Beginning of Cultivation
Chapter 180: Leaving the Hospital

Chapter 180: Leaving the Hospital

After listening to Alice’s explanation, Nora nodded in agreement. After all, receiving such a substantial amount of money from the government meant he couldn’t simply sit idle.

The benefits and salary of a hero were, in truth, quite generous. In the present time, being a hero was one of the easiest ways to earn a fortune. However, once the demon world began its invasion, this profession would return to its true nature.

Knock, knock ~

A sudden knock on the door drew their attention. Nora instinctively thought to himself:

"It must be someone from the Hero Association bringing my identity verification documents."

"Come in," he said.

The door opened, revealing a tall man dressed in a black suit and wearing sunglasses. In his hand, he carried a black briefcase, giving the impression that it contained something of great importance.

Despite Alice’s presence, the man remained professionally unfazed, choosing to ignore her existence. He walked straight to Nora and spoke in a composed voice:

"Mr. Nora, I have brought your identification documents."

Seeing this, Nora got up from the hospital bed, approached the man, and said, "Alright, hand them over."

The man nodded, then entered a security code to unlock the briefcase. Inside was a meticulously crafted metal card, accompanied by a lanyard.

Nora picked up the card, examined it with slight suspicion, then looked at the man and asked, "Do I have to wear this all the time?"

The man shook his head. "It’s preferable but not mandatory. The card is equipped with a locator and an emergency signal transmitter in case you need immediate assistance."

Hearing this, Nora nodded, then slung the lanyard around his neck before tucking the card inside his shirt. "You may leave now," he said.

The man gave a slight nod and exited the room at an unhurried yet precise pace. His movements could only be described in one word—professional.

Once he had left, Nora turned to Alice and asked, "Hey, why does this card look exactly like yours?"

He had been curious from the start, but the man’s serious demeanor earlier had discouraged him from asking.

Alice retrieved her own card and explained, "Externally, all the cards look the same, but the information inside is unique to each individual. Think of it more as a technological device storing our data rather than a traditional ID card."

"Is that so? But won’t carrying this around in public reveal my identity?"

It was a concern that had crossed Nora’s mind. After all, carrying such an unusual-looking card could easily attract attention.

However, contrary to his worries, Alice merely chuckled and said,

"Haha, you’re overthinking it. To outsiders, this is nothing more than an odd-looking accessory. It’s not uncommon to find similar designs on the market. Of course, the ones sold to the public don’t have the special functions that guy mentioned earlier."

The difference was quite logical—ordinary people bought them purely for their aesthetic appeal, while heroes used them for work, meaning their functionalities were vastly different.

"I see. In that case, I won’t have to worry about it anymore."

But just as he was about to put the matter aside, another important question came to mind. He looked at Alice in confusion and asked,

"Earlier, you mentioned that heroes need to conceal their identities during missions. Do they provide any specialized outfits for that?"

Alice shot him an odd look, making him even more puzzled. He frowned and asked,

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

Shaking her head, she sighed, "I don’t get it. You’re usually pretty sharp, so why are you asking such a dumb question now?"

Nora was left with a flurry of question marks in his mind, unable to understand what was so foolish about his inquiry.

Seeing his confusion, Alice decided to explain,

"Disguising your identity is simple. Just wear something formal and put on a mask. You can easily buy those things anywhere. Even if you can’t find them in a supermarket, you can always order them online. Your salary is quite generous—if you’re not spending it, then what’s the point of having it?"

For a moment, Nora was stunned, his brain struggling to catch up. But it didn’t take long before realization dawned on him.

"So that’s how it is. Looking at us now, we appear completely ordinary. No one would ever associate great heroes with people as unremarkable as us."

Hearing this, Alice nodded in satisfaction. "Seems like you’re not as slow as I thought. You’ve grasped the deeper significance behind this approach."

It was only natural. After all, who would ever imagine that heroes rode public buses, stood in line at supermarkets, or wandered around aimlessly to enjoy the scenery?

To ordinary people, heroes were beings beyond humanity—there was simply no reason for them to behave like regular humans.

Of course, all of this was merely the perception of ordinary people. In reality, whether they were heroes, freelance heroes, or villains, they were all human in the end.

Just then, Nora’s phone lit up with a notification:

[A mission is currently available for you. Would you like to accept it?]

Seeing the message, Nora paused for a moment before turning to Alice and asking,

"Missions are usually assigned through this phone?"

"Of course. This isn’t just an ordinary phone. Its security level is top-tier, comparable to the devices used by world leaders. No one else can use it because it’s equipped with facial recognition. Even if someone had an incredibly realistic mask of your face, they’d still need to pass the fingerprint scan. In short, it’s nearly impossible for anyone else to access a hero’s phone."

Hearing this, Nora was mildly surprised, though he hadn’t really expected the Hero Association to hand him a regular phone in the first place.

Right now, however, he was facing a dilemma—he wasn’t sure whether he should accept the mission. He hesitated and asked,

"Hey, I don’t have a proper outfit yet. That means I can’t take the mission, right? Would it be okay to decline?"

"There’s no need to reject it. Just wear your usual clothes for now. As for the mask, I have plenty at home—I’ll grab one for you later."

Hearing that, Nora found her reasoning sound and nodded in agreement.

"Alright then, let’s get out of here. We’ll head to your place first."

Alice, having nothing urgent to attend to, casually added,

"I’ll join you on this mission. I’m free anyway."

She really was free—aside from her training, the Hero Association rarely assigned her any missions.