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On the abandoned construction site, there was a deathly silence.
Only Lin Mo's Emperor Engine, roaring like a war drum within him, still echoed.
Saitama blinked his eyes, looked at Genos lying stiffly on the ground, then turned to look at Lin Mo, who stood beside him with an expressionless face and hands in his pockets, his face full of confusion.
"Uh… what happened to him?" Saitama scratched his bald head and asked, "What did you do to him? I didn't see anything just now."
"…"
"I'm not sure either! Is Genos really that afraid of mental attacks?" Lin Mo roared internally.
He was panicking now. Genos wasn't going to be scared to death, was he? Is a cyborg's psychological endurance really that fragile?
Faced with Saitama's question, Lin Mo could only remain silent. He had to say something that sounded impressive to bluff his way through.
He slowly shifted his gaze from the fallen Genos to the huge gully Saitama had punched out in the distance, praying internally for Genos to wake up quickly, and said:
"Heart."
"Heart?" Saitama was even more confused.
"True strength does not merely originate from the physical body."
Lin Mo's voice was low and magnetic, "The strength of the spirit, the strength of will, that is the ladder to the peak. His heart is not yet firm enough."
These words were plagiarized from a motivational manga he had read before, in a moment of desperation.
But spoken now, they were quite convincing.
Saitama nodded, half understanding, though he hadn't fully grasped it.
But it sounded much more advanced than his own training method of "100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, 100 squats, plus a 10km run every day."
So he stopped asking, only feeling that Mr. KING was indeed a profound individual.
Just then, Genos, who was lying on the ground, moved a finger imperceptibly.
"Zzz—"
His golden electronic eyes flickered with a faint blue light, restarting.
[System self-check complete... No physical damage to the body... Core energy stable... Emotional module overloaded.
[Reason for analysis: Encountered an incomprehensible, super-standard mental impact, leading to a protective system shutdown.]
[Conclusion: Mr. KING's attack mode is 'Will Suppression,' a form of attack that directly affects the core.]
[Countermeasure: None.]
Genos slowly sat up from the ground. He didn't look at Saitama, but stared intently at Mr. KING with a look of shock.
He had lost, even more thoroughly than when he faced Teacher Saitama.
"Is this the power of the S-Class Rank 6, 'The Strongest Man on Earth,' Mr. KING?" Genos thought internally, "This disparity is simply despair-inducing…"
"Mr. KING… Sir." Genos struggled to his feet and bowed deeply to Lin Mo.
"Thank you for your guidance, Mr. KING! You allowed me to glimpse a true iceberg of power!"
"Your realm is a level I am currently completely unable to reach. I apologize for my previous ignorance!"
Lin Mo's mouth twitched slightly, but on the surface, he remained as steady as a mountain.
He slowly nodded, pulled one hand from his pocket, and gently waved it, as if saying "it's nothing."
"Mm."
Saitama yawned beside them and clapped his hands: "Alright, alright, since the fighting's over, let's hurry up and go. The Hero Association registration is almost due."
He walked over and naturally patted the dust off Genos's body.
Genos quickly said: "Yes, Teacher!"
Thus, a peculiar scene unfolded.
Saitama, the bald caped hero, walked at the very front, his steps light, as if he were on his way to the supermarket.
Genos, the cyborg, followed half a step behind, his expression solemn, keeping close to Saitama.
And The Strongest Man on Earth, Mr. KING, walked leisurely at the very back, hands in his pockets, his profound gaze seemingly lost in thought.
In reality, Lin Mo was only thinking about what to eat for lunch and how to increase Saitama's rank.
— — — — — —
Hero Association A-City Headquarters.
This was a magnificent building that pierced the sky, constructed from high-strength alloy and special glass, with a giant "H" logo shining brightly in the midday sun.
People came and went at the entrance, mostly individuals who looked formidable; they were either heroes coming to register or to accept missions.
When the trio of Saitama, Genos, and Mr. KING appeared at the entrance, it initially didn't cause much of a stir.
While Saitama's red and yellow jumpsuit and white cape were unique, there were simply too many people in strange outfits here.
Some wore full sets of heavy armor, some dressed as ancient ninjas, and there were even those wearing furry animal mascot costumes, calling themselves "Beast Man."
Saitama's attire was merely distinctive among them, far from being shocking.
Genos's cyborg appearance did attract some attention, but that was all.
However, when people's eyes inadvertently swept over Lin Mo, who was following at the very back—
"It's… it's Mr. KING!"
"Why is Lord KING, S-Class Rank 6, here? Is some huge disaster about to happen?"
"Look at the two people in front of him, that bald guy and the cyborg… who are they? They're actually walking in front of Lord KING!"
"Could they be Lord KING's new disciples? Oh my god, how strong must a person be to be noticed by The Strongest Man on Earth?"
The murmurs surged like a tide, and Lin Mo felt his scalp tingle.
His Emperor Engine within him began to hum softly at an inopportune moment, but to the crowd, this sounded even more like the unintentional aura leaking from a powerful individual.
"Silence!"
A man in a suit, who looked like an association staff member, hurried over. He first bowed to Lin Mo, then cautiously asked:
"Mr. KING, may I ask if there's an important reason for your esteemed visit today?"
Lin Mo was expressionless, he simply pointed to Saitama and Genos beside him: "They're here to take the hero test. I'm just accompanying them to watch."
The staff member's mind raced.
Lord KING personally accompanying someone to register as a hero?
He immediately put on an enthusiastic smile: "So that's it! Please, this way! I will handle your registration procedures!"
Under the staff member's guidance, the two quickly completed their registration and received their test permits.
Saitama's number was 71, and Genos's number was 72.
Then he turned to Lin Mo and bowed again:
"Mr. KING, everything has been taken care of. The test will be held in the afternoon. You and your companions can rest in our VIP lounge."