Just from KS man's debut video, two familiar faces recognized him, and afterward, Nemo called Matthew to yell at him angrily.

"But only two people recognized you! Besides, how many people do you know? You should blame yourself for revealing so much in front of your roommate and Angie!" Matthew slyly defended himself. "As for Angie, you had to explain things clearly from the start. Now, you don’t need to hide anything from your roommate; it’s actually more convenient this way. You need civilians to help cover your tracks."

"As you wish, I’m starting my fieldwork now and I need your help. You’d better make the most of this chance to win me over," Nemo was still angry.

"Baby, I have to say, you really know how to surprise me." Matthew had never heard anyone dare to speak to him like that, and he wasn’t offended at all—in fact, he found it incredibly amusing.

Nemo didn’t care for Matthew’s apology but couldn’t figure out how to get back at him. Matthew suspected Nemo didn’t want to waste time or energy on him, so he swallowed it and begrudgingly let it go. Eventually, Nemo decided to cut straight to the point and ask Matthew to pay the bill.

—After all, you still owe me compensation!

The chef’s angry tone in the phone call conveyed this intention clearly.

"What assistance may you require? Matthew Grimm, at your service and most delighted to oblige," Matthew said, even though Nemo didn’t specifically demand payment. He would fulfill his request anyway. How Nemo chose his targets and initiated attacks was the real point of observation, but the chef had a way of making him feel good all day long. Talents like that were rare!

"Long-term intelligence on specific groups."

Previously, Matthew had suggested that Nemo could sift through emergency 911 calls and police channels for clues, not to compete with the police, but because some crimes repeat themselves, such as domestic violence and sexual assault.

Communications at gang brawl scenes requesting backup would let Nemo know the gang locations and their firepower.

But Nemo had his own ideas.

"I want the medical records of women and children frequently admitted to emergency rooms due to violence, school records on sexual assault or bullying cases, stalking victim police reports... Of course, I’ll conduct my own investigations, keeping an ear on the channels you open for me. But right now, I’m itching to get started," Nemo said.

"Are you sure? I can easily pile these records up in your room." Matthew had several dedicated investigation teams gathering various types of information and building databases, particularly focused on events occurring in Lone Star City. The intelligence Nemo requested was so low-level, Matthew didn’t even need to get his hands dirty for it.

"Just limit it to Lone Star City for now."

"That’s still enough to make a bed."

"It’s fine, no need to filter the targets for me. I’ll also get to know some civilians who really need help. The prey I want is often right around them, and I can’t predict when I’ll decide to take action." A blueprint was forming in his mind, small, unremarkable, not part of the public’s dreamscape, and not a masterpiece that would be displayed in a museum.

It would only be a small picture, one that would comfort him when Nemo closed his eyes in the future—after he was beaten and lying on the ground, alone and with no one to call for help: a glimpse of light coming through a window corner.

"Your taste may be simple, but I like it," Matthew said.

"Do you blame me for lacking efficiency in changing the world?"

"The world is always changing, from atomic bombs, the internet, climate change, to meteor showers," Matthew replied.

"Matthew, I may not be skilled enough to fix broken windows, but I can try wiping off the dirty fingerprints on them. Even if the window gets dirty again tomorrow, I want the one who tries to break it to know that someone is watching. If one day they still decide to break the window, maybe their head, or some other part of them, will break too."

Just thinking that even a normal hero like himself could do something as small as that brought peace to Nemo’s heart, and it eased some of the anger he’d felt toward Matthew.

"But you need to understand, the enemies you choose aren’t ones that can be knocked out with a single punch—or even a single stab. But you do what you say. You’ve started tackling monsters Leviathan can’t deal with. I’m very pleased," Matthew said, still sounding relatively serious.

"Too bad we’re just on the phone, otherwise I wouldn’t be able to resist kissing you, mwah mwah mwah~" Matthew still sent a bunch of disgusting air-kiss sounds through the phone.

