The city was in ruins.
Collapsed buildings lined the streets, flames rose from shattered roads, and distant screams echoed through the air. An attack—brutal and merciless—had reduced the heart of the city to chaos. The central district was no longer under control. It had already fallen into enemy hands.
Through the noise and destruction, a calm voice spoke.
"You can struggle all you want," the voice said, almost amused,
"but you can't change reality."
Only the lower half of the speaker's face was visible—cold, confident, untouched by fear.
Silence followed.
Then another voice answered.
Charlie's face appeared—emotionless, unfazed
"If I can't change that reality…"
"…then I'll erase it forever."
Unshaken.
Unforgiving.
---
Two Months Earlier
At the entrance of a grand palace, Lee-Dan stood with his hands behind his back. The sound of an approaching car echoed across the marble pathway.
The car stopped.
A tall, handsome young man stepped out. His presence was refined, his expression calm yet commanding—someone born into authority.
Lee-Dan bowed slightly.
"Welcome home, Prince William."
William glanced toward the palace.
"Is she home?"
"Yes," Lee-Dan replied. "Your sister has locked herself inside her room."
William nodded.
"Alright."
He walked inside and stopped in front of a closed door.
"El. Open the door."
No response.
William's tone hardened.
"If you don't answer, I'll break it."
Still—silence.
William exhaled slowly.
The air around him shifted.
A violent burst of wind exploded forward, shattering the door in a single blow.
Inside, El lay on her bed, wrapped tightly in a blanket.
William stepped closer.
"I know you're pretending to sleep," he said calmly. "You promised me you wouldn't run away again."
From under the blanket, her voice emerged.
"You promised me something too," El said.
"You said you'd take me with you when you met Mom this time."
William paused.
"I know," he replied quietly. "But things happened. I couldn't take you."
"That's what you always say," El snapped.
"Just go away. I don't want to talk to you."
William said nothing.
He turned around and left.
Outside, Lee-Dan watched him approach.
"So?" Lee-Dan asked. "Did it work?"
William shook his head.
"No. She'll stay angry for a few days," he said calmly.
"But she'll cool down."
He stopped walking.
"There's a boy I want to talk about."
Lee-Dan activated a holographic screen. A video began playing—Charlie fighting palace guards with overwhelming strength.
William's eyes narrowed.
"Impressive power," he said.
"Keep an eye on him."
---
After losing to Lee-Dan, Charlie focused entirely on understanding his abilities.
By now, one rule was clear.
His power rewarded only actions that benefited innocent people.
If he harmed an innocent person, money would be deducted from his mysterious ledger.
If he protected people from dangerous individuals, he earned money.
But if he ever lost a fight—
Everything he had earned would disappear.
"So even if I work hard and save money…" Charlie thought,
"…one loss ends everything."
He had also realized something else.
He wasn't the only one with powers.
Lee-Dan.
That girl.
Others like them existed.
"There's only one way I won't lose," he thought.
His gaze hardened.
"I'll only fight people without powers," he decided.
"Ordinary thieves. Ordinary criminals."
Decision made.
---
Charlie pulled on a hoodie, hiding half his face, and began moving through the city—leaping from rooftops with ease.
Minutes passed.
Nothing.
"When did this city become so safe?" he muttered.
Then he saw it.
A man wearing a cap was following a woman down a narrow street.
"Looks like I found my first target."
Charlie dropped down from above, landing hard. He grabbed the man's arm and slammed him to the ground.
The woman gasped in shock.
"I'm sorry, ma'am," Charlie said quickly.
"I startled you. This man was about to hurt you."
The woman blinked… then screaming
"Darling, are you okay?"
Charlie froze.
"…Darling?"
He looked at the man.
"Wait. He's your husband?"
"Of course," the woman said coldly.
"And I'm calling the police."
Charlie stepped back immediately.
"I'm really sorry."
Before another word could be spoken, he vanished.
Far away, Charlie leaned against a wall.
"That was close."
The ledger flashed before his eyes.
–1000 Dollars
"What?" Charlie groaned.
"Just for knocking him down?"
He clenched his fists.
"At this rate, I'll drown in debt."
Suddenly, a scream echoed nearby.
"Help! Help!"
Charlie turned.
A thief ran past him, clutching a woman's bag.
Charlie stepped directly into his path.
"Now where do you think you're going?"
The thief pulled out a knife.
Charlie walked toward him calmly.
"Relax," Charlie said.
"One punch. I'll keep it gentle."
The thief slashed.
The knife shattered on impact.
The thief's face turned pale.
One punch later, he collapsed unconscious.
"Thank you!" the woman cried.
"No need," Charlie replied.
"Just be careful."
Charlie walked away and checked his pocket.
