The citizens of Lone Star City are still adjusting to the aftermath of the Sea Giant's landing, dealing with the destruction and panic it caused. Fortunately, the kaiju’s attack was limited in scope. Apart from the visible damage to buildings, the area potentially contaminated by the creature’s blood was cordoned off by the U.S. military—unlike the bloodsucking giant mosquitoes, which could fly everywhere, prompting emergency declarations in up to five states.
In short, apart from the media trio that barged in and the crew members who couldn’t escape in time, the Sea Giant incident didn’t result in any civilian deaths. The military’s ability to evacuate citizens was met with more praise than criticism nationwide. For those living within the cordoned area, they couldn’t voice much opposition to the government-designated shelters. At least the Lone Star City government provided free food, beds, and a large number of volunteer service opportunities.
Pets that didn’t follow their owners out of the cordoned area on the first day were banned from being brought out. After discussions between the city government and the military, the National Guard was authorized to accompany animal welfare groups—those that passed an ability assessment—into the isolation zone to rescue pets trapped at home. After quarantine, these pets would be returned to their owners. As for outdoor animals that might have been exposed to or ingested the Sea Giant’s blood, they could only be euthanized or used as test subjects.
It had been raining continuously in Lone Star City. Apart from the original blood samples collected right after the incident, much of the blood left on land had been diluted by the rain and seeped into the ground and depressions. This was why the area of the isolation zone was drawn much larger than the actual combat zone.
"You can patrol the harbor area, but I want to be connected to your goggles the whole time. This is valuable field research documentation. Also, take your superhero ID card with you. If the U.S. military stops you and questions your actions, just tell them you’re an investigative assistant and bodyguard commissioned by the Grimm Group, and have them use the machine to verify your highest clearance. There’s also my research team in the isolation zone, and you can even walk right into the research tent covering the Sea Giant’s corpse," Matthew said.
The richest man had given Nemo the green light to move freely within the isolation zone. It was up to Nemo whether he wanted to take the conventional route.
"I don’t trust the military or the scientific teams assembled by the UN. Before getting caught, it’s worth observing whether any suspicious individuals have slipped in," Nemo said.
Of course, he chose to act in secret—otherwise, wearing his superhero suit would be pointless! Since he was making such a major sacrifice, he had to gain the corresponding real-world combat experience.
Wouldn't it be better to just say things clearly? Nemo really couldn't understand why the government always liked to beat around the bush.
"You’re so thoughtful, always solving my little worries," Matthew responded. He knew that with the Sea Giant’s corpse on the shore, flies would soon arrive attracted by the blood, which was why Matthew had insisted on expanding the isolation zone despite pressure from the citizens. It would be too late if something happened after they moved everyone back.
When Matthew was interviewed by the media about how he helped the superheroes get to their destination faster, he abruptly changed the topic to talk about the isolation zone. He exaggeratedly waved his hands and said, "I’m worried that after our staff steps on rainwater contaminated with kaiju blood, they’ll leave footprints on buses and taxis and bring them into the city center’s Grimm Tower."
Subsequently, urban planning experts also published research reports suggesting that the Sea Giant’s original blood might have contaminated the water pipes in the harbor and some low-lying areas of the southern district as it mixed with the rainwater.
The citizens who had been protesting that they couldn’t return home suddenly quieted down. Misfortune was only relative; when compared to becoming a Green, forced evacuation didn’t seem so bad. Besides, most citizens could still rely on friends or family. The government also directly transferred living subsidies into personal accounts to help the residents of the southern district through the crisis.
As for the displaced refugees and illegal immigrants, the Lone Star City government temporarily turned a blind eye. They issued various vouchers and provided accommodation in the name of volunteer recruitment, so these people with awkward identities could exchange labor for necessities.
Even though left-wing critics complained that the Lone Star City government was making the vulnerable foreign population bear the dangerous, dirty jobs that the locals didn’t want to do, in Nemo’s eyes, this emergency measure that gave opportunities was very good. What was wrong with working honestly to earn a living?
