My Monster Evolution in One Punch Man

"Oh? There are still fools who dare not fear death?"

The monster known as "Deluxe Ramen," who had just unleashed devastation in his rage, swept his gaze over Hansen and the waitress behind him before finally fixing his attention on the man sitting quietly in the corner.

"Hey! You damn human over there! In front of my might, you still dare to sit so arrogantly without moving? Are you mocking me?" The monster grinned, "Stand up right now! Crawl over here and die, you bastard!"

It was at that moment that it started.

Boom!

Boom, boom!!

Boom, boom, boom!!!

A heavy drumbeat suddenly echoed through the shop, its rhythm growing louder and faster with each beat. Deluxe Ramen twisted his massive bowl-shaped body in confusion, scanning the room.

"Huh? What is this strange sound?"

Boom, boom, boom, boom!!

Boom, boom, boom, boom!!

Boom, boom, boom, boom!!

Within mere breaths, the pounding rhythm accelerated, surging with frightening intensity. The very air inside the ramen shop seemed to tremble in time with the warlike drums, every strike reverberating through the walls and floor.

Amid the deafening cadence, the man in the cap seated in the corner rose slowly to his feet. His movements were calm, yet every second he took seemed to press down on the room. He turned, facing the grotesque ramen monster directly.

Boom!

Perhaps the monster's rampage had damaged the kitchen's gas pipes, for at that instant, a massive explosion erupted from behind the counter. A blazing wall of fire swept outward, sparks flying in all directions. The blast tore away the man's cap, revealing a face scarred by three deep gashes that cut across his left eye. His stern expression radiated a commanding presence.

"Were you… calling me?"

His voice was deep, steady, and carried an authority that could not be denied.

"Uh…"

Under that cold gaze, sharp and merciless like a polar wind, Deluxe Ramen faltered and instinctively stepped back.

For reasons he could not explain, the moment his eyes fell upon that scarred face, his chest cavity, his very bowl-shaped body, began to pound violently, syncing with the relentless drumbeats that shook the room.

Ba-dump, ba-dump, ba-dump!

The suffocating pressure bore down on him, choking the breath from his throat.

The human face floating on the broth's surface drained of color, pupils contracting sharply. His legs trembled, nearly buckling as if he were about to kneel before that terrifying man.

"D-damn it!!"

Realizing that his shameful weakness had been laid bare before a mere human, Deluxe Ramen roared in fury. The ramen and broth inside his bowl-shaped body surged wildly, boiling over as though ready to erupt in a violent burst.

"Who the hell do you think you are, bastard? Take this! My 'Superheated Soft-Boiled Egg Barrage' attack!"

With a thunderous shout, several molten eggs burst from the bubbling broth, streaking through the air like cannon shells, hurtling straight toward King!

Boom, boom, boom, boom!!

…

Moments earlier, when the monster had first appeared.

Gulp!

Beneath his cap, King's face had gone deathly pale. A bead of sweat slid down his temple, cold and heavy. The pleasant mood he had been savoring, born from finally making progress in wooing his favorite girl, vanished in an instant.

Inside his mind, he was going through a monologue.

So, so scary…! I'm not strong at all. I'm just a 29-year-old shut-in who never works and wastes his days at home. Because my nerves are dozens of times weaker than everyone else's, my heartbeat roars too loudly. Somehow, people mistook it for a special move and even named it "The King Engine"… how ridiculous!

Terrifying monsters always appear before me, and every single time, by the moment I dare to open my eyes, someone else has already finished them off…

This happened so many times that the Hero Association suddenly sent me an S-Class certificate, calling me the strongest newcomer on Earth… what a joke!

It's true I never denied it openly, but it's not like I wanted to be hunted by monsters every damn day!

Damn it! I really… really don't want to be a hero!

Rumble, rumble!!

As the ramen shop was torn apart, the number of fleeing customers dwindled until only a handful remained.

Frozen in the corner, King's mind spiraled with frantic thoughts. His back was drenched in cold sweat, yet his body refused to move.

It wasn't that he lacked the will to run. It's just that his legs had simply turned to lead, heavy and unresponsive. His ears rang with the sound of his own heart, "thump, thump, thump," pounding so loudly it drowned out everything else.

