Inside the patrol car.
Jason started the engine, still looking slightly confused.
With a casual raise of his hand, a white-quality card materialized out of thin air. On its surface was the image of a bald man with lifeless, deadpan eyes and a carefree grin.
This was the first time he had ever obtained a Fantasy Card just from brief physical contact.
Did I activate my Stand just now?
No idea.
If it had been any other monster, he would have had to fight a full boss battle first, and even then, the reward would require manual collection.
After a moment's thought, Jason chalked it up to the special nature of that bald man, the "child of the world," and finally examined the card in detail.
Fantasy Card: Limiter Fragment
Type: Special Card
Rarity: N
Description: An unknown fragment of unclear origin.
Effect: ???
Jason stared at it.
A card full of question marks.
He understood the concept of a limiter. According to certain scientific theories within this world, all living beings possessed a natural limit to their growth. No matter how hard they tried, they could not surpass it. This restriction ensured that creatures retained their original instincts and rationality.
In simple terms, some individuals were born with far greater potential than others.
Exceptional intelligence. Psychic power. Natural talent.
All of it was tied to the size of their limiter.
When humans transformed into monsters, their limiter was essentially reset under a new biological framework.
There was only one known case of someone remaining human while breaking that limit entirely.
That bald guy.
As for a Limiter Fragment…
This automatically generated N-rank card had no explanation whatsoever from his Stand.
Coming from that man, there was no way it was useless.
Jason tossed it into his card storage without hesitation.
The inventory had no limit anyway. He could throw in whatever he wanted without worry.
The encounter had been brief, just a small moment in his daily work.
But it left him with a strange sense of urgency.
Monsters, once feared by everyone else, had become valuable, non-renewable resources in his eyes.
Even if that bald man showed up…
Then he would just have to…
Charge more.
…
A month passed.
During that time, City Z saw no large-scale disasters above Demon level. However, Wolf and Tiger level monsters popped up endlessly, like weeds after rain.
Onion monsters. Sausage monsters. Mailbox monsters. Toilet monsters.
Absurd, everyday objects mutated into creatures again and again.
As Jason dealt with them one after another, he could not help but suspect…
Were these things just there for that guy to farm experience?
If anything, maybe he was the one stealing kills.
Thanks to his consistent "work," his personal strength had steadily improved.
Unfortunately, card draws were not about luck.
They were about fate.
Even the most handsome guy in the world could not control it.
Because of the low drop rates, he was still focused on building up his base stats.
In a way, it was not that different from what that future bald hero was doing.
At the same time, Jason began to notice something.
Whenever he was on patrol, he could feel faint gazes directed at him.
But when he activated Spider Sense to track them, he could never find their source.
No danger detected meant no immediate threat.
Still, he stayed cautious.
Others might not know, but he did.
Beneath City Z lay the headquarters of the Monster Association. With how active he had been lately, being watched was not surprising.
Still, growing stronger quietly was nothing to be ashamed of.
Meanwhile, the Hero Association was rising rapidly.
They were the ones constantly in the spotlight.
With them drawing attention, Jason felt perfectly safe staying low-key.
…
Police Station.
"Jason, the chief wants to see you."
Jason looked up from his report, slightly puzzled, at the young female officer with flushed cheeks.
"Me? Any idea what it's about, Anzu?"
"I'm not sure," Anzu replied, tapping her chin as she thought. "There were some visitors in the chief's office early this morning. It might be related to them."
"Visitors… got it."
As she left, ponytail swaying, Jason put down his work and walked toward the office at the end of the hallway.
"Officer Jason reporting."
"Come in."
Three men in suits sat across from the chief.
The moment Jason stepped inside, all three turned to look at him, scanning him from head to toe in unison.
It made him want to frown.
What is this, a full-body scan?
"Chief, you wanted to see me?"
"Mm."
Seeing the three men staring a bit too intensely, Chief Bear coughed lightly, snapping them out of it.
"This is one of our department's outstanding officers, Jason. As for the matter you mentioned, you can discuss it directly with him."
Jason blinked.
Wait… what matter?
Before he could process it, one of the suited men stepped forward enthusiastically.
"Mr. Jason, it's an honor to meet you. I'm Branch Officer Barry from the Hero Association's City Z division."
"Hello…"
"We've come to formally invite you to join the Hero Association as a professional hero. Of course, this will not interfere with your current job. You would only need to assist with promotional activities during your free time. We've already discussed this with Chief Bear."
Chief Bear rolled his eyes.
"Hold on. I didn't agree to anything. But if you can convince Jason, I won't stop you."
So that's it.
Jason immediately understood.
In a modern city filled with surveillance and smartphones, staying completely hidden was nearly impossible.
No wonder the chief looked annoyed. He had never liked this fast-growing private organization.
But with official backing now involved, the rise of the Hero Association was inevitable.
Jason nodded slowly.
So those subtle gazes lately…
They were scouts.
No wonder Spider Sense did not react.
After a brief pause, he replied calmly.
"In that case, I'd like to understand the responsibilities and obligations of becoming a hero in more detail. Is that alright?"
Barry nodded eagerly.
"Of course! We've brought all the materials. We can go somewhere more comfortable and discuss everything in detail."