One-Punch Man: Boros, the Universe Overlord

Two days later, at night.

Boros's fingers moved rapidly as he intently stared at the game screen. All the lights in the living room were off, except for the flickering light from the screen, which illuminated his contorted yet focused face.

Thump, thump, thump.

Just as Boros was completely focused, a strange yet familiar voice came from beside him.

He looked up in confusion and saw that King's door had been opened at some point. King, dressed in pink cartoon pajamas, stood expressionless and stiff in the doorway, with only his signature "Emperor Engine" rumbling away.

"What's going on, King? Are you trying to scare people in the middle of the night by pretending to be a ghost? And why does your Emperor Engine keep starting up for no reason at home?"

King stood there for a moment, then suddenly let out a long sigh, and the Emperor Engine slowly calmed down: "Sorry, sorry, Boros. I got up to use the bathroom, and I was a little sleepy. I forgot you were still staying at my house. With your face like that, and you didn't even turn on the light, I really thought I'd seen a ghost."

"Damn, with such a cool look, you're saying I look like a ghost?" Boros was speechless and turned back to continue playing the game.

"Hey, it's been two days and two nights, why are you still playing? Don't you aliens need to sleep?"

After being startled, King was no longer sleepy and decided to sit down next to Boros and chat with him.

"I guess I really don't need to sleep. It's mainly because I have nothing to do, and Sitch hasn't called me once in two days."

Boros thought about it and realized that this body really didn't have a sleep mechanism. It was on standby for 24 hours straight and showed no signs of fatigue.

"Well, there are indeed many monsters, but most of them are Wolf-level or Tiger-level. Unless these monsters are very close to us, the Association won't call the heroes ranked particularly high. They will only contact us if the threat level reaches Demon-level or higher and ordinary heroes can't handle it. And Demon-level monsters are generally rare, maybe once a month."

King paused for a moment, then asked, "By the way, have you been checking the Hero Association's official website these past few days? I saw that your hero promotional video has been updated."

"Huh? Huh? I didn't notice. What's the website address? Tell me quickly, I'll go check it out." Boros perked up immediately upon hearing this and urged.

King fiddled with his phone for a while, then handed it to Boros: "It's in this hero update announcement. The association has really given you a lot of publicity this time, with it on the front page, the homepage, and pinned to the top. Go see for yourself."

Boros was initially puzzled, but then it dawned on him. There were only 16 S-class heroes in the entire world, and his ranking of fifth in A-class was already quite high. On the surface, he was the 21st strongest hero in the world, and given that he had been parachuted in, it was only natural that he would receive a lot of publicity. After thinking it over, he immediately picked up his phone and started looking at it.

Upon opening the official website and clicking to enter, you are greeted by a large cover photo.

In the photo, King and Boros stand side by side. One has his hands in his pockets, the other has his arms crossed, both with indifferent expressions, cool exteriors, and an aura of dominance, exuding kingly demeanor and the true nature of swagger. It's the very photo of King and Boros taken when they first arrived at the association's entrance.

Above the photo is large, bold text that reads:

[A proud alien warrior from outer space, King's best friend, ranked fifth in A-class—Azure Heaven Overlord Fist Boros]

"Tsk tsk tsk, the association's photographer is something else, this angle is really good, he deserves a bonus."

Boros grinned, secretly pleased. He had to admit that King and he were both incredibly good-looking, and the angle of the shot was perfect, making them look like powerful figures, not comedians.

The two stood side by side, with the magnificent Hero Association building in the background. The lighting was just right, highlighting their cold appearances and enhancing the sense of oppression.

"True king of swagger, nothing more!" Boros mentally gave himself a thumbs up. "At first glance, this is definitely the aura of a peak powerhouse! It seems the aesthetic standards of this world are still up to par."

The more he looked, the more satisfied he became, and he couldn't help but nod at himself on the screen: "Hmm, the curve of this profile, the reflection of this armor, perfect."

His gaze then shifted to the video below the photo.

The video has started playing.

In the scene, Boros hovered in mid-air, surrounded by ten enormous rocks, exuding an imposing aura. Then, in the blink of an eye, ten afterimages of Boros appeared in the scene! These afterimages flashed past the boulders like ghosts, their speed so fast that even the afterimages carried a visual impact of tearing through the air.

The screen flickered, then froze. Boros remained motionless, suspended in place, as if the ten afterimages were merely illusions. But the next second, the ten massive rocks shattered instantly, turning into dust, proclaiming that the explosive force of that instant was no mere illusion.

