Chapter 2: Hero Talents Worth Syncing With

As for Saitama's true power

Vincent Fox wasn't stupid enough to share that secret with anyone.

If someone asked how he knew, he wouldn't be able to explain it. And even if he told the truth, who would believe him? That an ordinary-looking bald guy possessed unmatched strength?

This world had never heard of the One Punch Man anime.

Here, people judged heroes almost entirely by their rank.

Just now, the teacher mentioned that syncing with a C-Rank hero had over a 90% success rate.

That kind of probability meant almost anyone could succeed unless their luck was absolutely terrible.

At that thought, Vincent's eyes lit up.

A genuine, unconcealed smile appeared on his face.

If he could successfully sync with Saitama and gain his physique, wouldn't he be destined to become invincible?

He wouldn't even have to work that hard.

All he'd need was daily exercise.

And once he went bald, he'd truly be strong...

Vincent didn't mind going bald if that was the cost of power.

The teacher's voice rang out again.

"As for C-Rank heroes, there's really not much to say. Even if you sync successfully, it won't help much. You'll probably just scrape into some low-tier university... Let's move on to the S-Rank heroes."

The class perked up immediately.

Vincent also looked interested. He was curious just how much this world understood about S-Rank heroes from One Punch Man.

"There are 17 S-Rank heroes in total. Every one of them is powerful... but not all of them are suitable sync targets."

"For example, the top S-Rank hero, Blast, can't be selected. Same goes for Metal Knight, Drive Knight, and Genos, ranked sixth, ninth, and seventeenth respectively. They're either robots or heavily modified cyborgs no one can truly sync with them."

"And then there's the big trap. I think most of you already know who I mean?"

Laughter rippled through the room.

Someone shouted, "It's the seventh-ranked KING!"

The teacher chuckled. "Exactly. KING. The so-called strongest man on Earth. In truth, he's just a regular guy with a scary face. If you sync with him, the only benefit you'll get is an extra loud heartbeat when you're scared..."

That line sent the class into another burst of laughter.

"And KING's not the only questionable pick. Tenth-ranked Pig God and sixteenth-ranked Puri-Puri Prisoner... they're also not ideal."

"Pig God's strength comes from eating. His appetite is bottomless. If you sync with him, your family might go bankrupt just trying to feed you."

Another round of laughter echoed.

The teacher raised a hand to quiet them. "And as for the other one let's just say, look him up online and judge for yourself."

"But among the viable options, Tornado of Terror is easily the strongest."

"Her psychic powers are formidable. She could destroy a city effortlessly."

"Our country's current top expert, Miss Tatsumaki, is the only person known to have successfully synced with Tornado of Terror. She possesses extraordinary psychokinetic abilities."

"She's still the sole person ever to match with Tornado."

"As for how she succeeded? Everyone knows pure willpower."

The moment the teacher mentioned Miss Tatsumaki, admiration flickered across the faces of many students.

Clearly, she was a national icon.

Maybe even a beloved household name.

"Other viable S-Ranks include the third-ranked Silver Fang, fourth-ranked Atomic Samurai, and thirteenth-ranked Flashy Flash. All of them have abilities suitable for syncing with normal humans."

Hearing this, Vincent nodded quietly.

From the teacher's descriptions, it was clear that people in this world were familiar with One Punch Man's S-Rank heroes.

Unfortunately, they had no idea that the strongest of them all... was quietly hiding among the C-Ranks.

"Now that we've covered S-Ranks," the teacher continued, "let's talk about A-Rank heroes."

"A-Ranks may not be as strong as S-Ranks, but many still have decent abilities worth considering."

"The top A-Rank hero is Handsome Mask. He has powerful regenerative capabilities."

"Second is Iaian, followed by Okama Itachi and Bushidrill these three are disciples of Atomic Samurai."

"Fifth is Heavy Tank Loincloth..."

From the podium, the teacher went into great detail.

She explained the strengths and weaknesses of every hero.

The students listened attentively.

So did Vincent.

Once the teacher had finished describing the last A-Rank hero, her tone grew more solemn.

"Class, all the information I just shared came from countless heroes who went before you. They used up their one shot at syncing, recording each experience in the hopes of helping those who came after. Their sacrifice is something we should all be grateful for."

"The government made this data public to benefit society to help people avoid mistakes and produce more strong defenders."

"Do any of you remember how many people died in the last beast tide?"

"The number... was 74.46 million."

The classroom fell silent.

Only the teacher's voice remained.

"You are the future of this nation. When the older generation of heroes fade away, it will be your shoulders that carry our country forward. I hope all of you can take up that responsibility."

"I won't waste your time with feel-good pep talks. I'll just say this do your best in the Sanctuary trial."

The teacher glanced at her watch.

"Time's up. Everyone, come with me. We're heading to the field for final preparations."