A roar shattered the clatter of keyboards and the hum of headsets in the downtown gaming café.
The air turned heavy, almost suffocating.
Ryan's face went pale.
Daniel and Jason exchanged uneasy glances.
They were college kids, reckless sometimes, sure but they weren't fighters.
And the group blocking their way out? There were more than a dozen of them, all built like they'd just walked out of a gym. No one could pretend that wasn't intimidating.
"Danny, Jason… don't worry about it," Ryan said, forcing a nervous laugh. "I kicked his chair earlier. If anyone should get hit, it's me. It's just one punch, won't kill me, right?"
Before he could say more, the gang had already closed in.
Sophia, terrified, stood behind them clutching her phone. "Don't come any closer! I'm calling the cops!"
"Call the cops? Yeah, right," the leader sneered. "Take her phone and someone teach this punk a lesson!"
He swung hard at Ryan,
But before the blow could land, a hand shot out, gripping his wrist like steel. The man froze mid-swing, straining but unable to move.
"Who the hell..."
A calm, steady voice cut through the chaos.
"Why don't you try asking before hitting my friend?"
It was Aiden James.
The leader's lip curled. "And who the hell are you supp..."
He didn't finish.
Aiden's kick landed square in his chest with a thud, sending him flying backward, crashing into a table and sprawling across the floor.
The café went silent for a heartbeat, then erupted.
"Get him! He hit our guy!" a man with a buzz cut shouted.
Aiden didn't retreat. He stepped forward.
He wasn't a trained fighter, but his speed, strength, and balance were far beyond normal. His fists struck like hammers; his movements were sharp and unflinching.
Every punch that landed dropped someone. Every blow he took barely slowed him down. He wasn't just strong, he was relentless.
The fight turned into chaos, shouts, overturned chairs, the crash of keyboards and glass.
"Don't panic, I'm with you!" Daniel shouted, tackling one of the attackers to the ground. "You're not taking my brother down that easy!"
Jason swung a chair leg like a bat, yelling, "Guess we're done gaming for tonight!"
Ryan clenched his jaw, guilt and adrenaline mixing in his chest. "This started because of me. I'm not backing down now!"
Three friends against a dozen men and at the center, Aiden James, standing tall and fearless, a storm of raw power and unyielding resolve.
It wasn't just a fight.
It was a declaration.
The fight had turned into a whirlwind of chaos.
But now, with his three roommates stepping in beside him, Aiden James fought like a storm unchained.
With Daniel, Ryan, and Jason joining the fray, the pressure on him eased and his momentum exploded.
Aiden moved like lightning, fists and feet blurring through the air. Within minutes, the dozen thugs who had come in with swagger were groaning on the floor.
The entire gaming café was dead silent.
The crowd of college gamers watching from behind their monitors gawked, jaws slack.
"Who is that guy?" one muttered.
"Bro just took down ten people by himself!"
"I should've recorded that! It would've gone viral in seconds!"
"He didn't even need a weapon, just raw strength!"
"Forget arguing, just admit he's awesome!"
At the center of the wreckage, Aiden stood tall, breathing steady, unshaken.
Sophia stared at him with wide eyes filled with awe. Pink hearts almost seemed to flicker in them.
She had always known Aiden was confident and composed but this? Seeing him fearless, taking on a whole gang just to protect his friends, it was beyond what she expected.
That courage. That strength. That quiet, unshakable resolve.
He wasn't just handsome and successful. He was… heroic.
She couldn't believe Emily Rose had ever let him go. How could anyone walk away from that?
At the same time, Ivy Mae, who had been standing near the café counter, was completely frozen.
Her heart thudded faster as she watched Aiden check on his friends before himself. He didn't brag. He didn't scold. He just made sure everyone was okay.
He was powerful, yes but also responsible, kind, grounded.
And that combination was dangerously attractive.
> System Notification:
Target detected: Ivy Mae - Favorability +1.
Current Favorability: 95/100.
Congratulations, host - primary target has reached full favorability!
Reward: $53,000 in energy credits and +5 enhancement points.
Aiden blinked as the familiar light-blue screen flickered before his eyes.
Name: Aiden James
Age: 21
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 148 lbs
Strength: 19
Endurance: 19
Focus: 10
Agility: 9
Status: Stable
Enhancement Points: 5
> Please select your enhancement focus.
"Agility," Aiden thought. "All five points."
> Enhancement confirmed.
Agility: 14.
A warm surge spread through his body, like energy flowing through every muscle fiber. His body felt lighter, faster, sharper.
He flexed his fingers, grinning slightly.
He'd been hit plenty of times during that fight, but now? With his new speed and balance, if it happened again…
They'd never even touch him.