Hero Rank Update: C-Rank 88 → B-Rank 93
After defeating the lobster-type monster, Ethan Cole's hero ranking jumped from C-Rank to B-Rank.
Bullet Hero, who had witnessed the entire battle, gave him a very high evaluation.
Afterward, Ethan Cole rented a cheap single room on the outskirts of D City.
Nearby was a lake with almost no visitors, making it the perfect place for training.
A thin mist drifted over the lake at dawn.
Ethan Cole stood barefoot at the shore, beginning his daily morning training.
His muscles were not overly bulky, but each one was tightly forged like refined steel.
Status Panel
Name: Ethan Cole
Skill: Eight Extremes Fist (Dark Force 12%)
Physical: 3.6
Combat Power: 60
His martial arts realm had now reached Dark Force.
His strength had increased again, reaching over 2,000 kilograms in base output, and over 100,000 kilograms at full force.
A single strike at this level was equivalent to being hit by a speeding car.
It was not something a normal human body could produce.
But this was the rule of the One Punch world.
Those who trained relentlessly could break the limits of logic.
Of course, reaching Saitama's level required more than effort. It required talent beyond reason.
After finishing his training, Ethan Cole jumped into the lake and swam freely.
One advantage of training here was simple.
He did not need to take a shower afterward.
He just used the lake.
What he did not know was that something was watching him from beneath the water.
As he floated on his back, the surface of the lake suddenly bulged unnaturally.
"Heh heh heh…"
A chilling laugh echoed from below.
"You dare relax in my territory? You should be begging for mercy!"
A massive turtle-type monster burst out of the water.
Its body was dark green-black, its mouth full of jagged, saw-like teeth.
"Monster?!" Ethan Cole startled.
He immediately tried to swim back to shore.
Fighting in water was extremely disadvantageous for him.
But the turtle monster slapped him with its massive forelimb.
BOOM!
The entire lake surged up into a three-meter wave, and Ethan Cole was blasted onto the shore.
That saved him some effort.
He stood up and quickly adjusted his breathing, taking the Eight Extremes stance.
"Two Forms Stance."
The turtle monster had already expected this.
It laughed loudly.
"You think you can fight me just because you're on land?"
"I'll let you strike me a thousand times, ten thousand times, even a million times. You still cannot break my shell!"
"Beg for mercy. Maybe I'll spare your life."
"And don't think about running. My speed is not like those slow turtles."
The monster leapt out of the water and landed in front of him.
Water droplets fell like rain from the sky.
Now on land, Ethan Cole finally saw its full size.
It was over eight meters tall.
Its thick shell covered almost its entire body, leaving only joints exposed.
This was going to be troublesome.
Ethan Cole threw a punch.
BOOM!
A dull impact echoed.
A strike strong enough to shatter concrete only produced a muffled sound on the shell.
It was like scratching an itch.
"Stop wasting energy," the monster sneered.
"No one in this world can break my shell."
Ethan Cole ignored it.
He unleashed the Eight Extremes Fist techniques one after another.
Yama Three Strike Hand.
Tiger Charging Mountain.
Front Gate Three Refusals.
Overlord Breaking Rein.
Wind Facing Morning Sun.
Left and Right Gate Opening.
Yellow Bird Double Palm.
Ground-Splitting Heaven Cannon.
It became an enjoyable target practice.
"Last one."
Ethan Cole suddenly stopped, closed his eyes, and his joints cracked loudly.
When he opened them again, sharp light burst from his gaze.
"Mountain-Crushing Shoulder!"
He charged forward like a raging bull and slammed his shoulder into the monster's chest.
But he was pushed back three to four steps instead.
Still, he smiled.
He was excited.
"Nice…!"
"Thank you, big turtle. You're a better training dummy than any wooden post."
The turtle monster's expression twisted.
"You've given up already?"
It assumed Ethan Cole had lost hope.
It raised its claw again.
"Enough playing. Now it's my turn."
The giant claw slammed down.
BOOM!
The ground collapsed like it had been hit by a meteor.
Dust filled the air.
The monster slowly lifted its claw.
Crushed?
But there was no blood.
Ethan Cole stood unharmed on the other side.
He took a stance again.
The monster laughed.
"Praying for help? There's no one here."
"And even if there were, they would only become my food."
Ethan Cole replied calmly.
"I am not praying."
"I'm reciting your funeral rite."
"Because this will be the last time I see you alive."
"What nonsense are you saying?"
Ethan Cole rushed forward again.
Eight Extremes: Yama Three Strike Hand.
This time, Dark Force flowed through his strikes.
Three consecutive internal strikes hit the same point.
The force passed through the shell and directly struck the organs inside.
CLANG. CLANG. CLANG.
The attacks landed.
The shell did not break.
The turtle monster exhaled in relief.
"See? I told you…"
Then it froze.
"Guh…!"
It coughed blood violently and staggered backward.
"No… impossible…"
"How can I be injured when my shell is intact?!"
"You are right," Ethan Cole said calmly.
"I cannot break your shell."
"But who said I need to break it to hurt you?"
The monster shook its head violently.
"I don't believe it! My defense cannot fail!"
But its body betrayed it.
It suddenly kicked off the ground and shot toward the lake.
Water was so close.
20 meters… 15… 10…
As long as it reached water, no human could catch it.
A punch struck its head.
BOOM!
It fell forward again.
It crawled desperately.
The lake was right there.
Fish could already be seen beneath the surface.
It stretched its neck forward.
Then
Ethan Cole's fist smashed down onto its skull.
Everything went dark.
Its eyes filled with despair.
One meter.
That final meter became an unreachable distance.
System Notification:
Congratulations, you have killed a monster using martial arts.
Reward: Slight increase in physical ability.