"Hmm..." Boros stroked his chin, a thoughtful glint in his single eye. "This is already a shot I slowed down tenfold. If I had used normal speed, the association's cameras probably wouldn't have even caught a glimpse of it; it would have just been a pile of pebbles. But..."

He frowned, looking at the "clone afterimage" effect in the video, feeling that something was off.

"This looks a bit like some cheap game skill effect? ​​'Shadow Clone Technique'? Or 'Multiple Afterimage Fist'? While it does demonstrate speed, doesn't it feel a bit... lacking in coolness?"

He pursed his lips in slight hesitation, but then thought, "Well, it's better than making it into 'Boros standing there in a daze, and then the rock shatters by itself.' That would look too much like a superpowered character. This 'so fast it creates afterimages' setting should be acceptable."

He sighed, decided to stop dwelling on it, and instead opened the comments section below.

"As we all know, sometimes the comments from netizens are more entertaining than the video itself and the description."

This is a habit Boros developed from scrolling through Douyin (TikTok) in his previous life, and it's also an important way for him to find happiness in this lonely universe.

"Front row, first seat! Rose was so cool this time, handsome and strong, I love it!"

"Hmm, you have good taste." Boros nodded in satisfaction, a smile curving his lips.

Keep scrolling down.

"It's just so-so. I'd say I'm about 91/9 with Boros. One punch from him and I'd be split into nine pieces."

"hehe--"

Next, continue.

"Watching aliens, it turns out there really is other life in the universe. Where is the end of the universe? Why was the universe born? The universe is so vast, what is the universal significance of our existence?"

"Boros, you may be very strong and powerful in real life, but this is the official website. All I can say is, you still need to practice!"

"Don't you guys think Boros and King are such a perfect match? They're like a match made in heaven! Are there any other fans of this pairing like me? Love, love."

"What's going on? Have aliens invaded Earth?"

"Is Boros an exaggeration? He has no record of any achievements, yet he is ranked fifth in the A-level. This is unacceptable."

"Where did this keyboard warrior come from upstairs? Didn't you see the official statement that Boros resolved the Dragon-level threat that occurred in City C a couple of days ago? Besides, even King acknowledged Boros's strength. Who do you think you are to give your opinion?"

"Beware! Beware! An alien has suddenly joined the Hero Association. Is there some kind of conspiracy? The more you think about it, the more terrifying it becomes."

"Go for it, handsome big brother! You must defeat all the monsters!"

"I have to say, no matter which world you're in, the comments from netizens are absolutely hilarious." Boros sighed, but a smile involuntarily crept onto his lips.

Although some comments were outrageous, overall the feedback was mostly positive. It seems my nickname, "Heavenly Overlord Fist," while I find a little embarrassing, is actually quite appealing to netizens?

He scrolled through the comments, chuckling to himself, completely immersed in the pleasure of being noticed and discussed. It was a strange feeling, like a lonely cosmic traveler suddenly finding a stage to confide in and express himself.

Just then, King's voice came from the side: "Boros, you seem pretty happy. Why isn't anyone complaining about your 'Low-class' nickname?"

"Get the hell out of here, King! I'm feeling great today, in peak condition, and after two days of intensive training, my divine skill has reached its peak. Do you dare to fight me?"

Half an hour later...

An angry, exasperated voice echoed in the living room.

"What the hell are you doing? Damn it, I'm not playing anymore, I'm leaving."

...........................

"I've been hurt by games and I'm so haggard. Starting today, I'm taking a one-day break from gaming."

In the living room, Boros, having finished a game, was somewhat disheartened and muttered to himself as he made up his mind.

"It's not entirely my fault. It's been several days, and I haven't received a single call from Sitch. And this system is completely useless. There are no tasks or punishments or anything like that. It doesn't give me any motivation. Damn it, this useless system has made me so useless. Putting aside the facts, doesn't the system bear any responsibility at all?" Boros said with great distress.

"There should already be a Monster Association underground where Saitama lives, right? Should I take care of the Monster Association myself and farm some system energy? It seems like I'm just a little short of breaking my limiter once."

"Forget it, forget it. Although I should be able to take on the Monster Association on my own without much trouble, and even kill one or two executives, taking them all on would definitely attract the attention of the gods. I'm not Saitama, and my skinny arms and legs can't handle it." Boros considered it for a moment and felt that it still wasn't feasible.

"Let's call Sitch and ask. Even a mosquito's leg is still meat."

Boros picked up his phone and dialed Sitch's number.