"Good news: I didn't die completely after getting hit by good luck. Instead, I transmigrated."
"Bad news: I transmigrated into the world of One Punch Man… and became the utterly powerless King!"
M City, Central Park — the world of One Punch Man.
"Monster alert! Monster alert!"
A shrill alarm blared through the loudspeakers.
"According to the latest reports, a monster has appeared near M City Central Park. All nearby residents are urged to evacuate to the nearest shelter. The Hero Association has dispatched heroes to the scene…"
At the sound of the broadcast, the people in the park began to panic and flee.
In the middle of the crowd was a man wearing a black baseball cap pulled low over his face. He hurried along with the masses, blending in with their fear.
"Damn it. King's monster-attracting constitution is no joke! I only stepped out for half an hour and already ran into a monster attack!"
Zeke clenched his fists and quickened his pace.
In truth, Zeke wasn't from this world. He came from Earth in the 21st century — just an ordinary, law-abiding young man.
It was pure bad luck. He had been sitting at home peacefully gaming when a freak accident struck and knocked him unconscious.
When he woke up, he found himself in a strange apartment.
Looking into a mirror, he saw three distinctive scars on his face. In that instant, he realized — he had transmigrated into King's body.
And at that moment, it felt like the sky collapsed on him.
The world of One Punch Man was far too dangerous. Dragon-level, even God-level threats appeared regularly, destroying cities with ease.
And the man he had become — King — was all name and no power.
After thinking things through, Zeke concluded that his only way to survive was to cling to someone powerful.
That someone… was the bald guy in the yellow jumpsuit with a cape — Saitama.
If he could just stick to that walking nuclear deterrent, not even a god could kill him.
But according to the current timeline, Saitama hadn't joined the Hero Association yet. He and Zeke were complete strangers.
Zeke only knew Saitama lived in Z City — but not the specific address.
And he didn't dare roam Z City aimlessly, especially with the Monster Association hiding underground there.
If he stumbled upon one of them by accident, he'd be dead meat.
So Zeke decided to wander through discount supermarkets around M City instead, hoping he'd randomly bump into Saitama hunting for cheap groceries.
But fate had other plans. He had barely taken a short break in the park when a monster showed up.
"Keh keh keh… You're not getting away!"
A monster that looked like a walking vending machine blocked the park exit.
"I am the Vending Machine Monster! It's all your fault for not buying my drinks! My KPI this month is in ruins! So now, I'll turn all of you into beverages for my belly!"
The monster cackled madly as several mechanical tentacles shot out from its dispensing slot, whipping through the air like venomous snakes.
"Help!"
"No! Let go of me!"
Several civilians were caught by the tentacles, screaming in terror as they were dragged toward the monster's open belly — a gaping "mouth" lined with spinning blades and bubbling, ominous liquid.
Cold sweat beaded on Zeke's forehead. His hands were clammy.
He knew exactly what he was — just an average guy in a stronger-than-average body. Sure, this form could handle the "King Engine" heart pounding in his chest… but rescuing people from a steel horror like this? Impossible.
"My life comes first!"
That thought rang loud and clear in his mind. He crouched low, ready to use the chaos and park structures as cover to escape.
Just then, a high school student in uniform suddenly dashed in from behind the Vending Machine Monster.
The monster whirled around, tentacles lashing out — but the boy rolled out of the way and accidentally bumped straight into Zeke, knocking off his cap.
"Ack! I-I'm sorry!" the boy stammered, then froze. His eyes went wide. "Wait… aren't you… King?!"
The name dropped like a boulder into a pond, sending ripples everywhere.
The panicked crowd halted. Dozens of eyes swiveled toward Zeke.
"It's really King!"
"The strongest man on Earth!"
"We're saved!"
A wave of ecstatic cheers erupted, and one overzealous female fan even screamed, "King-sama! I'll bear your children!"
Zeke's mouth twitched.
All he wanted now was to dig a hole and crawl in… or maybe stuff that loudmouthed student into the vending machine monster himself.
This was bad — very bad. He was completely exposed.
He glanced at the monster.
The vending machine's LED screen-face had shifted from savage to terrified.
"Th-The strongest man on Earth… King?!"
The monster's robotic voice trembled. Its tentacles froze in mid-air. "No way! Why are you here?!"
Zeke could feel his heart hammering wildly in his chest. The "King Engine" was roaring like a war drum.
Even the air around him seemed to quiver with the heavy, rhythmic pulse.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
The monster backed away, trembling, and retracted its tentacles. "D-Don't come closer! I'm warning you!"
Then an idea struck Zeke.
If everyone thought he was the real King — why not use that?
He slowly raised his right hand, took up a fighting stance, and narrowed his eyes.
Inside, he was panicking. But on the outside, he wore a calm, unreadable expression.
"King-sama's preparing his ultimate move — the Infernal Unmatched Super Burning Wave Cannon!"
"They say this move annihilates everything in its path! No monster's ever survived it!"
"Kill that disgusting thing, King-sama!"
The onlookers erupted again, shouting and cheering.
Zeke screamed internally. Who the hell came up with such a cringe, over-the-top move name?!
But now wasn't the time to crack — he had to ride this wave and scare off the monster.
"Wait!"
The Vending Machine Monster, hearing the chants, panicked.
"I surrender! I'll leave right now! Please don't use your ultimate move!"
And with that, it turned tail and ran, its metal legs pumping furiously.
"Help! King's gonna kill me!" it wailed as it disappeared into the distance.
Zeke: "..."
Wait… that actually worked?
The crowd erupted into thunderous cheers.
"King is amazing! He didn't even need to lift a finger!"
"So this is the might of Earth's strongest hero?"
"King-sama! Over here, look at me!"
Zeke quickly snatched up his cap and pulled it low over his face, then slipped away from the scene.
He had to leave fast. If that vending machine monster had second thoughts and came back, he was finished.
Just as he turned the corner, a soft "ding" echoed in his mind.