LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 19: Red Romance Bar
In the world of espers, Espers abilities had inherent counterrelationships. There was a saying: "There are no invincible powers, only invincible espers." Even an S-rank ability had its flaws. That's why espers, Watchmen, and demon hunters usually operated in teams.
A powerful A-rank espers might still need a C-rank companion in their team because abilities could counteract and complement each other. Support-type espers played a crucial role in these dynamics. Just like earlier, the driver uncle's power was strength; if he could land a hit, it would be decisive. But against a fast creature, a strength-type espers was at a disadvantage.
If someone could help restrain the demon hound, even for a breath, the driver could end the fight. And this was just considering the traditional superhuman and beast-type abilities. When you included the rarer mystical and elemental abilities, the interplay of powers became even more pronounced.
"Good job, kid! You've got potential as a Watchmen," the driver uncle said, pulling Anthony into a hug and laughing heartily after the kill. The others also offered their congratulations and praise, making Anthony blush slightly.
The news of the demon hound's death was reported, and the bus set off once more.
A dozen miles away, a creature that had been locked in a standoff with two Watchmen for half a day suddenly moved. But instead of attacking, it fled into the wilderness. The two Watchers breathed a sigh of relief; they hadn't made a move because they couldn't win.
Both were D-rank espers, while the creature they had faced was definitely C-rank, capable of forming an energy barrier. Their only option had been to stall for time until reinforcements from the town arrived. Every year, Watchmen would sweep through the towns, eliminating creatures before they could fully develop, so encounters with C-rank or higher creatures were rare. Today's luck had just been exceptionally bad.
" Report it, and let's get to the rescue!" one of them said.
One of the Watchmen wiped the sweat from his brow and said, "We're done here, but the other side is still waiting for rescue." However, they quickly received word that the crisis there had been resolved as well. With that, the two finally relaxed completely.
A few minutes later, a bus passed by the spot where they had been fighting. The atmosphere on the bus was lively, filled with laughter and chatter. Everyone was praising Anthony, making his face turn as red as an apple.
"Sir, here's your dagger," Anthony said, remembering something as he handed the dagger back to the old man.
The old man smiled warmly at Anthony, his face full of kindness. "I'm giving this dagger to you. It was given to me by my captain when I became a Watchmen, and now I'm passing it on to you. Your actions just now have earned it."
Anthony looked at the dagger in his hand and noticed a few words engraved on it:
"In the face of despair, ignite hope; In the darkness, hold on until dawn!"
These were the oaths of the Watchmen. Anthony hadn't understood them before, but now, he had a clearer idea of what they meant.
The bus was filled with joyous laughter, but no one noticed a grayish-white donkey in the distance, standing in the snow, munching on some spicy snacks.
At noon, at the Kasnia Town bus station, everyone waved goodbye to Anthony. As he watched the crowd bustling around, Anthony stood there in a daze. He had come here to find someone, but after getting off the bus, he suddenly realized a serious problem. Kasnia Town had a population of over a million people. How was he supposed to find Angela and Grandpa Alan among them?
Anthony slapped his forehead, realizing that he hadn't thought things through. He should have asked Iris and the others at the military camp to help him look into it since they were soldiers and probably had access to that kind of information. But he wasn't sure if they would help him, given that they weren't particularly close. And now, he had left, so he couldn't even contact them.
As for the group of people he had just been with, he hadn't exchanged contact information with any of them either.
Anthony fumbled in his pocket and pulled out a slip of paper with a girl's phone number written on it. He could call her. With that in mind, Anthony scanned the crowd and walked up to the nearest woman. "Excuse me, ma'am, could I borrow your phone for a moment?"
The woman's face immediately darkened when she heard him call her "ma'am." She pointed at him and snapped, "Who are you calling 'ma'am'? Do I look that old to you?!"
Anthony awkwardly rubbed his nose. Although she was dressed decently, his sharp eyes could easily tell she was in her thirties. He was puzzled; he was only seventeen, so wasn't it appropriate to call someone in their thirties "ma'am"?
After getting that cold reaction, Anthony decided to try someone else. Soon, he approached a middle-aged man. "Sir, could I borrow your phone?"
The man glanced at Anthony. "Where's your phone?"
"Uh, I don't have one," Anthony replied.
The man sneered, "It's the 23rd century; who doesn't have a phone? That old trick of trying to scam people is outdated. Get lost!"
Anthony blinked in confusion. Scam? What was he trying to scam? He attempted a couple more times, but each time he mentioned not having a phone, he was flatly refused, leaving him baffled. The people on the bus had been so friendly, so why were these people so cold?
Of course, it wasn't entirely Anthony's fault. In this era, to prevent attacks from creatures, it was a national requirement for everyone aged twelve and up to carry a phone. If Anthony had said he lost his phone or gave some other reason, he might have been able to borrow one. But saying he didn't have a phone at all made people immediately think he was a scammer.
After several failed attempts, Anthony gave up. If no one would lend him a phone, he'd just buy one himself. He reached into his pocket and pulled out two red bills. He had originally had over five hundred, thinking it would last him a while, but after spending a night in Main City No. 7, he was left with just this small amount. Although he wasn't fully familiar with the current prices, he knew this wouldn't be enough.
The immediate priority was to find a job before he ended up starving before he could find the people he was looking for. Anthony wasn't sure what kind of job his ability could help with. In this highly connected society, cameras were everywhere, so even becoming a bodyguard might be tough. As for his vision power, it only lasted three minutes at a time, which seemed a bit underwhelming.
At that moment, a taxi pulled up in front of Anthony. The driver, a middle-aged man with a stubble beard, asked, "Hey kid, need a ride?"
Anthony looked around, hesitated for a moment, and got into the car.
"Where to?" the driver asked.
Anthony thought for a moment. "Uh, can you take me somewhere where I can find work?"
"Work? What kind of work are you looking for?"
"I'm not sure. Anything as long as it pays well," Anthony replied.
The driver glanced at Anthony in the rearview mirror, his eyes showing a hint of curiosity. "Are you even old enough to work?"
Anthony shook his head. "No, I'm seventeen."
Hearing this, the driver frowned slightly. Even though times were tough, modern surveillance was advanced, and hiring underage workers was still a serious offense if caught. He rolled his eyes and probed, "So, anything, as long as it pays well?"
Anthony nodded. "Exactly, as long as it pays well."
"Alright then, there's a place you might want to try."
As they drove, Anthony looked out the window at the vibrant, bustling shops lining the streets. He had seen something similar in Main City No. 7 the previous night, but it was dark by then, so he hadn't really taken it in. Today was the first time he could properly admire the busy scenes around him. After growing accustomed to deserted streets, seeing so many people felt strangely unsettling to Anthony.
After a short drive, the taxi pulled up on a busy street and stopped in front of a bar. Anthony looked up at the sign—it read "Red Romance Bar."