Only $1000.
"Is this a joke?"
The ledger appeared again.
+2000
–1000 (Debt Adjustment)
"So I actually earned just a thousand…"
That night, Charlie lay awake on his bed, staring at the ceiling.
The numbers from the ledger replayed in his mind.
"So this is the limit…" he thought.
"Catching petty criminals won't get me anywhere."
He turned to his side, eyes narrowing.
"If I want to earn a large amount at once," he murmured,
"I'll have to do something different."
A thought slowly took shape.
"Mafia," he realized.
"Underworld territories… places where innocent people are crushed every day."
His grip tightened against the bedsheet.
"If my power truly rewards justice," Charlie thought,
"then those places should be overflowing with it."
Decision made.
---
The next day, Charlie entered one of the city's restricted districts.
The air felt heavier there.
Shops were half-shuttered, streets unusually quiet. People avoided eye contact and hurried away the moment they noticed a stranger.
At first, nothing happened.
Charlie walked deeper into the area, his presence unnoticed.
Then he saw it.
A group of men stood at the end of a narrow street.
Well-dressed. Confident. Dangerous.
The old man slowly stepped forward, planting his single hand firmly on the ground.
His calm eyes swept across the men surrounding him.
Old Man:
"So… you brought this many just to take one sword?"
Yosuke laughed and spread his arms.
Yosuke:
"You should be honored, old man. Not everyone gets this kind of attention."
He tilted his head.
Yosuke:
"Hand over the sword. We don't want this to get ugly."
The old man exhaled slowly.
Old Man:
"It already is."
Without warning, the first man charged.
The old man moved.
A single step to the side.
His elbow smashed into the attacker's throat.
Before the body hit the ground, the old man grabbed another man by the collar and slammed his face straight into the pavement.
Crack.
A third attacker swung a metal baton.
The old man ducked low, swept the man's legs, and brought his knee down hard onto his chest.
Old Man:
"Too slow."
Two more rushed him together.
The old man caught the first punch with his palm, twisted the arm, and used the man's own momentum to hurl him into the second.
Both crashed into a wall.
Charlie watched from a distance, eyes wide.
Charlie (thinking):
"With one hand… he's destroying them."
A knife flashed toward the old man's ribs.
He turned his shoulder, letting the blade scrape past, then drove his forehead straight into the attacker's nose.
Blood sprayed.
The man collapsed screaming.
Yosuke clicked his tongue.
Yosuke:
"Tch. So the rumors were true."
He gestured lazily.
Yosuke:
"Don't hesitate. Surround him."
The remaining men closed in from all sides.
The old man's posture shifted.
Lower. Heavier.
The ground beneath his feet cracked.
Old Man:
"You're making a mistake."
A fist came from behind.
He caught it—then crushed it.
A scream followed.
He spun, slamming his shoulder into another man's chest, sending him flying several meters back.
Two attackers lunged together.
The old man jumped.
His heel came down like a hammer.
The street shattered.
Both men were driven into the ground, unconscious.
Silence fell.
Only broken bodies remained.
Charlie swallowed.
Charlie (thinking):
"He didn't just fight… he dominated."
Then—
A shadow moved behind the old man.
Charlie's eyes widened.
Charlie (thinking):
"…Behind him!"
A massive man stepped forward.
His right arm wasn't flesh.
It was a blade.
The metal arm rose, aiming straight for the old man's spine.
Charlie moved without thinking.
He jumped between them.
Clang.
Charlie caught the blade with both hands.
The impact sent shockwaves through his arms.
Everyone froze.
The blade-armed man snarled and lifted Charlie off the ground, slamming him into a wall.
Boom.
Yosuke (grinning):
"Kiro! Finish the old man!"
The old man turned.
For the first time, his expression changed.
His palm slammed into the ground.
The street exploded upward.
Chunks of concrete flew into the air.
Using the chaos, the old man grabbed Charlie by the collar and leapt away.
They landed several streets away.
The old man threw Charlie aside roughly.
Charlie:
"Hey! I just saved your life!"
The old man glared at him.
Old Man:
"This isn't a hero's playground, kid."
Charlie dusted himself off.
Charlie:
"Then maybe don't turn your back in a fight."
Before the old man could respond—
Footsteps echoed.
Yosuke and the remaining mafia appeared, weapons drawn.
Yosuke:
"Running away, old man?"
He smiled cruelly.
Yosuke:
"Guess age finally caught up to you."
The old man straightened.
Old Man:
"You talk too much."
Yosuke raised his hand.
Yosuke:
"Kill them. Both of them."
The mafia closed in.
Charlie glanced at the old man… then at the enemies…
Charlie (thinking):
"…This just turned serious."
To be Continued.....