Chapter 016
Boom!
There was another door closing. Joshiro turned his head and saw Saitama enter. His expression carried calmness, helplessness, embarrassment, and confusion all at once-a mix that was difficult to read.
"So, who is that old lady?" Joshiro asked.
"That old woman is the landlord," Saitama replied as he sat opposite Joshiro, lifted the teacup, and took a sip. "Since the rent is three months late, she told me to move out before tomorrow."
…Before tomorrow? Joshiro thought. She might as well have told him to leave immediately.
"Ah, but didn't you help her deal with so much trouble from other tenants? Why won't she give you any grace period?"
"It's because of that," Saitama said flatly. "With the police arresting all her residents, no one paid rent anymore, so she told me to leave."
Joshiro remained silent.
Later that evening, Joshiro helped Saitama pack his things at his Apartments. Since Saitama had not eaten dinner yet, Joshiro felt hungry himself and decided to cook once they returned to his apartment. For convenience, he chose his own specialty-instant noodles with added ingredients.
On the balcony, two sets of slurping sounds echoed as they ate together.
"Fortunately, I have you, Joshiro. Otherwise, I would definitely not have a place to live today," Saitama said between bites of boiled beef cut into large pieces. "But don't worry-I'll move out as soon as possible. It's really troublesome for you."
As he spoke, a "limiter fragment" appeared with a few strands of Saitama's hair falling from his head. Joshiro reacted quickly and caught it before Saitama noticed. "It doesn't matter," Joshiro said calmly. "My guest room is always empty. You can stay here as long as you need."
Saitama felt the breeze on the back of his head and turned slightly, but when he saw nothing, he simply returned to his noodles without question.
The next day, Joshiro went to the police station. He submitted reports on delayed cases and after meeting with a few superiors, left for his patrol on his motorbike. Even with his privileges, he never skipped work outright.
When he returned home at the end of the day, he saw Saitama carrying a heavy box down the stairs.
"Um? What's up, Saitama? Did you already find a place?" Joshiro asked.
"Yes," Saitama answered while setting the box onto an old trolley and wiping his sweat. "The owner of the clothing shop mentioned an area in Z-City that became deserted at some point. But the water and electricity were never shut off. I thought I'd check it out to see if I could find an empty place to stay."
Joshiro finally realized that Saitama was about to move into a deserted district much earlier than he'd expected.
"Oh, that's fine. Let me help you," Joshiro said.
"No need, it's a hassle," Saitama replied, but the two still worked together and quickly loaded his few belongings onto the trolley.
Before Saitama could insist on going alone, Joshiro placed his hand on the trolley. A faint blue light flashed and in the next moment, the entire cart disappeared as if erased from sight.
Saitama was left staring.
[Fantasy Card: Scrap Cart]
[Card Type: Item Card]
[Rarity: N]
[Introduction: A trolley full of waste. Upon closer inspection, much of it is still usable.]
[Effect 1: Mobile Dormitory]
Wherever you are, your home follows.
[Effect 2: Waste Recycling]
There may be profit if sold at a recycling bin.
Joshiro stayed quiet while Saitama thought only of how convenient psychic powers truly were.
"Let's head back up once more, check if we forgot anything," Joshiro said.
Saitama nodded. "I don't think I missed much, but since you said so, let's check again."
When they entered the guest room, Saitama came out carrying red and yellow clothing with white fabric inside. Joshiro looked at it closely; it gave him a sense of familiarity.
"Is this it?" Joshiro asked.
"The owner of a clothing shop gave this to me since he knew I was aiming to be a hero," Saitama explained with an awkward smile. "It's a hero uniform. The material is sturdy enough. Fortunately you reminded me, Joshiro, otherwise I might have forgotten it."
The outfit consisted of a yellow bodysuit, red gloves, boots, and a white cape. When Saitama held it up before him, Joshiro immediately recalled the image of the future Caped Baldy.
"It doesn't matter if you forgot it this time," Joshiro said simply. "You'll still have it next time either way."
"Joshiro, you're such a good man," Saitama answered.
"Stop handing out good guy cards," Joshiro replied firmly. "We should leave before it gets dark."
"Hey, alright! But… what's a good guy card?"
…
The empty streets glowed faintly under rows of flickering lamps. Joshiro's motorbike carried the two of them forward as the wind cut against their faces. Saitama lost a few strands of hair along the way. Joshiro's eyes burned faintly with orange-blue flames as his psychic field collected faint cards invisible to all others and slid them into his pack.
[Fantasy Card: Limiter Fragment ×15]
This time he had gathered more than a dozen fragments, but still no response from the system indicating they could be fused. Joshiro knew well that chances at breaking the limiter would become increasingly difficult in the future.
His thoughts drifted to dinner. Sichuan-style hotpot might be the choice tonight.
Screech-The brakes ground harshly and inertia pushed Saitama slightly forward until he brushed his hair back from his eyes.
"Here it is…" Joshiro murmured.
Before them stood a gray-white residential building with red-brick balconies. Though the exterior looked aged, rooftop antennas and solar panels showed it was fully self-sufficient compared to the surrounding abandoned district.
"Is anyone still here?" Joshiro cupped his hands and shouted into the emptiness. His voice echoed endlessly down the street with no response.
"Perfect. No one's here," Saitama remarked. "This place will do."
Saitama tried a corridor light switch and found it still working. "Ah, there's electricity too. I'll settle here then."
"Wait a moment," Joshiro said quickly.
Saitama turned, confused. "What is it?"
Joshiro shook his head. "I didn't say anything."
The voice came again, loud and hostile. "I was the one who told you two foolish humans to wait a moment!"
From the side of the street, a lamp post suddenly shifted and tore itself free from the ground. Wires stretched like tendons as a grotesque figure emerged, roaring. "This is my uncle's territory! Who gave you permission to live here without consent?"
PS GOALS: 150 PS= 5-10 extra chapter on an update.
💕💕
READ 45+ ADVANCED CHAPTER AT MY P@TREON! FOR ONLY 10$
at [email protected] /Zaneninjacat
💕💕
💀💀 gimme powerstones!💀💀