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The scene instantly erupted into chaos.
The S-Class Rank 2 and S-Class Rank 7 fighting? What's going on, a battle for ranking?
They must have the wrong person, right? Shouldn't Mr. KING be challenging Terrible Tornado?
No, no, S-Class Heroes aren't simply ranked by strength! It's about their contributions, alright?
The Hero Association members present had various thoughts and were conversing in whispers.
Lin Mo, at the center of the vortex, only felt bewildered; he completely couldn't understand Terrible Tornado's thought process.
Wasn't she just looking disdainful? Why is she suddenly so angry and wants to duel me!?
Before Lin Mo could ponder the reason, a visible green storm, centered around Terrible Tornado's body, suddenly swept out!
Documents and files were torn by an invisible hand, swirling up from the desks and flying in the air, while the sturdy office chairs groaned under the immense pressure.
"Terrible... Terrible Tornado!"
"Quick... quickly retreat! The S-Class Heroes are about to fight!"
"Oh my god, is the headquarters going to be torn down?"
Everyone instinctively moved away from the center of the storm, fearing to be drawn into this battle of gods.
Lin Mo, at the very heart of the storm, felt an unimaginable pressure.
He felt as if he wasn't standing on solid ground, but on a small boat about to capsize in a raging storm!
His blood flow suddenly accelerated, adrenaline surged, and his heart pounded wildly in his chest, emitting a loud "Thump! Thump! Thump!" sound.
The sound was so loud that he could hear it clearly himself.
"The Emperor Engine! It's the Emperor Engine sounding!"
However, to everyone present, the roar of this engine was The Strongest Man on Earth's most direct response to the S-Class Rank 2 challenger! He accepted Terrible Tornado's challenge!
[Fear from Hero Association Staff D, Energy Points +3]
[Shock from Hero Association Staff E, Energy Points +4]
"A duel? A duel with Terrible Tornado?" Lin Mo's heart screamed frantically, "What kind of international joke is this! Forget a duel, she could probably twist me into a pretzel with just a thought!"
Just as Lin Mo's mind raced, trying to find a glimmer of hope, the big-nosed Sitch finally snapped out of his extreme shock.
He pushed against the immense pressure, his face flushed, and quickly rushed between the two.
"Please... please wait! Terrible Tornado, Mr. KING!" Sitch's voice trembled with nervousness as he spread his arms, futilely trying to separate the two.
"This is the Hero Association Headquarters! Whatever you have to say... whatever you have to say, we can discuss it properly! Please don't resort to violence!"
Terrible Tornado's emerald eyes merely gave him a cold glance, and she said icily, "Get out of my way, Sitch! This doesn't concern you! This is between him and me!"
An invisible force abruptly pushed Sitch away, sending him stumbling back over a dozen steps before he sat down on the ground.
"That sound is the Emperor Engine, right? Can I assume you've accepted my challenge?" Terrible Tornado floated high in the air, her pupils reflecting Lin Mo's figure.
In reality, Lin Mo was already so terrified that his limbs were stiff, and it was only through sheer willpower that he didn't collapse on the spot.
Time passed by second by second, and the atmospheric pressure in the hall grew lower and lower.
Seeing that Mr. KING remained silent, only staring at her with those eyes that seemed to see through everything, Terrible Tornado's anger burned even fiercer.
"You, are you looking down on me!?" Terrible Tornado's voice rose eight octaves, and several small tornadoes formed around her, "Answer me, Mr. KING!"
Finally, under everyone's gaze, Lin Mo slowly shook his head.
Then, he spoke. His voice was still deep, devoid of any emotion, yet it clearly reached everyone's ears.
"Your opponent is not me."
Terrible Tornado's pupils suddenly constricted.
What did he mean?
Lin Mo didn't give her a chance to ask further. Facing Terrible Tornado's perplexed gaze, he continued in a flat tone, "I won't do something so meaningless."
At the same time, Lin Mo was desperately trying to calm himself down. He needed to stop the Emperor Engine first, otherwise, a real fight would break out!
The entire office hall instantly fell into a deathly silence.
"Something meaningless?" Terrible Tornado repeated.
Everyone present also pondered this statement, turning to look at Mr. KING.
Facing Terrible Tornado's destructive aura, Mr. KING's expression remained utterly unchanged from beginning to end.
He still maintained that stern, indifferent look, his deep eyes as calm as an ancient well.
"So... so powerful! Facing Terrible Tornado's Intimidation, Mr. KING didn't budge an inch!"
"Meaningless... does that mean he only fights monsters!?"
"So the Emperor Engine didn't mean to declare war, but rather... a response to Terrible Tornado's powerful fighting spirit?"
Terrible Tornado naturally heard what the others were saying, and her fiercely burning fighting spirit instantly extinguished by more than half.
The violent psychokinetic storm around her also rapidly subsided without her realizing it, eventually transforming into specks of green light that dissipated into the air.
[Shock from Terrible Tornado, Energy Points +50]
Lin Mo breathed a sigh of relief. He felt his heart rate return to normal, and the sound of the Emperor Engine gradually diminished, eventually disappearing completely.
"Hmph!" Terrible Tornado slowly descended from mid-air. Although her aura had weakened, her face still showed a hint of unresigned pride.
She also realized that her actions just now had been somewhat impulsive and unreasonable, but she was a bit too proud to back down.
"A duel between heroes is meaningless. Let's compete in something else." Lin Mo now just wanted to quickly send this important figure away, and immediately continued:
"How about we compete to see who can defeat a 'Dragon' level monster first?"
"You said it!" She raised her delicate chin at Lin Mo, leaving a fierce remark:
"You just wait, Mr. KING! This time, I will definitely win!"
With that, she transformed into a green streak of light, shot into the sky, and instantly vanished into the horizon.
As Terrible Tornado departed, the oppressive atmosphere in the hall finally dissipated.
[Admiration from Hero Association High-ranking Official A, Energy Points +5]
[Adoration from Hero Association Staff A, Energy Points +5]
Lin Mo slowly exhaled a turbid breath. Only he knew how nervous he had been during those short few minutes.
Now, he just wanted to quickly finish filming this damn commercial and then go home for a good night's sleep.
As for the legend of The Strongest Man on Earth, it seemed that, without his knowledge, an even more glorious new chapter had been written.