Even as legal citizens, people often had to do dirty and dangerous heavy labor to make a living, and this was the same everywhere. But these intellectuals probably didn’t see the real world, and certainly didn’t have the time to come out of their air-conditioned rooms to clean the streets.
"Save your lecture for someone else, I’ll keep an eye on it," Nemo replied, explaining that he decided to risk going into the harbor area to patrol precisely to keep watch for any scavenger predators. Right now, he was quite certain that evading the detection of the highly trained and well-equipped special forces teams was impossible.
By the way, the isolation zone was indeed very large, covering the harbor area and about a third of the southern commercial district of Lone Star City. The U.S. military's personnel assigned to handle the Sea Giant event and the police in Lone Star City were definitely not enough, so they could only rely on machine surveillance.
Special forces couldn’t be expected to do nothing but serve as security all the time—right now, there were enough incidents within the U.S. that required their attention. Not to mention the relentless calls from foreign allies to American lawmakers and military commanders.
As long as Nemo didn’t get too close to the huge tent covering the Sea Giant’s body, he could greatly reduce the chances of being discovered by the military.
Due to shortages in chip components and manufacturing issues, as well as the depletion of a large number of drones during the previous two waves of kaiju landings, Matthew revealed that the drones used for night patrols in the isolation zone are not equipped with advanced infrared electro-optical sensors.
Unless a distress signal is confirmed or a clear enemy is detected, the U.S. military avoids nighttime operations in the isolation zone to prevent encountering unknown biological dangers. Now, all the good equipment is saved for critical moments, and using it to catch one or two thieves sneaking in to steal things is not worth it.
Apart from the sea giant's corpse and the research team's dormitory, which must be strictly guarded, the old residential areas and businesses in the isolation zone are only actively searched during the day to check for residents and pets who haven't evacuated. At night, drones are used to fly around a few times, and the monitoring system is sufficient. After all, the reckless citizens who sneak into the isolation zone will bear the consequences.
The drones and surveillance cameras are all instantaneously located and displayed on the goggles, so as long as Nemo confirms the drone's position, he can easily avoid the surveillance blind spots and sneak through just like during the day. Matthew's key consideration in supporting Nemo's infiltration into the isolation zone is that KS is always dealing with ordinary criminals; when will he become familiar with the high-tech functions of the goggles?
What surprised Matthew was that Nemo reacted exceptionally quickly and skillfully to the flashing of the drones (Red Monsters) and the surveillance cameras (traps). Could this be a professional ability from playing online games?
Nemo decided to leave the visit to the sea giant's corpse for last, planning to openly walk into the giant tent after finishing the patrol and greet the scientists from the Grimm Group.
As an outsider, Nemo wouldn't be able to figure out much even if he grew two more eyes, so having experts on-site to guide and explain would be best! At the same time, he could check the progress of Matthew's team—it's not good to lose to other teams. The Grimm Group’s president had said that if Nemo met his own research staff, he would connect for a morale-boosting live Q&A.
Working for the richest man is no easy task.
"KS, hang on a sec," Matthew’s voice came through the single-ear headset attached to the helmet.
"What's up?"
"Nothing, just testing the connection. The sea giant's landing means that a Fragment is entering Lone Star Harbor, but it might not still be inside the kaiju's body. The magnetic field near unassigned Fragments is often strange. Also, it's quite interesting to observe things through your eyes and movement rhythm."
"If there’s something specific you want to check, feel free to mark it for me; otherwise, I’ll patrol according to my own plan." Nemo was generous when acting as a superhero.
"Feel free to do your own thing, I won’t disturb you," Matthew said.
The patrol was actually very boring; nothing happening is a good thing.
Strictly speaking, Matthew wasn’t KS man’s online backup. If field investigation footage was needed, just recording it and watching it later when there’s time would suffice. The billionaire was just bored and wanted to follow KS man's exclusive game stream.
The sea giant's landing event had already passed twenty days, and the isolation zone 's inspection progress was less than one-tenth. So far, official actions have mainly focused on rescuing citizens who were unable to evacuate and are hiding in their homes.
