Beginning of Cultivation
Chapter 183: Sudden Task

Chapter 183: Sudden Task

Nora and Alice wandered around the area, their attention particularly drawn to the trees.

Standing beneath one, he asked,

"Have you seen any trace of a cat around here?"

Alice shook her head and replied,

"Nope. I don’t think the mission could be completed that easily."

Hearing this, he remained undeterred and continued searching for the missing cat. This bizarre task hardly seemed serious, yet he refused to let his first mission end in failure.

After a while, the two suddenly stopped. A playful grin appeared on Alice’s face as she said,

"Hehe, I found it."

Up on a tall tree, a plump orange cat was lazily perched on a branch. Judging by its round body, one wouldn’t expect it to be such an adept climber.

Following Alice’s gaze, Nora turned his head and nodded in satisfaction.

"Good. Target in sight."

The cat, now aware of the two unfamiliar individuals staring at it, remained indifferent, stretching out comfortably on the branch as if mocking their presence.

Whoosh!

In a swift motion, Nora appeared right in front of the cat. Having some experience with climbing, he made quick work of the tree, reaching his target in an instant.

Grabbing the cat in one smooth motion, he leaped down effortlessly. From this height, the fall meant nothing to him.

With a triumphant grin, he declared,

"Haha, mission accomplished!"

Alice nodded, and the two quickly made their way back to the old woman.

Upon seeing them return with her beloved pet, the elderly lady beamed with joy.

"Thank you both so much! I’ll be sure to leave a positive review."

Nora froze, his expression blank with confusion as he turned to Alice, silently asking: What the hell is a positive review?

Noticing his puzzled look, she chuckled and explained,

"Reviews are something we get when we complete tasks for the townspeople. It’s not that important, so don’t worry about it. This wasn’t even part of our main mission, after all."

Understanding now, Nora compared it to a service rating. With a lighthearted laugh, he turned back to the old woman and said,

"Haha, we were just doing our job."

After exchanging a brief glance, the two quietly left, retreating to a secluded corner before removing their masks.

Meanwhile, in the darkness, several other figures also withdrew from their hidden positions. Their mission had likewise been completed.

As for the nature of that mission—naturally, it concerned the newly recognized hero, Nora.

.....

A short while later, the two arrived at Alice’s home.

Noticing the contemplative look on his face, she asked,

"What are you thinking about?"

Snapping out of his thoughts, Nora answered honestly,

"I feel like that mission, while seemingly random, carried a deeper meaning. And I think I’ve figured it out."

Alice’s interest was piqued. She leaned in slightly, curiosity shining in her eyes.

"Oh? What did you realize? Tell me."

Nora nodded, his expression serious as he spoke without hesitation,

"In my opinion, the mission was a coincidence, but at the same time, it served a purpose—to test my attitude."

"Your attitude?" she echoed, a hint of admiration flickering beneath her questioning gaze.

Nora didn’t dwell on her reaction and continued,

"Exactly. They wanted to see if someone aspiring to be a hero like me truly possessed the right mindset. If a so-called hero isn’t even willing to help with small, everyday troubles, how can people trust that they will step up when the stakes are higher?"

Alice smirked and challenged him,

"So, does that mean a hero should spend their days searching for lost pets and helping the elderly cross the street?"

Nora chuckled and shook his head.

"Of course not. But that’s because there are more urgent matters to handle, not because such tasks are beneath them. A hero should prioritize the lives of others over their own. If they can’t even uphold that principle, they have no right to bear the title of ’hero’."

Finding his perspective intriguing, she pressed further,

"Then what about independent heroes? Do they count?"

Nora spread his arms in a gesture of uncertainty.

"That, I don’t know. After all, everyone has their own definition of what makes a hero. But at least from my perspective—if someone refuses to help with even the smallest of troubles, they don’t deserve to be called a hero."

Alice nodded thoughtfully and said,

"Not bad. Your view on heroism is quite similar to that of the President. It seems like you and the Hero Association are a perfect match."

"Haha, is that so? Should I feel honored that I share the same ideology as the strongest human?"

Of course, he was joking. He would never feel honored just because his way of thinking aligned with someone else’s.

"Hehe, maybe. You should feel honored," Alice teased, playing along. When it came to things like this, their perspectives were quite similar.

Suddenly, a loud chime rang out, like an alarm. The amusement vanished from Alice’s face as she said,

"Looks like something serious is happening."

Seeing her expression shift so abruptly, Nora immediately realized the gravity of the situation.

"What’s going on?" he asked.

"A bank robbery. And the culprit is someone incredibly powerful. Luckily, he’s acting alone—no accomplices."

Hearing this, Nora grew curious about the person she was referring to. He knew Alice was strong, so for her to acknowledge someone as truly dangerous, it likely meant they had at least an E-rank hero’s strength.

"You need to go right away, then? Should I come help?"

He asked despite not being entirely sure he had the ability to intervene.

Alice paused, considering his offer. After weighing the situation and his personality, she finally said,

"Come with me. This will be a good chance for you to witness the strength of a true villain. Based on his personality, he won’t kill you—he respects the strong."

Nora immediately picked up on two key points.

First, Alice had encountered this villain before.

Second, she knew him well enough to predict his behavior, meaning they had likely fought multiple times.

He narrowed his eyes.

"Who exactly is this guy?"

Alice’s gaze turned sharp as she answered,

"His name is Cedric Ironhart. He possesses the metal element, and his strength is on par with mine. He’s quite an interesting person—if only he hadn’t chosen to stand against us."