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Noah paused, eyes fixed on the scene unfolding before him. His mind weighed the options with deliberate care. The thought of stepping in flickered across his conscience, but hesitation clung to him. Was he truly willing to put himself at risk for a stranger?
His grip on the handlebars tightened. The safer choice, the smarter choice, was to turn away, pretend he hadn't seen a thing, and ride off into the night. He almost convinced himself to do just that when, as if reading his thoughts, the system cut in.
A translucent interface materialized before his eyes.
Ding
[Mission Triggered]
| Heart of the Selfless I |
Description: An innocent is in danger. Intervene, or turn away and let fate take its course.
| Objective: Confront the aggressors and ensure the stranger's safety.
| Failure Condition: Ignore and abandon the scene.
| Reward: +50 Ability Points
| Penalty: The man succumbs to his injuries.
[Accept]
Yes/No
Noah froze, eyes flicking over the prompt in front of him. A mission, he read, feeling the words settle. Ability Points as a reward. Failure means the man dies.
At first he'd planned to look away. He told himself the man would probably walk away with bruises, maybe a broken bone, unpleasant, not fatal. But the moment the possibility of death was written there, something in him snapped.
Ability Points or not, he couldn't live with the thought that someone might die because he chose convenience over action.
His jaw tightened and he accepted the mission without another second's hesitation. The reward mattered, but even more important was the knowledge that, had he done nothing, the man might be dead by morning. That thought made his choice for him.
Before long, Noah was already striding toward them. Even with the weight of fatigue pressing down on him, confidence carried his steps. Powers or not, he knew these men wouldn't pose much of a challenge.
The three thugs remained engrossed in their assault, fists and boots hammering down on the helpless man. They didn't notice Noah's approach until the sharp rhythm of his footsteps cut through the night. By then, it was already too late.
The nearest thug never saw it coming. Noah's leg whipped out in a clean, brutal arc, the kick slamming into the side of his head. The man crumpled instantly, collapsing like a sack of potatoes.
The other two froze, stunned by the sudden assault, their hesitation costing them precious seconds. The thug to Noah's right lunged clumsily, but a sharp punch drove into his liver. He doubled over with a strangled gasp, stumbling back in pain.
The third man, on Noah's left, recovered faster. Snarling, he threw a wild punch. To Noah, it moved in slow motion, sloppy, telegraphed, and lacking any real technique. Against someone who knew what they were doing, it was child's play to counter.
Noah's left hand guided the strike off its path, cutting smoothly inside the thug's guard. Before the man even realized what had happened, Noah's knee shot up in a ruthless kick between the legs. The thug collapsed with a strangled cry, dropping to his knees instantly.
Before Noah could finish him, the thug he had struck in the liver tried to sneak in an overhead blow from behind. Noah ducked seamlessly beneath it, his movements sharp and controlled. His counter came fast, a brutal kick to the man's knee. Bone and cartilage gave way with a sickening crack, sending the thug stumbling back with a howl.
Without wasting momentum, Noah turned back and finished the kneeling man with a vicious kick to the face, dropping him flat against the pavement.
The last thug, clutching his side and struggling to breathe, staggered backward a few steps. His hand slipped into his jacket, and with a shaky pull, he yanked out a knife.
The blade caught the dim glow of the streetlight, flashing menacingly as he pointed it at Noah.
"You think you're a hero?" the thug rasped, rage cutting through the pain in his voice. His chest rose and fell in shallow bursts, but his eyes burned with reckless defiance. "You don't know who you're messing with. You're dead, you hear me? Dead!"
The words came out half threat, half desperate bluff, but his trembling grip on the knife betrayed the truth. He slashed at the air between them, trying to muster courage.
Noah didn't flinch. His gaze stayed locked on the thug's eyes. To him, the knife was nothing more than a shiny piece of metal in untrained hands.
The thug shuffled forward, raising the knife higher, his knuckles white around the hilt. His voice cracked as he shouted again, trying to convince both Noah and himself. "I'll gut you right here!"
