After taking Yomikawa Aiho back to her bedroom, Lin Wuming unhurriedly cleaned up the kitchen and living room. After washing up, he calmly returned to his bedroom and even had the energy to check the new cell phone that had arrived today for a while.
Because he had stayed up too late, Lin Wuming woke up a bit later than usual the next day.
"Wuming... it's only 6:30 a.m.," Yomikawa Aiho, who had woken up to use the restroom, rubbed her eyes, checked the time, and then looked at Lin Wuming bustling in the kitchen, letting out a genuine exclamation of surprise. "Do you not need to sleep?"
"I'm used to waking up at this time," Lin Wuming said with a smile. "Good morning, Teacher Yomikawa. What would you like for breakfast?"
"Call me big sister~" Yomikawa Aiho, in her low-pressure early-morning state, yawned vaguely. "And... I don't want breakfast. I'll sleep a little longer and just eat lunch when I wake up..."
"Alright, then I'll just prepare my portion," Lin Wuming nodded, then suddenly remembered something. "By the way, we're running low on ingredients in the fridge."
Since Yomikawa Aiho was responsible for the grocery shopping, but she had been busy with work for the past two days and hadn't had time to go to the market, the fridge's stock was nearly depleted.
"Ehh~~" The sleepy woman was making a difficult choice between sleepiness and delicious food.
Unfortunately, in her current state, sleepiness undoubtedly held the absolute upper hand.
"Then... just eat instant noodles... I remember there's a huge pile in the cabinet..."
"While I don't dislike instant noodles," Lin Wuming said helplessly, "what I mean is, I'm planning to go out myself in a bit. If there's anything you need to buy, I can pick it up for you."
"Is that so..." Yomikawa Aiho, whose sleepiness was intensifying, stood still for a moment, thinking. "No... just be careful, Wuming..."
With that, she wobbled back to the bedroom and dove back into her dreams.
"Well, at least I informed my guardian," Lin Wuming nodded. "She probably won't forget when she wakes up, right?"
After several days of meticulous preparation, Lin Wuming finally decided to step out of the apartment building and venture into Academy City alone.
The act of "informing" Yomikawa Aiho was not only a basic courtesy to his guardian but also a way to ask her for help in case he got lost.
After eating breakfast and washing the dishes, Lin Wuming changed into his going-out clothes, checked his wallet, phone, and student ID, and reviewed the route to the nearby supermarket again.
Having made ample preparations, he finally left the house with confidence.
Eight days later, Lin Wuming stepped out of the apartment building for the first time. It was also the first time since his transmigration that he had come into the new world of "Academy City" alone.
Looking up at the sky, Lin Wuming was filled with emotion.
"New world, here I come..." After cheering himself up, Lin Wuming drove his wheelchair forward.
Meanwhile, in a black sedan parked by the roadside, the person in the passenger seat suddenly poked his partner awake.
"Hey, wake up! The target has appeared!"
"Hmm... Eh? Finally?" The man in the driver's seat immediately perked up. "That's right, it's the target! Seriously, I thought he'd stay indoors for the rest of his life!"
The two men, who had been lying in wait in the vicinity for eight days, were profoundly moved.
They were professionals, but facing the Judgment force's home base, even as Anbu members, they dared not barge in easily. They could only wait patiently outside.
They also had to frequently change their surveillance positions and vehicles, otherwise, they would easily be spotted by the numerous Judgment officers in the entire building.
It was truly a difficult and exhausting job.
Now, their patience had finally paid off!
"It's normal that the target didn't go out since he's in a wheelchair," the partner said.
"Don't be careless. The target is a Level 3 Strong-Level Esper. Even with crippled hands and feet, he possesses a certain level of combat power. Don't be fooled by his appearance," the driver said. "We'll stay put and let the lackeys below continue tracking. Also, notify the boss to prepare for the capture!"
"Understood." The partner made an OK gesture, pulling out his phone to make an outside call.
The black car remained motionless, looking like an ordinary vehicle resting by the roadside.
Therefore, Lin Wuming didn't notice anything amiss as he passed by.
However, vaguely, several figures of delinquent boys appeared at a distant alley entrance.
These delinquents also failed to alert Lin Wuming. He merely thought the punks were bold to be operating so close to where Judgment teachers clustered.
Soon after, the boss of the Anbu group "Hunter" received a message from his subordinates.
"Target sighted, act immediately, prepare for capture!" The boss grabbed a massive duffel bag, emerged from the parked van, and headed straight for the predetermined vantage point.
With his command, the dozen or so members of "Hunter" also began to move. They wove an invisible but exceptionally resilient net around the target—Lin Wuming.
The Anbu group "Hunter"—as the name implies—was an Anbu organization whose main business was "human hunting." Experiment subjects like Lin Wuming who had escaped from research facilities were their primary targets. They could even be hired to capture more "lab rats" when certain illegal research projects lacked subjects.
Even among Academy City's Anbu organizations, they were considered the most low-class, precisely because their missions were so despicable.
Academy City's Anbu organizations were essentially unrecognized semi-official groups, and their overall existence was to maintain the basic operation of the city. While other Anbu groups occasionally received tasks like "capturing escaped subjects," those were orders directly from the higher-ups, and the Anbu organizations, as tools, had no room to refuse.
But "Hunter" was different. They made this their main profession, even advertising their specialized services for capturing experiment subjects—this was why the "Dark May" project team chose to hire them.
Lin Wuming was oblivious to the danger around him. The "Hunter" group was small in number, and their members were seasoned hunters skilled at urban camouflage. Even members of other Anbu organizations might not detect their presence, let alone Lin Wuming, who was utterly ordinary.
Following his planned route, Lin Wuming smoothly reached the largest nearby supermarket. According to his plan, he could buy everything on his list here, avoiding the need to visit a second store.
Moreover, Yomikawa Aiho had a shopping card and membership card for this supermarket, making the purchase very cost-effective.
Even for grocery shopping, Lin Wuming had prepared a strategy, his purpose was clear, he headed straight for his items, and was quick to finish.
Including the time lost due to unfamiliarity with the environment, Lin Wuming completed his procurement in less than an hour, then paid and headed home.