It’s certain that there is still a certain number of illegal immigrants and people waiting for aid hiding in the isolation zone, unwilling to leave for various reasons. Some even play hide-and-seek with the rescuers, which only increases the risk of infection for both sides.
Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.
The military had no choice but to airdrop food supplies, placing trackers inside the goods to capture those non-cooperative citizens before they become new types of "Green."
Thanks to his rich experience in Japanese anime and comics, he knew there were many ways to use his superpowers. Nemo expanded his sensory range. In such a vast isolation zone, he just happened to encounter someone he knew in the old residential area. There were no drones hovering nearby, and the surveillance cameras couldn’t reach the rooftops. Was this fate?
Nemo quickly increased his speed, running and jumping across different rooftops, landing like lightning behind the two-man team. The two immediately turned around. The Japanese youth’s expression clearly relaxed, while the leather-jacketed man clenched his fist.
"KS, what a rare guest," the Japanese youth greeted friendly.
"This isn’t your kingdom’s territory, is it? Also, you’re N7 delegate—coming to the southern isolation zone seems quite a bold move," Nemo added in his mind. N7, in Chinese, means the North Seven(北七*) District, which fits the Japanese youth's style perfectly.
"Special mission, no choice," the Japanese youth pointed to the pet carrier his companion was holding. "The beloved cat of another district's boss stayed with their lover and couldn’t be brought out during evacuation. Although there’s an automatic feeding device, it's almost at its limit. The district delegate was in a headache, so we made a deal with them. As long as we find the cat and bring it back, they’ll be more cooperative if there’s a conflict later."
"According to government regulations, animals can’t be privately removed from the isolation zone," KS man said.
"The government also said we can’t enter the isolation zone." the Japanese youth joked.
"Exactly, it’s the government saying it, not me. Besides, I’m not sure if that pet is carrying part of the sea giant," Nemo added.
"Is there no more peaceful solution? I guarantee this is just an expensive but ordinary blue cat. I really don’t want to fight over such a trivial matter," the Japanese youth said. He was possibly a compressed-killer type with a transparent shield superpower.
Nemo flipped his hand, and a small blood sampling device appeared in his palm. "Let me check the cat and take a sample. If there’s no obvious mutation or signs of illness, you can take it. I don’t have time to manage pets while alive people still need attention."
Anyway, Matthew would observe the blue cat through his goggles to see if there were any issues. Nemo was just going through the basic process. After all, there hadn’t been any cases of kaiju blood infecting non-human creatures, but it was not impossible that humans might use kaiju blood for animal experiments, creating dangerous pathogens that could be carried by pets like dogs or cats. The bloodsucking giant mosquitoes were a warning.
Hako exaggeratedly sighed in relief, grabbed the pet carrier the leather-jacketed man was holding, and proactively stepped forward to place it on the ground in front of KS man.
"Feel free, but this lady is very fierce; she’ll scratch you with her claws."
"It’s fine, I’m fully equipped." Nemo covered himself from head to toe. He carefully opened the cat carrier and first extended his hand for the cat to sniff. The blue cat purred and obediently allowed Nemo to take her out for an inspection. Her pupil color and light response were normal, and there was no unusual bloating when he petted her stomach.
After confirming there were no visible issues, Nemo gently held the cat’s two front legs with his left hand, cradling her in his arms, controlling her with his body. He then inserted the automatic blood-sampling needle into the cat's paw. The cat instinctively struggled, but not to the point of desperation, as if she were tolerating the situation, trusting her owner.
The man in the leather jacket, covered in several blood scratches, looked on with great anger. The Japanese youth patted his partner on the back. "KS is probably the legendary chosen one from the cat clan."
Nemo stroked the area where the blue cat’s tail met her back to calm her after the blood collection and then placed the cat back into the carrier, returning her to the kingdom's delegate while securing the blood sample.
"Do you raise cats, KS-san? You seem very experienced," Hako asked.
"No, I just like playing with stray cats. The ones that play with me without being fed, I’ll just hang out with them for a long time." Although stray cats are cute, they are still pests in the grand scheme of things. Nemo never feeds or traps invasive species or overabundant stray animals. The root cause of the issue is human-made, but that’s not something he’s concerned with.
