"According to reliable sources, the Demon-level threat in Z-City has been eliminated."

By dusk, the threat alert issued by Mosquito Girl had been officially lifted. Gradually, residents of Z-City began stepping out of their homes again, and shops reopened one by one.

Even in a world crawling with monsters, ordinary people still clung to the rhythm of their daily lives.

—In a narrow alley—

A furry monster, its entire body covered in long hair, suddenly blocked the path of two children.

"Kekekeke! I'm the Fuzzy Monster! Looks like your luck just ran out, little brats. Time to turn you both into cuddly stuffed dolls!"

Just as it was about to strike the terrified children—

The temperature around them plummeted.

A wave of icy blue air suddenly enveloped the Fuzzy Monster.

"So—so cold! Wh-What's hap—"

Before it could finish its sentence, its body froze solid, and under the children's stunned gazes, it shattered into glistening ice shards.

Ron strolled by along the street outside the alley, casually eating a popsicle.

He'd already changed into casual clothes that made him blend in with the crowd—black track pants, a white short-sleeved shirt, and his hair had been trimmed short. The look was clean and breezy, giving off a refreshing charm.

Naturally, he drew quite a bit of attention from women on the street.

"Hey, look at that guy—so handsome."

"Seriously! Is he a celebrity or something?"

"He's so tall, and his vibe is amazing... He might even be hotter than Sweet Mask..."

A pretty young woman rested her chin in her hand, gazing dreamily at Ron's retreating figure.

As he exited the street—

A baseball cap appeared on his head.

—

Nighttime.

Inside a luxurious restaurant in Z-City.

Ron sat in a private VIP booth, enjoying a sumptuous spread. The table was covered in dish after dish.

As he ate, he browsed through data on the Hero Association and its ranked heroes via his laptop.

The appearance of Mosquito Girl signaled that this was still the early stage of the One Punch Man storyline.

Next up should be the House of Evolution arc.

Ron chewed thoughtfully on a bite of steak.

If he remembered correctly, there was a pretty decent beetle guy in that arc...

Might be a good warm-up.

—

The Next Day.

Ron released his Observation Haki to its maximum range and soon located the Armored Gorilla, a key enforcer of the House of Evolution.

In the blink of an eye, he appeared right in front of it.

"So you're the Armored Gorilla?"

"Huh?"

The gorilla froze, then grinned wickedly. "Oh? A relic of the old humanity, huh? You know my name and still didn't run? Gutsy."

The very next second—

BOOM!

The gorilla was blasted through the air, slamming into a wall and embedding into it like a crater. Blood gushed from its eyes, nose, ears, and mouth. Its face was completely caved in—mangled beyond recognition.

"Sp-Spare me..."

Ron stood before it, hands still casually in his jacket pockets. The brim of his baseball cap shadowed his glowing blue eyes as he looked down at the wrecked creature.

"Where is the House of Evolution?"

—

Deep in the mountains, hidden in a remote forest—the location of the House of Evolution.

As soon as Ron stepped onto the premises—

A cold mechanical voice echoed in his mind.

[Beep. Current location detected: House of Evolution. Sign-in available. Would you like to sign in?]

"Sign in."

[Sign-in successful. Rewards received: +10 Vitality, +10 Mental Energy.]

[Additional reward: 1 Special Evolution Point.]

[Special Evolution Point can be used to upgrade:]

Floating-Float Fruit Ability (Phase 2): LV6 → LV7

Distortion Fruit Ability (Phase 1): LV3 → LV4

Grandmaster Swordsman  → ???

Armament Haki: LV9 → LV10

Observation Haki: LV8 → LV9

Conqueror's Haki: LV8 → LV9

Ultimate Move "Nuclear Kick": LV3 → LV4

Flash Step: LV7 → LV8

---

Before Ron could decide how to allocate his point—

An urgent alarm blared throughout the facility.

"Intruder alert! Intruder alert!"

Shff! Shff! Shff!

Beast-shaped mutants rushed in from all directions, attempting to surround him.

A brilliant gleam flashed in Ron's azure eyes.

Then—

A devastating force exploded outward from his body.

The attacking creatures instantly vaporized into clouds of blood mist. The entire above-ground structure of the House of Evolution—all eight floors—along with the surrounding hills and forest, were flattened by the expanding shockwave.

"Impossible!"

Inside the surveillance room, the genius scientist behind it all stared at the monitor in horror.

Next to him, a trembling clone pushed up his glasses, cold sweat running down his face.

"That's not a power a human should have!"

"What is he…? What IS that thing?!"

"I want it—I want to dissect that specimen so badly!"

"It's bad—he's headed for the underground lab."

"We have no more usable combatants... There's only that failure left..."

"No choice. We'll have to release it..."

—

Ron stepped into a long underground corridor.

After walking about a hundred meters—

Thud. Thud.

The ground trembled.

A massive aura surged toward him with blistering speed.

Whoosh!

With a twisted grin on his face, the Asura Kabuto charged forward, its enormous frame moving so fast it was barely visible, wind howling in its wake.

"Found you!"

Its massive fist hurtled toward Ron.

Ron threw a punch to meet it.

Two fists—one huge, one slender—collided.

The compressed air exploded in a deafening boom. Cracks spiderwebbed through the tunnel walls as the shockwave rampaged outward.

"Oho! You blocked it? Impressive."

Asura Kabuto looked down, grinning at Ron.

Ron's cap had been blown off in the clash. His semi-long black hair now danced wildly in the wind. That sharp, handsome face lifted slightly, and he offered a calm, almost teasing smile.

"Too light."

"Can you hit harder?"

"Oho~ Too light, huh? I wasn't holding back, you know," Kabuto chuckled. "You really are something else."

He retracted his fist and pointed over his shoulder with a thumb.

"I'm Asura Kabuto. There's a special battle chamber that way. Let's throw down in there."

"Yeah, this place is a bit cramped."

Ron bent down to pick up his baseball cap.

"Let's go."

The two entered a massive underground chamber, wide enough for titanic clashes.

"Pretty spacious, huh? It's the biggest room down here—built just for combat experiments," Kabuto said, eyeing Ron, who was flexing his fists.

"Any last preparations you need?"

Ron rolled his neck with a casual pop. "Nope. I'm good."

"Alright then... Let's begin."

As soon as the words left his mouth, Asura Kabuto's aura exploded.

His hulking frame vanished.

In the next instant—he reappeared behind Ron.

With a confident grin, he swung his fist, enveloped in crushing wind pressure, straight at Ron's head.

Boom!

But a single hand caught the attack with ease, effortlessly stopping the blow.

The howling winds swept past Ron, who stood unmoved.

Asura Kabuto's eyes narrowed slightly.

This guy...