Game
Thoughts
"Talking"
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Gray stared out the window of his pod as it streamed toward the dark-purple exterior of Monas, and for the first time, Fubuki didn't complain about the Saiyan pod being cramped. As she sat in Gray's lap, she was instead nervously looking at the planet as well.
"I'll protect you," Gray said bluntly, grinning lightly at Fubuki's nervous look, but his words didn't seem to make her feel any better.
"This isn't like the other planets," She muttered shakily, "Monas… even I don't know what's going on here, but it's a planet that even the number one hero - Blast - is afraid to go to. He's even stronger than my sister…"
That doesn't mean much to me.
Gray didn't know how strong her sister was, so he didn't know how strong the 'Blast' guy was either, but his heart was at least beating a bit faster as they got closer to Monas.
They've been hyping this place up for a while. I'll need to be careful.
So far on the S-Class mission, Gray had been enjoying himself. He got a couple of decent fights, along with a genuinely good one with Suiryu, and he hadn't been at any serious risk. He'd been able to farm points from quests, have pleasurable nights with some of the women in his squad, and overall was having a good time.
It's been easy.
But, as they approached Monas, Gray felt a chill go down his spine. An ominous feeling had been hanging over his head ever since they left Mam earlier that day, and he usually trusted his instincts.
Play time is over.
From now on, Gray was going to experience exactly why this mission was considered 'King Vegeta-tier.' He was going to find out why so many squads, both Saiyan and Frieza Force alike, had failed to even make a dent in the final planet in the Planet Coalition.
"I'll protect you," Gray said again firmly at Fubuki's words, giving her a comforting grin as he lightly pulled her back into his chest. "Besides, your sister is going to be here too, right? If she's as strong as you say, then everything will be fine."
Gray didn't believe his words even as he spoke them, but Fubuki at least looked a bit more comforted as she nodded.
"Y-You're right," She sighed, "You guys are already crazy powerful, and with sister here… everything will be fine."
Gray glanced back out the window, going over everything Celia, Renzo, and the Hero Association had told him about Monas.
The 'Monster King' guy is here.
If that were the only powerful foe, then it wouldn't have been all that bad. While some of the monsters Gray had seen so far were certainly tough, he didn't think there was anyone he couldn't beat if he used his attribute points and transformed.
The aliens are here too.
And by aliens, it apparently wasn't the same 'aliens' that the Hero Association called Gray and his squad. From what he'd been told, there was some kind of 'start-up tyrant' - which Gray couldn't help but imagine a budget Frieza as he thought about him - who'd come from another planet and teamed up with the Planet Coalition a couple of weeks ago.
The Hero Association didn't have much intel on him, as they barely communicated with the other planets even when they were still allied, but he was apparently strong enough to be on an equal level with the Monster King in terms of ruling the Planet Coalition.
Then, the actual aliens.
By that, Gray meant his type of alien. The Hero Association had briefly told his squad that Monas had been visited by ships that looked like theirs - meaning Saiyan pods - a week prior to the coalition betraying Harro. They suspected that those Saiyans had something to do with the creation of the 'power-boosting' substance that Monas had developed.
If it's Saiyans, then is Frieza trying to fuck us over? Or are they acting on their own?
The vast majority of Saiyans were in the service of Frieza, so it was most likely that Frieza had intentionally sent them there. But, a group of Saiyans defecting or being in the service of one of Frieza's family members wasn't out of the picture.
Finally, 'God.'
Gray didn't know anything about the large figure who'd interrupted his fight with Homeless Emperor, but he suspected that the man probably didn't just die on one of the planets the heroes had cleared out.
If he was already out of the picture, then this wouldn't be Nightmare Mode.
Nothing that lucky would ever happen in this game, even if Gray's LUK stat was pretty high.
There's a minimum of four strong threats here, and maybe more.
At the very least, Gray knew he would have to contend with the Monster King, the start-up galactic tyrant, the leader of the Saiyan squad, and the 'god.'
They'll probably have strong subordinates, too.
Gray was really hoping the heroes they were meeting up with on Monas were as powerful as he expected, because he wasn't confident in his squad to take down the planet alone.
Caulifla, Kale, Cabba, Bang, Zombieman, Atomic Samurai, and Suiryu can hold their own. Celia, Asuna, and Saeko can support in a fight at least. The rest…
His squad had been able to fight together and win on Mam, but what they were up against on Monas would be much more deadly. Atomic Samurai was a good addition to the team, as he'd stayed with them after coming to deliver his message. The man was almost as strong as Bang, and he'd brought along a group of 'students' in a much larger spaceship.
And, if it comes down to it, I'll use my coins.
Gray spent the previous night - after Tamari had passed out from exhaustion - scrolling through the shop again. He had a couple of items that he had picked out, and if the mission took a turn for the worse, he was willing to sacrifice some wealth to protect himself and his squad.
