... these lessons alone make this month worth it." Glasses felt his decision to quit his job and join the Hero Association was the best he'd ever made. Sitting in an office couldn't compare to the excitement of this life, plus, he could help people. It was killing two birds with one stone!
"We have Chairman Aomori to thank for all of this."
"Yes! Long live Chairman Aomori!"
"I heard you. You don't need to be that loud."
A voice that was both strange and familiar suddenly drifted from the side. Mumen Rider and Glasses only then realized that Aomori was standing by the lake.
"Eh? It really is Chairman Aomori!"
"Of course it's really me. Did you expect a fake?" Upon seeing them, Aomori had intentionally struck a distinctive pose, showcasing his highly recognizable profile while waiting for them to approach.
He hadn't expected them to be so engrossed in their conversation that they almost ran past him. They only reacted once he spoke.
"I didn't... that's not what I meant..." Glasses turned bright red, waving his hands frantically and stammering, "I-I'm actually Chairman Aomori's idol! Ah, no! I mean, Chairman Aomori is my fan!"
Mumen Rider was also excited, though he composed himself better than Glasses. He bowed repeatedly to Aomori and said excitedly, "My name is Mumen Rider. I am also a fan of yours, Chairman Aomori! I've been following you since you first started your hero activities long ago. I remember that time with the Potato Monster... you killed it with a single strike and then went through all the trouble of treating the injured civilians..."
As Mumen Rider spoke voluminously of the past, Aomori smiled and remained silent, nodding occasionally in acknowledgement. By the time the hero finished, both men had regained their composure.
"Sorry, I spoke too much," Mumen Rider said, scratching the back of his head sheepishly.
"It's fine," Aomori said kindly.
Glasses, having finally sorted his thoughts, took a deep breath and bowed. "My name is Glasses. I am a fan of yours, Chairman Aomori."
"Thanks for the support." Aomori gave a thumbs-up. "I have things to attend to. Keep up the hard work!"
"Yes, sir!"
"By the way, there might be Monsters nearby. Don't run into areas that are too remote."
"Understood!"
Having left a good impression, Aomori departed. Mumen Rider and Glasses remained, savoring the moment.
"Chairman Aomori really is powerful and kind. He doesn't put on airs at all, and he's so cool."
"Yeah. It's decided. I'm going to make Chairman Aomori my goal and become a true hero!"
"Me too! Let's work hard together!"
"Yeah!"
They continued running under the sunset. The relentless pursuit of their youth.
…
Returning to the villa, Aomori opened the system to take stock of his gains from the dungeon.
Ding!
[Congratulations, Player Aomori, for clearing the Level 10 Dungeon (Digimon). Mission Rating: S; Plot Rating: A; Monster Slaying Rating: A. Comprehensive Dungeon Rating: A. Reward: 10,000 Points.]
Without hesitation, he set the Digimon dungeon as a permanent Level 10 dungeon. Looking at his total of 37,389 Points, Aomori decided to perform a long-overdue "Ten-Pull" on the Intermediate Treasure Chests.
After another ritual of bathing and burning incense, he opened ten glittering chests in succession.
[Name: Boruto Manga Volume (White)]
[Description: A volume of the Boruto manga. Non-combustible material.]
[Remark: This isn't even as "lit" as Naruto.]
...
[Name: Bluetooth Headphones (White)]
[Description: System Brand. Can be used in any world.]
[Remark: Keep them safe.]
...
[Name: Hado #63: Raikoho (Purple)]
[Description: From "Bleach." A Kido spell that fires a shockwave of lightning.]
[Remark: Sprinkled on the bones of the beast! Sharp tower, red crystal, steel ring. Move and become the wind, stop and become the calm. The sound of warring spears fills the empty castle!]
...
[Name: Iron Body (Blue)]
[Description: From "One Piece." One of the Six Powers (Rokushiki). Hardens the body like iron.]
[Remark: It's said that those who use this move usually get beaten badly. But you're the protagonist, so whatever.]
...
[Name: Fine Snow (Blue)]
[Description: From "Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice." An item that rapidly restores health.]
[Remark: Hesitation is defeat!]
...
[Name: Cat Food (White)]
[Description: Food for cats.]
[Remark: You won't eat dog food, so maybe cat food is okay? (╬￣皿￣)]
...
[Name: Pocket Watch (White)]
[Description: A pocket watch for telling time.]
[Remark: Tuturu~!]
...
[Name: A Cup of Hot Water (White)]
[Description: A cup of hot water.]
