Chapter 359

"Right! But being a hero isn't that easy! Above you are plenty of monsters among heroes—surpassing them by sheer individual strength is unrealistic. If you want to climb higher, why not join our Snowstorm Unit and challenge the upper tiers together…"

"Um…"

Qi Yu interrupted Xiang Luoen: "So you came here to invite me to join your… Snowfall Unit?"

"It's Snowstorm Unit!"

"Whether it's Snowfall Unit or Snowstorm Unit, I'm not interested. Go find someone else."

Qi Yu turned his gaze away from Xiang Luoen and yawned: "I didn't become a hero for such boring things."

"Boring… things?"

Xiang Luoen's expression froze. "You mean… all the effort I've put into building the Snowstorm Unit is boring?"

"Hmm…"

Qi Yu thought for a moment, then looked at Xiang Luoen and nodded seriously: "Pretty much."

What an incredibly rude and vile person!!

Xiang Luoen stared at the bald man before her, clenching her fists, fury boiling inside.

She had come here with such sincere intent, and this guy was so dismissive!

Just a C-rank!

When had Hell's Snowstorm ever endured such treatment!

A strange light surged over Xiang Luoen's furious face; her black hair stirred without wind—the prelude to her power activation.

And at that moment.

A hand landed on her shoulder.

Xiang Luoen's power instantly dissipated; she turned to Luo En, frowning:

"What are you doing? Are you trying to stop me?"

"I'm afraid you'll get killed."

Luo En said seriously.

Qi Yu turned to look.

He saw Luo En and froze.

Ah, it's that guy who challenged us earlier…

Luo En stared at the bald demon before him.

This was their first close encounter.

Though Qi Yu appeared utterly ordinary to ordinary people, to Luo En—who possessed the Reincarnation Eye, Haki of Observation, and Transparent World—the man seated at the table radiated a terrifying aura that shook the soul.

Bottomless.

As if an infinite number of gods and buddhas were contained within his flesh and blood.

Since arriving from the Pirate World, this was the first time Luo En faced an opponent he knew he could never defeat.

"Kid, are you also a hero?"

Qi Yu asked Luo En curiously.

Luo En snapped out of his thoughts and looked at him: "No."

"Huh… not one?"

Qi Yu was surprised: "You seem pretty strong—I thought you were a hero too, but you're not?"

Luo En's heart stirred; he asked Qi Yu: "Why do you think I'm strong?"

"Hmm…"

Qi Yu scratched his glossy, rounded bald head, pinched his chin, thought for a moment, then said to Luo En: "Can't explain it exactly—just a feeling."

Luo En smiled and asked: "Then, between you and your companion, who do you think is stronger?"

Qi Yu thought and said: "You mean Genos? Hmm… I feel you're stronger."

At that moment, the door opened.

Genos had just walked in and heard Qi Yu's words.

"Oh no."

Qi Yu instantly sensed trouble.

Genos strode forward with a grim face; Qi Yu lowered his head and drank water, pretending nothing had happened.

"H-have you already taken care of it, Genos?"

"Yes."

Genos spoke, then turned to look at Xiang Luoen and Luo En.

"Hell's Snowstorm, first-ranked B-rank hero—I recall you're always trying to recruit B-rank and lower heroes into your Snowstorm Unit. Are you targeting the teacher now?"

Xiang Luoen froze: "T-teacher?"

Genos looked at Luo En, his eyes sharpening: "You are…?"

Luo En smiled at him: "I'm Luo En. Just a traveler."

"Luo En… never heard that name before. You're not a hero, right?"

"Correct."

Genos stared intently at Luo En: "Not a hero, yet Qi Yu says you're stronger than me. Interesting."

So Genos was indeed provoked…

Qi Yu lowered his head even further.

Genos pointed his thumb behind him at the open door and said to Luo En: "Do you have anything planned? Can you spar with me?"

"Genos, it's already very late. Let's call it a day."

Qi Yu hurriedly said, "I still have to go back and watch the nine o'clock TV."

"Don't worry, Teacher."

Genos gazed coldly at Luo En and said, "I'll finish this quickly."

Luo En glanced at the clock on the wall and said to Genos, "Not today. Let's reschedule."

"When?"

Genos pressed on relentlessly.

Luo En shrugged, "You pick the day."

As he spoke, he turned to the stunned Chu Xue beside him: "Lend me another ten thousand yen."

Chu Xue snapped out of her daze: "What for?"

Luo En pointed to the sign on the wall: 【Challenge: Super Spicy Giant Bucket… Failure: 10,000 Yen】.

Chu Xue pressed her forehead and sighed helplessly: "You don't even have ten thousand yen?"

Qi Yu heard Chu Xue's words, his expression freezing—he remembered he too had failed the challenge, and in his own arms… there was also no ten thousand yen.

Luo En took the ten-thousand-yen note Chu Xue pulled from her wallet and handed him: "I just happened to forget."

Qi Yu's eyes lit up, his gaze toward Luo En now warm and friendly.

He stood up and slapped the table: "Genos, I forgot my wallet too. Lend me ten thousand of your prize money later."

"No problem, Teacher. I'll treat you to this meal too."

13, the sword light descended straight down

They left the udon shop.

Qi Yu and Genos walked side by side along the night street.

Qi Yu recalled how, as they left, several high school girls had gazed at Genos with adoration, begging for handshakes, and felt a pang of envy.

"Clearly, S-class and C-class are treated completely differently."

"So it's one win, one loss—tie."

Genos stared at the prize money in his hand, recalling today's encounter with Sweet Mask, the top A-class hero, and that ordinary man named Luo En.

Though he had become an S-class hero, there were still many powerful beings in the world.

Genos turned his gaze to Qi Yu beside him: "Teacher, if I fought that man named Luo En, what are my chances of winning?"

Qi Yu thought for a moment: "Hmm… I don't know exactly, but probably not high. I feel that man is quite strong."

"Could I have a fifty percent chance?"

"No. With your current strength, your chances are less than thirty percent."

"…"