Damn it, luckily he’s not here. Nemo cursed at the billionaire to shut up or he’d hang up, and finally, Matthew went quiet.

"I can’t concern myself with whether the victims can help themselves or not. There are always various challenges—emotional and financial dependence, academic aspirations, and societal taboos. People want to protect their reputation and live a peaceful life. However, I prefer to deal with offenders through violence and public humiliation. If I come across something that could serve as evidence, I’ll hand it over to the police and the courts. Social workers and mutual aid groups can also provide assistance, but that’s not within my expertise." Nemo said.

Nemo knew exactly what kind of monster he was dealing with—those that would rise again and again, violent, parasitic ghouls that gnawed away at the dreams and health of families. These creatures couldn’t be killed, or even easily contained. There were too many legal loopholes, and even society and the victims themselves often wanted these monsters back in their lives.

"If it were any other hero who stepped in out of sympathy for the weak, I’d laugh at him for doing useless work. But you, Nemo Captain, sympathizing with the weak is not your priority. I know what you’re thinking. Your highest record was 37 hours fighting monsters without stopping? You can do this all day." A light chuckle came from the phone.

"You caught me," Nemo admitted. "If the target can’t be reformed right away, that’s not a problem. Matthew, I really like farming small monsters and guarding corpses before landing the final blow."

Nemo was determined to live up to the "KS man" codename, and as for his methods or his image as a heroor not—he couldn’t care less!

"I need at least one safe house as a secret base. I’ve already told Tolya that I’ll be back to rest overnight if nothing’s urgent, but I don’t plan to drag him into this. I don’t mind you protecting the people around me in an emergency, but don’t interfere too much," Nemo warned.

"Alright~" Matthew sounded in a good mood, his voice dripping with a coquettish tone. "So, have you forgiven me?"

"Let’s see how you perform," Nemo hung up the secure line.

Matthew Grimm, the ever-scheming trickster, would surely find another opportunity… and another… and oh, would you look at that? Yet another!

What kind of saint could be friends with a perverted billionaire? Was he sent by God as a guardian angel?

Nemo decided to become a night-based superhero first. He couldn’t stand the summer days of Lone Star City—rain didn’t cool things down much, it made everything more oppressive. The night offered a better margin for error and was more suitable for a rookie like him. The superhero suit Matthew designed for him was in black and gray, hinting that he should start his leveling-up process by taking advantage of the cover of darkness.

Moreover, night was when predators came home to commit their crimes, whether they were drunk or sluggish, filled with pent-up frustration from external frustrations and ready to explode. For Nemo, this was the perfect opportunity to strike.

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

Before his first real mission as a superhero, Nemo decided to establish a partner mutual protection system. A good start is half the battle, so he reported the full plan to Angie and also asked her to give him a safety update before going solo, unless she had a confidentiality obligation. Being careless and losing is a privilege of experts; Nemo will not indulge in it.

"Are you really sure you don’t need me to accompany you?" Angie asked, sounding like a typical Taiwanese girl, worried about a friend going off alone.

"No, this is my city," Nemo said.

Angie pinched her nose and spoke in a voice that sounded sick: "Because I’m—KS man!"

"I wasn’t making a joke just now. After I lost my memory, I’ve been living here! It’s just a simple statement," Nemo sighed in frustration.

"Alright! I know Lone Star City is your turf, I just hope that from now on, the hero representing it will be you," Angie said, her eyes lighting up as she spoke.

"I don’t have that kind of ambition. I’m just close by, and I can’t stand some of the bad things happening around here. If I can’t beat them, I’ll run and call the cops. Survival and hiding are also part of my training goals. You’re too kind to me. I need to have the ability to fight alone just like you do. To take a step back, Salamander’s combat style isn’t suitable for small skirmishes. We’ll work together when the chance comes! And one last thing, I’m not out there to enforce justice, just doing some field training."

"Can I be your backup? You know I can turn invisible and hop around on rooftops. I can get there quickly, and now that everyone knows Salamander’s fighting style, the police won’t make things hard for me," Angie said seriously, looking at the fully geared-up Nemo.

