"Since its physical defense is so high, that means elemental attacks are more likely to be effective!"


    While continuously weaving through the buildings in combat with the monstrous creature, Spicy Hotpot Superman formulated his strategy.


    Besides him, the elemental hero Flame Butterfly was also on the battlefield, currently charging up a powerful attack.


    Meanwhile, One-Eyed Slayer—the monstrous creature—wielded razor-sharp Spider Spears, which could pierce through building walls as if they were made of tofu.


    If one of those spears so much as grazed him, Spicy Hotpot Superman wouldn’t be critically injured, but he’d still suffer some serious wounds.


    The Spider Spears kept striking from sinister angles. As he fought One-Eyed Slayer up close, Spicy Hotpot Superman realized that this creature’s control over its body was on an entirely different level. Every attack carried an uncanny sense of coordination, always executed with the least effort for maximum impact.


    Before long, Spicy Hotpot Superman was covered in wounds.


    "This isn''t going to work," he thought. Clenching his teeth, he suddenly rammed into the enemy, sending both of them plummeting toward the ground.


    Had he not overpowered One-Eyed Slayer in sheer strength, those countless spears would have torn him apart before they even hit the ground.


    Even so, he was still in grave danger!


    At that critical moment—Flame Butterfly''s ultimate move was finally ready!


    A swarm of palm-sized Flame Butterflies flapped their fiery wings and silently rushed toward One-Eyed Slayer, attaching themselves to its body without making a sound.


    "Senior, get out of the way!" Flame Butterfly shouted.


    Hearing this, Spicy Hotpot Superman immediately kicked off One-Eyed Slayer’s body, flipping backward and landing on a nearby building.


    "Thanks to Spicy Hotpot Superman''s relentless interference, Flame Butterfly’s finisher has successfully hit its target," Emperor Hat—the commentator—began summarizing. "If all goes as expected, this monster’s life should be coming to an end."


    However, Coach Ge, watching the live broadcast, frowned deeply. His gaze remained locked on the screen.


    "No... not necessarily," he muttered.


    After all, monsters had intelligence too. And from this One-Eyed Slayer, he didn''t sense a single trace of panic.


    Sure enough—through the thick smoke of the explosion, One-Eyed Slayer walked out completely unscathed!


    "This thing has mutated—its fire resistance is absurdly high!"


    Flame Butterfly’s ultimate attack, Thousand Butterfly Kill, could unleash temperatures far beyond ordinary flames. Yet, this monster had survived without even a scratch, proving its extreme resistance to fire-based attacks.


    "Dammit! Senior, my attacks are completely ineffective against it! Can you hold it off a little longer? The other heroes need more time to get here!"


    Spicy Hotpot Superman glanced at his timer—he didn’t have much time left in his transformed state.


    But then he saw the civilians still trapped in the buildings, staring at him with desperate eyes. He also noticed several floating livestream drones, broadcasting everything in real-time.


    And he remembered what his agency had told him this morning.


    "You’re already in the late stages of your professional hero career. Compared to the younger heroes, your popularity is stable, but without any breakthrough achievements, your chances of growth are slim. If you still want to remain a top-tier celebrity, you cannot afford any failures. One loss, and your popularity will plummet. The company will invest fewer resources in you."


    "So, we recommend you limit your appearances. Only take action when you’re absolutely certain you can win. Your ability is very unique—even if someone suspects something, you can always use your love for spicy hotpot as a cover."


    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    Closing his eyes for a moment, Spicy Hotpot Superman’s once-proud face now carried a hint of sorrow.


    He thought back to his glory days—when he first debuted as a hero, standing at the peak of admiration.


    But now, time had caught up with him. Years of battles had worn his body down, and wielding such a powerful ability had inevitably taken its toll. The fact that he had lasted this long was already remarkable.


    Somewhere along the way, fame and fortune had become shackles around his neck.


    If he lost to this monster today, he would lose his spot as the agency’s top star. With his income cut, he wouldn’t be able to pay off his massive debts. If word got out that he was in financial trouble, the debt collectors from the gambling dens would be lining up at his doorstep.


    "I won’t let that happen."


    His mind made up, Spicy Hotpot Superman clenched his fist.


    A blue pill appeared in his palm.


    He swallowed the pill in one gulp, and an eerie aura emanated from his body.


    Watching everything unfold through the Ultra Brain, Yang Xi’s pupils shrank in an instant!


