Chapter 138: Acceleration
"Thud!"
King collapsed to the ground, convulsing violently and foaming at the mouth.
Poisoned!
King never imagined he would be poisoned—let alone by a drink.
Could it have been expired? But he clearly remembered checking the date before drinking it. Could it be that some unscrupulous manufacturer repackaged expired drinks?
The Supercell Solution—according to Genus, the process of monster cells transforming human cells was crude and violent, causing a massive number of cells to die in the process. That was why the fatality rate was so high; otherwise, the Great Lord Orochi could have simply transformed any random human into a monster instead of specifically choosing martial artists and criminals.
The Evolution Elixir was supposed to save those cells, giving them the ability to withstand the transformation.
However, that was only for those who consumed monster cells. What Genus had done was purify and concentrate the monster cells.
Of course, this was the inevitable logic of scientific research—purification and concentration were efficient techniques, and Chang Wei had no interest in using the unprocessed monster cells.
As a result, the transformation process became far more intense and brutal—so much so that even the Evolution Elixir couldn't withstand it.
The Supercell Solution wasn't just a name—it quite literally dissolved all cells.
Right now, King looked like he was on the verge of death, with every cell in his body rapidly disintegrating. Meanwhile, Chang Wei had crafted an illusion for him.
Inside the Illusion
King saw a figure sneakily entering his home—moving like a thief. The intruder froze upon seeing him collapsed on the floor.
Help me…
King silently cried out for help.
But the "thief" ignored him and instead focused on his treasures.
"So many figurines and games... These would sell for a fortune!"
The thief spoke aloud before brazenly starting to pack up King's collectibles, games, and other valuables right in front of him.
King's pupils shrank. His heartbeat accelerated.
Damn thief!!!
Reality
Chang Wei raised an eyebrow in surprise.
No way… Already?
King had only gone through the first phase—the figurines hadn't even been broken yet—and he was already exploding with power?
BOOM!
The King Engine roared to life!
King stood up, his upper body shrouded in darkness, with only the eerie glow of his eyes visible. It was a terrifying sight.
A miracle had occurred—his cells had survived the transformation. Not only that, but they were now rapidly replicating.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
The King Engine's pulse grew stronger, its sound shattering the glass in the room.
King felt an overwhelming surge of power coursing through his body. He had never felt this good before.
"Thief!!??"
King roared in fury, only to realize there was no thief—everything was exactly as it had been before.
"Could it be… I was so attached to my figurines that, in my final moments, my unwillingness to part with them created an illusion?"
King quickly rationalized his experience.
"No, I have to file a complaint against the drink manufacturer."
He grabbed his phone—only for it to shatter into dust in his grip.
"Huh?"
King froze in shock.
Meanwhile, Chang Wei…
By this time, Chang Wei had already left King's house. He had given King both the key and seed to becoming stronger. In return, he had obtained firsthand data on the effects of the Supercell Solution in unlocking the Limiter.
Technically speaking, this process didn't completely remove the Limiter—it only raised its threshold to a level comparable to a normal human's.
Saitama, on the other hand, had completely shattered his Limiter—something that couldn't be replicated.
That was why Chang Wei said he had only given King the key and seed. He wasn't going to force King to become a hero—it was entirely up to his own willpower.
On the other hand, someone else had caught Chang Wei's attention—Garou had finally started moving.
The Hero Hunt had begun.
Initially, Chang Wei was concerned that his battle with Boros might have altered Garou's trajectory. He even considered brainwashing all of humanity just in case.
But he had underestimated Garou's obsession.
For Garou, becoming the ultimate embodiment of evil had already become an instinct and an obsession. There was no way he would give up so easily.
However, unlike in the original timeline—where the Hero Association was riddled with unqualified and incompetent heroes—this world had the Hero League.
Even though some of the Hero Association's original members had passed the Superhero Exam, the selection process was far stricter now.
As a result, the quality of heroes in the Hero League was incredibly high.
Garou was well-suited to fighting humans, but he was up against a thousand superpowered heroes, all of whom were Chang Wei's creations—swordsmen, martial artists, and more.
Even with his rapid growth, Garou was currently getting his ass handed to him.
A Resilient Cockroach
Chang Wei observed Garou, now covered in injuries.
Despite being beaten to a pulp, Garou casually ate a meal at a restaurant without paying, only to recover completely—as if protein and calories alone were enough to heal all his wounds.
The human body is amazing... Bullshit!
At this point, Garou had clearly begun his monsterization.
In the world of One Punch Man, monsters were often created through sheer obsession—and Garou was no exception.
Perhaps… this wasn't monsterization at all?
Was he actually unlocking his Limiter?
"Let me accelerate the process for you, Garou."
Chang Wei pulled out a vial of Supercell Solution.
Since "Made in China" could replicate anything he had encountered, Genus only needed to produce a single sample—mass production wasn't an issue.
King didn't need his help.
Garou probably didn't need it either.
He was simply going to speed up the process.
Garou's Unfortunate Encounter
After finishing his meal and dining-and-dashing, Garou tried to escape.
Only to have Chang Wei punch him in the stomach—hard.
"Bleugh!"
Garou immediately vomited everything he had just eaten.
"Oh? Already digested 90% of it? The rest is just waste... Your digestion speed isn't normal anymore."
Garou collapsed, unconscious.
Chang Wei scanned the food residue on the ground and, without a second thought, accelerated the molecular movement in the air, incinerating it.
Then, he forced 10 liters of Supercell Solution down Garou's throat.
Even in his unconscious state, Garou's brows furrowed deeply.
But he still couldn't wake up.
More importantly, despite consuming 10 liters of the solution, his stomach didn't bulge at all.
Instead, Chang Wei could see Garou's entire body writhing, as if countless rats were crawling beneath his skin.
"I hope you grow faster—I can't wait any longer."
Chang Wei looked at the unconscious Garou with anticipation.
Then, he walked away.
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