"Who could it be at this hour?"
Noah and King both stared toward the front door, equally puzzled. For King, a visitor was a statistical anomaly. His social life was so non-existent that his own doorbell had likely forgotten it was functional. Apart from the occasional, agonizingly brief run to the grocery store for basic sustenance, King spent nearly every waking moment anchored to his gaming chair, lost in virtual worlds where he didn't have to worry about the "Strongest Man" persona.
"I'll check it out," King muttered, glancing at Noah. He rose from the sofa, his legs still feeling a bit like jelly from the earlier "shared pain" demonstration. He walked toward the entrance, wondering if he had accidentally ordered a pre-order bonus he'd forgotten about.
Outside the door, two professionals stood in silence. They were sharply dressed, the man in a tailored charcoal suit and the woman in a crisp, professional blazer and skirt. They stood like sentinels flanking the entrance, their eyes fixed on the slightly worn, unremarkable red door of King's apartment.
"Sir... are you absolutely certain the powerhouse we're looking for lives here?"
The woman, Miyano Mako, finally gave in to her curiosity. She adjusted her glasses, looking at the peeling paint on the doorframe. Thirty minutes ago, she had been buried in paperwork at her desk in the Z-City branch of the Hero Association. Then, her superior, Section Chief Gin Jiro, had practically dragged her out of the office and onto a train to this aging housing block. The mission: recruit the man rumored to have vaporized a Demon-level threat with a single pebble.
"This is the place, Miyano. My sources are never wrong," Gin Jiro replied, loosening his tie and taking a steadying breath. His heart was hammering against his ribs. The thought of meeting a man who could one-shot a disaster-level monster was enough to make any intelligence officer sweat. "Look sharp when he opens up. Whether your bonus doubles this year and whether I keep my office, depends entirely on whether he signs that contract."
"Yes, sir!" Miyano straightened her posture, forcing a bright, friendly smile onto her face. Inside, she was a wreck. Her annual bonus was her only hope of paying off her student loans, and her job security was currently tied to the whims of a stranger.
Click.
The sound of the deadbolt sliding back felt like a thunderclap in the quiet hallway. Their hearts climbed into their throats.
As the door swung open, a majestic figure seemed to emerge from the dim interior. To Gin and Miyano, the sunlight from the hallway window hit King's golden hair just right, making it look as though he were bathed in a divine, multicolored light. His scarred face remained perfectly stoic, his blue eyes cold and distant.
"Who are you looking for?"
King's voice was low and gravelly, a natural result of him being terrified out of his mind, but to the recruiters, it sounded like the rumble of a distant storm. He had accidentally slipped into "Arrogant Hero Mode" just to stop his teeth from chattering.
"Ah-- g-good day!" Gin Jiro was the first to recover from the invisible pressure King radiated. He bowed deeply, his voice trembling slightly. "We are representatives from the Hero Association's Intelligence Division. I am Gin Jiro; you may call me Gin or Jiro, whichever you prefer. We've come to personally invite you to join the Association as an S-Class Hero. Based on our field reports from today's incident, your combat record makes you an ideal candidate for our top tier."
"Exactly!" Miyano added, breaking free of the "aura" with a practiced, professional grin. She quickly stepped forward and handed King a high-quality leather folder containing several printed pages. "We believe your talents are wasted in anonymity. If you join us, we've prepared a compensation package that reflects your true value."
"Ooh, now we're talking," Noah's voice echoed in the air.
Noah had manifested behind King, hovering just over the man's shoulder. From his height advantage, he could easily read the documents King was flipping through. His glowing blue eyes scanned the text with the speed of a supercomputer.
As Noah read, he finally understood why the King of the original story had "reluctantly" accepted the job. This wasn't just a job offer; it was a winning lottery ticket.
"Look at this, King," Noah whispered telepathically. "Base salary of fifty million yen a year? That's just the starting point. And look at the perks..."
There were over thirty clauses, each more dazzling than the last.
All Hero Association merchandise provided free of charge (King's eyes lingered on this one, free limited-edition gaming consoles?).
Complimentary access to every hotel, luxury restaurant, and entertainment venue under the Association's vast corporate umbrella.
A 35-story residential building gifted as a private residence in the city of his choice.
Noah whistled. That last clause alone was worth half the offer. He knew the state of the world better than King did; with monster appearances on the rise, public order was crumbling. The police were overwhelmed, and the military was busy holding back the bigger threats.
Criminal syndicates were flourishing in the shadow of the monster rampages. In some districts, crime rates had skyrocketed so high that common laws were effectively suggestions. The further down the alphabet a city's name was, like Z-City the higher the monster and crime frequency. Conversely, in the "safe" cities like A or B, the cost of living had become astronomical. A single loaf of bread in a secure zone could cost half a million yen.
For a shut-in like King, who had zero income and was living on his dwindling savings, this was a lifeline. In the original timeline, this had been the only way for a normal man to climb the ladder of safety.
Noah noticed a spark of genuine interest in King's eyes when he reached the "free housing" section. But then, King's expression darkened as he remembered his secret. If I join, they'll find out I'm a fraud. I'll be sent to fight things even scarier than that rabbit.
"Do you have any concerns, sir? Please, feel free to air them," Gin Jiro said, his stomach churning.
The intelligence officer was a veteran at reading people, but King's face was an unreadable mask of stone. He didn't see greed, excitement, or even curiosity. He saw... nothing. It was terrifying.
Did Miyano grab the wrong file? Gin shot his subordinate a panicked look. Is this offer too insulting for a man of his caliber?
Reading her boss's frantic eyes, Miyano stiffened. The possibility felt all too real. In her earlier panic, she could have easily swapped the S-Class recruitment folder for an A-Class one. I'm doomed! she screamed internally. If I lose this bonus, I can't pay my rent in K-City. I'll be out on the street!
The silence in the hallway stretched for what felt like an eternity. King looked at Noah, then back at the recruiters.
Noah gave a small nod. "Take it, King. I'm here now. You won't be a fraud if you actually have the power to back it up."
Finally, King's cold, majestic voice rang out like heavenly music to the two recruiters on the verge of a nervous breakdown.
"Very well. I accept."
[Ding! Major Social Milestone Reached!] [Emperor's Treasure Activated!] [Congratulations, Host! You have acquired:Treasure Chest (Rare) x2]
Noah smirked. Two chests? Apparently, securing King's future as an S-Class hero was a "double-drop" event.
"Excellent! Truly excellent!" Gin Jiro let out a breath he felt he'd been holding for a lifetime. He stepped forward to shake King's hand, but stopped himself when he saw the "Emperor Engine" starting to thrum in King's chest. "We'll have the official paperwork and the keys to your new residence ready by tomorrow morning! Welcome to the Hero Association... King."
As the door closed, King slumped against it, his legs finally giving out. "I'm going to die, Noah. I'm definitely going to die."
Noah hovered over him, the two treasure chests rotating in the air before him. "Relax, King. You just got a 35-story building and a fifty-million yen salary. If you die, you'll at least die as the richest shut-in in history. Now, let's see what's in these boxes..."