No point in having money if I'm not using it, right?
Gray wasn't given any more time to think about it as the front of his Saiyan pod started to become brighter, which was the result of the ship being surrounded in a ball of fire as it hurtled toward the surface of Monas. It landed a moment later, slamming into the surface with a bang as a crater appeared around him.
This should be the base camp.
Atomic Samurai had also conveyed that the Hero Association had ordered 'Tornado of Terror' and her group of heroes to stay in the small camp set up on Monas until Gray's squad arrived, along with sending coordinates with Atomic Samurai to program the ships to land at. The sword-wielding hero had been doubtful that the group of heroes would actually wait for them in the camp, but whether they were here or not, the landing would at least be safe.
Gray's pod's door slowly opened, and Fubuki wasted no time stepping out, giving Gray an eyeful of her plump behind in the process. Gray followed after, glancing around the area curiously.
When they said camp, they really meant camp, huh?
Gray thought 'base camp' just meant the stronghold the heroes had on Monas, and he had expected a taken-over city, or perhaps a couple of buildings at least. Instead, as Gray glanced at the small 'civilization' roughly a hundred feet from where his pod had landed, there were literally tents, small campfires, and various… grocery bags?
Instead of crates with supplies or fridges with food, there were various grocery bags scattered around the camp. From just a glance, the food inside looked absurd for a planet-conquering mission, as there were various cans of beans, a full uncooked steak, a bunch of gummy snacks, a few bags of chips, and various types of candy.
I thought they'd be a bit more organized than this!
Gray also couldn't blame the group of heroes for not waiting if this was where they were living - aside from the small, messy camp, the actual planet looked miserable to live on. The ground under his feet was soft and squishy, almost as if he was walking through a swamp, and thick trees covered the area around him like a forest. Water dripped down from the tree above him, looking strangely greenish-yellow in color instead of clear, and the tree's bark was dark purple instead of a typical brown.
I thought Hom was a shithole, but I'd rather be there than here right now.
The swamp-like area made the dirty and dusty Hom look like a good place to live.
"Stick by me," Gray said bluntly as he started walking forward, hearing the sound of the other Saiyan pods crashing into the swamp around him as he headed toward the camp.
I don't need to use [Ki Sense] to know there are people here.
Even without reaching out and intentionally looking for energy signatures, Gray could feel the huge amount of Ki radiating within the camp.
Someone here is strong.
As Gray did intentionally reach out with his senses, his eyes went wide. That someone was multiple someones.
That one seems to be around the level of Bang, that one's a bit weaker, but… those two.
Two energy signatures stood out from the rest like a sore thumb. One was almost oppressive in how wide it was, and Gray had no doubt that whoever it was had Ki reserves multiple times his own.
Should I use my points now? It's probably the heroes, but if it's not…
Gray tensed, silently pulling up the window in case he needed to use his points at the drop of a hat. If it were just one huge energy signature, then Gray might've felt confident, but there was an equally concerning one nearby.
It's not as wild, but…
The first ball of energy was wide and wild, stretching out in every direction and filling the air with a thick presence. The other was much smaller, looking like a confined, but immensely dense ball of power. Gray had a hard time getting an exact read on it because of how tightly the Ki was packed together, but he could tell whoever it belonged to was at least as strong as the first wild signature.
"It's the heroes," Gray almost jumped as he pulled himself away from his thoughts, turning around as Celia came walking towards him from where her pod had landed nearby.
I need to focus.
Gray had been so locked in on the two powers that he hadn't even noticed Celia's pod landing, and the woman had snuck up on him.
"Tornado of Terror - her sister," Celia continued, nodding at Fubuki, "Is definitely the less-contained one. A powerful Ki user who uses long-range telekinetic techniques."
"Sister…" Fubuki just muttered at the mention of her sister, looking down at her feet with an unsure expression.
Gray nodded as he thought about it, realizing that the first wild energy signature did seem like Fubuki's on steroids - a lot of steroids.
"The other…" Celia frowned lightly, "The second strongest hero should be Demon Cyborg, but then, who's that other one?"
"I guess we'll find out," Gray said bluntly, turning back and walking forward fully through the trees and into the camp. His points were still pulled up by his side, but he felt more comfortable that Celia confirmed it was their hero allies.
As Gray stepped into the camp, his eyes instantly took in the four strongest figures.
The weakest stood to the side, fulfilling his name as he was eating what looked like a giant frog in one bite.
[Gluttonous] Pig God:
[S-Class Hero #10]
Age: 25
PL: 1.70 Billion
HP: 5,955,120/5,955,120
TKI: 1,720,575/1,720,575
TMP: 0
Reputation: 0/100 (Neutral)
[Gluttonous Modifier] - Individuals with this modifier will be naturally gluttonous, having an immense love for eating.
This guy's got a very… unique build.