When the monster's gaze finally locked onto him, King released a silent, bitter sigh.

So, I couldn't avoid it after all…

Faced with death itself, King's trembling weakness seemed to vanish, buried deep beneath an instinctive mask. Forcing down his terror, King raised his head. His expression hardened into that cold, indifferent facade he had practiced countless times. Slowly, he stood, and in a steady, commanding tone, he answered.

"Were you… calling me?"

Inside him:

Please work… please fool it, I'm begging you…! Caped Baldy, Goku, Steam Engine, whatever! Come and save my ass!!!!

…

The timeline returned to normal.

"It's King! It's King!!"

The waitress behind Hansen poked her head out, eyes glowing with admiration as she looked at the scarred man standing tall. Her voice trembled with excitement.

"There's no mistake! That iconic scar, that overwhelming aura! Our ramen shop is even named after the King! There's no way I'd misrecognize him!" She then looked at the very person who saved her. "That's wonderful, customer, we're saved! King will definitely defeat it!"

Hansen was speechless.

(・_・?)

Heh, women.

Just moments ago, she was clinging to me for safety, and now her gaze is filled with her idol, sparkling with worship. That wasn't the reaction you had a second ago!

Hansen sighed and shook his head.

On the other side.

As the scorching heatwave and roaring "shells" hurtled toward him, King's face remained cold and unreadable. Yet beneath that stoic mask, his body was drenched in sweat, his heart screaming in despair.

Crap!! I'm dead, I'm really dead this time!!

"W-wait…!"

As death loomed before him, whether to shield himself or beg for mercy, King's body reacted on its own. His trembling hand rose slightly, as if to make one final, useless defense.

"Look! King is about to attack!"

The waitress's voice rang out, filled with breathless anticipation. Her eyes sparkled with worship as she gazed at her idol, failing to notice the conflicted expression flashing across Hansen's face.

"He hasn't shown up all this time. Saitama probably isn't in Z-City today," Hansen murmured quietly to himself.

"Well then… does that mean King's good luck today is running into me?"

Whoosh!

In the very next moment, a blazing meteor of fire streaked through the air.

"Ahhhh! What's going on…!!"

Crash!!

The thunderous sound of porcelain shattering mixed with the monster's agonized scream. That arrow-like blaze smashed into the ramen shells aimed at King, scattering them apart, then continued on without losing momentum. It tore through Deluxe Ramen's distorted face, bursting out a flood of boiling broth!

No one noticed Hansen's movement. He hadn't even stood up. All he had done was lift his right hand casually, and in that instant a miniature "Scorching Bullet" had been fired.

The monster's screams ended abruptly.

Deluxe Ramen's bowl-shaped body, struck as if through a vital artery, collapsed to its knees before toppling forward with a resounding crash.

Splash!

Ramen, broth, and toppings spilled across the floor, steam rising in thick clouds. The grotesque monster lay still, its body silent and lifeless.

Instantly dead!

[Eliminated Tiger-level monster "Deluxe Ramen," gained Origin Points ×68!]

As expected of a creature born from twisted human will. Judging from the points, this ramen abomination was actually near the upper-Tiger class, its strength equivalent to at least three useless Slime Octopus!

(Slime Octopus from hell: So, I am a measuring unit for weak monsters now? Just great.)

"Amazing!"

The waitress's gasp of awe reached Hansen's ears. A faint, calm smile tugged at his lips.

That fingertip "Scorching Bullet" was one of his newly developed techniques after his overall power had risen. It cost little energy, struck at lightning speed, and though it carried less destructive force than his full attacks, it was still more than enough to instantly kill a Tiger-level monster.

As for why he created it? Because mouth-blast attacks looked far too much like a villain's style.

Yet before Hansen could indulge in his quiet satisfaction, the waitress's next words nearly made him twist his back in disbelief.

Her eyes glowed like stars as she gushed with pure admiration.

"As expected of King! With just a slight lift of his hand, his overwhelming psychic ability destroyed the monster!" She clapped and jumped, "So amazing! King's strength is truly unfathomable!"

King's jaw dropped, "…Huh?"

Wait, did I do that?

Hansen clicked his tongue.

No, you fucking moron. It was me!