Saitama's previous emptiness and desolation were instantly washed away by Lin Mo's suggestion of "playing games with only two fingers."
His dead-fish eyes were now astonishingly bright, flickering with a blazing flame of "unyielding spirit."
"Hmph, King, you underestimate me!"
As Saitama walked, he was already performing tactical simulations, waving his fists and gesturing in the air.
"I've been secretly practicing new combos recently! If you only use two fingers, you'll be caught off guard!"
Lin Mo walked beside him, a faint smile on his face.
He looked at his friend's high-spirited appearance and felt a warmth in his heart.
"I won't back out," Lin Mo responded calmly, his tone carrying a hint of confident ease.
"However, I think we're out of potato chips at my place, so we'll have to make a detour to the convenience store first."
"No problem! Quick in, quick out! We'll start fighting as soon as we buy the chips!"
Saitama's steps became much lighter; he seemed more eager than anyone.
The two walked one after another, their light conversation sounding particularly out of place in the desolate ruins.
Neither of them noticed that, not far behind them, a pair of eyes was staring intently at them... Pain.
Ubiquitous pain.
In the shadow of a half-collapsed building dozens of meters away, Garou leaned against the wall, panting heavily.
His body was covered in wounds; the battle with Watchdog Man had left him battered.
"Damn it... that guy is strong like a Monster," Garou muttered, clutching his wound.
But his eyes were brighter than ever, gleaming with excitement.
"Cough... cough..." Garou coughed up a few mouthfuls of blood foam, but carelessly wiped it away with the back of his hand.
Pain would only make him stronger; every near-death battle was a step on his path to "absolute evil."
His goal was to hunt Heroes, especially those high-ranking S-Class Heroes.
Just then, those two voices clearly reached his ears.
He struggled to lift his head and, through a crack in the broken wall, saw the two figures.
One was wearing a comical yellow jumpsuit and had a bald head.
The other was dressed in black, with a tall, upright figure, exuding a sense of calm and oppression that seemed out of place in the ruins.
Garou's pupils suddenly contracted into dangerous pinpricks.
That man in black... that aura, as if just standing there made him the center of the world... "King!"
The name exploded in his mind like a clap of thunder.
There were too many legends about King: Emperor Engine, Purgatory Matchless Exploding Heat Wave Cannon... each representing the pinnacle of human martial power!
Garou's heart began to pound uncontrollably.
Immediately after, his gaze fell on the bald man beside him.
"This is..." Garou quickly searched the Hero Association's S-Class roster in his mind.
"Ah, I remember now. It's that S-Class Hero, Rank 18, who recently got promoted. His code name is 'Caped Baldy,' I think? What a ridiculously stupid name."
A new S-Class Hero and the strongest S-Class Hero are walking together?
Garou's mouth stretched into a savage grin.
This was a godsend opportunity!
Hunting two S-Class Heroes at once, one of whom was at the very pinnacle!
What magnificent "evil" this would be!
This battle would surely become the opening chapter of his "Garou" legend!
All the pain in his body seemed to vanish at this moment, replaced by an endless fighting spirit.
Garou crouched low, his leg muscles powerfully tensing, instantly cracking the ground with his immense strength.
"Let you two be the stepping stones on my path to becoming a God-level Monster!"
He pushed the essence of martial arts he had comprehended from countless battles to its limit; the stance of Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist was perfectly displayed on his scarred body.
"Here I come! King! Caped Baldy!"
The next second, he moved!
His figure instantly covered a distance of dozens of meters.
His chosen target was the seemingly defenseless bald man; in his opinion, taking care of this newcomer first, then fully engaging King, was the best tactic!
His hand transformed into a sharp hand blade, aiming directly for Saitama's nape!
This strike combined all his speed, strength, and technique; it was the strongest blow he could deliver at this moment!
Closer! Even closer!
He could even see the reflection of the opponent's smooth bald head in the setting sun!
Victory was within reach!
However, just as he was full of self-satisfaction, believing he was about to make history—
The bald man didn't even turn his head.
He simply raised his right hand somewhat impatiently and swung it backward towards his nape.
"Thwack!"
Garou's vision instantly spun around.
His last conscious thought only had time to flash:
"What...?"
Then, the world plunged into a deep darkness.
Garou's body flew backward even faster than he had come, drawing a pathetic arc in the air.
Finally, with a "thud," he face-planted into a pile of construction debris, kicking up a cloud of dust, and then lay motionless.
"Hm?"
Saitama retracted his hand, looking back in confusion, "Did something just hit me? Was it my imagination, or just a really big bug?"
Lin Mo stopped, glanced at the figure in the distance who was completely unconscious, and rubbed his temples with a slight headache, saying:
"Not a bug. It's that 'Hero Hunter,' Garou, who has been giving the Hero Association a lot of trouble recently."
A flicker of annoyance crossed Lin Mo's mind; he wondered whether to capture Garou now and hand him over to the Association.
But on second thought, he decided against it. The current Garou was still too weak, far from reaching his full potential.
Moreover, he was a key figure in a series of important upcoming plotlines; sending him to prison now would throw the later story into chaos.
"Oh? It's him."
Saitama's expression remained unchanged; his entire focus was now on the impending game showdown. He turned back and continued enthusiastically to Lin Mo:
"Oh, right, King! Let's agree now, no using that buggy character in the game this time! It's not fair!"
"Alright," Lin Mo nodded with a smile.
"And, using two fingers was your own idea, so if you cheat and use a third finger halfway through, you lose!"
"Agreed."
The two continued to walk forward as if nothing had happened.
They seamlessly returned to their "friendly negotiation" about the game rules.
The sun fully set, and moonlight poured down like mercury, illuminating their retreating figures and also the unconscious Garou lying in the pile of trash.
He lay there alone, still bearing the scars from his battle with Watchdog Man, now with an added "new wound."