"Another four-star Card."
King ignored the citizens' baffling adoration, lowered himself to Hammond, and scanned Hammond's massive body a few times, his heart ablaze with excitement. Hammond had been designated a Dragon Level Monster by the Hero Association. According to the usual Card rankings, a Dragon Level Monster's Card level should be four-star.
He raised an eyebrow, filled with anticipation as he reached out to touch Hammond's body.
"Ding! Congratulations, Host, for obtaining a three-star Monster Card: Tyrannosaurus Rex."
"..."
King's mouth twitched slightly. A three-star Card? Shouldn't a Dragon Level Monster correspond to a four-star Monster Card? Could this dinosaur man have been a pseudo-Dragon Level Monster? Oh, on second thought, Dragon Level represents the Disaster Level, not its actual combat power. Perhaps this dinosaur man had only been elevated to Dragon Level after causing a certain amount of damage, while its actual fighting strength wasn't that high. That's why the system evaluated it as a three-star Card.
*Sigh*, I got my hopes up for nothing.
He sighed inwardly. What bad luck.
...
"This is my chance to escape!"
Allosaurus saw that the crowd's attention was entirely focused on King, while King himself was lamenting his peerless status, a loneliness cold as snow. Everyone had somewhat forgotten about him. He wasn't angry about this; on the contrary, he was overjoyed. He began to tiptoe, preparing to sneak away.
First, he had feigned surrender, then he had gone back on his word and sold King out, throwing him toward Hammond. This repeated flip-flopping perfectly showcased the demeanor of a petty villain. He figured King must be thoroughly disgusted with him by now. If he stayed any longer, he would be finished once King came to his senses!
Thinking back now, he wished he could slap himself twice across the face. But considering his arms were too short to reach, he decided to put those two slaps on hold for now and pay them back by slapping someone else in the future. Right now, escaping with his life was the priority.
"That dinosaur man is trying to run!"
"King, kill him!"
However, his body was too massive and conspicuous. The slightest movement was immediately noticed, and the citizens cried out.
"Quick, quick! Keep the camera locked on King! We have to capture King killing the Monster this time."
Bell and the others' eyes lit up when they heard this. Just now, they had been so focused on escaping that they had missed the shot of King killing the Monster. They were filled with regret afterward. Footage of King in action was worth a fortune. They clearly had the chance to capture that priceless shot, but they had let it slip by right before their very eyes.
Just as they were sighing in frustration, they never expected heaven to give them another chance.
"Hmm? Allosaurus?"
King snapped back to his senses, his spirits lifting. The hatred he felt for Allosaurus moments ago resurfaced. This despicable dinosaur man had dared to feign surrender, almost getting him killed by the fangs of the Tyrannosaurus Rex. He had secretly sworn to skewer Allosaurus, barbecue it, sprinkle some cumin on it, chop off the head and tail, and then dig in. It would definitely be a rare and nutritious delicacy.
...
The moment the citizens shouted, Allosaurus's entire body froze. He didn't dare try to run again, even though the exit was right in front of him. He could escape with one powerful leap. However, he didn't dare. He knew he couldn't get away. Although he was quite fast, compared to a Velociraptor, he was far too slow. Even a speed-focused dinosaur like the Velociraptor couldn't escape King's clutches, let alone a "clumsy" one like him.
So, after only a second of thought, he decisively stopped his escape.
"Ha... haha, hello... everyone."
He turned around stiffly, forcing a few laughs, then watched with a pounding heart as King slowly flew toward him.
"King, unleash your Purgatory Unrivaled Explosive Heat Wave Cannon!"
"Emperor's Blast of Words!"
"No, no, he should use those strange and unpredictable psychic powers, just like when he killed the Dragon Level Monster, Tyrannosaurus Rex!"
The citizens watched King and Allosaurus with a mixture of excitement and anticipation. Their eyes were wide open, staring intently at the man and the dinosaur, afraid of missing the slightest detail.
As King drew closer, beads of cold sweat began to drip from Allosaurus's forehead. He swallowed repeatedly, and the urge to urinate became more intense, completely exposing his inner terror.
King stared at Allosaurus, secretly pondering how to deal with it. Allosaurus's strength was not low; a Demon Level Monster Card fusion probably couldn't take it down, but using a Dragon Level Monster Card would be a waste. What a dilemma!
Allosaurus's legs trembled, and he nearly collapsed. He stole glances at King, his heart pounding seven times up and eight times down. *I'm screwed. King keeps staring at me. Is he thinking about how to kill me? After how I treated him, he must be furious. I'm a dead man. What do I do, what do I do... Huh? Maybe there's a way.*
He took a deep breath, and with a *thud*, he decisively dropped to his knees, crying out, "I surrender..."
"Huh?"
King's mouth twitched. *You... pulling this trick again? Heh.*
However, while King was unfazed, the other citizens were utterly shocked.
"He... he surrendered?"
"A Demon Level Monster surrendered to King?"
"The Demon Level Monster was so scared it proactively surrendered to King?"
The citizens trapped in the shelter stared dumbfounded at Allosaurus, who was kneeling properly on the ground. Was this weakling really a Demon Level Monster? This has to be a joke, right? Shouldn't Demon Level Monsters be imposing demon lords? How did this one turn into such a spineless coward?
Allosaurus's surrender shattered the image of Demon Level Monsters in many people's minds!
"Holy crap, a Demon Level Monster surrendered to King?"
"King is so awesome! He forced a Demon Level Monster to surrender with his sheer presence alone! That's a first in history!"
"*Hiss*~ King probably isn't just the Strongest Man; he should be the Strongest Being on Earth! Just by standing there, he can scare a Demon Level Monster into kneeling and surrendering. That's truly terrifying."
The viewers in front of their TVs were also gasping repeatedly in shock. They stared wide-eyed at the surrendering Allosaurus and the "unfazed" King. The same thought rose in all their minds: King is invincible!
"Lord King, I surrender, I surrender." Allosaurus wailed tearfully, repenting loudly, "I must have been possessed by greed just now to even think of harming you and killing innocent citizens! I know I deserve to die, but who doesn't make mistakes in life? Please give me one more chance to turn over a new leaf! I will definitely become a new dinosaur, serve the people, work for the well-being of the masses, and from now on, I will follow your lead to crush those evil Monsters that destroy our home..."
"..."
Watching Allosaurus's performance, King was speechless. He already understood that this kind of flip-flopping petty villain would never sincerely surrender. If a good opportunity arose in the future, it would definitely bite him in the back. Besides, he really had no interest in taking such a vile Monster as a mount. Should he just... kill it and be done with it?
Allosaurus beat its chest and swore loudly, "Lord King, I will definitely turn over a new leaf, actively do good deeds, and strive to atone for the mistakes I've made..."
"You damn King, let go of that Dragon Level Monster and let me handle it!"
Just as King was lost in thought, a sharp cry suddenly came from the sky. At the same time, a streak of green light shot over. It was the fashionably late Tatsumaki.
(end of chapter)