The lobby exploded.
Rank 2 versus Rank 6? Were they swapping ranks by battle?
Shouldn't it be King challenging Tornado?
No, no—S-Class isn't sorted purely by raw power. It's about contribution, too.
The onlookers whispered furiously.
In the eye of the storm, Lin Mo was baffled. He could not follow Tornado's logic.
Didn't she look bored and dismissive a second ago? Now she's furious—and wants to duel me!?
Before he could think further, a visible emerald tempest erupted from Tornado, blasting outward from her hovering form.
Papers ripped off desks as if seized by invisible hands. Sturdy office furniture groaned.
"L-Lady Tornado!"
"Back up! S-Class heroes are about to fight!"
"Gods, is HQ going to be leveled?"
Everyone instinctively fled the center, terrified of being swept up in a clash of titans.
At the very center, Lin Mo felt pressure no normal person could imagine.
He felt like he was standing on a tiny boat in a storm, about to capsize.
His blood rushed; adrenaline spiked. His heart pounded like a war drum—thud! thud! thud!
It was so loud he could hear it clearly himself.
"The King Engine! The King Engine's revving!"
To everyone else, the engine's roar was the strongest man alive accepting Rank 2's challenge.
[From Association Staffer D: Fear +3 EP]
[From Association Staffer E: Dread +4 EP]
"A duel? With Tornado?" Lin Mo screamed internally. "You've got to be kidding! Forget dueling—she could twist me into a pretzel with a thought!"
As his mind raced for a way out, big-nosed Sitch finally shook off his shock.
Face red with strain, he pushed through the pressure and rushed between them.
"P-please wait! Lady Tornado, Mr. King!" His voice trembled. He spread his arms, trying in vain to separate them.
"This is HQ! If there's a problem… we can talk! Please don't start a fight!"
Tornado's green eyes flicked over him, cold. "Get out of my way, Sitch! This has nothing to do with you. It's between me and him!"
Invisible force shoved Sitch back a dozen steps. He landed on his backside.
"That sound is the King Engine, isn't it? I'll take that as accepting my challenge?" Tornado hovered above, pupils reflecting Lin Mo's figure.
In reality, he was practically frozen with fear, staying on his feet by sheer will.
Seconds ticked by. The air grew heavier.
Seeing King remain silent, merely watching her with eyes that seemed to see through everything, Tornado's temper burned hotter.
"Are you looking down on me!?" Her pitch jumped; mini-tornadoes spun at her sides. "Answer me, King!"
At last, under everyone's gaze, Lin Mo slowly shook his head.
Then he spoke. His voice was low, flat, and steady—reaching every ear.
"Your opponent… isn't me."
Tornado's pupils contracted.
He didn't let her interject. Meeting her puzzled stare, he continued evenly, "I don't do meaningless things."
Meanwhile, he was doing his damnedest to calm down. He had to get the King Engine to quiet, or this really would turn into a fight.
Silence flooded the lobby.
"Meaningless… things?" Tornado echoed.
The staff turned to look at King.
Despite her apocalyptic aura, King's expression hadn't changed.
Cold. Distant. Eyes deep and still.
"A-amazing. Even under Lady Tornado's pressure, Mr. King doesn't flinch!"
"'Meaningless things'… Does he mean he only fights monsters!?"
"So the King Engine isn't a declaration of war—it's his response to Lady Tornado's overwhelming battle intent?"
Tornado heard them, and her blazing fighting spirit guttered.
The violent storm around her fell away without her noticing, shrinking to motes of green that faded from the air.
[From Tornado of Terror: Shock +50 EP]
Lin Mo exhaled. His heart settled back to a normal rhythm; the King Engine's roar dwindled and died.
"Hmph." Tornado drifted down. Though her aura had receded, she still wore that stubborn, unwilling look.
She realized she'd been impulsive and unreasonable—but she had her pride.
"Duels between heroes are pointless. Let's compare something else," Lin Mo said quickly, wanting to usher the little deity out the door.
"Let's see who takes down a Dragon-level monster first. How about it?"
"You said it!" She tilted her chin. "Just you wait, King! I'll win this time!"
With that, she streaked skyward in a green comet and vanished.
The smothering tension eased at once.
[From Association Executive A: Respect +5 EP]
[From Association Staffer A: Admiration +5 EP]
Lin Mo let out a long breath. Only he knew how nervous he'd been in those few minutes.
Now he just wanted to finish this damn ad and go home for a proper sleep.
And the legend of the strongest man alive had, without his noticing, gained yet another glorious chapter.
-------
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