Boros followed Awakened Cockroach to the Monster Association hideout.
Along the way, he observed many monsters, gauging their power. Most were insignificant, small fries by his standards. "Heh, not bad," he muttered as he walked past a few decently strong monsters, at least by Earth's measure.
He noticed monsters like Pureblood, Royal Ripper, and Bug God among the crowd.
All of them looked at Boros with curiosity. His appearance, the way he carried himself, and the immense power radiating from his body made it clear: this was no ordinary monster, and he was definitely new here.
Several monsters decided to follow him to the main room, intrigued by what might unfold.
When Boros and Awakened Cockroach entered the main chamber, the alien finally caught sight of the centerpiece of the hideout: Monster King Orochi, a grotesque, towering giant.
Boros smirked, his gaze scanning the room. Hundreds of monsters filled the chamber, their numbers impressive.
"You are quite a number," Boros remarked, hundreds of glowing eyes staring back at him.
His attention was quickly drawn to a few individuals, a tall, ugly humanoid, a ball-shaped creature with a gaping mouth devouring what seemed to be the remains of another monster.
A small, mean-faced black figure with a bizarre appendage protruding from its head, a cat-like humanoid, a seemingly normal-looking human radiating an ominous energy, a massive, four-eyed humanoid.
A giant hound that appeared to have crawled out from the depths of hell.
"They even have a big, fleshy, eye-shaped creature," Boros mused, before focusing his attention on the Monster King.
He could vaguely sense another presence, a massive one, lurking just out of sight. For now, however, he concentrated on the monsters before him.
"What do we have here, Awakened Cockroach? Have you brought us a new recruit?" asked the pink one-eyed monster, Gyoro Gyoro, its voice slithering with curiosity.
"I have indeed," replied Awakened Cockroach. "This one seems to have potential."
Gyoro Gyoro's single eye fixed on Boros, analyzing him. She could feel it, this monster's strength was extraordinary, far beyond most in the association.
"This one must be a Dragon-level threat... and a strong one at that," Gyoro thought.
"Well then, what are you waiting for? Introduce yourself, newcomer."
Boros stepped forward, his voice calm but commanding. "My name is Boros. I once led a band of thieves known as the Dark Matter Thieves, and I arrived on this Earth from outer space."
"I am the reason behind City A's destruction."
The room erupted into murmurs. The monsters clearly recognized the event. The destruction of City A had shaken the Hero Association, and they could feel the power emanating from Boros, his claim was believable. Even the cadres listened intently.
However, not all were convinced.
Awakened Cockroach burst into laughter. "I found you skulking around in Z City with no purpose," he mocked.
"If you're truly who you say you are, what was such a powerful monster doing hanging out in an abandoned city?" the cockroach sneered. "You come in here acting like you're the boss, but you've never proven yourself."
"You didn't even kill a single S-Class hero when you attacked City A. In fact, every monster there was listed in the Hero Association's databook, and you weren't among them."
"Were you hiding somewhere while your crew was getting slaughtered?"
Boros didn't reply. He lunged forward in an instant and flicked the cockroach's head clean off his shoulders.
"What an annoying bug."
The room fell silent. Many monsters were visibly shaken, though the cadres and stronger demons remained confident, still looking down on the newcomer.
Some began shouting at Boros, but Gyoro Gyoro raised her voice.
"Quiet down, all of you," she commanded. "I need to have a chat with our new guest."
Boros crossed his arms. "A chat? About what, exactly?"
"We are planning to go to war with the Hero Association," Gyoro explained. "We currently have around five hundred monsters in our ranks."
"The Hero Association employs a similar number of heroes, but by my estimates, we have less than thirty members at disaster level Demon or above."
"Even so, we have the necessary edge to emerge victorious. However, to ensure total success, we need more powerful fighters," Gyoro continued, her gaze locked on Boros. "You are quite strong. By my estimation, and judging by the speed and power you've just displayed, you are a clear Dragon-level threat. I'd like to offer you a position as one of our cadres."
The black monster with a rod hanging from its head scoffed. "A cadre? Just like that? Looks like you're playing favorites, Gyoro."
"He's strong and looking for revenge against the heroes," Gyoro shot back. "Boros is exactly the kind of monster we need."
Boros smirked. "Who said anything about revenge?"
Gyoro's eye narrowed. "Excuse me?"
"I don't care about the conflict between heroes and monsters," Boros declared. "All I want is an exciting battle." He gestured toward the room. "And from what I've been told, the strongest monsters on this planet are all gathered here."
"Served up in front of me on a silver platter."
Gyoro's voice grew cold. "What exactly are you implying?"
Boros' smirk widened into a grin. "Is it really that hard to figure out? All five hundred of you... against me. Right here, right now."
Before anyone could react, Boros lunged forward, launching his attack.