Great, we're doomed now!

"I will not join the association."

Ye Shou calmly refused: "There's no need to discuss this further, as we've already discussed it before."

"Sorry, I just wanted to give it another try."

The staff were also very frank: "If we can convince you, we can get a large bonus."

"Since that's the case, then today we'll only discuss Saitama's affairs... Aren't we going to revise this information? While there's nothing wrong with the old photos, since the association wants to use them for publicity, it might affect Saitama's popularity."

“No problem,” Saitama replied immediately.

"Really?"

"As long as the money is there, that's fine." Saitama was more candid than the other person.

-

The staff member, holding Saitama's information card, had just stepped out of the office when he bumped into a tall figure.

The man had a face full of scars, with hideous marks running from his forehead to his cheeks. His eyes were so deep that it was hard to look him in the eye. Just standing there, he exuded the aura of an "unparalleled powerhouse." The staff member was so frightened that he instinctively took a half step back, almost dropping the data card in his hand.

Only after recognizing the other person's face did he realize what was happening, and he quickly bowed and greeted them, "King, what brings you here?"

King's fierce expression instantly turned even more serious, and his tone became somewhat unnatural: "It's nothing, I just came to see a friend."

"Friends?" The staff member was taken aback for a moment, then thought of Saitama and Ye Shou in the office earlier.

He wanted to ask, but King's expression was so serious (his social anxiety had run into someone), that he thought the heroes had something important to discuss, so he quickly stepped aside.

Watching KING stride quickly towards the office, the staff patted their chests—his aura was truly overwhelming.

Only then did he come to his senses and realize how valuable the information he had learned was:

The legendary "strongest man on earth" is actually that bald caped hero and the friend of the Divine Might Rider... King has always been a loner, hasn't he?

Indeed, only the strong can truly understand each other. It is precisely because they possess the same level of power that they become friends, right?

“Mr. Ye Shou, although I lost last time, I am well prepared this time and will definitely not fail again…”

Before the door closed, a voice came from inside, causing the man's heart to tremble violently—

KING! That man with the invincible look on his face actually lost to the Divine Might Rider!

That's absolutely shocking!

The staff member suppressed his turbulent emotions and continued walking downstairs. After he passed the office area, he heard faint sounds of arguing coming from the third floor. Out of curiosity, he glanced over there and was instantly shocked.

In the lounge area, an elderly man in a loose bathrobe, sporting a thick mustache, was none other than the S-class hero, Silver Fang, Bang. To his right stood a bald, sullen-looking old man, the renowned martial arts master Bomb. The two were...playing ping-pong?

The two exchanged blows, showing no airs of martial arts masters, but rather like ordinary retired elderly people arguing about winning or losing.

The staff member stood at the door for a long time, not knowing what to say: Is this building some kind of S-level hero spawn point?

We don't usually see this many powerful individuals at the association headquarters!

With mixed feelings, the staff arrived at the underground parking lot. Just as they reached their car, they heard the sound of a motorcycle engine approaching from afar.

Two figures stopped steadily in their respective parking spaces not far away. The staff were startled again when they took off their helmets.

The young man with short, dark gold hair on the left has a tall and straight posture, and his vest can't hide his well-defined muscles. He is none other than the rising star hero "Devil Muscle Man Genos".

The one on the right is very familiar to me; he made a name for himself early on and is known as the unlicensed motorcyclist who's always called a friendly neighbor.

After exchanging a few words, the two locked their motorcycles and headed towards the elevator.

The staff didn't rush out to greet him; they just silently watched their backs as he got into the car, still savoring the series of "surprises" he had just experienced.

Something's not right...

He started his car and prepared to drive out of the parking lot. Just as he turned the corner of the exit, he saw a group of people walking confidently on the sidewalk in front of the main entrance of the building.

