Chapter 129: Terrifying Presence
The cheers of tens of thousands of spectators turned into a physical wind that echoed throughout the stadium.
Amidst the tremors of the entire sports center, Aokiji landed.
"Aokiji-kun? Were you invited as a guest as well?" Superalloy Darkshine asked in surprise.
"Senior Aokiji!" Mizuki clenched her fists in excitement.
A crowd of contestants, photographers, and staff members on the field all turned their gazes toward him.
This was the Association's strongest and most popular hero!
To be able to run into him without even encountering a Monster was simply too lucky!
Aokiji merely waved to the surroundings.
His attention remained on the underground space.
At the same time, he didn't forget to respond to the two in front of him:
"Not as a guest, but to carry out justice."
Aokiji pointed to the ground and said:
"Below this is an active area of the underground dark world. I brought a new colleague to root it out."
The recruitment team sent by the Monster Association had learned of this place's existence through communication with some Monsters hidden in the city.
According to the requirements of Kuma's progress bar, saving lives could grant an increase, but rescuing oppressed slaves would be the most efficient method.
In this chaotic world, human trafficking was naturally a means of profit for the pests in the shadows.
"Superalloy Darkshine, you're still on break, so continue with this sports meet. We'll resolve this quickly."
Tatsumaki flew down at this moment.
Her mouth was tightly shut, and she didn't say a word.
Floating next to Aokiji, she released an irrepressible sense of danger, already impatient to find someone to vent her anger on.
"Underground...?" Superalloy Darkshine was stunned.
He turned his gaze to the ground, completely unable to imagine it.
The area beneath the venue where he had participated in several tournaments was actually a dark world activity zone harboring filth and corruption?!
Superalloy Darkshine did not question Aokiji's words.
But his heart sank.
"...I'm going too."
Superalloy Darkshine's voice was heavy. He had come here several times before but had never discovered it.
This was his dereliction of duty and a betrayal of his muscles.
"Me, me, and me too! I want to go together!"
Mizuki raised her hand high, like a good student eager to catch the teacher's attention.
It would be amazing to see Senior Aokiji in a battle scene!
Tatsumaki's scrutinizing gaze swept over Mizuki.
She looked up and down at the other's excessively tall body.
The full but not exaggerated curves, the healthy and energetic temperament, and those eyes watching Aokiji with a sparkle.
As well as the high orange ponytail.
In several sparring sessions, Tatsumaki had already discovered that Aokiji seemed to have a preference for ponytails.
Whenever the battle became intense, he would always grab her hair and pull it into a ponytail shape.
And Mizuki not only came with her own high ponytail full of vitality, but her height of over 1.9 meters was also close to Aokiji's, and she was an athlete whose body had been fully trained.
An inexplicable feeling of displeasure and a sense of crisis surfaced.
But she couldn't speak up.
It was already full to the point of overflowing; the smell was too strong.
"It's not necessary. Except for a few scattered ones who can still stand, the others have all been knocked unconscious by my shockwave."
Aokiji waved his hand in refusal.
Superalloy Darkshine slowly shook his head, and the oversized casual T-shirt on his body seemed to become even more bloated.
"Muscle rest can continue later. This is compensation for my dereliction of duty; my muscles are throbbing in repentance."
Mizuki bowed and said sincerely:
"Senior Aokiji, I have already decided to join the Hero Association. Please let me follow and learn, I beg you!"
The noise in the spectator stands was non-stop.
Eager discussions and shouts rang out, and many people took out their phones to film the rarely seen heroes, intending to post them online later to show off.
Seeing the scene of Aokiji and the others talking, and even the contestant Mizuki, who had just won the championship, making a bowing gesture as if requesting something.
Even if the audience couldn't hear the content of their conversation.
They couldn't help but become more curious.
The gaze of tens of thousands of people, even if they didn't make a sound, was an unignorable pressure.
However, to the strong, it was as if it were nothing.
"Then suit yourselves." Aokiji walked toward the hidden passage he had sensed.
He had already contacted the Association to deal with the last few before the responsible department arrived, saving time on the handover.
