One-Punch Man: Boros, the Universe Overlord

The long-awaited system voice rang in his mind, bringing a slight joy to Boros's heavy heart. He quickly checked the system in his consciousness and saw that the dimensional energy value, which was originally 0, had changed to 85.

"Is it because I personally killed the monster that the dimensional energy was generated? Is it only monsters that can generate it, or can all the creatures I kill generate energy?"

Boros thought for a moment and felt that any creature he killed should generate energy. If only monsters could do that, this system should be called the Strongest Hero System.

Boros hovered slowly in mid-air, his dark gold armor gleaming coldly in the setting sun. He looked down at the ravaged city below, the smoke from the battle still rising from the ruins, and the occasional desperate cries of survivors echoing in the distance. This sight caused a fleeting, complex emotion to flicker in his enormous, single eye.

"This world... is really troublesome." He thought to himself, "Strange people keep emerging, it seems like they can't be killed off. Even if I had extraordinary abilities, I probably couldn't change much of this chaotic situation."

"If you want to produce energy, you have to kill creatures yourself..." Boros's eyes narrowed slightly as he weighed the pros and cons. "Well then, since I can't stay out of it, I'll be a hero to the best of my ability."

This idea did not stem from a lofty desire to save the world, but rather from a rational self-analysis. Asking him to slaughter unarmed humans or hunt down heroes fighting to protect the city was absolutely impossible.

"Let's not even talk about how much energy those defenseless humans can produce," Boros subconsciously touched his chest, where a heart that still retained human memories beat.

"Although I have taken this form in this life, deep within my soul, I still retain the memories of my past life as a human. This psychological barrier is something I cannot overcome if I cannot get over it."

He was very clear about his own position—he wasn't exactly a good person, certainly not the kind of saint willing to sacrifice his own interests for the greater good; of course, he was also not a purely evil person, and wouldn't wantonly trample on the innocent for personal gain. Ultimately, he was just an ordinary person with his own bottom line and principles.

"Sacrifice yourself to save others? I certainly can't do something that noble." Boros's lips curled into a self-deprecating smile. "But if it's just something within my power... like taking care of those annoying weirdos, eliminating the threat and gaining energy at the same time, I'm still willing to do it, a win-win situation."

"With the power I have now, most monsters pose no threat to me. If I ever have to face a god in the future, I can just hide behind Saitama. As long as it's not an attack specifically targeting me, I shouldn't die from a god's area-of-effect damage if I just get grazed."

"There's also Garou from the Cosmic Starry Sky. I remember he might have been stronger than me in the anime, but who knows? I've traversed the universe for so many years and seen countless life-bearing planets, none of which are stronger than me. Why would this planet keep producing them? Maybe Saitama saw that Garou had the potential to become human, and he let him go out of respect for Bang."

"Besides, I also have a system now. As long as I kill a lot of monsters during this period, my strength will definitely increase very quickly. Even if I can't defeat the gods in the finale, I should be able to protect myself without any problems. Hmm~"

"First, two small goals: one is to join the Hero Association, and the other is to quickly find a way to improve my relationship with Saitama. Maybe giving him a few supermarket discount coupons will increase my favorability with him?"

Boros rubbed his chin, deep in thought.

"Hey! You look pretty strong! Let's have a fight!"

A sudden shout, like a thunderclap from a clear sky, interrupted Boros's thoughts.

Boros looked down in the direction of the sound and instantly fell into an eerie silence. It was strange; although the sky was cloudless and the sun was shining brightly, and his enhanced body wouldn't produce any sweat, he vaguely felt a bead of cold sweat slowly sliding down his forehead… Was it just his imagination?

Directly below him, amidst the rubble of the ruins, stood a bald man with an extremely simple style, wearing a yellow bodysuit, red plastic gloves, and a white cape. He stared blankly up at Boros in mid-air, waving his fist again and shouting:

"Let's have a fight!"

Boros stared at Saitama with a stiff expression, his gaze fixed on the fist the size of a sandbag, and fell into a deathly silence.

If those seemingly ordinary punches were to land on him... just imagining that scene made Boros's body ache.

"System, come quick and save me! I've found a wild demon king!"

A moment of silence

"Brutal, absolutely brutal!"

Boros landed in front of the Great Demon King, looking heartbroken: "Let me introduce myself. I come from the distant Dark Matter Nebula Belt. I am a traveler dedicated to exploring the mysteries of the universe, and also a connoisseur with a passion for fine food."