The woman at the head of the group wore a dark green long dress with a gray fur coat over it. She was tall and slender, like a supermodel walking on a catwalk, and exuded an aura of aristocratic elegance that kept strangers at bay—it was none other than [Hellish Snowstorm].

Several men in black followed behind her, their steps synchronized and respectful, creating a unique scene.

Fubuki slightly raised her chin, her eyes sharp yet elegant. Even just walking down the street, she exuded a strong aura that made people want to stop and look at her.

The staff member slammed on the brakes, his mouth instinctively agape in utter shock:

What's wrong with me today?!

How come I encountered all the most popular heroes, who are usually hard to meet?

He got out of the car and looked back at the building, his gaze lingering on the surname "Kuse" for a long time: "Could it be... a small group like the 'Sword Saint Society'? But what do these people have in common..."

Hero groups are not uncommon, and Atomic Samurai has one under his command, with each member being a master swordsman skilled in offensive combat.

But how did these people in the Kuze Building come together when they had no common characteristics or close backgrounds?

"Two S-class hero candidates, two S-class members who are not officially registered, and B-class and C-class chiefs... This is no joke. The association must know about something this important!"

The staff member nervously took the information back, and also handed over Saitama's personal information, then anxiously awaited the association's response.

To be precise, there's no rule against heroes forming small groups, but if their power becomes too great, it's easy for them to seize control of the narrative, which is something any organization needs to be aware of.

Then he finally received the reply above, and opened the email with a heavy heart—

Saitama, the One-Punch Man, has made immeasurable contributions and has been promoted to S-class!

Lord Kuze's aspirations are noble; the claim of a heroes' society is entirely fabricated!

-

No, how come they have people in higher positions too?

Is this... is this the start of a new Hero Association?

Chapter 336: Another Ancient Evil God (4K)

In the lobby of the Hero Association headquarters, staff members stood in neat rows, their expressions respectful. The polished marble floor reflected their figures, and a tense yet solemn atmosphere filled the air—they were welcoming a special guest.

The automatic door in the distance slowly opened, and an elderly man with a slightly hunched figure but a calm demeanor walked in.

His hair was gray, and he wore a well-tailored dark suit. He wasn't particularly striking in himself, but if anything, his exceptionally prominent chin was memorable, with strong and unique lines that made him instantly recognizable.

It is Algni (a homonym for "chin" in Japanese), a major sponsor of the Hero Association.

"Mr. Argni! What brings you here?" The association's reception manager quickly stepped forward, his tone filled with genuine respect. "Welcome to our association for guidance!"

The old man smiled and nodded, raising his chin slightly, and said in a friendly tone, "It's been a long time since I've come to visit. I happened to have some free time today, so I came over for a visit. Everyone, please don't be nervous and feel at ease."

He raised his hand to greet the staff around him one by one, appearing very approachable. He could even call out the names of the senior managers and occasionally chat with them about their recent situation, clearly showing that he was extremely familiar with the people in the association.

It's worth noting that while Algni had contributed significantly to the association's establishment, he never interfered in its day-to-day operations and rarely made public appearances. His sudden visit today has led many to speculate that this world-class billionaire must have something important to discuss.

However, instead of inspecting the front lines like the command center, Algni, led by the person in charge, traversed numerous corridors and took a private elevator to the safe house on the third basement level. The place was heavily guarded, with two top-tier robots provided by Metal Knights standing guard at the entrance. Upon seeing Algni, the three circular monitoring units above their heads spun, confirming his identity before opening the heavy metal door.

"It's finally here~"

The safe house was simply furnished with only a few round tables and chairs, but an electronic screen covered an entire wall, while a few potted plants added a touch of life to the corner.

Grandma Sibabawa, with her completely white hair and dressed like a charlatan, was sitting at the table—but she had real skills, a fact personally verified by Ye Shou.

The old woman gently stroked the crystal ball on the table with her fingers, and when she saw Argni enter, a hint of a smile flashed in her cloudy eyes.

