Chapter 28: The First Stop, Center City

"Mom, there's something I want to discuss with you." Kaito Haruno, who was having dinner at home, spoke up somewhat shyly to his adoptive mother, Scarlett Qiu.

"What is it, son? Just say it directly," Scarlett replied, looking at Kaito. She had never noticed her son being this bashful before; he usually spoke straightforwardly. Had he recently changed his ways? Was this a late onset of adolescence?

Kaito had no idea that his adoptive mother had already picked up on his unusual demeanor. Other than that, everything else about him seemed fine, so Scarlett chalked it up to the typical changes of adolescence and didn't think too much of it.

"Well, there's only a week left until summer vacation. I want to go out and explore a bit to prepare for the SAT next semester, so I need some financial support. Of course, if you don't want to give me money, just letting me go would be enough," Kaito said, trying to sound convincing, while looking hopefully at his mother.

Scarlett fell silent for a moment, then set down her chopsticks and said, "Personally, I don't agree with you going out. This is America, not our homeland. In our homeland, I wouldn't mind where you go, since you're already 18. But here, I can't agree. However, I can't decide alone; you need to talk to your dad. If he agrees, I won't have any objections."

Hearing this, Kaito felt his hopes deflating. As an only child, he realized that although his adoptive dad didn't spoil him like many only children, he still felt uncertain about going far from home. Would he really have to run away by himself? That seemed a bit extreme. Just as mother and son were preparing to discuss further, Kaito's adoptive father, Jonathan Ke, returned home. His tired appearance made Kaito unsure of how to approach the conversation.

"What's going on? What are you two discussing?" Jonathan asked, although the exhaustion on his face was evident after a long day, he didn't let that negativity seep into the home. He adjusted his position on the couch before continuing to inquire.

"Um, I want to take advantage of the summer vacation to go out, but Mom disagrees and said I need your approval. Since you look tired, I didn't want to bring it up too early."

"Sure, go ahead." Jonathan nodded, instantly agreeing without taking any time to think it over. The quick turnaround surprised Kaito.

"Jonathan!" Scarlett was a bit speechless at her husband's decisiveness. After all, this was America—didn't daily gun violence concern him? Jonathan glanced at his wife and waved his hand, signaling her to calm down. "I understand your concerns, dear, but isn't there a saying in our homeland about reading thousands of books and traveling thousands of miles? There will definitely be dangers, but this is a good opportunity for him to grow. How about we make a deal, son?"

"Okay, what's the deal?"

"As for the money, we don't have any objections, but we need to check your bank statements daily. If I find out you went somewhere you shouldn't, like Gotham, I will freeze your card immediately, and you better come back quickly. Don't make me have to send someone to bring you back. Deal?"

Seeing Jonathan's serious gaze, Kaito felt a bit apprehensive, as if his adoptive dad could see through him. However, he thought to himself that if he could get past this hurdle with his parents, everything would be fine. Freezing his credit card? Well, America didn't really rely on cash payments; he could just find a few gangsters for some cash if necessary. Once he was sure his plan was feasible, Kaito nodded without further hesitation.

"Deal, Dad."

With his summer freedom secured, Kaito knew he was halfway there. As for the mission assigned by the system, he would tackle it as it came. After all, the requirement was simply to visit four cities, which he could manage. As for taking down criminals in those cities, that would depend on his luck; if he encountered them, he would strike; if not, he would consider it a vacation.

Time flew by, and there was only a week left at Center City High School. During this time, Kaito occasionally went out for a stroll, quickly taking down petty thieves with a simple sequence of moves: a stealthy approach, a quick search, a call to the police, and then he was gone, sometimes ending up in the system space where he endured the punishment of the training program.

"Ugh!" A soldier in black uniform, adorned with a bone emblem on the chest, let out a classic scream as Kaito sent him flying with an enhanced wooden sword. The sheer force created a shockwave in the air, twisting the soldier into an irregular shape.

Kaito's hand holding the wooden sword trembled slightly. Each of these soldiers had combat power exceeding that of normal humans by 10 to 15 times; in simple terms, they were like a Captain America without his incredible combat skills. Otherwise, given Kaito's build, he'd be kneeling within a minute. "Phew, phew." Looking at the remaining ten soldiers, Kaito felt a headache coming on.

It was clear that he wasn't cut out to be a hero. Despite specializing in combat and killing techniques, along with the modified physique of a soldier, he still struggled after three days against these fifteen soldiers and was now stalemated with ten of them.