"Of course, we’re a team, just with different training methods." Nemo pulled down his goggles, which immediately changed from transparent to a gray-blue color, hiding half his face with his tousled hair.

"Are you planning to parkour all the way to the target?" Angie asked incredulously.

When had that scrawny little chef become so capable?

"I already have a foundation in martial arts; it’s just that I lacked practical experience. Over the past few days, my old injuries have healed, and my body is stronger than before. It’s time to test out the special training," Nemo had always been advising Angie to work on her physical strength—not just talking about it, but also showing her through his own example.

"I didn’t want to start from your safe house, but—" Nemo climbed out of the window frame, showing only the lower half of his face, his lips curling into a helpless smile.

"Are you kidding? I can’t miss this!" Angie said excitedly, holding up her phone. "This one shot, a full-body shot from the back. I’ll print it out and delete the file, so there’s no risk of anyone hacking into my devices."

"I want you to know that KS and Salamander are partners. We’re still in this together."

With those words, Nemo swiftly climbed out of the window. Angie rushed to the window to peek. Of course, the safe house’s windows were in a blind spot that no paparazzi could easily access, but Nemo wasn’t in the trees or on any street corner. He had quietly disappeared.

One hour later.

Matthew had advised Nemo on the safe limits for using his superpowers continuously, including the need to stay alert to potential danger, like running at unusual speeds and agility through the city’s buildings and alleyways, avoiding cameras, pedestrians, and using both his normal and night vision to observe his surroundings.

Unlike the time he faced the restaurant robbers, when he couldn’t control himself and jumped straight into focused combat mode, he also couldn’t go all out like he did with the Venus statue, draining all his energy in just five minutes.

Before long, Nemo would make Matthew agree that one hour could be extended.

Carefully adjusting his feelings, Nemo kept his usual awareness intact. He was a bit nervous, and moving constantly was starting to tire him out, but he kept his breathing steady, maintaining the mysterious flow of energy inside his body. He took brief pauses to rest, and when he reached the predetermined surveillance position outside the target's residence, Nemo knew that tonight’s practical training was already halfway successful.

As for the other half, he hoped it would go just as smoothly.

Looking at his watch, the target should have already returned home by this time.

With a crash, a hard object flew out of the third-floor window, and Nemo adjusted his night vision goggles, zooming in on the image. An empty whiskey bottle landed on the edge of the road. He looked up at the house, hearing a man's curses and the barely audible sound of a woman crying quietly.

Nemo waited a while longer, listening to the emergency calls on the Lone Star City 911 line. It seemed that the neighbors hadn’t called the police.

Since the appearance of the giant bloodsucking mosquitoes, the police patrol rate in Lone Star City had drastically dropped at night. The mosquitoes were nearly impossible to identify in the dark, and the police, equipped with insufficient protection, had reduced their regular outdoor patrols and instead partnered with the military. While the bug disaster had mostly subsided, people remained fearful of the possibility that second-generation mosquitoes were being secretly bred. As a result, it had become a common understanding to avoid going out at night.

The giant bloodsucking mosquitoes first appeared here, and the damage was most severe in Lone Star City. It had recently overtaken New Orleans as the most popular setting for vampire-themed works, with countless urban legends flourishing online, fueled by the horrific atmosphere at night.

It was kind of like that famous haunted house in Minxiong, Taiwan. Nemo had passed by it frequently when he was a student and even greeted the residents inside. It was just an ordinary house by the field, but later on, countless so-called victims online claimed to have had terrifying experiences, which made Nemo feel like he was getting special treatment from the vengeful spirits.

In the same vein, the local people of Lone Star City actually thought it was okay; life had mostly returned to normal. However, they still kept their doors and windows sealed just in case. Additionally, the collective action taken earlier had fostered a revolutionary spirit, and they were now used to frequently socializing, training for civil defense, and enjoying watching the dramatic reactions of outsiders when they entered the city, all overly cautious.

