A young man happily began walking away from the Tower with an orc following behind him.
Markus couldn't help but facepalm as he saw how lightly Josh was taking all this.
"Hey, we can't just stroll around in the city with an orc! What are you even thinking?!"
"Oh? Don't worry. I'll ask someone to babysit him. Everything will be fine." Josh shrugged as he took his UW to text.
- Josh MF Malum: Hey there! I have my a pet with me, can I drop him at your place? He's well-behaved and isn't a picky eater.
- Best Bodyguard: What? Why are you messaging me out of the blue like that? There are plenty of pet daycares in Metropolis-D. The people working there are professionals too, so it's better.
Josh was pretty sure that they weren't used to dealing with orcs around here. Would they try and play fetch with him? What would they feed him? Also, how would bath time play out? He chuckled lowly while picturing it.
- Josh MF Malum: You're a professional. Bodyguards are meant to protect, am I right? Or perhaps did you suddenly change your profession?
- Best Bodyguard: I'm the best in the business!— or will be soon. Whatever, fine, bring your pet here. But I'm gonna charge you premium!
- Josh MF Malum: Perfect, see you soon. 👍
He turned toward the city official.
"See, it's all taken care of. There are no issues here."
As for how to get there, Josh requisitioned a blanket from the MTA before covering the orc with it. He then added a few holes for him to see where he was going.
Orc —> Wannabe ghost!
This metamorphosis was worthy of a makeover show!
Josh was nodding in satisfaction: talk about quick thinking! Meanwhile, all bystanders were grimacing in disdain. What the fuck was this?!
This looked even more suspicious than the original! The creature was the size of a mountain, was showing its green muscular ankles, and yellow eyes peered through the holes. It was 100% clear that this thing wasn't human!
Either way, Josh didn't give a fuck about the strange looks as he led the way.
Everywhere they went, the crowd parted to let them through. Some children pointed their way.
"Oh my god, what is this?!"
"Look, mom, a gigantic ghost!"
"Is it Halloween yet? Is it?!"
But as their parents saw the creature, they became deathly pale as they started trembling in their boots. They would drag their kids away hurriedly, some even calling the MTA for help.
"Please come quick. There's a monster!"
"It's eying my kid, please hurry up!"
"A monster in the city?! Run for your life!"
"Don't look, buddy, that's gotta be some weird new fad."
Those idiots sure were overreacting. Honestly, so many called themselves proper parents but seeing this made him lose faith in humanity.
Josh's orc hadn't even shown a single sign of hostility, and people were already reporting it. Humans stole and killed daily and somehow were the good guys. This was definitely hypocrisy at its finest.
Anyway, they soon reached the Sunny Bar, or more accurately, the small apartment right next to it.
Josh quickly knocked on the door.
— Knock, Knock! —
The bodyguard guy opened the door, carrying two bags of pet food. "Hey man, I've got two bags of general pet food. It will hopefully work. Anyway, where's your pet?" He asked enthusiastically, eager for the job.
"Right here." Josh pointed at the orc while removing the sheet covering him.
That's when the creature was revealed in all its glory. A pet?! This wasn't a pet at all! What the fuck was this?! Muscular, big, scary-looking, and even its smirk promised death. The bodyguard stared, gasping.
"Alright, I'm leaving him in your care. Let him watch a show or something. As for food, you can give him anything you'd eat yourself. Later!" Josh waved, leaving behind a stunned man.
But before he could run away, a shout came.
"Wait…are you serious?! …of course, you are…fuck! What's his name?!"
"Not sure…let me try and rememberer. I think it started with Destroyer of worlds? Or was it Blood-Drinker? Flesh Devourer? Ah, whatever. You'll figure it out!" Josh teased him.
The poor bodyguard was now so shaken that he couldn't even find the strength to talk. The only thing keeping him sane was his professional work ethic. He could only usher the orc in a while, wondering if he should delete Josh from his contact…and maybe move away.
A little distance away, Markus was frowning:
"Say, what was that about Destroyer of Worlds?"
"Oh, just a small joke. He's actually nameless right now. He used to be the orc king, but I made him understand that the current him didn't deserve such a title." Josh shrugged. "Anyway, I don't think it will cause any problem."
The "don't think" wasn't the most reassuring, but Markus couldn't help it. He had already scheduled a meeting for the pet law. In the meantime, he would 100% stay with Josh in case a problem cropped up.
"Alright, follow me to the industrial district. I'll introduce you to a great blacksmith."
"I thought you guys didn't have district?" Josh commented.
"You know how Metropolis-C planned every district carefully? Well, we don't have that here. But even then, we still have rough ones. For instance, people get annoyed at hearing hammering all day."
"Oh, I see. So they naturally congregated together even if it's not forced."
"I mean, we do have some city zoning. We're just slightly laxer. I do believe that some freedom is necessary to promote growth." Markus explained.