He opened his arms, making a gesture of acceptance, and his tone became increasingly sincere:

"Upon arriving on your esteemed planet, I was filled with longing. I yearned to savor the delicacies nurtured on this planet, hoping to experience the beauty and harmony of this world through the taste of my palate. As a messenger of civilization, I have always abhorred vulgar, base, and utterly devoid of beauty acts such as killing, destruction, and fighting. How could you, a friend from another planet, immediately resort to violence and bloodshed?"

Saitama blinked his signature dead fish eyes, looking somewhat bewildered: "Um... alien friend? He looks like an evil villain, yet he says things like he loves peace. It's so incongruous."

"Damn it! You bald guy, when it comes to incongruity, who's more incongruous with your style and strength? You're the most incongruous existence in this world, okay!" Boros mentally ranted, but outwardly maintained his heartbroken expression.

"Indeed, sir. I was traveling through the universe and happened to come across this planet, where I encountered a strange man wreaking havoc. Based on the principle that 'protecting life is everyone's responsibility,' I had no choice but to intervene. I personally abhor this kind of violence."

"Look, my hand is still aching slightly, all because of stopping that monster."

Polostack paused, a hopeful look appearing on his face. "But that's beside the point. Sir, as you know, I'm new to your planet, completely unfamiliar with everything, and don't even have a place to stay. Since we've met by chance, why don't you be kind enough to take me in for a while? You could also show me around the planet's cuisine, like... well... anything delicious will do! I would be eternally grateful and will always remember your kindness!"

"Huh? Haha... I see, I see." Saitama's signature dead fish eyes narrowed slightly as he spoke, unconsciously scratching his head. However, just when Boros thought the matter had been smoothed over, Saitama's gaze instantly turned sharp as a knife, as if he saw through everything.

"Since you dislike fighting so much, then go and enjoy the food on your own! I have some urgent business to attend to, so I'll have to go now. Bye!"

Before he could finish speaking, Saitama gave Boros no chance to react. He suddenly exerted force with his feet, and his whole body instantly turned into a white afterimage. As if being chased by something terrifying, he disappeared without a trace, leaving only a breeze blowing through the ruins.

"This strange alien guy, I never expected him to be so cunning..." Saitama ran wildly, but the scene from earlier kept replaying in his mind, and the more he thought about it, the more frightened he felt.

"This guy probably doesn't have much money since he just got here, and he's trying to mooch off my meals like this..."

Thinking of this, he subconsciously reached into his pocket and touched the crumpled supermarket coupon. He recalled his already meager savings, and the extra cost of feeding an alien!

"No, no, absolutely not!" Saitama immediately broke out in a cold sweat, his legs feeling like they were powered by motors, as if some raging beast was behind him. "Although I really want to help you, my alien friend, you should go and work to earn money and eat delicious food yourself. My abilities are limited! We'll meet again someday..."

Boros breathed a sigh of relief as he watched Saitama's departing figure.

Saitama was putting immense pressure on him. He managed to get away with that rambling nonsense.

However, Boros knew in his heart that although Saitama seemed a bit airheaded, he was definitely not a fool. He had his own set of standards. Saitama probably saw everything Boros did. It was precisely because Boros's actions weren't purely malicious, and because he had a monster body but did heroic things, that Saitama was so "easy to talk to."

If it had been Boros who had just left the city in such a state of devastation, Saitama would have already punched him in the face of his nonsense, and wouldn't have listened to his ramblings.

"Anyway, this is a pretty good start. I've made my first impression on Saitama, and I've taken the hardest first step," Boros thought to himself. "Next up is joining the Hero Association headquarters. But damn it! As the mighty ruler of the universe, I really lost all my composure just now, feeling like a comedic character... There shouldn't be any other witnesses here, right?"

Boros smiled sinisterly, his gaze shifting to a building not far away.

Thump, thump, thump—

Not far away, a tall man with a resolute face and three ferocious claw marks on his face stood expressionless. The roar of his body, like that of a car engine, was particularly jarring in the silent ruins.

King, ranked sixth in the Hero Association and the strongest man on Earth.

At this moment, King stood as still as a pine tree, his face cold and stern. Even as Boros approached, his expression remained unchanged, calm and composed. However, the rumbling sounds emanating from his body grew increasingly intense, as if he were about to explode at any moment.

Boros stared at King before him, wondering how he had managed to emerge unscathed from such a fierce battlefield. No wonder he was a man with maximum luck; he really had something special.

Boros slowly extended his right hand, grinned, and said to King, "Hello, you're called King, right? I'm a warrior from Dark Matter Star, my name is Boros."

……