[Remark: Drink more hot water.]
...
[Name: Soap (White)]
[Description: Soap for bathing. Chrysanthemum scented, fresh and pleasant.]
[Remark: Please hold on tight when using it. If it falls on the floor... it'll get dirty.]
...
[Name: Amadam Spirit Stone (Purple)]
[Description: The source of Kamen Rider Kuuga's power. Can materialize the user's inner will.]
[Remark: Watch more Kuuga! o(￣▽￣)ｄ]
"Two Purple items?"
Rare indeed; he hadn't just hit the pity timer. Aomori beamed, skipping over the useless white items to inventory the rest.
"Hado #63: Raikoho? A technique from Bleach. I wonder if I can use it smoothly. I'll try it later. Iron Body? Its strength seems limited, but it gives me an idea. I can try to derive other techniques and let the heroes learn them. I'll call them the 'Hero Six Powers' in the future."
"Fine Snow, a healing item. Useless for me, but it can save others. The Amadam Spirit Stone... I recall that using it too much turns one into a mindless biological weapon?"
The stone didn't mean much to Aomori personally, and it wasn't suitable for others, but he could try to study its principles to see if he could replicate items with fewer side effects. However, the workloads for Child Emperor and Akihiko Kayaba were already at capacity, and this wasn't their specialty. It seemed he needed to scout for talent "in the wild."
Aomori immediately thought of a suitable candidate. The boss of the House of Evolution—Dr. Genus.
That guy was a super genius in the field of biochemistry. He had independently developed technologies for rejuvenation and cloning; those two technologies alone were priceless treasures. He had also created Zombieman, a bugged biological existence that couldn't die, through human experimentation. He was a perfect "Chosen One" template and clearly destined to cross paths with Aomori.
The House's highest combat power was just Carnage Kabuto. That wouldn't be a problem; summoning one or two S-Class heroes would be enough to wipe out the whole nest.
"I wonder if the security robots have captured any of their movements?"
Another item was added to his to-do list.
After finishing the inventory and learning the techniques, he tossed the items into the system. Aomori checked his office computer and phone. After handling Hero Association affairs, he stepped out of the villa once more.
Once he was a distance away, he used the cover of night to take flight, diving into the deep, ancient forests and heading toward previously unexplored areas.
The further one went from civilization, the fewer Monsters transformed from humans were found. However, "Non-Human Monsters" transformed from animals, plants, or other races were more likely to appear. Generally, Monsters based on this nature were stronger than human-based Monsters.
Under the night sky, Aomori's somewhat ostentatious flight drew out many Non-Human Monsters hiding within. He didn't care for the weaker ones, leaving them for Absol and the others to handle. He went straight for the strongest among them: a thousand-year-old tree spirit.
Its canopy reached over a hundred meters high, and its trunk was about eight meters thick. It had originally intended to masquerade as an ordinary tree, but Aomori saw through it at a glance.
"Are you kidding? You think I'm blind to that mountain-like pile of skeletons on the ground, Granny Tree Demon?"
"Bastard! I am not 'Granny Tree Demon,' I am the Ten-Thousand-Year Laurel!" It revealed its true form. Countless red eyes snapped open on its trunk, and it waved thousands of branches, lunging toward Aomori with bared fangs and claws.
"Human, I haven't eaten in so long! Give me your life!"
"Beat it. I'm not a magical girl; don't give me that trope." Aomori moved nimbly, taking advantage of the tree's inability to move by backing out of its attack range.
"Try my new ultimate move." He cupped his hands in front of his chest like he was holding a flower, aimed at the tree demon, and began to chant: "Sprinkled on the bones of the beast! Sharp tower, red crystal, steel ring... Hado #63: Raikoho!"
Violent energy erupted from his hands. The shockwave, carrying purple lightning, instantly crossed the hundred-meter gap like a laser, piercing through the tree demon's trunk and slamming into the ground. It triggered a violent explosion that shook the mountains, consuming the branches and the trunk entirely.
Ding!
[Congratulations, Player Aomori, for successfully killing the Granny Tree Demon (Demon-level). Gained 11,000 EXP and 1,000 Points.]
Ding!
[Congratulations, Player Aomori, for completing the Daily Mission: Subdue Monster (1/1). Gained 550 EXP and 50 Points.]
Looking at the charred fragments of the corpse littering the ground, Aomori exhaled slightly. "Good power, though the cost is high."
He could probably fire another ten or twenty shots before exhausting his energy, but the power was significantly higher than the [Ah Wei's 18 Forms: One Hit, One Kill].