As for the spectators who thought he was invited to participate, they were still cheering and requesting him to perform Psychic Powers.
Along with that, the ratings of the live broadcast program were also skyrocketing.
To this, Aokiji just casually waved in response, pretending not to hear as he left.
Tatsumaki followed silently, floating. She had never cared about the eyes of the world, but the current situation made her extremely ashamed.
Superalloy Darkshine was still finding a staff member to briefly explain the situation.
Mizuki had completely ignored her upcoming matches and followed with an excited trot.
"Does Senior Aokiji still remember me? A Monster that was about to attack me before was taken out by you. I haven't had time to say thank you!"
She was so excited that she seemed a bit at a loss.
Subconsciously, she wanted to make the gesture of patting Aokiji's shoulder as she did on normal days.
To her, this action had both the meaning of encouragement and the meaning of expressing gratitude.
But the gaze of Tatsumaki's cold, sharp eyes from the side.
Made her subconsciously drop the idea.
She lowered her raised hand without knowing why.
"I've defeated too many Monsters; I don't have much of an impression of the event you mentioned."
It was probably something that happened while he was accumulating the Aokiji progress bar.
During that period, he had made too many Monster ice sculptures, so Aokiji really couldn't recall the specifics.
But he still had an impression of Mizuki.
Combining elements like being athletic, a tall girl, wheat-colored skin, a high ponytail, and energetic vitality.
Among the many characters in this world, she was quite memorable.
The passage leading underground was located on the outer wall of the venue.
After pushing it open and entering, it looked like an ordinary storage room for cleaning tools.
However, through some special verification, the downward passage could be opened.
Without needing Aokiji to act, Tatsumaki lifted a finger, and the ground instantly caved in and collapsed.
After Superalloy Darkshine finished explaining to the organizers, he also rushed over to enter the underground space together... A katana was drawn, and several shuriken were hidden in his left hand.
Sonic looked around vigilantly.
The underground dark market was filled with an eerie, dead silence.
A place where disputes, conflicts, and cries for help usually occurred had never been this quiet.
Sonic still hadn't figured out exactly what had happened until now.
Who exactly had released that domineering and vast shockwave?
He glanced at the middleman who had fainted on the ground.
"You're lucky, meeting me here. No matter what kind of enemy it is, as long as they face me..."
The corners of Sonic's mouth unconsciously pulled into a twisted arc, a morbid excitement.
"Not even a second is needed!"
Thump, thump, thump.
The sound of footsteps echoed in the dead space, gradually approaching Sonic's direction.
A tall, red-haired man with bulging muscles and a face like a demon walked over.
"Are you the kid behind this?"
"Was that shockwave released by you?"
The two asked almost at the same time.
Then they both fell into silence.
The simultaneous questions proved that the mysterious Muscle Man who had plunged this place into silence was not the other party.
Sonic ignored the other party in disappointment.
He recognized the red-haired man's identity: the champion of the underground boxing ring, the Muscle Man known as the Ogre.
But he was just a guy who had only stood out after Sonic had lost interest in participating.
A fervent Battle Intent flickered in the Muscle Man's eyes.
He had been given the exaggerated title of "The Strongest Creature on Earth" by the underground boxing audience.
It wasn't just based on strength.
But also an extreme desire to become stronger!
"Hey kid, do you know who did..."
Kaka—
The door of the passage leading to this underground space opened.
The slight sound was exceptionally clear in the dead silence.
"It seems there's no need to ask." The red-haired Muscle Man spread his arms, his muscles surging as he laughed wildly. "It's been a long time since I've met a strong person. It looks like I'll be able to enjoy myself this time!"
With that, he also ignored Sonic.
His whole body emitted a terrifying Aura as he stepped forward violently toward the passage!
Oh? This Aura?
Sonic looked over with a bit of surprise.
It seemed he did have some strength; it wouldn't hurt to use him as a tool to test the enemy's strength... Boom—!!!
The Muscle Man, bent like a shrimp, flew straight back and smashed through several walls!
He streaked past Sonic and was embedded into the final wall!