“It seems you can’t sit still either. Can you feel it? The tide of the times is beginning to change.” Grandma Sibabawa’s voice was hoarse with age, yet it was full of familiarity. “There will be even more dramatic changes in the future.”

“Long time no see, Grandma.” Argni walked to the table and sat down, nodding slightly. “Is what you called the ‘end of the world’ true?”

The two exchanged no pleasantries, clearly old acquaintances. Upon hearing the word "apocalypse," the person in charge was startled and tactfully withdrew, closing the door and leaving the two alone.

"Because of an encounter with a great being, my vision seems to have returned to when I was in my thirties or forties, and I've seen many things. How dare you doubt me here? Do you think I'm one of those street swindlers who believe everything they hear?"

"Of course I didn't mean that." The tycoon laughed. "I know better than anyone how capable you are, Mother-in-law. How could I possibly question you? It's just... this matter is too shocking."

He paused, his expression turning serious.

"Specifically, what kind of disaster is it?"

"It certainly won't be as direct as the meteorite that wiped out the dinosaurs."

—This world also had a dinosaur era, and there were intelligent individuals, but unfortunately, it was still slowed down by a super meteorite.

“Speaking of dinosaurs, it seems a secluded highland has been discovered somewhere, where colossal creatures have appeared… perhaps remnants of an ancient species.” Argni shook his head. “Of course, this certainly doesn’t qualify as an apocalyptic disaster.”

"Of course, those things are ultimately just 'biological' in the sense of being; what I'm talking about are far more sinister beings."

The mother-in-law raised her finger and said, "It's 'malice' from the world!"

"Malice? Such an abstract concept..."

"This planet was the site of a great war that nearly wiped out, or rather, destroyed, human civilization long ago. We are the descendants of those survivors, and even after so many years, we have not returned to our former glory."

The term "freak" is simply a general term for biological disasters, but their origins are complex. Some are the products of mad scientists, some are monsters born from twisted human hearts, and some are other races that have long lived in some corner of the world.

The old woman's lips moved slightly, as if her dentures were a little loose. After a pause, she continued, "Do you remember when we discussed this issue before?"

"Yes, it's possible that our ancestors went too far during the war, leaving behind residual energy radiation or failed genetic modification fragments that have been passed down through our descendants and may awaken under certain stimuli."

Argni stroked his chin: "But thinking about it carefully, there are also examples of animals and even objects turning into monsters, so we can't be completely sure that's the case."

"There is another hypothesis."

"..."

Mentioning this, even the usually nonchalant tycoon frowned: "That's really... hard to imagine."

If it's the legacy of ancient technology, that's easy to understand, but to say that some ancient god or demon destroyed us and has been secretly observing us... I can't accept that."

"Because I can't imagine what kind of fun such a transcendent being could possibly have in observing humanity," the tycoon thought to himself.

If that were the case, wouldn't this god or demon be incredibly boring?

"Who knows... I saw terrible disasters, but they weren't caused by a single monster or natural calamity. In the future, there will be a lot of malice directed at this planet and at us (humanity), some from space and some from underground."

—Both the frequency and intensity far exceed those of the past!

The mother-in-law's serious expression made the tycoon nervous as well: "Can't the Hero Association stop it?"

"Who are you asking? I can only see the disaster happening, not that I am omniscient and omnipotent. We will only know how it will develop when the time comes, but it is always good to be prepared in advance."

“Metal Knight…is his claim actually correct?” Argni suddenly thought of the sixth S-rank.

"By the way, Mother-in-law, you said you encountered a transcendent being. What do you mean? Could it be that you're starting to have faith?"

"I'm just describing things objectively." The old woman pursed her lips. "After meeting someone, I became convinced that there is a higher level of power in this world. If that's the case, there should also be a corresponding 'god-level disaster'—I just don't know what it is."

"In the end, there's no way to prevent problems before they occur; we can only be proactive in preparing for war."