Chapter 173 | A Call & Thoughts Of Buying A House

Chapter 173: 173 | A Call & Thoughts Of Buying A House

Cole laughed quickly on the other end. "No, no, no, without your help, it would have been impossible for any of us to even get into position. If you hadn’t been there, I and the other heroes would have been dead. I wanted to call personally and say thank you."

Dexter smiled. "It’s no big deal. You’re a hero, I’m a hero, saving each other and protecting civilians is larr of the job."

Cole chuckled. "You’re quite modest. But whether it’s our duty or not, I still have to say thank you, sincerely."

"You’re welcome," Dexter said.

Cole paused for a bit and then spoke again.

"I’m sorry if this question is too personal but do you happen to have a Hunter party squad?"

Dexter blinked.

He didn’t have a squad yet and hadn’t asked the Hero Association to assemble one for him as he was too busy with his wives, his system and his cultivation.

He had no idea whether it would become stable enough to support him in the long term.

And while the bakery partnership with Tessa and Mr. Henry would provide one source of income, relying on a single revenue stream was risky. Especially when that revenue stream depended on his time, his energy, and his ability to cook meals that people wanted to buy.

Dungeon raiding was the other obvious option. Nexus cores, monster materials, rare drops. A single successful mid-rank dungeon run could yield more money than a week of food sales.

Combining the two together was the goal. Bakery sales for steady, reliable cash. Dungeon raiding for larger, periodic windfalls and cultivation resources.

With both, he could properly provide for his wives.

Maybe, eventually, enough to buy a piece of land somewhere far from the city. Far from the Ashfords, the Calloways, the Vances, the Frosts, thw Montclairs and everyone else who wanted to use his family as a pawn in their games.

A quiet place and safe place. Where he could properly take care of his wives.

"No," Dexter said. "I don’t have a squad yet."

He could almost hear Cole smiling through the phone.

"Perfect."

Dexter raised an eyebrow at the enthusiasm.

"How about a get-together tomorrow?" Cole said. "Me, you, and a few of the other heroes who fought alongside us that day. Just a chance to get to know each other. Figure out what we’re each good at and what we’re terrible at."

He paused.

"Then maybe, if everyone clicks, we head over to the Titan Training Center, run some tactical drills. Test our teamwork in a controlled environment. See if we’re compatible as a squad before we commit to anything serious."

Dexter pondered the offer.

Tomorrow.

He didn’t have a clear picture of his schedule for the next day. The bakery sales would need monitoring. The girls needed care and also, the window needed repairing.

Selene’s nighttime cultivation arrangement was still new.

And there was always the possibility that another unannounced visitor would show up at his gate.

But those were all variables he could manage. A few hours away from the house wasn’t unreasonable, especially with the Type-5 House Protection Talisman active and the girls’ cultivation progressing steadily.

"What time?" he asked.

"Any time your schedule is free," Cole said. "We know you’re married, and we know married life comes with its own set of responsibilities. Most of us aren’t married, so we don’t have the same constraints. But you do. So it’s entirely up to you. We’ll work around your availability."

Dexter was quiet for a moment.

"I’m not sure about my schedule tomorrow," he said. "Let me get back to you. I’ll text you with the details once I’ve sorted things out."

Cole chuckled. "That’s the best case scenario, actually. Take your time. We’ll be ready whenever you are."

"Thanks for reaching out," Dexter said.

"No, thank you," Cole replied. "For saving us. And for picking up the phone."

The call ended.

Dexter lowered the phone and stood there for a moment, deep in thought.

A squad.

It wasn’t something he had actively considered before. The idea of joining a team, of trusting other people with his safety in a dungeon environment, hadn’t crossed his mind.

But Cole was right. If he wanted to enter a dungeon in the future, he needed a squad for it.

And it would be best if it was people he knew, rather than been randomly assigned a squad by the Hero Association.

He pocketed his phone, walked around the corner of the building into a narrow alley where no one was watching, and flipped his hand.

The SUV materialized in front of him with a soft thump. He opened the door, climbed in, and started the engine.

---

The drive into the city took twenty minutes.

He found a hardware supply warehouse in the mid-district that carried everything he needed.

A new window frame.

Double-paned tempered glass panel, Interior drywall sheet, Insulation roll, exterior trim, caulking, and weatherproofing sealant.

Fasteners, brackets, and miscellaneous hardware. Everything totaled at about 2000 dollars.

He paid at the counter, loaded everything into his spatial storage in the parking lot, and climbed back into the SUV.

---

The drive home took him through the commercial district, past the towering glass buildings and large billboards that lined the main highway.

He wasn’t paying much attention to the large advertisements by the aid when the road.

However, one particular billboard caught his eye.

It had the image of a smiling hero in casual clothes who stood in front of a modern two-story house with a small garden and a white picket fence.

Beneath the image was a large stylized text

"HARVEST HOMES — A Comfortable House for You and Your Family"

"Because Heroes Deserve a Place to Come Home To"

Below that, in smaller print: "Flexible Payment Plans Available for Licensed Heroes. Visit any Harvest Homes branch for details."

Dexter only glanced at it. His eyes lingered for perhaps two seconds before returning to the road.

But as he read the texts, an idea started forming in his head.

Buying a house. A real house with four rooms and in a nice neighborhood too.

The idea began to grow, feeding on the accumulated stress and worry of the past three weeks.

Two monster outbreaks had occurred within walking distance of his bungalow. The first had been in his own neighborhood and the second had been at the market district, less than five minutes away.

Two outbreaks in a month. In the same general area was enough for anyone to flee immediately.

Either way, staying in that neighborhood was a risk.

A risk he didn’t need to take since he had a bit of money right now.

While he was already getting used to the neighborhood and he liked Tessa, Mr. Henry and Grandma Lucy, liking a neighborhood and being safe in a neighborhood were two very different things.

And to him, the safety of his wives came first.

’Surely, one million dollars should be enough to purchase a house right?...’