Pig God's name wasn't misleading, as the man definitely could be described as a pig. He was undoubtedly the fattest man Gray had ever seen, as even his double-chin had a triple-chin, and he looked like a genuine bowling ball. Not in the same way he described some round-muscular Saiyans as bowling balls, but in a genuine sense as the man was large, round, and heavy - with seemingly all fat and no muscle on his body.
But he's got a fuckin' shit ton of HP.
Despite his power level being roughly a third of Gray's, the man's HP pretty much doubled his.
Did he put everything into END?
While Pig God was sitting alone, the next two men were standing side-by-side and talking. Well, one was talking very quickly and monotonously, and the other looked bored as he half-listened. Gray moved his gaze to the first man, whom he could only assume was 'Demon Cyborg' as he definitely looked robotic, but was stopped from using [Observe] as a voice called out to him.
"Oh, are you the alien guys?" The surprisingly normal male voice called out to him excitedly, and the man next to the Cyborg looked more excited at the idea of not having to listen to his ally talk anymore than Gray's actual arrival. Gray turned to the plain-looking man standing next to the S-Class hero, taking him in.
He… looks familiar?
As Gray took in the man's incredibly plain image, he definitely didn't look the part of a hero. He had a blank, bald, egg-shaped head that seemed to shine despite there being barely any light in the dark, swampy forest.
"I heard you protected my grocery store for me," The man continued, giving Gray an awkward thumbs-up as he smiled, "Thanks, man. They're having a sale next week, and it would suck if they had to close down before it."
I… I've definitely seen him somewhere.
The man was wearing a plain, arguably lame-looking, piss-yellow outfit with a white cape hanging down his back. He had a black belt tied with a bronze metallic clip on the front tied around his waist, and bright-red gloves and boots. In the dark and dim forest, he stuck out like a sore thumb.
Bald guy… bald guy in a yellow suit… shiny head bald guy… plain looking bald guy… ugly bald guy… super shiny head-
Gray gave up on trying to think of where he had seen the man, instead just using [Observe] on him.
[Overpowered] Saitama:
[One Punch Man]
Age: 25
PL: ?
HP: ?
TKI: ?
TMP: ?
Reputation: 70/100 (Neutral)
[Overpowered Modifier] - Individuals with this modifier will be naturally overpowered, winning most fights with ease.
Gray's eyes widened as it all came together.
Popo wasn't enough, damn game!?
His eyes trailed down the stat sheet - moving from 'Saitama' to 'One Punch Man' to the 'Overpowered' modifier, and then to the man's shiny bald head. In an instant, Gray was reminded that this was, in fact, Nightmare Mode.
Fuck you, Nightmare Mode. Fuck you.
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Gray Tanaki:
[Saiyan S-Class Squad Captain]
Age: 18
Wallet: 37,723,940 Coins
Lvl: 25 (12,872,915/17,500,000 XP)
PL: 6.7 Billion
Available Points: 3,025
HP: 2,995,000/2,995,000
TKI: 3,591,475/3,591,475
TMP: 570/570
STR: 2010
AGI: 2235
END: 1490
INT: 1525
CHA: 1245
LUK: 1345
KI: 2355
MP: 570
HREG: 1470
EREG: 1500
Skills: [Observe LVL 10], [Running LVL 20], [Determination LVL 22], [Ki Control LVL 20], [Ki Gun LVL 18]. [Ki Enhancement LVL 15], [KI Suppression LVL 14], [Ki Sense LVL 15], [Pushup LVL 20], [Punch LVL 25], [Kick LVL 23], [Jump LVL 20], [Flight LVL 15], [Prediction LVL 12], [Zenkai Boost LVL 6], [Cognitive Acceleration LVL 15], [Ah! Lord Freiza! LVL 7], [Mouth-Beam LVL 11], [Ki-Blade LVL 14], [Cooking LVL 10], [Ki Barrage LVL 16], [Ki Explosion LVL 10], [Ki Vision LVL 9], [Attack Boost LVL 5], [Swimming LVL 11], [Clothes Materialization LVL 1], [Seal of Weakening LVL 7], [Portal Creation LVL 2], [Lie Detection LVL 4], [Reflect LVL 10], [Instant-Transmission LVL 7], [Healing LVL 8], [Multi-Form LVL 7], [Gigantification LVL 2], [Tracking MP Blast LVL 1], [MP Conversion LVL 12], [Tracking Ki Blast LVL 1]
Perks: [Gamer's Mind], [Gamer's Body], [Double-edged Sword], [Legendary Super Saiyan], [Perfect Ozaru], [A Cute Pawn], [A Humble Master],[Ladies Man]
Fighting Styles: [Boxing Style: Kolra LVL 4], [Fighting Style: Broly LVL 5]
Party: [Caulifla, Kale, Tamari]
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AN: Thank you for reading! The next chapter will be out tomorrow!
You can also read the next 20 chapters right now on Patreon.com/Koyon !