Disaster victims often find ways to adapt, and New York City was no exception. They always manage to come up with a method to keep going.

Currently, the police force in Lone Star City was already showing signs of exhaustion, with most of their night patrols focusing on remaining mosquito sightings or dealing with out-of-control "Greens" from neighboring states. They also had to manage gang conflicts, murders, and robberies.

For family disputes like this, neighbors usually just tolerated it. Everyone understood that the police were stretched thin, and even if a well-meaning person called, the police wouldn’t show up until at least two hours later. By then, everything would be quiet, and the parties involved would either be asleep or acting as if nothing had happened, making the police look bad in both directions.

As for Nemo… he could almost be called KS man now. Most houses in the city had reinforced their doors and windows to prevent bloodsucking mosquitoes from getting in. Seeing the broken window, it was clear that the man of the house had spent the money that should’ve gone to buy wood on more whiskey. Lucky for them, nothing had happened during this period.

The light quickly dimmed. The bloodsucking mosquitoes were attracted to light, so perhaps a more sensible member of the household had turned off the lights in warning.

KS man easily climbed to the third-floor broken window, finding it was a child's bedroom. He reached out, unlatching the window, and silently slipped inside.

Beneath the bed, there was a sound of panicked breathing.

"Hi. I'm not here to rob or steal," KS man said softly, sitting beside the bed, his voice only audible to the boy hiding under it.

"Hi." After a while, a timid, childlike voice came from under the bed. According to the files, the boy was six years old. "Are you a superhero? I always thought they wouldn’t come to my house because there are no monsters here."

"I'm KS man. You might not have heard of me; I'm a newbie, not very famous. I was passing by and almost got hit by an empty bottle, so I came to see what happened," KS man said calmly, his young voice putting the boy at ease.

"Sorry, my dad’s drunk. He thought my mom hid the money in my room, but when he couldn’t find it, he got angry."

Suddenly, a woman’s scream echoed from the living room, followed by the sound of clothes being torn and struggling, along with the cries of "No!" KS man could feel the boy huddle up, covering his ears, as if he had heard these sounds countless times before, each one tearing at his heart.

"Stay hidden under the bed. Don’t come out. There’s actually a monster in your house. Let me deal with it," KS man said.

"Will you get hurt?" the boy asked fearfully and nervously.

KS man laughed, drawing a Ryukyu Sai, "Close your eyes, keep covering your ears, and pretend you don’t hear anything, okay? I’ll help save your mom."

"Okay."

The figure of the dark-suited hero stepped into the dim living room, where only a single lightbulb remained. With one swift kick, he sent the drunken man, who was on top of his wife, trying to pull down her pants, tumbling to the floor. The drunken man, enraged, pushed up on his knee, raised his fist, and charged at KS man.

The hero sidestepped expertly, tripping the man, causing him to fall backward, and immediately knelt on the drunken man’s chest, pinning him down. With his right hand, he drove the Ryukyu Sai forcefully into the man’s left clavicle, impaling him into the floor while using his tactical-gloved hand to block the man’s painful scream.

KS man released the weapon, letting the Sai continue to pierce the man as he landed two heavy punches on the drunken man’s face, giving him two panda eyes to ensure he couldn’t see anything for the time being.

Next, KS man turned to face the disheveled woman. She rushed to the kitchen, grabbed a knife, and trembled as she held it with both hands, pointing the blade at the intruder wearing a strange low-hat and goggles.

"Your son is under the bed, safe. I promised him I’d deal with the monster in this house."

Tears immediately filled the woman’s eyes, and the knife clattered to the ground. "Please… don’t kill my husband…"

"Of course, I respect your wishes, madam. Could you please take out your phone, but don’t call the police? Just stay calm and watch from the side," the intruder with the unusual weapon spoke politely amidst the drunken man’s sobs.

"What are you going to do to him?" the woman asked, her voice shaking.

"Let's just use a little imagination," KS man responded, his smile icy, a clear indication of his resolve to follow through with his merciless principles.