My Monster Evolution in One Punch Man

After Hansen finished speaking, he fixed his gaze on the scarred man before him, a man who carried a natural aura of intimidation. Amusement briefly flickered in his sharp eyes, as though he were watching a play unfold exactly as expected.

King, struck silent, found his own eyes darting away. Cold sweat trickled from his forehead, and after what felt like an eternity of hesitation, he finally forced out a trembling question.

"You… how did you know…?"

Hansen spread his hands with a relaxed smile, his tone light, almost playful.

"If you strip away all the terrifying battle records people attribute to you, it's really not that hard to see through the truth."

"I see…"

King's face twisted in a bitter struggle before his will collapsed. His body appeared drained of all strength as he let out a long, weary sigh. His shoulders slumped, no longer bearing the weight of the mask he had worn for so long.

"If you intend to report me to the Hero Association, I won't resist," he confessed. "Honestly… living with this reputation every single day is exhausting enough."

"There's no need for that."

Hansen shook his head slowly, stepping closer like a familiar friend, and laid a hand on King's shoulder. The moment his palm pressed down, he could feel King's frail, muscle-lacking frame stiffen instinctively.

"The truth is, the fact that people believe you're the strongest hero is already carved deep into their hearts," Hansen explained steadily. "Whether or not you have the power to match that belief doesn't matter as much as you think."

He gave a small pause, then added, his words almost reassuring, "Sometimes, being a symbol of hope is far more valuable than wielding actual strength. Don't you agree?"

"Besides," Hansen's expression softened, "I didn't come here to expose you."

His voice held such conviction that King nearly believed him. And in a way, it was the truth… but not the whole truth.

For Hansen, King's unique ability to attract monsters made him an invaluable asset. To Hansen, the man was practically a walking, never-ending reservoir of energy points. If he stayed close to King, his efficiency in gathering power would rise beyond imagination.

"…Huh?" King blinked, thrown completely off by the turn in the conversation. "Then Hansen… why did you come looking for me…?"

"I came to—"

Boom!

A thunderous explosion split the air, shaking the ground beneath their feet. Hansen's words were cut short as both men instinctively turned toward the source of the noise.

Along the edge of the park path, the earth cracked wide open, collapsing into a massive pit. Smoke and debris swirled into the sky as a vending machine crawled out of the dirt, groaning like some abomination. Thick metallic limbs sprouted from its sides, and its heavy body pulled itself upright with a grinding screech.

Its front glass panel shattered into a jagged maw lined with sharp, metallic teeth. A single blood-red eye gleamed from within its warped frame, burning with rage.

"Why… why did they assign me to this cursed place!" the vending machine monster bellowed in fury. "A whole day goes by and barely anyone passes! Nobody buys my drinks! My sales… my KPI!"

Breaking free from the rubble, it twisted its bulky head around, locking its crimson eye onto Hansen and King.

"You two… you look thirsty! Care for a drink? Keh keh keh keh! If not, I'll make you into drinks instead!"

King was stunned.

Here we go again! Why didn't I just stay home today?!

On the other hand, Hansen was overjoyed.

Perfect. This is exactly what I needed.

Thump… thump… thump-thump-thump…

The dreaded sound of the "King Engine" rolled out once again, low and ominous, like the forewarning of a storm. King instinctively assumed a stance, though whether it was for defense or for a quick escape, even he wasn't sure.

But Hansen's lips curled into a confident smirk. Before King's "engine" could even reach its full roar, Hansen had already raised his right arm like a seasoned warrior. In the blink of an eye, a blazing "Scorching Blast," burning brighter than fire, the size of a basketball, burst forth.

"Keh keh keh! Ugh! Aaaaahhh!"

Boom!!!

The explosion thundered across the park. The impact tore through the air, and a mushroom cloud three to four stories high surged upward, blotting out the sky in a fiery display.

This time, the vending machine monster had no chance to continue its rant. Its newly born twisted will, along with its entire body, was obliterated by the violent surge of energy, reduced to nothing but charred debris and shattered metal raining from above.

