"Final exams are almost here. I'm so nervous!"
"Yeah, same. I have no idea which hero I'll resonate with this time…"
"If I could connect with Terrible Tornado, I'd be set for life!"
"Terrible Tornado? Honestly, any S-Class hero would do!"
"You sure about that? What if it's KING, ranked seventh?"
"…Okay, anyone except that fraud."
"Haha, KING isn't so bad. At least his aura can scare people."
"You guys are dreaming. Just tossing out S-Class names like they grow on trees? I'd be thrilled if I could match with an A-Class hero."
"Relax, we're just joking around. No need to take it so seriously."
…
The murmuring around him gradually brought Ethan Fang back to consciousness, but he was completely confused.
What were they even talking about?
Terrible Tornado? S-Class Heroes?
One Punch Man?
Wait a minute.
What did any of that have to do with exams?
More importantly…
Ethan Fang was sure he had gone to sleep at home. Why did he wake up in a classroom?
All around him were unfamiliar faces teenagers in school uniforms.
He looked down and realized… he was wearing one too.
What the hell?
He had already graduated from college and had been working for two years. How did he suddenly return to high school?
"Did I transmigrate…?"
Ethan Fang muttered to himself.
That was the only explanation that made sense.
As he was still processing this, a sudden, searing pain shot through his head, as if something were being forcefully downloaded into his brain.
He groaned and collapsed onto the desk, clutching his skull.
Memories began flooding into him, blending with his own.
Eventually, the pain eased, and he slowly regained composure.
"So it's true… I've transmigrated."
From the memories now in his mind, Ethan Fang pieced together the truth: he had entered another world.
This world was very similar to Earth same technology, internet, smartphones.
But here, humanity faced an overwhelming threat.
Beyond the towering city walls lurked terrifying monsters beasts that constantly threatened human survival.
And that danger gave birth to powerful warriors among mankind.
If not for these heroes, humanity would've long since gone extinct.
But these warriors didn't train or cultivate their power.
They acquired it through forbidden zones.
Forbidden Zones.
Mysterious realms scattered across the world.
Some were extremely dangerous like zombie zones or haunted domains.
But some were incredibly safe.
Like the one the students had been discussing: One Punch Man.
When a person turned eighteen, they had one chance to enter a Forbidden Zone and attempt to resonate with a hero from that world.
If successful, they would inherit the basic abilities of that hero.
Take Terrible Tornado, for example.
If someone matched perfectly with her, they'd gain her psychic powers. They'd become elite candidates for top universities and future protectors of humanity.
Step by step, they could grow to wield strength equal to hers.
That's why the One Punch Man zone was revered as the "Sanctuary of Heroes."
In fact, the government had even made it part of the national college entrance exam the most important subject of them all.
Because beyond the walls, monstrous threats were real. And humanity needed saviors.
…
Soon after, a middle-aged female teacher entered the classroom.
The students quieted down instantly.
She looked over the class and began, "Students, this will be the last class I teach you before the exam begins."
"I sincerely hope each of you earns a worthy result in the upcoming Hero Sanctuary evaluation."
"May your futures be bright."
"Now, let's begin. There's no new material today. Instead, I'll go over key points for the exam."
"The Hero Sanctuary exam also called the Rookie Assessment is something you're all familiar with. I imagine you've been waiting for this moment for years."
"Everyone here is eighteen, yes?"
Seeing no objections, she continued, "Before entering the Sanctuary, you must select your target hero in advance. You only get one chance."
"Succeed, and your fate could change forever. Fail, and you'll lose this rare opportunity and may never rise beyond the level of an ordinary person."
"My advice: choose the hero that fits you best."
"There's a risk of failure no matter what. The higher a hero's rank, the lower the chance of success."
"Especially with S-Class heroes the odds are brutal."
"You can think of it like this: the resonance is the hero's way of judging whether you're worthy of inheriting their power. And S-Class heroes are proud, arrogant beings. They rarely acknowledge anyone."
"Since the Hero Sanctuary first appeared, only a handful have ever been accepted by S-Class heroes."
"That's why I don't recommend you aim for one. It's just too difficult."
"Instead, look into A-Class heroes. Many of them have great potential and solid abilities. Their success rates are much higher."
"Even some B-Class heroes are worth considering. Take Fubuki of the Blizzard Group first-ranked in B-Class. Her power is excellent…"
"But as for C-Class heroes, well… let's not kid ourselves. If you're aiming for one of them, you're either ridiculously brave or just plain dumb."
That drew a burst of laughter from the class.
C-Class heroes were universally acknowledged as trash. Barely stronger than the average person.
It was common knowledge.
Only a fool would seriously pick one as their target.
The teacher went on, "Yes, C-Class hero success rates are high over 90%. But to waste your only foundational opportunity for a sliver of strength? That's just plain stupid."
"There was once a guy who picked Mumen Rider, the number one C-Class hero. He actually succeeded. Years later… he's now selling bootleg adult comics. Got arrested recently, too."
Pfft.
The room erupted in laughter again.
Ethan Fang laughed as well.
But it was a cold, mocking laugh.
These people had no idea what they were talking about.
As someone from another world, Ethan Fang knew the truth about C-Class heroes.
Because hidden among them…
Was a living god.
Saitama.
Anyone who had seen One Punch Man knew how terrifyingly strong he was.
Ethan Fang had been a huge fan in his past life. He'd read the manga, watched the anime, memorized every detail.
Saitama wasn't just strong. He was the strongest.
The invincible main character who broke his limiter.
The Bald Caped Demon King.
Sure, S-Class heroes were powerful.
Terrible Tornado could crush entire cities with her mind. She could summon meteors from the sky.
She was a literal goddess.
But in front of Saitama?
She was a mosquito.
If Saitama got serious, he could one-shot her without breaking a sweat.
So why was Saitama ranked C-Class?
A dumb technicality. He bombed the written test.
Everyone including the teacher and students treated C-Class heroes like garbage.
That just showed how little they understood the real rules of this world.
Probably the rest of the world was no different.
But now…
Ethan was the only one who knew the truth.
And his target hero?
Already decided.
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PS: New book, seeking all the support I can get! Power stones, reviews, collections everything helps!