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Lin Mo returned home after Saitama and Genos completed their hero assessment, and his life returned to normal.
His daily life was filled with three things: playing games, eating snacks, and thinking about what game to buy next.
Despite the existence of the Emotion Value System, Lin Mo was not in a hurry to collect emotions and improve his strength.
In his opinion, with Saitama Sensei around, he didn't need to desperately improve his strength; he only needed basic self-preservation abilities.
"Strength 50, Speed 50, Constitution 50... According to the Hero Association's physical fitness test standards, my current physical condition is probably comparable to most B-Class Heroes, right?"
Lin Mo poured an entire bag of potato chips into his mouth, muttering indistinctly, "Aside from lacking combat skills, it's practically perfect."
Just as he was bored and about to go online to see if there were any obscure indie games he could challenge, a pop-up ad caught his full attention.
"'Mech Girl: Final Frontline' global limited edition collector's figurine — Lilith, exclusively released today at the Anime City flagship store in Z-City! Only 100 sets!"
Lin Mo's eyes instantly widened.
Lilith!
That was the character he had invested the most effort and emotion into in the 'Mech Girl' series!
And the "Awakened Morning Star" version shown in the ad was Lilith's final form in the game's finale, where she burned all her core energy to save the world in her awakened state!
He had been drooling over this figurine design in developer interviews for a long time, and he hadn't expected its release date to be today, and exclusively in Z-City, not far from him!
"I must... I must get my hands on it!"
He immediately rummaged through his wardrobe for his essential travel gear: a dark gray baseball cap that covered his eyebrows, a black mask that covered the lower half of his face, and a plain hooded sweatshirt.
Without much hesitation, Lin Mo immediately set off for Z-City... Z-City.
"Just now... just now a strange-looking guy fell from the sky and attacked me... I thought I was dead..." The middle-aged man said to the bald young man in front of him, his face full of lingering fear and trepidation.
Cold sweat still hung on his forehead; clearly, the recent experience had startled him quite a bit.
And the person in front of him was Saitama, who had just finished his daily training and was on his way to buy roasted sweet potatoes.
"Hmm..." Saitama responded expressionlessly, his gaze drifting towards the fragrant roasted sweet potato stall nearby.
Seeing how calm he was, the middle-aged man tentatively asked, "Are you a Class-C Hero? Or a B-Class Hero?"
Before Saitama could answer, a piercing broadcast sound echoed throughout the street, interrupting their conversation—
"Monster appearance alert!!!"
"A monster has appeared in Z-City, disaster level 'Tiger'."
"Currently, A-Class Heroes are battling it in the Gray Residential Area."
"For your safety, please do not approach!"
"Ah? Monsters are appearing in other places too?"
The middle-aged man stared at the broadcast in surprise, saying, "It feels like the frequency of monster appearances is getting higher and higher lately... it's really not peaceful..."
Saitama's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly upon hearing this.
This was his first mission since becoming a hero; since he encountered it, he might as well take care of it.
However, just as he had this thought and was about to move, the broadcast sounded again—
"The 'Tiger' level monster has been defeated. We apologize for any inconvenience caused to the general public."
"What the... I was going to go." Saitama's face showed some displeasure, but he quickly reverted to his deadpan expression.
"Emergency evacuation information!"
"Emergency evacuation information!"
Suddenly, the broadcast's tone became unprecedentedly urgent and sharp.
"A new monster has appeared, disaster level 'Demon'! I repeat, disaster level 'Demon'!"
"Again?!" The middle-aged man exclaimed in surprise.
But his hands didn't stop; he deftly packed a piping hot roasted sweet potato into a paper bag and handed it to Saitama.
"Young man, this one's on me. After all, you're the hero who saved my life." The uncle's tone was very sincere.
"But, you really shouldn't go. This is a disaster level 'Demon' monster; that's no joke. You... you might not be able to beat it."
He looked at Saitama's slightly comical attire and kindly advised him.
Saitama didn't answer. He simply took the roasted sweet potato, nodded slightly, thanked him, and then turned and walked unhurriedly in the direction the broadcast had indicated... On the other side, at the center of the incident.
The 'Demon' level monster, Muscle Radish, had already been defeated by the Expressionless Trio—A-Class Rank 27 Smiling Man, B-Class Rank 69 Crying Man, and Class-C Rank 255 Angry Man—and was now scattered in pieces across a small alley.
Its remains indeed looked like a giant radish, but its surface was covered with gnarled textures mimicking muscle fibers.
It was said that these three were originally known as the Expressionless Brothers, but they never gained much popularity. To attract attention, they wore clothes with emoticons, but it was useless.
In the end, they realized that only powerful heroes would be respected, so they began to constantly fight monsters... "I feel like he's incredibly fragile, big brother..."
Angry Man picked up a fragment of "Muscle Radish," poked it curiously, and then, as if possessed, put it in his mouth and took a bite.
"His body is completely radish..."
"Hey!" Crying Man next to him immediately shouted loudly, his tone filled with the authority of an older brother.
"Don't eat random things! What if you get a stomach ache!"
Hearing this, Angry Man huffed a "Pah!" and threw away the radish piece in his hand.
Smiling Man, the team leader, stood silently to the side, his brows tightly furrowed.
"Just a paper tiger," Smiling Man sighed inwardly. "This guy himself doesn't seem to be 'Demon' level."
Just then, Smiling Man's phone rang.
He answered the call, listening with a serious expression.
"Hmm... Understood... Is it nearby?" His gaze swept over the intricate alleys around them. "Alright, I understand."
"The Association just called and said there might be a straggler lurking nearby."
"Let's take care of him on our way."
...At this time, Lin Mo had already arrived in Z-City by tram.
He was navigating through the labyrinthine alleys of Z-City, which felt like a maze to him, using his phone's map.
And his destination happened to pass through that area.
Thus, three teams of people, with entirely different objectives, were advancing in the same direction.