"Damn, it's tough to get by these days. Without some self-defense skills, I wouldn't even dare to step out. How useless." Cursing himself inwardly, Kaito closed his eyes and activated his Observation Haki, enveloping the ten soldiers within his range, predicting their next moves. Then, he moved, his actions seeming pre-calculated as he dodged each strike aimed at him.

Simultaneously, he lunged his wooden sword at the vital points of the soldiers, and his enhanced physique kicked in, filling him with renewed energy. He forcefully struck one soldier at the forehead, sending him flying. The remaining nine, caught off guard, followed suit as Kaito knocked them out one by one. Once done, Kaito withdrew his sword and stood there.

"Congratulations, host! You can finally contend with fifteen soldier-grade opponents. Even in the DC world, you are no longer just a mere hero on the floor."

Listening to the system's non-complimentary praise, Kaito had no energy left to retort. After all his hard work, he had only just escaped the classification of a mere hero in the DC world! Were all mortal heroes just disguised demons?

"System, can I ask if the next training will be at this level? Fifteen soldiers again?" he waved his wooden sword and asked.

"Not necessarily! It could also be a red soldier, a captain-level opponent, or even a Ghul. It's random!"

Great, that was a useless question. It would be better to maintain his current luck and keep summoning soldiers. At least he could handle Ghul; even if he wore G3 armor, he would still get wrecked by them. Who knows how the system classifies these levels? Kaito casually waved his hand and exited the training room, returning his consciousness to his body.

"Alright, class is dismissed for today. You all have a long three-month vacation ahead. I hope you make the most of it. See you next semester, everyone."

In the classroom, Mrs. Brenna announced the end of the last class of the semester. Everyone cheered, while Kaito, drenched in sweat, yawned and prepared to pack up and leave.

"Kaito, are you okay? You look exhausted," Kara, sitting next to him, noticed Kaito sweating profusely and looking drained, and couldn't help but express her concern.

"Thanks, I just didn't sleep well. So, about the last topic, are you guys planning to travel during the break?"

"Yeah, I'm planning to go to Metropolis with my sister to visit my cousin. Want to join us?" Kara's eyes lit up at the mention of Metropolis. There, Superman was her only blood relative, and since she had the chance to visit, she didn't mind bringing a few friends along.

"Ha, no thanks, I'm going to Mid-City. See you!"

(End of Chapter)

Let me know if you need any changes or further assistance!Here's the translation of Chapter 28:

Chapter 28: The First Stop, Center City

2021-01-03

"Mom, there's something I want to discuss with you." Kaito Haruno, who was having dinner at home, spoke up somewhat shyly to his adoptive mother, Scarlett Qiu.

"What is it, son? Just say it directly," Scarlett replied, looking at Kaito. She had never noticed her son being this bashful before; he usually spoke straightforwardly. Had he recently changed his ways? Was this a late onset of adolescence?

Kaito had no idea that his adoptive mother had already picked up on his unusual demeanor. Other than that, everything else about him seemed fine, so Scarlett chalked it up to the typical changes of adolescence and didn't think too much of it.

"Well, there's only a week left until summer vacation. I want to go out and explore a bit to prepare for the SAT next semester, so I need some financial support. Of course, if you don't want to give me money, just letting me go would be enough," Kaito said, trying to sound convincing, while looking hopefully at his mother.

Scarlett fell silent for a moment, then set down her chopsticks and said, "Personally, I don't agree with you going out. This is America, not our homeland. In our homeland, I wouldn't mind where you go, since you're already 18. But here, I can't agree. However, I can't decide alone; you need to talk to your dad. If he agrees, I won't have any objections."

Hearing this, Kaito felt his hopes deflating. As an only child, he realized that although his adoptive dad didn't spoil him like many only children, he still felt uncertain about going far from home. Would he really have to run away by himself? That seemed a bit extreme. Just as mother and son were preparing to discuss further, Kaito's adoptive father, Jonathan Ke, returned home. His tired appearance made Kaito unsure of how to approach the conversation.

"What's going on? What are you two discussing?" Jonathan asked, although the exhaustion on his face was evident after a long day, he didn't let that negativity seep into the home. He adjusted his position on the couch before continuing to inquire.

"Um, I want to take advantage of the summer vacation to go out, but Mom disagrees and said I need your approval. Since you look tired, I didn't want to bring it up too early."

"Sure, go ahead." Jonathan nodded, instantly agreeing without taking any time to think it over. The quick turnaround surprised Kaito.

"Jonathan!" Scarlett was a bit speechless at her husband's decisiveness. After all, this was America—didn't daily gun violence concern him? Jonathan glanced at his wife and waved his hand, signaling her to calm down. "I understand your concerns, dear, but isn't there a saying in our homeland about reading thousands of books and traveling thousands of miles? There will definitely be dangers, but this is a good opportunity for him to grow. How about we make a deal, son?"

