He arrived way earlier than he had expected in City J District 4, despite being close to Jackson and his family, he just couldn't intrude their home especially at this ungodly hour.
He never forgets that respect is the key to developing individual relationships and learning from each other fosters mutual respect, especially with family and friends.
Since he's only going to be spending half a day at his friend's place until the moving team delivers his stuff to his new house in Residential District 12, where he can finally settle in and enjoy his retirement.
He glanced briefly at the boxes containing his computer, then considered exploring the city to kill some time but the idea of hauling the boxes with him made him quickly dismiss the thought.
He could already imagine how ridiculous he'd look dragging this through the streets.
With a resigned sigh he decided to leave the boxes to the house guard. He started carrying the boxes and he approached the iron door set into the tall wall surrounding the property and knocked firmly.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
He waited but there was no response. Frowning he knocked again. 'Hmm is the guard sleeping? or is he taking a piss' he wondered slightly tilting his head. After another moment of silence he reached for the doorbell.
Dinggg-donggg~
A few seconds later a camera above the door swiveled toward him and a voice came through the intercom. "Identify yourself." He smirked at the camera holding up a hand in greeting. "Oh what's up it's been a while!"
The voice on the other end paused before replying surprised.
"Oh! Sir! Please wait, I'll be there in a moment."
The guards here all knew him well. He wasn't just some visitor, he was their boss's best friend.
Whenever he came by the guards always enjoyed a rare moment of relaxation and sometimes even sneaking in a drink or two with him, it was something that was otherwise unthinkable on duty.
The door unlocked with a heavy clunk and swung open revealing the familiar guard. "Sir please come in" the man said politely, and stepping aside.
He shook his head with a small laugh. "Nah I've got somewhere else to be. And keep this between us yeah? Jackson probably told you I was coming but I'm way too early. Kumare and the kids are still asleep right now, so I'll come back later."
He gestured to the boxes in his arms. "I'm just dropping these off for now. It's an old computer so it's pretty fragile. So if anything happens to it... well I'll make sure Jackson hears about it." His grin and tone made it clear he was joking.
The guard chuckled. "Haha got it sir. Don't worry I'll guard it with my life." "Good man. I'm counting on you. But seriously tho, take care of it alright?" he added, scratching his head.
"You can count on me sir." He nodded satisfied. "Alright I'll be back later in the morning. I'm heading to Central city to look around a bit and maybe grab some grub."
The guard gave him a wave as he carried the boxes inside. The iron gate shut with a heavy thud behind him as he turned back toward the road.
'It's secure enough there... I think,' nodding to himself. "Alright now to find something good to eat in Central city."
With that he walked to the roadside and waited for a passing transport, he was ready to spend the morning exploring the bustling heart of City J.
He saw a taxi and waved it down. The car pulled over, and he got in. The driver glanced at him through the rearview mirror.
"Where to, boss?"
"Central City, please," he replied. The driver nodded and started driving.
He rested his chin on his hand and gazed out the window as the taxi drove forward, slowly mixing into morning traffic.
'District 4 is nice,' he mused. 'Clean surroundings, not much pollution, and pretty safe. I hope District 12 is just as good, it's in the same city, after all.'
The radio playing softly in the background suddenly cut out, replaced by a somber voice:
"This is BNC News interrupting the broadcast to bring you an urgent update on the monster outbreak in City I."
The announcement snapped him out of his thoughts.
'They still haven't dealt with that? he wondered,' his brow furrowing.
The broadcast continued:
"146 of the reported monsters have been confirmed dead, neutralized by the Transcended Human Association Hunter Class. However, 14 monsters remain unaccounted for. City I has been on a lockdown at Yellow Alert since yesterday, which has now been escalated to Orange Level. Residents are advised to stay indoors, particularly those near the affected areas."
"As of now, 304 casualties have been confirmed, including children, young adults, and the remainder elderly. Please avoid crowded spaces. We'll provide updates every hour. As always, glory to God's mercy."
The music resumed, but the air in the taxi felt heavy. The driver caught his eye through the rearview mirror before returning his focus to the road.
"Times are getting dangerous," the driver said quietly."It's already tough enough for us normal folks. I just hope there won't be more incidents."
he just gazed outside and thought about his siblings. 'Good thing my siblings live in City M. I hope they're okay, especially that brat, Julie. She probably makes everyone worry with how carefree she is. Sigh…'
The taxi pulled into Central City drop zone. After paying the fare, he stepped out and thanked the driver. The streets were as lively as ever, even at 3 a.m., despite the warnings on the news.
This place really doesn't sleep, he thought. Even with danger looming, people are out and about. Huh? He noticed a few hunters and explorers patrolling the area. Maybe they're here to keep everyone safe.
Bzzt~
His transparent wrist phone buzzed, drawing his attention.
Hmm? Who's calling at this hour? He checked the caller ID and froze.
'Julie? What's she doing calling me now?.'
He answered, and a hologram of his younger sister materialized above his wrist. Her bright expression was the first thing he noticed.
"Yo, Kuya! Good morning! Where are you? I'm at City J with my classmates. I thought I'd drop by and see you while I'm here!"
His jaw dropped. "What? Are you serious? Have you watched the news? It's dangerous here!" Worry and frustration flared in his voice. He was ready to launch into a lecture when Julie turned away from the call to ask someone for directions.
His eye twitched while his veins bulged on his forehead like swollen rivers as if he'll have a stroke, he then pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and index finger.
"Oi! You little…sigh." He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. "Julie, listen to me okay. Tell me, where are you right now?"
She finally looked back at him and shrugged. "Uh… Central City? Yeah, we're at the mall!"
He groaned internally.
'This is exactly why 24/7 malls are a bad idea. Unbelievable.'
"Alright, just send me your location and stay put," he said firmly.
"Okay, Kuya! We're at the HappyBee, let's eat here, so we'll wait for you here byee!," she chirped, ending the call before he could say more.
Then he accessed the location she had sent and a hologram map appeared on his wrist, guiding him to her location. With a resigned sigh, he began walking in its direction.
'Of all the times to visit… Julie, you're going to give me a heart attack someday.'
End of chapter