Hansen stepped into the ran shop and was imdiately welcod by the lively bustle inside. The place was packed, nearly every table taken, and the warm air was heavy with the rich aroma of broth and freshly cooked noodles. The sound of custors loudly slurping their ran only added to the atmosphere, so satisfying that it made one's appetite stir before even eating.
He found an empty seat with ease, settling down casually. Almost at once, a cheerful young waitress hurried over with a nu in hand.
The mont their eyes t, she froze. Her gaze was caught by the depth of Hansen's dark eyes, and before she knew it, her delicate face had turned crimson, as though steam was rising off her head.
"Sir… is there sothing I can help you with…?" She asked softly, her voice nearly trembling.
Since reentering the human world, this was hardly the first ti Hansen had seen this reaction. His restored human appearance seed to draw unusual attention wherever he went, especially from won. For him, it was nothing new. He accepted it calmly, thinking that surely every man with good looks could understand this kind of situation.
Well, he'd aura farm now.
With practiced ease, he took the nu and ordered the restaurant's signature Deluxe Emperor Ran Set along with a few appetizers. The waitress, still dazed, drifted back toward the kitchen and only snapped out of her trance when her forehead almost collided with the counter post.
Not long after, the food was served.
Steam curled upward from the large bowl of ran, carrying a rich fragrance. The creamy white broth glistened under the light, noodles firm beneath several generous slices of pork belly, each piece perfectly balanced between lean and fat. Fresh green onions sprinkled over the surface, alongside a marinated egg and other garnishes, gave the dish an appetizing appearance.
Even though Hansen no longer needed food to survive, he still felt his appetite awaken at the sight and sll. He picked up his chopsticks without hesitation and dug in. Within minutes, the entire bowl had been devoured.
Yet with his enhanced constitution, that single serving barely counted as a snack. Feeling far from satisfied, he called the waitress over, ready to order another portion.
At that exact mont, the shop door swung open.
A tall figure stepped inside. The newcor wore a hood, and beneath it was a cap pulled low to obscure most of his face. What caught Hansen's attention instantly was the glimpse of blond hair under the shadow and, even more striking, the faint scars slashing across his left eye.
Wait… no way.
Hansen blinked, stunned. Of all the ran shops he could have picked, he had randomly chosen this one, only to bump into Emperor King himself, the so-called "strongest on the surface," infamous for drawing monsters wherever he went? So the legend of his "monster-drawing physique" wasn't exaggerated after all?!
Oh, right… I am a monster. Silly ~!
As if noticing his stare, King lifted his head slightly. His cold eyes swept across the shop, and for a brief mont, his aura radiated such overwhelming force that it could have made children cry on the spot.
What in the world…
If he hadn't already known the truth about the man in front of him, just that one glance might have been enough to make him sweat. No wonder the legendary intimidation technique said to strike fear into monsters was called,
"The King's Glare!"
Of course, King himself hadn't intended anything by it. His stern eyes and aura were completely natural, though in reality, all he had done was glance around casually.
In fact, King's actual thought was far less intimidating when he saw Hansen.
'Wow, what a handso guy, he looks like a rugged version of Sweet Mask.'.
Satisfied with his quick scan of the room, King picked a quiet corner seat and called over a waitress to place his order.
"So, he just saw as a random passerby," Hansen muttered softly, relieved for now.
If even the Association's ace, the S-Class Rank 7 Hero himself, couldn't see through his disguise, then his infiltration must be flawless. (Probably.)
Yes, this was worth rembering. He would definitely brag about it to Gyoro Gyoro later.
Not long after, both Hansen's second bowl and King's first bowl of ran were served nearly at the sa ti. Without exchanging a word, the two n quietly began the sacred act of slurping noodles, side by side.
And then, Hansen's bad luck struck.
"Ahhh! Help!!"
A shrill scream erupted from the kitchen, followed instantly by the sound of tables and chairs crashing, dishes shattering, and chaos breaking out.
Boom!!!
