Chapter 13: E-Rank Monster Training Card

"Mission: Rising Fame. Due to uncontrollable circumstances, the Hellfire Gang has been completely wiped out. In principle, the system recognizes the host as having completed the mission, but the mission rewards have been canceled. As compensation, you will receive 40,000 points and one E-Rank Monster Training Card. The mission has been updated: Mission Name: Rising Fame (Part 2). Mission Requirements: The host must take down at least three criminal gangs in Nashino City. Time Limit: 1 month. As a Kamen Rider who protects humanity from the shadows, you must leave your legend in this city."

Kaito Haruno, just finishing his week-long break, rushed to submit a hastily written outdoor report to Mrs. Brenna on the last day and fell asleep at his desk. Hearing the system notification in his mind, he was stunned. Happiness came too suddenly. Before he could even think about how to deal with the Hellfire Gang, the group had already been wiped out? Although the rewards weren't as lavish as before, 40,000 points were still something, and an E-Rank Monster Training Card? Not bad at all.

Still, Kaito was curious about how the Hellfire Gang was eliminated. Was it a gang war, or did they cross paths with the wrong enemy? As he thought about it, Kaito glanced at Kara sitting next to him. She was cheerfully joking with others, oblivious to the world's dark side. There was no way she could've taken down a gang—she was still far from becoming Supergirl, and the Danvers family had been protecting her well.

[Forget it, why overthink? I'll check the news later.] Kaito shook off his random thoughts and focused on the system's new mission. Learning from the Hellfire Gang's downfall, the system gave Kaito a one-month deadline. Still, Kaito was a bit troubled. He was good at sneaky ambushes, but going out to provoke enemies directly? He wasn't quite ready for that.

Meanwhile, at Nashino City Police Department, rookie detective Dick, recently transferred from Gotham, was meeting with his new partner, Claire. Claire was well-known in the department, a striking blonde with long legs and a fit physique. Many of the officers were jealous that Dick got such a beautiful partner. But Dick wasn't one of them.

"Hello, Detective Dick. From now on, we're partners. I hope we'll work well together," Claire greeted him with no objections to being paired with a newcomer.

She knew that anyone who could transfer from Gotham, a crime-infested city, to Nashino meant they hadn't fallen in with the corrupt Gotham cops. Only two kinds of officers went to Gotham: those looking to indulge in its lawless lifestyle, and those determined to fight evil. The former thrived in Gotham, but the latter usually met two fates: corruption or reassignment. Claire believed Dick was the latter.

And, as a partner, Dick wasn't bad to look at. Standing 185 cm tall, he was well-built and made any outfit look stylish. His black hair and blue eyes, coupled with a mysterious aura, intrigued Claire.

"I'll try, as long as you don't slow me down."

"Don't worry about that. What do you think about the Hellfire Gang getting attacked last night?"

"Attacked? By who?"

"Take a look at this."

Claire opened the file she was holding and handed over several enlarged photos. They clearly showed Dick, disguised as Nightwing, pinning someone against a wall, and leaping among the Hellfire Gang members. Even in the chaos of gunfire, security cameras had managed to catch his movements.

"Nightwing's last appearance was a year ago in Blüdhaven, and now he's here? What's he after?"

"Maybe bad luck follows him."

"Haha, you're funny. By the way, the captain's holding a meeting about this guy soon. Don't be late."

Claire gave a friendly reminder before leaving with the photos. Dick watched her go, his expression dark.

At home, Kaito lay on his bed, his consciousness entering the system's space. With a time-limited mission looming, he had no choice but to accept it. To defeat three criminal gangs, he needed to strengthen himself.

"System, I want to activate the Haki Training Room."

"Haki Training Room activated. Usage time: 8 hours per day. Please monitor your time."

With that, Kaito's surroundings began to dissolve like a puzzle, reassembling into a blank space. A mysterious pressure weighed down on him.

"Haki Training: As everyone knows, Haki from the One Piece world is a powerful skill that can enhance both attack and defense, even allowing survival in extreme conditions. The gravity in this training room is set to 2G. The host can adjust it at will. Please proceed carefully."

For once, the system wasn't sarcastic. The 2G gravity reduced Kaito's enhanced body back to a normal human state. After testing his jump height, Kaito began basic physical exercises—running, push-ups. Though these wouldn't transfer to his physical body, the feeling of sweating was something Kaito had missed.

"Do you want to activate the E-Rank Monster Training Card?"

While Kaito was gasping for breath on the ground, the system suddenly spoke.

"These things can be used together?"

"Of course. The host must undergo intense battles to strengthen both Observation and Armament Haki. The training card is designed to help the host improve."

"You're really a cunning businessman, aren't you, system?" Kaito grumbled, but he couldn't refuse. These tools were essential for getting stronger. "Use the Monster Training Card."

"E-Rank Monster Training Card activated. Duration: 48 hours. Monster: Random Kamen Rider Grunts."

As the system's voice faded, a card with a question mark spun in the air, flashing with light. Before Kaito could see what monster appeared, he heard a uniform shout.

"Eh!"

In front of Kaito stood 15 soldiers in black-and-white striped outfits, their faces masked with only their eyes, nose, and mouth visible. They made the classic salute of the Shocker Soldiers, villains from the first Kamen Rider series, then rushed at Kaito with machetes.

"Oh crap!" Seeing the incoming blades, Kaito barely had the strength to leap up, dodging a strike. As the soldiers closed in, he ran for his life.

"Damn you, system! Why is it always a mob attack?" Kaito complained while running.

"You fool! Since when did Shocker Soldiers ever fight one-on-one with Kamen Riders? Grunts fight in groups, that's their job! Besides, your Observation and Armament Haki aren't just for show, are they?"

The system's mocking questions left Kaito speechless. Gritting his teeth, he stopped running and charged toward the Shocker Soldiers with their machetes!

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