Chapter 11: Smells Like Victory

When Hansen asked his question, the rat-faced "Fang" froze mid-celebration, a troubled expression flashing across his face.

The surrounding group of Tiger-level monsters also exchanged awkward glances. He hemmed and hawed for a long while but still couldn't give a proper answer.

In the end, a bull-headed Tiger-level monster mustered his courage and said, "S-sir, we're usually just responsible for grunt work and turf wars. Sometimes we overhear other monsters bragging from different sectors... As for the big stuff with the Association, and the status of the executives... we really don't know...!"

These low-ranking grunts struggled for survival every day, cut off from reliable information. They had neither the qualifications nor the access to learn about what was going on with the Monster Association's upper ranks.

That was something only Demon-level and above had the right to be involved with.

Hansen remained silent.

Yeah, expecting this bunch of cannon fodder to know anything about the higher-ups was clearly wishful thinking.

Still, the bull-headed monster's answer sparked a new train of thought for Hansen. So aside from grunt work, turf wars were fair game?

In that case, accidentally killing one or two troublemakers probably wouldn't be a big deal, right?

Interesting~! Time to start planning this team-building activity.

"Forget it," Hansen said as he shifted gears, thinking about something more practical. "Tell me this instead. Where do you usually get the food you deliver to Lord Overgrown Rover?"

"Sir! I know that one!" Fang perked up immediately and eagerly answered, "Lord Rover's meals generally come in two types. One is a large creature caught from the nearby mountains and forests. The other is the occasional delivery from above, where they send over large monster corpses that need to be disposed of!"

Fang then grunted.

"That damn Slime Octopus used to be in charge of that. I even saw it use 'Monster Cells' to modify the corpses. That way, the bodies would develop monster-like traits. They'd usually get bigger and chewier too!"

So that's what it was! No wonder the corpses delivered previously were so massive.

"Got it. In that case, keep everything as usual."

Hansen gave Fang an approving look, then turned to the other Tiger-level subordinates. "You lot, go hunt. Go all out."

Hansen then crossed his arms, "Stockpile more food, and pick the best quality meat to offer to Lord Rover!"

"Yes, sir!"

The Tiger-level monsters quickly accepted the order, not daring to slack off even a little.

This had been a routine task assigned by the octopus monster, so they were familiar with it. Each of them began shouting commands, rounding up their Wolf-level underlings. A large group charged into various tunnels to carry out their new boss's first order.

"Fang, I've got a mission for you."

"Sir, I'm here! Just say the word!"

After sending off the newly recruited Tigers, Hansen looked down at the rat-like monster at his feet. "Head into a human city and bring me a few of the latest newspapers."

Fang stood up straight, clearly thrilled to be entrusted with a task, and squeaked out, "Sir, I may not be strong, but I'm fast! I guarantee I'll get it done!"

Hansen waved him off. "Go on."

"Yes, sir!!"

...

The next day.

Hansen sat upright on a chair carved from stone, with a thick stack of newspapers resting on the wide armrest, dozens of them.

Fang had done well. In just one night, he had returned with a whole basket of the latest papers.

Hansen flipped through a copy of the Z-City Times, heading straight for the entertainment section. The front page of that section featured the freshly published "Weekly Hero Rankings."

Seeing that the top S-Class heroes list didn't include "Demon Cyborg" Genos, Hansen let out a sigh of relief.

Genos hadn't joined the Hero Association yet, meaning the main story hadn't officially started.

NEAT!

At least he hadn't opened his eyes to find the Association already storming in from the surface.

He turned the page—

[Ranked No. 1 Among A-Class Heroes, 'Sweet Mask' Tops Public Popularity Poll!]

It was common knowledge that Sweet Mask had long held the top spot in A-Class to prevent incompetent nobodies from sneaking into S-Class.

The phrase "recently promoted" in the article meant he had only just taken up the role as S-Class gatekeeper.

As Hansen flipped through the newspapers one by one, he started piecing together many subtle clues buried within the reports.

Until he came across another article.

[Breaking News! The 21st SUPER FIGHT Martial Arts Tournament Champion 'Wolfman' Exposed as an Impostor. Police Have Launched an Investigation!]

That caught Hansen's attention immediately.

In the manga, Saitama participated in the 22nd tournament to experience martial arts firsthand, definitely not for the 3 million yen prize.

The tournament was held twice a year, and the report's subject was none other than the fake entrant who easily took the title, Bang's former disciple...

Garou!

Which meant there was less than six months left until the first major scene of the canon, the appearance of Vaccine Man.

"Not bad. Still plenty of time to grow."

Just then, heavy footsteps echoed from the darkness, and a stone-skinned monster with a towel wrapped around his head like a laborer emerged.

He silently dropped a large burlap sack at Hansen's feet and turned to leave without saying a word.

Hansen was speechless. He quickly realized Gyoro Gyoro must've sent this unfamiliar monster to "make deliveries."

"Hey, wait! You didn't say whether it's a daily or weekly delivery!"

The stone monster didn't respond. He just kept stomping away with heavy thuds.

Seeing this, Hansen's mouth twitched. He couldn't kill the guy randomly either. What if no one came with future shipments?

"This guy… is he sharing one brain with all the stone people in the world?"

Grumbling to himself, Hansen turned his attention back to the sack.

With a flick of his finger, a sharp burst of wind shot out like a blade.

The rope sealing the sack snapped instantly and fell away, revealing over a hundred twitching, grotesque hunks of flesh, each pulsing like a heart.

Monster Cells!

Hansen's eyes lit up. No wonder she was the top sugar mama on the rankings.

What a generous gift. It nearly rivaled all the loot that Slime Octopus had hoarded for ages.

This free ride is absolutely worth it!

Without hesitation, Hansen reached into the sack and began converting the Monster Cells.

[Conversion complete! Acquired 10,000 Origin Points!]

His nearly depleted Origin Points skyrocketed past ten thousand once more.

The thought of being able to invest in "Overgrowth" again filled him with excitement and frustration.

Excitement, because his strength would surge through another explosive growth.

Frustration, because leveling up an SSR ability felt like dumping everything into a black hole. Even with over ten thousand Origin Points, he could only manage a single level. Reaching max level or evolving it into a legendary UR ability seemed hopelessly far off.

"I can't just keep focusing on SSR replication. If all my ability slots fill up with non-removable ones, I'll be stuck. And if I run into a chance to replicate a UR skill later, I might not even be able to use it."

Accepting this reality, Hansen's eyes turned thoughtful.

"It'd be wise to pick out some lower-rarity skills to expand my ability pool. They're easier to max out, and many of them offer solid utility. When fully upgraded, they can patch up weaknesses and boost my overall balance."

Clearing his mind, Hansen activated a command, instantly converting the bulk of his new Origin Points.

[8000 Origin Points consumed. "Overgrowth" level increased! Lv4 → Lv5!]

This time, his now stronger body could handle the geometric leap in physique, energy, and all other attributes brought by the level-up.

As the intense energy fluctuations gradually faded, the red glow on Hansen's skin dimmed with his breath. His frame shot up another few dozen centimeters, and his presence as a Demon-level monster became even deeper and more refined.

Stronger again.

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