With a thunderous crash, the wall beside the kitchen burst open, blasting a massive hole through the shop. Bricks and debris flew like shrapnel, choking the air with dust and smoke.
Chaos erupted instantly. Custors scread in terror, overturning chairs as they scrambled to escape. Several unlucky diners who couldn't move fast enough were struck by flying rubble, their cries piercing through the clamor.
"Ahhh!!"
"I'm hurt!"
"It hurts so much!"
"My leg! My leg is trapped!"
"Help ! Save !"
And then a laughter ca.
"Kukukuku!!"
Through the swirling haze of steam and dust, a colossal shadow slowly erged, its presence punctuated by a perfectly cliché villainous laugh.
"Why must ran be eaten only by humans? Why must every strand of noodle suffer such cruel chewing!? I am the embodint of countless ran bowls' resentnt, born into existence as the monster 'Deluxe Ran'! From this day forth, I declare war against humanity!"
The monster then smirked.
"You wretched creatures have no right to exist in this world! I, Lord Deluxe Ran, shall turn every single one of you into ran toppings!! Shine, shine, shine, !!"
As the voice bellowed, the figure lumbered out of the smoke.
He stood nearly three ters tall, grotesquely shaped like a giant ran bowl with stubby legs and muscular human arms sprouting from his sides. A distorted human face was carved into the bowl's side, his twisted grin exposing jagged teeth. In one hand, he wielded a pair of oversized chopsticks, while in the other, he gripped a massive knife-and-fork-like weapon of war.
Inside his bowl-like body, boiling broth churned with floating noodles and toppings, sloshing violently with each step. The sight was both horrifying and perversely appetizing, enough to make stomachs churn in disgust and hunger at once.
"Whoa! He's huge!"
"So scary! But… he slls so good. I kinda wanna slurp so noodles out of that bowl…"
"Are you insane?! That's a monster!"
"Help us! Sobody save us!!"
"Heroes! Heroes, please help!!"
And then the sirens went on.
[WARNING!]
[Ergency alert! The monster 'Deluxe Ran' is wreaking havoc near M City's central comrcial district. Disaster level has been preliminarily assessed as Tiger! The Hero Association is urgently dispatching patrol heroes stationed in M City to respond. All nearby residents, evacuate to the nearest shelters imdiately!]
[Repeating! Ergency alert…]
[WARNING!]
Ear-splitting alarms blared across the city skies, the Hero Association's response echoing across every speaker. Their reaction speed was frighteningly fast, but inside the ran shop, the scene was already catastrophic.
Deluxe Ran rampaged with destructive force, smashing walls and tables apart using his enormous chopsticks and utensils. The cozy little restaurant was shredded into wreckage, as if it had been shelled by heavy artillery. Half the shop lay in ruins.
Most of the custors had already fled in a mad panic. The few who remained were either trapped under debris and furniture, struggling helplessly, or had been knocked unconscious during the first violent impact.
Amid the chaos, Hansen braced one hand against a massive ceiling beam, easily holding its weight aloft while his other arm shielded the waitress beside him.
The young woman, pale and trembling, barely understood what had just happened. By the ti her mind caught up, she found herself pressed against Hansen's chest, her arms instinctively wrapping around his neck like a drowning person clutching a lifeline.
"Kyaaa!"
Dodging nimbly away from the collapsing beam, Hansen carried her toward a safer corner, gently setting her down. His sharp gaze then swept across the ruined shop.
And there, sitting unbothered in another corner, was a tall man wearing a black turtleneck beneath a light-blue hoodie, the hood pulled over a black cap that shaded his eyes.
Amazingly, he hadn't moved an inch. His seat was untouched, the walls and furniture around him perfectly intact, as though the destruction had deliberately avoided his space. Even the steaming ran bowl in front of him remained pristine, untainted by rubble, smoke, or splinters.
Hansen blinked in disbelief.
'So this was the so-called hero blessed by luck itself? It is fucking terrifying and ridiculous.'
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