This made a lot of sense. Actually, Markus's personality was what had allowed him to befriend the MTA. He was pretty sure he would have been at war with them without his involvement.
It would have probably ended as a shitshow. Would he have taken over D-23 forcefully? Would he have fought them? Perhaps Gene Corp would have taken over this place already. As he pondered the what-ifs, they arrived.
The industrial district was loud, smelled of iron, and was quite tidy. Workers were going about their business energetically. Many of them were probably Climbers as the industry slowly became intertwined with the Tower.
"Here, follow closely. We're almost there."
Before long, they reached the tiniest building on the street, one that looked quite shitty. Josh couldn't help but feel intrigued. How was it that Markus was bringing him to this one? There was no sign of this place succeeding at all.
Inside, they were assaulted by incredible heat. The room was messy and filled with scrap, but there was something odder.
A speedo-wearing man was enjoying himself as he lazed on a chair. He was akin to a tourist sunbathing on the beach, but the way he did it sure was peculiar! Above him, there was a metallic cage with a miniature sun burning up?!
What the actual fuck was this?! Was this guy being roasted or what?! But looking at his blissful expression, it seemed comfortable. Next to him, there was another beach chair, this one different inclination.
"Cough. Cough. Hey there, I have a job for you." Markus said, looking extremely uncomfortable from the heat…or perhaps from the speedo?
"Not interested." The man lazily grumbled, not even bothering to open his eyes.
"Look, I brought you a great customer. You should at least hear him out before you—"
"I'm taking a break right now. Get lost!" The man harshly spat out.
Markus sighed as he turned to face Josh. "I'm really sorry he's—" but then he stopped. Josh wasn't there anymore. That's when he noticed him grilling on the other chair. What the hell was he doing?!
"This sure feels nice." Josh sighed happily.
As his voice echoed in the tiny room, the man finally opened his eyes. He jumped in surprise as he saw the crazy man beside him. It wasn't supposed to be nice! This "sunbathing" was actually a training method.
The man double-checked the sun above him, but it was still working. How did he appear so relaxed?! One had to know that this miniature sun was made to train one's resistance to heat.
It would bypass any magical resistance and penetrate one's body directly. For anyone without a fire-based class resting underneath was simply stupid. This was because the damage would quickly accumulate until one's blood evaporated.
But no matter how he looked at him, the young man didn't feel like a fire user. As a blacksmith, he could sense that sort of stuff. At this rate, he'd freaking die!
"Look, kid. You've made your point. Hurry up and get up from this chair. Otherwise, you'll die! I really can't work right now." He advised.
"Naw, I'm good. Tell me when you're ready to talk business. In the meantime, I'll enjoy this." Josh happily said.
"Crazy kid. Fine, suit yourself!" The man closed his eyes again.
But as time passed, he would sometimes open his eyes to check on the youngster. He was still holding on?! But then he looked at Markus, who was already at his limit. He was sweating so much and had trouble breathing.
"Kid, what level are you?" He asked.
"Level 25, as for the item—"
"Level 25, what?! What about your class?! Is it related to fire?"
"Nope, why?"
"Then get the fuck away from here! Even if you don't realize it, your organs must be turning to charcoal already! Even I can't hold on more than an hour in this place!"
"Is that so? Are you ready to craft me some—"
"Look, kid, I'm on vacation right now. I'm not crafting anything for anyone!"
"Alright, I'll just wait till you change your mind," Josh uttered.
"You'll just die like a dumbass. Don't be stupid and leave. Oy, Markus, the guy you brought needs to go to the hospital right now!"
The leader of Metropolis-D looked at Josh while shaking his head. Why was it that he had to cause a ruckus everywhere he went? But even then, he didn't really seem to be in any immediate danger. He was just beginning to take on the shade of a lobster.
"Are you fine, Josh?"
The youngster gave him a thumb up, but then his face became incredibly solemn.
"Actually, there is something vital that I need you to do for me" Josh was asking for help?! Was this even possible?! "I need you to bring me lots of meat skewers and Piña Coladas."
"….-_-…."
"Pretty please?" Josh begged before turning toward the unknown blacksmith.
"How about we have a bet. If you manage to outlast me under this thing, I'll pay you and leave you alone. If I win, you make me a weapon. How about it?" Josh proposed.
"Crazy kid! Fine, but I'm not responsible for your death! You're already looking pink!" The man snorted.
"Alright, we have a deal then."
Josh closed his eyes once more. After all, his eyeballs had been begun to smoke from the intense heat.
He couldn't help but chuckle to himself. Could this be considered a beach episode? There was sunbathing….
Creator's Thought
It's events like these that make life worth living. Sometimes it's worth it to take a moment to relax and just lie there. The blistering heat probably isn't the most relaxing, but there is worse. Should I have requested a speedo too?
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