"You know my name is Hako," the Japanese youth said, holding up the carrier.
"I saw it on the coffee cup you were holding earlier." Nemo had heard the leather-clad man call the Japanese youth by that name when he first met the Kingdom’s delegate.
"By the way, I haven’t introduced my partner's codename. He’s Steel Fist," the Japanese youth said, turning to his leather-clad partner and gesturing with his face.
"Steel Fist? I feel like I've heard a similar codename before. It’s 2028, though—maybe Silicon Fist would be more fitting?" Nemo wasn’t trying to criticize someone else’s naming convention, he just feared he might accidentally remember it as Iron Fist.
Compared to the Industrial Revolution, drawing from modern superconducting elements would be more distinctive.
"Superpowers have only recently become a reality, so retro names are pretty normal. Japanese manga became popular in America after the Meteor Shower Event. Before that, everyone was renting videos or reading printed books. Now, the importance of preserving information outweighs its circulation, and traditional media has become mainstream," Hako objectively commented.
"I just like this name, what’s wrong with it?" The leather-clad man became embarrassed and angry.
"Of course, you can!" The other superhero with an even stranger-sounding codename expressed his approval. "And we have a word in our codenames that’s very similar. The pronunciation is exactly the same!"
"I didn’t even notice that! Steel Fist, why are you blushing?" Hako asked with an amused tone.
"It’s just a coincidence!" The leather-clad man shouted angrily.
"Since you like using fists, I’ll just call you Fist!" Nemo said. He didn’t like codenames that were too long and complex, especially when they weren’t close enough to each other to create nicknames.
As for Nemo’s superhero codename, whether shortened to Kill or Steal, it still felt off. Everyone was used to referring to him by the initials KS, which he was okay with.
It felt too strange for a superhero to be addressed by his codename to his face. Steel Fist seemed to have fallen into a comic book world. The experience was hard to describe, and reflexively, he threw a punch at Nemo.
Nemo stepped back just in time to dodge the blow. With his tactical gloves, he lightly guided the punch away, using the opportunity to destabilize Steel Fist, sending him stumbling forward. Luckily, Nemo wasn’t actually fighting him. He immediately released his grip and switched to holding his Ryukyu Sai, while Hako raised a transparent shield to push Steel Fist back, creating a safety distance between him and KS.
"Is this the legendary listening skill? I just got a lesson," the Japanese youth quickly changed the topic to lighten the mood. Only then did KS relax and lower his weapon.
"I got the idea from Japanese Aikido. The principles are pretty much the same," Nemo explained. He hadn’t actually studied Chinese martial arts. The most he’d done before his transmigration was be hit by a classmate’s Wing Chun at a martial arts school. At the time, Nemo thought Jujutsu was more practical, so he learned from a French teacher who studied in Japan, dabbling in Aikido and Judo.
"I’m really sorry. My partner’s a bit impulsive and has difficulty controlling himself. It’s not just a descriptor; he’s had ADHD since childhood. I’ve advised him to take medication, but Steel Fist refuses to listen. I’ll force-feed him the meds next time before I take him out," Hako sincerely apologized, even though his leather-clad partner looked almost ten years older than the Japanese youth.
"Nobody’s perfect, and I know things aren’t easy for you either. But if it happens a third time, I’ll really fight back. I hope you don’t mind," Nemo warned.
"No problem. Since you’ve said that, I’ll make sure to warn Steel Fist. If he keeps barking and biting, he deserves to be beaten," Hako said, clearly satisfied with Nemo’s prior warning to his partner.
"What’s the meaning of this? You scared to fight me? KS!" Steel Fist raised his middle finger at Nemo.
"I think you should find someone of your own level. I don’t want to use my powers against regular people, unless you want to confess to some crimes that would make me want to act—have you ever molested or beaten children, women, or the elderly?"
"Of course not! You asshole!"
"Then please don’t waste my energy and time. While you’re busy looking for a testosterone-fueled challenge, maybe there’s a child crying under someone’s fist," Nemo said.
