As soon as Michael stepped through the door, it felt as if the world suddenly changed.
He found himself in a narrow alleyway. The door behind him dissolved into nothing, as though it had never existed.
[Item 'Intra World Door' stored in Pocket Warehouse]
It was night here. The shadows of tall buildings made the alley even darker. In the distance, neon light spilled from a bar, mingling with the drunken shouts of patrons.
That's when Michael noticed a group of men at the corner of the alley surrounding a young woman. She was swaying unsteadily, clearly under the influence of something. One man had a tight grip on her hair, while the other two jeered and egged him on—until they noticed Michael.
All four turned toward him at once—surprise on their faces, as happens when someone suddenly appears from nowhere.
— "What the…?"
— "Who the hell are you?"
— "Where the fuck did you come from?"
Their voices were filled with disbelief and irritation.
Michael sighed.
"Ah... I was thinking of spending some time in peace, and the moment I arrive, there's trouble."
He ran a hand through his hair, then looked at them with cold eyes.
"Let the lady go. Be a gentleman."
His voice carried a quiet, cold warning.
The man clutching the girl's hair hesitated, then let go. For a moment, doubt flickered in the others' eyes. Not because they were cowards—if they were, they wouldn't have dared drag a woman here to harass her. No, they were clearly thugs used to this kind of thing. Their unease came from something else: Michael had appeared unnaturally, without a sound, right in front of them. That was what unsettled them.
But they weren't the type to back down easily.
The biggest of them, a tall Black man well over six feet with a chest like a wall and arms packed with muscle, stepped forward. He spat to the side and sneered at Michael.
"Whoever the fuck you are, listen—get out of here right now. Otherwise…"
He pulled a pistol from his waistband.
"…otherwise, you're gonna end up dead."
The air in the alley suddenly grew heavy.
The girl staggered back in fear, while the others watched with a strange curiosity.
But there wasn't a trace of fear in Michael's eyes.
He smiled faintly and shook his head.
"Ah, is that so…"
He stepped forward slowly, coming right up to the barrel of the gun. His hands hung relaxed at his sides, as if the weapon before him meant nothing at all.
"Go on. If you've really got the guts, pull the trigger. It's been a while since I've heard a gunshot."
His cold, unwavering voice echoed in the stillness of the alley. The men's bodies flinched at once. Instinctively, they took a few steps back. Fear flickered across their faces—fear mixed with disbelief.
They had never seen anything like this before.
Who was this strange guy? To stand in front of a gun without the slightest fear… He couldn't be just some punk. Maybe a dangerous player. Or maybe a lunatic. He didn't even look older than twenty-two. Was he some kind of psycho?
The muscle-bound man growled through clenched teeth.
"Man, You think I'm joking? Don't try to be a motherfuckin' medieval superhero, you fucking cosplay-ass punk! This your last fuckin' chance!"
At his words, the other two barked out.
"Don't underestimate us! We're Los Reyes 99—you never heard of us? Cross us and you're dead!"
Michael didn't know what group they were talking about. Los Reyes 99—probably some local gang in this city. But names like that didn't mean anything to him anymore. If this had been in the past, maybe he would've felt a twinge of fear. But not now.
He moved even closer, irritation plain on his face.
"Ah… I see. Just some kids with toy. Not an ounce of real courage among you."
He tilted his neck until the joints cracked audibly.
"What's wrong? Did you grow up without your mother's milk? lil' homies?"
"Shut the fuck up, man!" the tall guy barked, rage boiling over.
He pulled the trigger.
Bang!
The girl screamed in terror. But the bullet even don't reach Michael.
[System Alert]
[Automatic Defense Protocol Activated]
[Dimensinal Energy consumed 0.5%]
[Projectile Neutralized]
[Host Safe]
It froze in midair, as though time itself had stopped around him.
A cold smile spread across Michael's lips. He reached out, plucked the bullet from the air with his fingers.
"Ah… still warm." He dropped it carelessly to the ground.
The others' eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets.
"Impossible! How the hell are you?!"
The tall man's throat went dry, but he fired again. One shot, two shots—but each bullet stopped in midair, then clattered uselessly to the ground.
One of the others, panicking, lunged with a knife. But before he could reach Michael, a shimmering blue wave covered him.
[Energy Shield Active]
[Dimensinal Energy consumed 0.02%]
The moment the knife touched it, a ripple of blue light surged outward—sending the thug flying into the brick wall with a sickening thud. He crumpled, groaning once before going limp.
The two remaining men were stricken with fear.
"He's a monster… this guy's a fucking monster!" they screamed, bolting out of the alley.
The girl's knees buckled. She slid down against the wall, trembling and clutching her arms tight to her chest. Her breath came in ragged bursts, eyes wide with shock, too stunned even to speak.
Michael clenched his jaw, looking annoyed.
"Didn't even bother to say thank you… And I am not a monster!"
He bent down and picked up the gun the gangster had abandoned in their frantic retreat. They hadn't even dared to drag away their unconscious friend.
Michael twirled the pistol in his hand with a cold look.
"Hmph… Glock 19.... this could be useful in future."
[Item 'Glock 19' stored in Pocket Warehouse]
Just then, the faint sound of police sirens reached his ears.
"Ah, damn…"
Michael mentally thinks about the Intra World door and it appears from the Pocket warehouse in an instant.
"Ah, Focus, man. let's hope this works properly this time," he muttered, gripping the handle