I stood within the darkness at the edge of the street, far enough from the nearby lanterns that their light failed to reach my face. The shadows concealed my features completely, leaving only a vague silhouette visible to anyone looking in my direction.
A short distance ahead, the four young men continued walking through the street, completely unaware that they were being watched.
Then I bent down and picked up a small stone from the ground. For a brief moment, I weighed it in my hand while keeping my eyes fixed on the four young men ahead before casually flicking my wrist. The stone cut through the night air and struck the young man squarely on the shoulder. The impact wasn't particularly strong, but it was enough to immediately silence the group's laughter. All four of them came to an abrupt stop, their confusion quickly replacing the carefree expressions they had been wearing moments earlier.
"What the hell?"
The young man rubbed his shoulder before spinning around angrily. His eyes swept across the street in search of the culprit, scanning both sides of the road before finally landing on my figure standing alone within the darkness.
Because of the darkness, he could not make out my face clearly. The shadows concealed my features, allowing him to see nothing more than a lone figure standing silently at the edge of the street.
The young man's expression immediately darkened.
"You bastard."
Without the slightest hesitation, he began walking toward me with obvious hostility in his eyes. His three friends exchanged glances before following behind him, clearly expecting to teach whoever had thrown the stone a painful lesson.
I waited until they had taken several steps toward me before finally moving.
The moment I turned around and started running, the four of them froze briefly in surprise, clearly not expecting me to flee. Their confusion lasted only a second before the young man's expression twisted with anger.
"Where are you running, bastard?!" His furious shout echoed through the street.
A moment later, he broke into a sprint, and his three friends immediately followed behind him. The sound of hurried footsteps filled the night as they chased after me through the dimly lit streets, completely unaware that they were running exactly where I wanted them to go.
I led them through several dark streets, maintaining just enough distance to keep them chasing after me without losing sight of my figure. Their angry shouts echoed behind me as the sound of hurried footsteps followed through the quiet night. None of them seemed willing to give up the chase, their pride clearly wounded by the fact that someone had dared provoke them and then flee.
Eventually, I turned sharply into a narrow alley.
The alley stretched only a short distance before ending in a dead end. Tall walls rose on either side, blocking most of the moonlight and leaving the passageway shrouded in darkness. More importantly, the alley was completely deserted.
I came to a stop near the end of the alley and stood there silently with my back facing the entrance.
A few moments later, the sound of approaching footsteps grew louder before four figures emerged from the darkness one after another. Upon realizing there was nowhere left for me to run, the irritation on their faces quickly transformed into amusement.
Several of them began laughing. One of them glanced around the dead end before grinning mockingly.
"Now where are you going to run, bastard?"
The others chuckled in agreement, clearly convinced they had cornered a helpless victim.
Meanwhile, I remained completely still.
Slowly, I raised a hand toward my face and removed the mask I had worn ever since arriving in Astravia. The moment it came off, the false appearance it maintained gradually faded away, revealing my original features beneath. I casually tucked the artifact inside my shirt. Only after putting the mask away did I begin turning around.
My movements were slow and deliberate, completely devoid of any urgency. The darkness within the alley concealed much of my appearance, making it difficult for the four young men to see me clearly. Even after I fully turned around, the shadows still obscured parts of my features. They could make out my face, but the poor lighting prevented them from seeing it clearly.
The young man at the front narrowed his eyes as he studied me.
"Who are you?"
I simply looked at him without answering.
His frown deepened. "I asked who you are."
Once again, I remained silent.
The atmosphere inside the alley gradually grew heavier. The amusement that had filled their faces moments ago began to fade, replaced by irritation and suspicion.
A cold smile spread across his face as he cracked his knuckles and took a step forward.
"Fine," he said. "If you don't want to talk, then I'll teach you a good lesson first."
One of his friends immediately stepped forward, a sneer still lingering on his face as he swung a punch directly toward my head. The attack was fast enough to intimidate an ordinary person, but to me, it looked painfully obvious.
I casually shifted to the side. The punch sliced through empty air. Before the young man could recover his balance or understand what had happened, I closed my fist and drove it straight into his stomach.
Thud.
The impact forced the air from his lungs. His eyes widened instantly, and a pained grunt escaped his mouth as his body folded forward. The confidence that had been written all over his face vanished in an instant. Clutching his stomach, he stumbled backward several steps, struggling to breathe properly.
The remaining three young men frowned. Clearly, none of them had expected their friend to be dropped so easily.
Without giving the first young man time to recover, another immediately rushed forward. Unlike his friend, he showed no intention of holding back. His fist shot toward my head with enough force to crack bone if it connected.
Unfortunately for him, it never did. I tilted my head slightly, allowing the attack to pass harmlessly beside my face. Then I counterattacked... my fist shot forward like a released arrow.
Crack.
The punch landed squarely across his face. The young man's head snapped to the side from the impact, and his body staggered backward several steps before he managed to regain his footing. A small trail of blood trickled from the corner of his mouth as shock gradually replaced the confidence in his eyes.
For a brief moment, silence settled over the alley.
The four young men stared at me, their expressions noticeably different from before. The drunken confidence and amusement that had filled their faces moments ago had vanished completely, replaced by caution and disbelief. Neither of the two who had attacked me appeared seriously injured, yet the fact that they had been dealt with so effortlessly was enough to make the others realize I was not an ordinary opponent.
The young man at the front narrowed his eyes as he studied me carefully. His gaze lingered on his two friends before returning to me, clearly trying to reassess the situation. The disbelief in his expression gradually gave way to anger, and his face twisted into an ugly scowl.
"You bastard."
The words escaped through clenched teeth. Almost immediately, energy began surging from his body, causing the atmosphere within the alley to shift. His three friends instinctively focused their attention on him, already recognizing what he intended to do next.
Meanwhile, I remained where I was and watched calmly.
The young man raised his fist and punched forward. The strike never came close to reaching me. Yet the moment his fist moved, the air itself seemed to distort. A visible wave of force erupted outward from the space in front of him, surging through the alley with enough power to make the surrounding dust scatter.
The attack crossed the distance between us almost instantly.
Boom!
The invisible force slammed into my chest and pushed me back a small step. Although the attack wasn't particularly threatening, the power behind it was enough to confirm that he was indeed a low level controller.
Seeing me get pushed back, a smug grin immediately spread across the young man's face.
"I'll kill you today for messing with us."
The confidence that had briefly disappeared returned to his expression. Clearly, he believed the fight was already over now that he had revealed his ability.
Without giving me time to respond, he threw another punch. A second shockwave exploded outward and raced toward me.
This time, however, I made no effort to move. A translucent energy shield materialized in front of me an instant before the attack arrived.
Boom!
The shockwave crashed directly into the barrier, sending ripples across its surface. The impact echoed throughout the alley, but the shield remained firmly in place, completely unaffected by the attack behind it.
The young man's smirk vanished almost instantly. His eyes widened slightly as he stared at the energy barrier standing between us. Clearly, the outcome was not what he had expected.