Chapter 1: Is a C-Rank Hero Really That Useless?

"Final exams are coming... I'm so nervous!"

"Same! I just hope I get a good match with my hero."

"If I could sync with Tornado of Terror, I'd hit the jackpot!"

"Tornado? Bro, I'd take any S-Rank hero!"

"Even KING, who's ranked seventh?"

"...Okay, anyone except that fraud."

"Haha! Don't diss KING. At least he's got the intimidation factor."

"You guys are dreaming way too big. Syncing with an S-Rank isn't like buying veggies at the market. I'd be thrilled with an A-Rank."

"Yeah, we're just talking. Chill out."

...

Vincent Fox had just woken up and found himself totally confused by the chatter around him.

What the hell were they talking about?

Tornado of Terror? S-Rank heroes?

One Punch Man?

Wait, what does that have to do with college entrance exams?

And more importantly...

Vincent clearly remembered falling asleep at home so why the hell did he wake up in a classroom?

He glanced around.

Teenagers. All of them.

Even he was wearing a high school uniform.

What the hell was going on?

He had graduated college two years ago and had been working ever since. Why was he suddenly back in high school?

"Did I... transmigrate?"

He muttered the words under his breath.

It was the only explanation that made sense.

Just as he was trying to process everything, a sharp pain pierced his skull, like something was forcibly drilling into his brain.

He grunted, gripping his desk as fragmented memories began flooding in.

...

After what felt like an eternity, the pain finally faded. Vincent slowly came back to himself.

"So it really is another world..."

Based on the new memories, Vincent realized he had indeed transmigrated.

This world resembled Earth in many ways: it had the internet, smartphones, and modern civilization.

But outside the towering city walls... monsters roamed freely, constantly threatening humanity's survival.

And it was because of those monsters that superpowered humans heroes had emerged.

Yet, these powers weren't gained through training or cultivation.

They came from special rifts known as Forbidden Zones.

Forbidden Zones were scattered across the globe.

Some were nightmarishly dangerous infested with zombies, ghosts, and other horrors.

Others were relatively safe.

The one those students were just talking about was considered the safest of them all:

The One Punch Man Zone.

Every citizen, upon turning eighteen, was granted one opportunity to enter this zone and attempt to sync with a hero from One Punch Man.

If successful, they'd inherit that hero's base abilities.

Take Tornado of Terror, for example.

If someone successfully synced with her, they'd gain telekinesis and instantly become a top-tier prospect. Elite universities would line up to recruit them, and with enough mental power, they could one day rival Tornado herself.

They'd become a guardian of humanity.

That's why the One Punch Man Zone was known as the "Hero's Sanctuary."

The government had even made it the most critical subject in the national college entrance exam.

Because the monsters outside the walls… could only be stopped by those with real power.

...

Moments later, a middle-aged woman walked into the classroom.

The students immediately quieted down.

The teacher Helena Hayes swept her gaze across the room.

"This will be my last lesson with you all," she said gently. "Your exams are just around the corner."

"I hope every one of you scores high in the Hero's Sanctuary trial."

"May your futures be bright."

"Now, since we've already covered all the core material, I'll use this final session to share a few key tips for your upcoming assessment."

She paused, then added, "The Hero's Sanctuary assessment, also known as the Newcomer Trial, should be familiar to all of you. I assume you've all turned eighteen by now?"

The class nodded.

"Before entering the Sanctuary, you'll have to select your target hero. Each of you gets only one chance. A successful sync can change your life. But if you fail... you lose your shot forever. You'll be stuck as an ordinary person."

"My advice? Choose a hero that truly suits you."

"Remember: the higher the hero's rank, the lower your chances of success."

"S-Rank heroes are almost impossible to sync with."

"You can think of the sync process as the hero's way of testing their successors. And S-Ranks... are extremely proud. They rarely deem anyone worthy."

"Very few people have ever earned an S-Rank hero's approval."

"So I strongly advise against choosing them as your first pick. It's a huge gamble."

"A-Rank heroes are much more realistic. Many have incredible abilities and strong growth potential, with a much higher sync success rate."

"As for B-Rank heroes... plenty are great choices too. Take the top of B-Rank, Blizzard of Hell. Her powers are very practical."

"But C-Rank heroes... well, I probably don't need to say much."

The class erupted into laughter.

C-Rank heroes were widely considered trash barely stronger than regular people.

Only a fool would aim for them.

The teacher smiled faintly, then continued.

"Sure, syncing with a C-Rank hero has a success rate of over 90%. But using your one and only opportunity just to get slightly stronger than average? That's beyond foolish."

"There was once a student who stubbornly chose the top C-Rank hero, Mumen Rider. He succeeded. Years later, he's selling bootleg manga and just got arrested."

Pfft!

The class broke into another wave of laughter.

Vincent laughed too.

But his was a cold, mocking laugh.

These people really had no clue what they were talking about.

As a transmigrator, Vincent knew the truth: hidden among the C-Rank heroes... was a literal god.

His name: Saitama.

Anyone who'd watched One Punch Man knew exactly how terrifying Saitama was.

Back on Earth, Vincent had been a huge fan. He'd watched the anime and read every chapter of the manga.

Saitama wasn't just powerful.

He was the protagonist. The one who broke the limiter. The unbeatable man known as the "Bald Demon King."

Sure, Tornado was strong. She could control matter and summon meteors like a goddess.

But in front of Saitama?

She'd be flattened in a single punch.

The reason Saitama ranked as a C-Rank hero was nothing but a fluke he flunked the written exam.

This entire classroom including the teacher saw C-Rank heroes as useless trash.

Because they didn't know who the true main character was.

But Vincent knew.

And he already had his target locked in.

---------------------------------------------------- 

PS: New book, seeking all the support I can get! Power stones, reviews, collections everything helps!