Chapter 7: Anomalous Coordinates (Reupdate)

In Gotham, Batman, the demonic entities, and mysterious figures dominated the headlines, pushing the news of "a helpful citizen rescuing kidnapped children" to an unnoticed corner.

Last night, Shen You dealt a blow to a demonic entity, harvesting some experience points, and his eyes recorded a unique energy fluctuation from the creature. Following this peculiar fluctuation, he quickly found an abandoned warehouse in Gotham Harbor. Tearing off the door, he discovered the missing children.

Shen You was somewhat shocked upon entering. The poor children, listless and dejected, were tied to crooked crosses with their faces painted in eerie patterns with blood. Though the scene was horrifying, the children were unharmed. Based on their descriptions, it was clear that the demonic entity was responsible for the kidnapping. It had no interaction with the hostages, merely confining them in the warehouse, seemingly as part of some cult ritual.

The following evening, two enthusiastic guests arrived at the store.

It was a mother and daughter pair. The mother, in her thirties, showed signs of life's hardships but maintained an attractive figure. Her daughter, around seventeen or eighteen, had inherited her mother's good looks, with fair skin and bright blue eyes filled with gratitude.

"I don't know how to express my gratitude," the mother, Tess, said, tearfully. "Ever since we heard that the leader of the Iron Mask Gang ended up in the hospital, they haven't bothered us. My late husband, Johnny, has been gone for years, and no man has taught us how to protect ourselves in a place like Gotham. That old house is all we have left, and if we were driven out…"

Shen You remembered. Tess's husband, Johnny, had been killed by a gang. The Iron Mask Gang wanted to buy their apartment building, and some residents, refusing to move, sparked conflicts.

Shen You quickly interrupted, "Please. I'm glad your situation had a happy ending, but the gang leader broke his leg skiing; it had nothing to do with me. That's what he told everyone."

The young girl, Cassie, burst into laughter.

Tess warmly invited Shen You, "If you can, we'd love for you to join us for dinner."

She winked suggestively, and it felt like she had more to say than just dinner. Shen You was startled. Despite Gotham's reputation for boldness, wasn't this a bit much? Especially with her daughter present?

Cassie, too, seemed eager, looking at Shen You expectantly. Shen You suddenly realized he might not fully understand Gotham. Things considered outrageous in civilized societies might be commonplace here.

Shen You politely declined Tess's offer and finally saw the disappointed pair out. Cassie seemed particularly reluctant to leave, casting longing glances back at him.

Standing at the door, Tess joked, "If you don't hurry up, I'll leave you here as his daughter."

Cassie's eyes lit up as if thinking, "Is that really an option?" But eventually, Shen You managed to send them on their way.

A young man, Tom, a regular at the store, watched with envy and shook his head. "Such a waste, Shen. You don't know what you're missing…"

Tom, a recent college graduate, struggled to find a job and fancied himself a writer. He often spent entire days at the café, claiming he was gathering material.

Shen You glanced at him. "I heard your new book flopped?"

Tom blushed. "Who said that? I'm still gathering material; the book isn't even started yet. How could it flop?"

Shen You smirked. "Someone dug up your pseudonym. Something about 'This Time, the Plane Will Fly'?"

Tom's face reddened further. "Writing a book isn't like cutting vegetables! Ever heard of prepping in gaming? This book is just a warm-up. It's not cutting!"

Shen You's amused look made Tom finally flee the store, muttering, "Just wait, my next book will be a hit."

The store filled with laughter.

Shen You looked at himself in the mirror, pondering if he might have overdone his looks in his human form. After crossing over, his original form was that of an Ultraman, not a human. However, his natural abilities and some school lessons allowed him to transform into any human form.

He had chosen his pre-crossing appearance, only making minor adjustments, yet his charm seemed more potent than expected. After last night, his bracelet's energy increased slightly. Theoretically, this should boost his strength, though he couldn't feel the small increase. Only a significant accumulation leading to a qualitative change would be noticeable.

This affected not only his Ultraman form but also his human form's physical capabilities. Like Zeros and others, Shen You's human form possessed extraordinary strength and reflexes, akin to near-instantaneous movement. 

He could solve most problems without transforming. Despite DC World's dangers, it offered abundant opportunities to gain experience.

For instance, last night's discovery of a demonic entity with Maroni was unusual. Early Gotham stories typically didn't feature such supernatural elements. This felt like encountering calculus in elementary math, seemingly designed to mess with Batman.

A sudden flicker from the energy crystal on his bracelet caught Shen You's attention. It wasn't an activation but a response to nearby spatial anomalies, indicating another entity might have arrived from another world.

Could it be someone from his world?

Shen You activated his bracelet, projecting a map of Gotham. Amidst the complex streets, a red dot marked the source of the anomaly.

That was the specific coordinate of the abnormality.