"Sayonara…."
TONG!!!
Before she could bite through her tongue, a sharp metallic sound rang out beside her, halting her teeth before they could sink any deeper.
She opened her eyes with a shudder, but without her glasses, everything was a blur.
"What…?"
Smack!! Pow!!
Even though her vision was hazy, she could make out the blurred silhouette of a familiar figure—his back turned to her—as he pushed and punched the three men.
"W…who are you?" the slim man stammered in panic. He had just felt the second punch crack against his jaw, nearly knocking him unconscious and sending him stumbling backwards. "Y…you're messing with the wrong person, man! If you don't beg for mercy, my boss will—aaa!!"
Before he could finish, a kick slammed into his shoulder, launching him straight toward his so-called boss—who was still busy stuffing his face with onigiri.
"Boss…" the thin man whispered before collapsing.
"Useless," the boss grunted in a hoarse tone.
Meanwhile, the girl fumbled around for her glasses, when suddenly she felt a gentle hand pull at her arm. A familiar chill brushed her skin—the sensation of her cracked glasses being slid back into place.
"Here you go," said a soft voice.
The girl blinked repeatedly, adjusting her sight. The lenses were fractured worse than before, but she could still see much more clearly.
"T…thank you," she murmured. "You…"
Her breath caught as her memory connected the dots. That sharp nose, those beautiful lips—features she'd only glimpsed days ago. Her memory was too sharp to forget.
The only difference now was his hair: golden, shimmering. His eyes glowed like they belonged in some fantasy tale.
"You… you were the one on the bridge… or are you… someone else?"
"Ohh, you remembered. I'm glad. Thanks for not blowing my cover back then," Aiden said with a disarming smile, making her heartbeat stutter.
"Y…yes…" she replied, shy and flustered.
Seeing that she was safe, Aiden turned back toward the muscular man now standing, his eyes blazing with murderous intent, like someone whose wife had just been kidnapped.
"You… who are you? A foreigner?" the scarred man growled, eyeing Aiden's golden hair and half-Asian features.
Aiden didn't bother answering. He simply advanced. But then, a tug on his shirt made him glance back—it was the girl.
"W…we should run…" she whispered urgently.
Before Aiden could reply, the man charged forward. A massive fist came swinging toward his face—but Aiden's eyes held no panic. He caught the fist mid-strike, freezing it in the air.
"Why in such a hurry?" Aiden asked calmly.
The man's expression shifted to pain as his hand was crushed in Aiden's grip, the pressure mounting second by second. He tried to yank it back, but the boy's strength was unrelenting.
"You're strong, kid…" the man muttered through gritted teeth, straining to free himself.
"My turn," Aiden said.
The scarred man saw the punch coming, but it was too fast. Still trapped by Aiden's grip, he couldn't pull away in time. He raised his free hand in a desperate block—but the blow slipped past, crashing into his cheek and launching him two, three meters across the ground.
"Oh… forgot to hold back," Aiden muttered.
The girl stared in awe. This handsome boy—her age, maybe younger—was tossing grown men around like rag dolls.
Aiden walked toward the man, who was struggling to rise, blood dripping from his temple and split lip. Yet despite his state, his expression remained eerily calm.
Aiden frowned, intrigued. *Is this man mad… or something else?*
Before the thug could fully stand, Aiden seized him by the collar and yanked him upward until his feet dangled off the ground.
The man's head spun; he knew another punch like that would kill him. Still, his face remained calm, blood running into one eye, turning it red.
"You were going to rape her. Maybe even kill her," Aiden said coldly. "Do you have anything to say?"
"…"
No reply. The silence only stoked Aiden's anger. He thought of the girl's bloodied lips.
She was about to commit suicide if I hadn't arrived…
His fist tightened, ready to end it. The air itself split as he swung—
But then:
[Save humanity…]
An angelic whisper filled his ears. His fist halted a hair's breadth from the man's face, the shockwave rippling across his skin.
Aiden released him, letting him crash to the floor. For the first time, the thug's face showed emotion: surprise.
"Why…?" he rasped.
Aiden gave no answer, only turning his back. Over his shoulder, his eyes burned with lethal promise.
"If I ever see you harm another human… I won't stop near your head."
The murderous aura in his gaze froze the man to the bone.
"…Thank you," the thug whispered, wobbling to his feet before fleeing in the opposite direction.
Aiden exhaled, trying to calm himself. His emotions always drove him—always saving people, animals, anyone he could. Call it innocence or naivety. He didn't care. Someone probably recorded the whole fight and would splash it across social media anyway.
Still… at least he'd gained something.
[Notifications]
You defeated a human with Force. +5 EXP.
You defeated a human with Force. +3 EXP.
You defeated a human with Force. +4 EXP.
You defeated a human with Force. +15 EXP.
'Ohhh, nice! Free EXP. That's tight… wait, they had Force like I do? What's going on, System?'
[…The new Earth is slowly filling with Celestial Force. The surviving beings who eat and breathe here will also absorb it, strengthening according to how their bodies adapt…]
'I see… so that burly guy absorbed more Force than normal. If that's the case, won't he become dangerous later? Maybe I should've killed him right away…'
He turned to look back—but the man had already vanished.
"Well… let's check my status."
[Status]
* Name: Ando Aiden
* Bloodline: ???? (Locked, reach level 10 to unlock)
* Age: 16
* Race: Human / ????
* Level: 1 (EXP: 27/100)
* STR: 25
* AGI: 20
* DEF: 15
* FP: (Locked, available at Level 5)
* INT: 10
* LUCK: 1
* CHARM: 40
* DP: 0
* Rank: E+
* Soul: A+
* Class: (Locked)
* Subclass: (Locked)
* Titles: The Blur, Ghost, Breathtaking, Handsome Hunk…
* Natural Abilities: Super Strength & Agility, Telekinesis (E), Healing (D)
'Ohh… now I've got 27 EXP. That's epic!!'
The girl stumbled toward him, confusion in her eyes. His moods had shifted rapidly—smiling one second, raging the next.
"Umm… excuse me…" she whispered, her voice faint.
Since biting her tongue earlier, the metallic taste of blood hadn't stopped. Dizziness overtook her. She collapsed right into Aiden's arms.
"Whoa—hey! Are you okay? Excuse me?" Aiden shook her gently, but she didn't respond. His sharp eyes caught the blood still dripping from her mouth.
"She must've bitten too deep…" he muttered in worry.