"Okay, what's the deal?"

"As for the money, we don't have any objections, but we need to check your bank statements daily. If I find out you went somewhere you shouldn't, like Gotham, I will freeze your card immediately, and you better come back quickly. Don't make me have to send someone to bring you back. Deal?"

Seeing Jonathan's serious gaze, Kaito felt a bit apprehensive, as if his adoptive dad could see through him. However, he thought to himself that if he could get past this hurdle with his parents, everything would be fine. Freezing his credit card? Well, America didn't really rely on cash payments; he could just find a few gangsters for some cash if necessary. Once he was sure his plan was feasible, Kaito nodded without further hesitation.

"Deal, Dad."

With his summer freedom secured, Kaito knew he was halfway there. As for the mission assigned by the system, he would tackle it as it came. After all, the requirement was simply to visit four cities, which he could manage. As for taking down criminals in those cities, that would depend on his luck; if he encountered them, he would strike; if not, he would consider it a vacation.

Time flew by, and there was only a week left at Center City High School. During this time, Kaito occasionally went out for a stroll, quickly taking down petty thieves with a simple sequence of moves: a stealthy approach, a quick search, a call to the police, and then he was gone, sometimes ending up in the system space where he endured the punishment of the training program.

"Ugh!" A soldier in black uniform, adorned with a bone emblem on the chest, let out a classic scream as Kaito sent him flying with an enhanced wooden sword. The sheer force created a shockwave in the air, twisting the soldier into an irregular shape.

Kaito's hand holding the wooden sword trembled slightly. Each of these soldiers had combat power exceeding that of normal humans by 10 to 15 times; in simple terms, they were like a Captain America without his incredible combat skills. Otherwise, given Kaito's build, he'd be kneeling within a minute. "Phew, phew." Looking at the remaining ten soldiers, Kaito felt a headache coming on.

It was clear that he wasn't cut out to be a hero. Despite specializing in combat and killing techniques, along with the modified physique of a soldier, he still struggled after three days against these fifteen soldiers and was now stalemated with ten of them.

"Damn, it's tough to get by these days. Without some self-defense skills, I wouldn't even dare to step out. How useless." Cursing himself inwardly, Kaito closed his eyes and activated his Observation Haki, enveloping the ten soldiers within his range, predicting their next moves. Then, he moved, his actions seeming pre-calculated as he dodged each strike aimed at him.

Simultaneously, he lunged his wooden sword at the vital points of the soldiers, and his enhanced physique kicked in, filling him with renewed energy. He forcefully struck one soldier at the forehead, sending him flying. The remaining nine, caught off guard, followed suit as Kaito knocked them out one by one. Once done, Kaito withdrew his sword and stood there.

"Congratulations, host! You can finally contend with fifteen soldier-grade opponents. Even in the DC world, you are no longer just a mere hero on the floor."

Listening to the system's non-complimentary praise, Kaito had no energy left to retort. After all his hard work, he had only just escaped the classification of a mere hero in the DC world! Were all mortal heroes just disguised demons?

"System, can I ask if the next training will be at this level? Fifteen soldiers again?" he waved his wooden sword and asked.

"Not necessarily! It could also be a red soldier, a captain-level opponent, or even a Ghul. It's random!"

Great, that was a useless question. It would be better to maintain his current luck and keep summoning soldiers. At least he could handle Ghul; even if he wore G3 armor, he would still get wrecked by them. Who knows how the system classifies these levels? Kaito casually waved his hand and exited the training room, returning his consciousness to his body.

"Alright, class is dismissed for today. You all have a long three-month vacation ahead. I hope you make the most of it. See you next semester, everyone."

In the classroom, Mrs. Brenna announced the end of the last class of the semester. Everyone cheered, while Kaito, drenched in sweat, yawned and prepared to pack up and leave.

"Kaito, are you okay? You look exhausted," Kara, sitting next to him, noticed Kaito sweating profusely and looking drained, and couldn't help but express her concern.

"Thanks, I just didn't sleep well. So, about the last topic, are you guys planning to travel during the break?"

"Yeah, I'm planning to go to Metropolis with my sister to visit my cousin. Want to join us?" Kara's eyes lit up at the mention of Metropolis. There, Superman was her only blood relative, and since she had the chance to visit, she didn't mind bringing a few friends along.

"Ha, no thanks, I'm going to Mid-City. See you!"

(End of Chapter)