Two figures landed lightly from a height, kicking up not even a speck of dust.
"Eh? Jason!"
Saitama immediately relaxed when he recognized them. Although he did not recognize the lecherous old man beside him, anyone who could be with Officer Jason was probably not a bad person.
"I was passing by an audio shop when I saw this guy stealing stuff, so I chased him all the way here," Saitama scratched the back of his head awkwardly and explained. "Sorry about the trouble."
"What's there to be embarrassed about?" Jason shook his head seriously. "All I see is a noble character. As expected of a friend I acknowledged!"
As he spoke, he discreetly stored away a brand new [Limiter Fragment].
Bang also smiled and nodded. "Having the courage to face a monster already counts as a rare quality. Young man, are you also a hero?"
"Haha, am I being praised that much?" Saitama felt a bit embarrassed. "To be precise, I'm still in the process of training to become a hero. I still have a long way to go!"
"I see, how modest," Bang thought to himself, his impression of Saitama improving slightly.
But for some reason, this kid feels the same as Jason. Not very interested in martial arts either…
Thinking of that, the old man's good mood deflated slightly, sinking into mild disappointment.
On the other hand, Jason was in a very good mood.
With a casual wave, another [Limiter Fragment] was added to his card deck.
Perfect!
"Oh right, Saitama, have you had lunch? If not, come with us. We're going to my place for a drink."
Jason asked casually, making a drinking gesture.
Gulp…
A strange sound came from the alley.
The three of them immediately turned toward the source.
It came from Saitama's stomach.
Signal detected.
Jason immediately raised his hand. "Got it, no need to explain."
"…." ×2
"Well, my clothes got torn again, so I want to stop by a clothing store first," Saitama said, already used to Jason's enthusiasm. He tugged at his heavily damaged sportswear. "I know a shop owner, he's pretty nice. Sometimes he even doesn't charge me."
"Uh…" Jason was about to say he could lend him clothes, but then thought better of it.
Friends should be equal. One-sided giving would just become charity.
"Alright then. We'll wait for you at my place. Hurry up."
"Got it!"
Saitama dashed off in an instant.
Watching him leave, Jason glanced at the unconscious monster on the ground and said, "Bang, should we call Lani to handle this? Leaving a monster here isn't ideal."
"True," Bang agreed.
Jason called Lani and explained the situation, specifically mentioning that Saitama was the one who defeated the monster.
However, upon hearing that the person was not an officially registered hero, Lani immediately lost interest. She only promised to send someone to clean up the scene.
Jason did not bother speaking for Saitama either. After all, Saitama himself did not care about fame.
(Somewhere, a bald man would be crying: "I do care about the bounty money though!")
Sizzle…
Thick smoke and aroma rose in the kitchen, instantly sucked away by the powerful range hood.
Around Jason, ingredients floated in the air, washing themselves clean before landing neatly on the cutting board. The knife sliced them into perfect portions, which then jumped directly into the pot one after another.
Seasonings and sauces followed in precise proportions. The entire process was perfectly organized, leaving only the stirring to the "chef."
If he wanted to be even lazier, he could have let telekinesis handle everything entirely.
In the living room, Saitama and Bang sat with teacups in hand, their movements strangely synchronized as they stared toward the kitchen. The cheerful idol show on TV had completely lost its appeal.
"Superpowers really are cheating…" Saitama muttered.
He exchanged a glance with Bang.
(ーー゛)
(﹁ ﹁)
┐(￣Д￣)┍ ×2
"Alright, soup's ready~"
Jason came out wearing an apron, carrying a large pot of chicken soup, with several dishes floating beside him.
"For three people, hot pot is perfect. I also made some side dishes. Today, we drink until we drop!"
With a clap of his hands, a large amount of fresh ingredients appeared from his Fantasy Cards. The electric hot pot began to boil.
Gurgle… gurgle…
The rich aroma of chicken broth filled the room, assaulting their senses.
Soon, the coffee table was completely filled. Jason even brought out several cases of beer, some chilled and some room temperature.
At that moment, Bang and Saitama exchanged a solemn look.
Their instincts as men told them one thing.
This would be a battle.
Night.
After sending the drunken Bang and Saitama off, Jason stretched lazily and used telekinesis to clean up the battlefield.
One was a powerful martial artist, the other a bald man destined to stand at the top of the world. Jason had no worries about their safety.
If anything, the monsters of Z City should be the ones praying tonight.
Last month's gacha pulls, including monster drops and ten-rolls, had yielded nothing. But the [Flowing Water Breathing Method] he obtained from Bang turned out to be his third SR since arriving in this world.
He could only sigh.
Meanwhile, his stats had become noticeably more solid. His mental strength in particular improved his telekinesis control significantly, even making him briefly consider becoming a long-range artillery-type mage.
Too bad he still could not even learn a basic illumination spell. That idea was shelved for now.
Today, another ten-roll was ready. With his upgrade complete, Jason's gacha addiction flared up again.
My turn. Draw!
[Speed (N): Attribute card, description omitted.]
[Strength (N): Attribute card, description omitted.]
[Body (N): Attribute card, description omitted.]
[Body (N): Attribute card, description omitted.]
[Strength (N): Attribute card, description omitted.]
[Body (N): Attribute card, description omitted.]
[Strength (N): Attribute card, description omitted.]
[Strength (N): Attribute card, description omitted.]
[Spirit (SR): Attribute card, 100 units of mental attribute, description omitted.]
[AT Field (SR): Ability card. A spiritual barrier from the EVA world that separates self from others and reality. Also known as the "Absolute Territory."]
He hit the jackpot!
Two purple lights flashed so brightly they nearly blinded him.
Jason rubbed his eyes hard, confirming he was not dreaming.
Seriously? No SRs for a whole month, and now they all come at once?
And in one day, three SRs already?
Still… this kind of thing, you can never have too many.