The moment Vincent Tan stepped through the glowing portal, the world around him changed in an instant.
Brilliant colors swirled in every direction, surreal and dazzling, like he had stepped into a fantastical dreamscape.
"Please select the hero you wish to bond with…"
As the voice echoed out, rows upon rows of hero images appeared before Vincent, each glowing faintly, waiting to be chosen.
He didn't even glance at the S-Rank, A-Rank, or B-Rank sections.
His target had already been decided.
With unwavering focus, he headed straight to the C-Rank category and quickly scanned through it.
Soon enough, a dull-eyed, comically drawn bald man appeared in his view.
Saitama.
Vincent's heart surged with excitement as he immediately selected him.
The next moment, the kaleidoscope of colors vanished. The world transformed into an endless, pure-white space.
And there he was.
Saitama, the Bald Cape himself, stood before him.
Seeing the real-life version, Vincent instinctively flinched, but he quickly composed himself, his eyes filled with anticipation.
Across from him, Saitama was quietly observing him as well.
A long pause followed.
Then, Saitama suddenly spoke.
"After all this time, you're the first person to choose me."
Vincent blinked in surprise.
He hadn't expected Saitama to talk.
Weren't heroes supposed to remain silent during the bonding process? If they liked you, the bond would succeed. If not, they'd ignore you.
So what was up with this?
Before Vincent could reply, Saitama asked a question.
"What do you want my power for?"
Vincent immediately realized the weight of the question. This was the test that would determine whether the bond would succeed.
He went quiet, thinking hard.
Saitama didn't rush him. He simply stood there, calm and waiting.
After a long moment, inspiration struck Vincent. He looked up and said plainly, "I want to become a hero."
No embellishment. No passionate speech.
Just the truth.
In the original story, Saitama never set out to save the world. Becoming a hero was just something he did for fun.
So Vincent was betting everything on that answer resonating with him.
The silence dragged on, and Vincent's anxiety mounted.
Then, Saitama smiled.
"Then be a proper hero. Don't shame the word."
As his voice faded, Saitama dissolved into a stream of light that surged straight into Vincent's body.
At the same time, a system notification echoed in his mind.
"Congratulations. You have successfully bonded with the C-Rank Hero 'Bald Cape.' You have obtained the 'Saitama Physique.'"
"Saitama Physique: Gain unlimited strength through consistent training."
…
Back in the Hall of Heroes.
The homeroom teacher suddenly heard a wave of gasps from the students nearby.
"The gate is glowing!"
"It's Vincent! That guy actually succeeded!"
Snapped out of his daze, the teacher quickly turned toward the gate, overjoyed and surprised.
But then he saw the color of the light.
Not the purple that signified an A-Rank hero.
Not the red for S-Rank.
Not even the green of a B-Rank.
It was… gray.
"Gray? What rank is gray supposed to be?"
"Aren't the colors always purple, green, and red?"
"Yeah, never seen gray before…"
Students began whispering, curiosity sparking across the room.
The teacher's face, however, turned grim.
He knew what gray meant.
Gray appeared only when someone successfully bonded with a C-Rank hero.
He couldn't help but recall the time someone bonded with Mumen Rider and became the butt of national jokes…
His expression darkened.
He would rather his student had failed than become a laughingstock and disgrace the school.
…
"Wait, is that… gray?"
"Damn, it really is!"
"Wow. I didn't think anyone would actually go for a C-Rank hero."
"Which school is he from?"
"Looks like Third High, judging from the uniform."
"Hah, what a proud moment for Third High!"
"Third High's a pretty well-ranked school. And this is the genius they raised? I don't even know what to say."
Not far off, a few teachers had also noticed the gray glow and began chatting loudly.
Their tone dripped with schadenfreude, clearly amused.
They didn't bother keeping their voices down either. The hall wasn't that large, so most students overheard.
Faces twisted with disbelief.
"So gray means C-Rank? Learned something new."
"Wait, that guy actually picked a C-Rank?"
"Is he brain-dead? Even if you bond with one, the best you'll get is into some third-rate college. What a waste."
"Damn, I thought he hit the jackpot and bonded with some powerful hero. But a C-Rank? What a joke…"
"I'd rather fail than end up with a trash-tier C-Rank."
"The principal's coming too… Look at his face. Vincent's in for it now."