    The commentators shouted anxiously, “What should they do? Spicy Noodles Man’s attacks are clearly ineffective, and Flame Butterfly’s skills are being nullified by the One-Eyed Slayer’s elemental defense! Before reinforcements arrive, no one will be able to protect the citizens from the mutant beast’s rampage!”


    Meanwhile, the livestream chat from Lukang locals was buzzing:


    “The nearest hero, Wandering Swordsman, is driving over, but he’s stuck in traffic!”


    “D*mn, don’t these people know he’s going to save lives? Why won’t they give way?!”


    “Apparently, an old man rear-ended someone and refuses to move, insisting it’s the other guy’s fault and waiting for the police to investigate.”


    “It’s not that the elderly have become bad; it’s that bad people have grown old! That old man must’ve been a piece of work in his youth.”


    Coach Ge crossed his arms over his chest. As a retired professional hero, he understood exactly what Spicy Noodles Man was facing.


    “Run! Those two heroes can’t handle that beast—this is it for us! I don’t wanna die, I haven’t even had a girlfriend yet!”


    “Oh no! I still have clothes hanging outside—will this battle drag on any longer?”


    “Hey, don’t think you can take advantage of the crowd and grope me! Believe me, I’ll have my boyfriend beat you up!”


    “Whose phone is this? No one’s claiming it? Guess it’s mine now.”


    The escalating crisis sent the stranded citizens into a greater panic.


    “Gahahaha!!!”


    No one knew exactly where the One-Eyed Slayer’s vocal organs were, but its arrogant laughter echoed through the sky. It knew—its hunting time had begun.


    Its first target? The woman who had just burned it!


    The beast’s savage gaze locked onto the airborne heroine, Flame Butterfly.


    Flame Butterfly: “╰°°!”


    “Help me, senpai!”


    She frantically flew upward, but to her horror, the One-Eyed Slayer fused its three spider limbs together, forming a pair of wings! Transparent, silk-like wings coated in a sticky fluid flapped like an insect’s as it pursued her with incredible speed.


    Coach Ge slammed his desk. “Flame Butterfly is in real trouble! The One-Eyed Slayer can fly—and it’s faster than her!”


    Flame Butterfly pushed herself to her limit, spiraling higher. “What do I do?! What do I do?!”


    “Fly toward me!”


    A deep male voice called out.


    Somehow, despite nearing the end of his transformation, Spicy Noodles Man had appeared on a rooftop.


    “Spicy Noodles Man is still standing! It’s impressive that he’s lasted this long, but does he really intend to keep fighting the One-Eyed Slayer?”


    “But his abilities can’t even break through its defenses!”


    The One-Eyed Slayer, seeing the two heroes converging, flapped its wings even faster. These two humans had dared to make it feel pain. It had already thought of a hundred ways to tear them apart—every one of them agonizing.


    “Perfect timing!”


    Spicy Noodles Man felt an overwhelming surge of power coursing through him. His strength now far surpassed anything he had before—perhaps thirty times that of an ordinary human.


    His muscles swelled, pushing his body to a towering 2.5 meters. Bulging veins throbbed across his skin. The air around him began to swirl, forming visible spirals of energy.


    “SPICY NOODLE STRIKE!!!”


    With a thunderous roar, he threw a punch!


    The force was so immense it seemed to vacuum the air around it, forming a devastating straight-line impact. The One-Eyed Slayer, charging forward, was compressed into a pulp mid-air!


    “Screee!”


    Its body exploded in the sky—its once iron-hard exoskeleton now reduced to worthless fragments.


    “Whew… whew…”


    Spicy Noodles Man collapsed, exhausted. The force of his own punch had sent him crashing through the rooftop, landing in a hotpot restaurant below. The aroma of simmering broth filled his nose, but a violent urge to destroy everything gnawed at his mind.


    “Senpai, what’s wrong with you?!”


    Flame Butterfly backed away slightly, sensing something off about him. Her instincts told her not to get too close.


    “I-I’m fine… Just overdid it a little.”


    Fighting the impulse to rip off Flame Butterfly’s wings, Spicy Noodles Man staggered to his feet. His body emitted wisps of vapor, and his towering frame gradually shrank back to his original 1.7 meters.


    “YEEEAAAAHHH!!!!”


    “SPICY NOODLES MAN IS A LEGEND!!!!”


    “He really came through in the clutch!”


    Amid the cheers from the crowd and the excited chat messages, a tiny mutant beast quietly slipped away from the pile of shredded flesh.