Hovering slowly directly above the tree demon's remains, and following the principle of "pulling up a weed by the roots" (or digging up the stump), Aomori unleashed another [Hado #63: Raikoho]. This time, he skipped the chant and fired it directly.
A beam of light struck the ground, creating a crater with a radius of about twenty meters.
"The power is about twenty percent weaker than the last one, and the consumption is slightly higher."
Noticing the forest fire that was about to spread, Aomori quickly called Absol to clean up the mess. After a torrential downpour, the threat of legal trouble for starting a fire vanished into the night.
With the Hado test complete, it was time to try the Six Powers.
"Iron Body!"
Aomori accelerated his blood flow and tensed his muscles until they were rock hard. He let Yujiro-Ditto-Hanma punch him with full force, feeling only a slight sting of pain.
"Still quite useful."
Thoroughly tempered muscles were indeed the strongest. Aomori's obsession with mechas like Gundam wasn't as deep as before.
After testing Iron Body, he used his memory of the Six Powers' effects to reverse-engineer the other five. With [Body Control (LV4)], he successfully mastered Moonwalk, Tempest Kick, Shave, and Finger Pistol. Only the high-difficulty Paper Arts remained unmastered.
"It seems the physical strength of the people in One Piece isn't low either."
If someone with a Physique as high as Aomori's couldn't master it easily, it would be even harder for people like Mumen Rider.
He'd find time to visit Bang and see if he could simplify them, creating a "Hero Six Powers" suitable for average humans in the One-Punch world. This would not only improve the overall strength of heroes but also give the Hero Association a trademark skill to enhance collective honor.
Adding another note to his to-do list, Aomori began clearing the area. He had Pidgeot carry the "wild game" he'd hunted, and they returned to the lakeside villa together.
Flashy Flash, sensing a different presence, was the first to step out of his room. Seeing the majestic, extraordinary Pidgeot, he frowned and gave Aomori an inquisitive look.
"Its name is Pidgeot. It's a very intelligent bird I encountered while hunting Monsters, so I brought it back."
Keeping Absol and the others hidden forever wasn't an option, so he was using this as an excuse to slowly bring them into the light.
"Pidgeot?" Flash squinted, staring intently at the bird.
"Piijo!" Pidgeot bobbed its head, acting harmless.
"As you wish. But if I catch it doing something stupid, my sword won't show you any respect," Flash said coldly.
"Heh, I'll keep it in line."
Superalloy Darkshine and Bang also walked out after hearing the commotion. Seeing Pidgeot, they exclaimed, "That's one big bird!"
"Looks like it would taste good," Bang said, smacking his lips.
"Pii-piijo!"
"Bang-sensei, Pidgeot is not emergency rations," Aomori explained again. Finally, pointing to the game on Pidgeot's back, he said, "The harvest was good tonight. We have our late-night snack sorted."
"Good, good, good."
Darkshine and Bang licked their lips. They had already tasted Aomori's cooking over the past few days, and it was top-tier!
"Hmph. Is this what a Chairman should be doing?" Despite his words, Flash already had a bowl and chopsticks ready, hidden sneakily behind his back.
"What's wrong with caring about the instructors' meals?"
"Yeah, yeah!" Darkshine nodded repeatedly. "My muscles really need to replenish protein. This is super important!"
And so, they pulled out small stools and sat down to watch Aomori perform.
Aomori did not disappoint. He drew [Ryuko], plucking and bleeding the game in a fluid motion. He used [Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist] and [Exploding Heart Release Fist] to give the meat a full-body massage, making the texture softer.
He built a bonfire, set up the grill, and sprinkled his special spices. The aroma of meat drifted for miles.
"I'm digging in!"
"I want the two big hind legs." Darkshine reached out with his massive hand, aiming for his target.
"Young people should respect their elders." Bang used [Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist] to snag one.
Another leg was taken by Aomori, who was closest. A front leg was tossed into the air and snatched up by Pidgeot.
Flash said nothing and barely seemed to move, but a plate in his hand was already piled high with neatly sliced pieces of meat. He elegantly put them into his mouth, piece by piece.
"Uh..." Darkshine had no choice but to settle for the ribs.
After devouring all the food like a whirlwind, Aomori took the opportunity to show Bang his somewhat unrefined "Hero Six Powers."
"Bang-sensei, could you see if these can be simplified into a set of techniques?"
"Hmm, quite interesting. I'll give it a try when I have time."
"Great!"