Steel Fist froze upon hearing Nemo’s words. A series of shattered images flashed through his mind, along with the reason behind his codename. He was no longer that weak child who could only endure punches.
"I’ll be heading to District N7 later, to make sure the kingdom's people aren't harming civilians," KS announced.
"So you don’t care about the dead gangsters?" Hako asked with a chuckle.
"I don’t mind personally. Although using legal judgment for reformation would be better, otherwise, the broken windows theory could spiral out of control, which is really troublesome," Nemo replied.
He was always concerned about the broken windows theory Matthew had mentioned, but not in the U.S., rather in countries that had once flourished democratically but then fell into dictatorship and decline, or those that had never been democratic but still had a glorious ancient history and had failed to keep up with modernity.
In some places on Earth, hell was just everyday life, and no one paid attention to it. Nemo himself didn’t deliberately search for countries whose names he couldn’t even remember. There was no curiosity or incentive to understand deeper. But sometimes, he did worry. After building a new house, would the windows be broken again, leading to a faded and dilapidated future?
He wanted to be part of the process of building a new country in Taiwan, but history had already recorded many revolutions that called for democracy and freedom, leading to chaos, civil war, and economic collapse, after which a place became even more dictatorial and poor.
The greedy, lying ruling class was just a name shuffle, with faces and fangs that were hardly different. New countries continued to emerge, and old maps shrank and split apart, like the increasing layers of hell.
How could the broken windows be repaired to be more beautiful and sturdy than before? Nemo only knew that neither superheroes nor the government could handle it. The hardest part was getting civilians to take matters into their own hands and protect themselves. Sometimes, the existence of a superhero above the rules created more obstacles.
"Doesn't your behavior contradict your words a little, KS-san?" HAKO asked. He believed he could be decisive in killing, but this superhero in front of him, if KS ever turned dark, would be even more terrifying, because KS didn’t follow a fixed pattern.
"Someone has to clean up the legally gray or unconvictable trash, or else I’d rather just stay at home and do nothing," Nemo replied.
"I see," Hako said.
KS jumped across to a building on the opposite street, landing lightly on the wall. His coat fluttered in the night wind, and the streetlights cast a cold silver layer on his Ryukyu Sai, making them gleam like two dragonfly wings. The Japanese youth whistled in appreciation.
The Ryukyu Sai, with its unique design but rarely seen in use by KS, was very effective at drawing attention, causing enemies to overlook the fact that all of KS’s hidden weapons had undergone a neutralization treatment. Only someone like Hako, a superpowered individual fully focused on defense, would particularly notice the psychological warfare embedded within.
When Steel Fist first attacked KS, had Hako not seen through KS’s trick, his partner would have lost an arm. It was surprising that someone would use a ninja shuriken in such a literal way*. Even Hako, a true Japanese, was amazed.
"When the families of those dead gangsters meet the criteria, you’ll help them, right? Even if they share in the profits from violent crimes and enjoy the results of others sacrificing their lives," Hako called out to KS, who was about to leave.
"Do you see a scale in my hand?" KS asked.
"No."
"Then that’s it. I can’t tell the difference between light and heavy, so I’ll do whatever the hell I want," KS said, and after this reply, he disappeared into the darkness.
The Japanese youth chuckled and turned to his leather-clad partner. "Now you know why I vote for KS on the superhero ranking every day."
Steel Fist remained silent and, in the end, raised two middle fingers at the Japanese youth.
*In Taiwanese Hokkien (Minnanese), "北七" (Pe̍h-ōe-jī: pek-tshit) is a colloquial term originally derived from the homophone of "白癡" (bái chī, meaning "idiot"). It carries a derogatory meaning, similar to "fool," "moron," or "dummy." However, in everyday Taiwanese usage, its tone can vary depending on the context, ranging from lighthearted teasing and joking to more serious insults. The term "N7" can be interpreted as "北七", creating a wordplay.
* The Japanese term "手裏剣" (shuriken) literally means "a sword small enough to be hidden in the hand."