[You have slain the Tiger-level monster "Vending Machine That Couldn't Sell Drinks." Origin Points +87!]

King, who had witnessed the entire thing, leaned back slightly, his mouth agape in shock. Even the half-activated "King Engine" sputtered out on its own.

"S-so strong…!!"

In less than half an hour, two Tiger-level monsters had been "summoned" one after another, and both were instantly defeated by the man before him with ease. Hansen was very satisfied with King's potential as the strongest tool on the surface.

Casually patting away imaginary dust from his clothes, he calmly turned his head toward King and continued the topic from earlier, which had been interrupted.

"Now, where were we? Oh, right. I recently ran into a small problem. At the moment, I have no fixed place to stay, and I'm also a little short on cash." Hansen looked at King with a sincere expression. "So I'd like to trouble you, King, to take me in for a while. What do you say? Pretty please?"

"…Eh?" King's brain froze for half a second. He had not expected that kind of request. "Wait… take you in?"

"Yes? Is there a problem?"

"Uh… no problem." After thinking about it, it didn't seem as bad as he had imagined. King relaxed a little, his shoulders slumping slightly. "If that's the case, my apartment is actually quite spacious."

Hansen tilted his head, puzzled by the unexpectedly generous answer. Growing serious, he asked, "You don't need to think it over?"

Then, being considerate, he added, "If it's really inconvenient, King, I can always sleep under a bridge for a few days."

King's eyes widened, his mind tripping over the words. For a second, he looked like someone who had just been accused of a crime he didn't commit. How was he supposed to refuse after hearing something like that?

He groaned inwardly but forced a stiff smile on his face. "No, no, it's not inconvenient at all. I'm completely willing!"

"Thanks, that's a huge help!"

Hansen raised his eyebrows, delighted, then patted King's shoulder. "As repayment, I'll find a way to help you train your muscles and make you into a true powerhouse."

"…What?"

King's body stiffened, his expression pained, almost on the verge of tears. "Muscle training? No, forget it. Just thinking about it makes me exhausted…"

Hansen nodded in agreement. "Exactly. Poor meat quality would make it hard for monsters to eat. If they start eating you but stop halfway, disgusted, they'll just torture you instead. That would be even worse."

"Uh…"

Thinking about his strange ability to seemingly attract monsters, and recalling their twisted faces, King's scarred expression turned even more bitter. "I'm sorry… I'll try my best."

…

Hansen successfully secured a place to stay with King, finally finding a foothold in City M. Although he had no plans to join the Hero Association yet, getting familiar with King ahead of time while using him to attract monsters for farming source points was more than worth it.

Besides being known as the Strongest Man on the Surface, King was also a member of the elite hero group "Hot Pot Group." This group was packed with true powerhouses. Their baseline was S-Class, capable of effortlessly defeating even gods. If there was no need to become enemies with them, then there was no reason to go courting death.

(AN: I usually remove these words, but sometimes, I miss them.)

Following King through the streets and alleys, the two soon arrived at a luxurious residential district in the heart of the city. King's apartment was located on the twenty-second floor of a high-end tower in central City M. Security was top-notch, and privacy was excellent.

As Hansen followed King into the apartment, he was immediately hit with the thick atmosphere of an otaku's den.

A giant LCD television dominated the living room, with the latest gaming consoles and countless mysterious peripherals spread neatly below. Bookshelves along the walls were crammed with manga, light novels, and neatly packaged game discs. Even the air faintly carried the sweet-salty mix of chips, cola, and a certain brand of instant ramen.

"I thought, since you live alone, your place would be covered with tissues and bento trash. I didn't expect it to be this clean."

King stiffened, his face warming slightly. He silently congratulated himself for remembering to take out the trash that morning before leaving. Otherwise, his reputation would have been entirely ruined. Then again, in front of Hansen, he probably didn't have much of an image left anyway.