The thug lunged, desperation etched across his face as the knife drove forward in a clumsy stab. Noah shifted smoothly to his left, the blade cutting nothing but air. The motion was effortless for him; the attack might as well have been moving in slow motion.
Before the thug could even register the miss, Noah's counter came. His foot snapped out in a precise strike, slamming into the man's already injured leg.
A shrill scream tore from the thug's throat as his knee buckled. His body nearly collapsed under him, but sheer stubbornness or foolishness kept him standing for a fleeting moment. That moment was all Noah needed.
He closed the distance in a blur, fists crashing into the thug's liver in a brutal flurry. Each blow forced a ragged gasp from the man, his body convulsing under the pain. The knife slipped from his weakening grip, clattering uselessly onto the pavement.
Noah didn't stop until the thug's defenses crumbled completely. His final punch, a clean, merciless strike to the head, snapped the man's head back. The thug dropped like a stone, his body sprawling limply on the ground beside his unconscious companions.
The night fell silent again, broken only by the labored breathing of the battered victim still lying nearby. Noah walked over to the stunned man, extending an arm to help him up.
"T-thank you…" the man rasped, the words scraping out of his throat as though they cost him every ounce of strength he had left.
"It's no problem," Noah replied. He crouched down and pulled the man up by the arm. Up close, the man finally caught a proper look at his savior.
The face staring back at him wasn't hardened or scarred with years of violence. It was young, startlingly young. A boy, maybe in his late teens, with sharp eyes that seemed far too steady for someone his age.
The man blinked, words forming on his tongue, questions, disbelief, maybe even gratitude. But before he could speak, Noah's voice cut through.
"Are you okay? Can you walk?" Noah asked, steadying him with a hand on his shoulder.
The man tested his legs, wincing at the bruises and pain but finding enough strength to stand with Noah's support. Once Noah was certain he wouldn't collapse, he released his grip.
"Make sure to get checked at a hospital," Noah advised. Then, without waiting for thanks or explanations, he turned and began walking back to his bike, his footsteps fading into the night.
Behind him, the man stood in silence, clutching his ribs and staring after the retreating figure. For all the questions crowding his mind — who was that boy, how could someone so young move like that?
As Noah reached his bike, a faint ding echoed in his ears.
Mission Complete
| Heart of the Selfless I |
Objective: Confront the aggressors and ensure the stranger's safety.
Reward: +50 Ability Points Acquired.
Noah didn't linger a second longer than necessary. He scooped up the bag he had set down earlier and started the ride back home. By the time he rolled into the driveway, the sun was already dipping below the horizon, casting the street in a warm, fading glow.
After stowing his bike, he stepped inside and called out, "I'm home," heading straight for the kitchen where he knew Debbie was likely already at work preparing dinner.
The savory scent of onions, garlic, and spice greeted him as he stepped into the kitchen. Sure enough, Debbie stood at the counter, sleeves rolled up, a pan sizzling on the stove. She glanced over her shoulder at him, her expression softening the moment she noticed his arrival.
"Perfect timing," she said, her voice warm but carrying the faint fatigue of the day. "Set the table for me, will you?"
"On it," Noah replied, setting his bag aside and unloading the groceries onto the counter before pulling plates from the cupboard. Even with the weight of fatigue pressing on him, he kept his face neutral and his posture steady.
Debbie, sharp as ever, caught the subtle drag in his movements by the time he set down the last plate.
"So," she asked casually, as if in passing, "how was your day? That thing you wanted to take care of, did you get it done?"
"Yeah, I've got it handled," he said, rolling his shoulders as if to shake off the weight of the day.
"Mm, that's good," she replied, not pushing further. Having been a teenager once herself, she understood how important space and privacy could be. "Can you get Mark from his room? And make sure to knock before entering."
"Sure," Noah answered, chuckling slightly as he made his way down the hall. On the way to Mark's room, he finally decided it was time to check the reward he'd earned earlier.
Mission Complete
| Heart of the Selfless I |
Objective: Confront the aggressors and ensure the stranger's safety.
Reward: +50 Ability Points Acquired.