— Let go of my hand; a familiar female voice could be heard.
— What, you're not having fun with us? mocked one of the shady individuals surrounding the girl, prompting Theos to approach.
— You clearly don't understand; he retorted. It was indeed one of his classmates, Zi Yun Esiah, being harassed. Why was she here? He remembered she usually came by car. Even if she walked, she would never pass through this area.
— Leave her alone and go away; Theos said calmly, accustomed to this kind of situation.
— Yo, get lost, man. You looking for trouble? One of them challenged Him.
Theos found it unsettling to see five people circling around a girl, using such disorganized language, and noticed a spectator in the background.
We won't resolve this with words, Theos thought. He would be relieved if they did. These kinds of people always ignored warnings; aggression had become second nature to them. Being in a group amplified their arrogance and boldness, making them beyond reason.
The most muscular guy seemed overly confident, but Theos remained calm.
He then noticed a different figure: a boy sitting on an air-conditioning unit, silently watching them. That one was probably trained in martial arts. Unlike the others who were getting excited, he was calm and cautious. Theos locked eyes with him.
The boy reacted, unsure if he was really being watched due to his hair falling in front of his eyes, but Theos knew they had exchanged glances.
— I'm not going to repeat myself: let her go; Theos demanded as they began to circle him.
— Or what? the muscular leader challenged. This guy thinks muscles equal strength, thought Theos. It's better to neutralize the strongest; the others will scatter naturally.
But it was a rough estimate; he was confident he could handle them all at once if necessary.
Eventually, the one Theos had identified as the gang leader ordered the others to stop, either out of instinct or because he lost interest in what they were doing.
— Stop, we're leaving.
— Seriously? You're chickening out? one of the guys grumbled.
One thing's for sure, he's smarter than you, thought Theos, growing impatient but knowing it was better to remain calm since they were about to leave.
— Are you deaf? I said we're going; the leader repeated. Finally, they withdrew, the muscular guy giving Theos a disdainful look.
Who does he think he is? thought Theos, knowing there was nothing to gain from starting a fight. Besides, they were already late.
— You coming? he asked Esiah, who nodded, and they set off again with determined strides.
Situations like this occurred frequently, which exasperated him. I often envy isekai heroes; he muttered aloud.
Their arrival always brings about a change in people's mentality, and they're free to use their extraordinary abilities.
This world is beautiful but flawed. It needs fixing, he continued, reflecting on the imperfections of human nature. Whether in a fantasy world or in our own, humans would never achieve perfect agreement. Why? Because they evolve in their choices, preferences, and bodies. It's human nature. But no high school student or even adult man could lead such a reform.
The world can't be saved, or rather, people can't be completely saved; he concluded, likening it to the theory of a rotten tomato in a box of fresh ones. In this case, there were several rotten ones, impossible to identify or remove, maintaining a kind of balance.
— The problem is, the container can't hold them indefinitely; he mused aloud.
— Are you okay? Esiah asked Theos, interrupting his thoughts. He had been lost in them.
— Just thinking; he replied. It didn't mean everyone was bad; people were inherently contradictory. For Theos, good and evil were integral parts of human nature, or rather, the very nature of existence itself.
— It's incomplete; he concluded.
Esiah is quite perceptive, thought Theos, smiling at her. She had noticed his changed expression, a rare occurrence for someone to read him so easily. Or perhaps she had simply asked out of courtesy.
— Don't worry, everything's fine. Let's hurry, we're late! he reassured her, and they continued on their way. She smiled, and Theos couldn't help but notice how beautiful Zi Yun Esiah was with her long, sleek black hair, her jet-black eyes, and her tall frame.
She has it all, he thought. No wonder she attracts trouble, he mused, suspecting that she might even like him.
I won't delay this any longer. Today, I'll tell her, he resolved.
Reunion [Nas'eul North Union Division]
"Boss, why did we leave earlier?" One of the six men asked while sitting in an abandoned factory. The boss sat in an armchair, staring up at the ceiling as if he was lost in thought, his eyes covered by his hair. His gaze at the ceiling made it seem like he could see something the others couldn't. Surrounding him were five others, part of the Northern Division.
"We were just outnumbered by a high school kid! This kind of action ruins our reputation with other factions," mocked another, while the boss remained silent.
"Shut up!" growled the muscular one, ready to fight his colleague. The others burst out laughing.
The boss finally moved in his chair, catching everyone's attention. He spoke: "I didn't recognize him at first, but it was him."
"That wimp?" muttered the muscular guy, thinking he was superior to the division leader and blaming their problems on his weak leadership.
Everyone remembered the moment when a high schooler had replaced the former head of the Northern Division. Since then, there hadn't been any trouble, and Nas'eul, their big boss, hadn't intervened. "If Nas'eul had put me in charge of the North, we'd be much stronger," the muscular guy thought, full of ambition.
"Why does this guy, with no ambition, have to be above me?" he grumbled.
"And who is he then?" someone asked.
The boss looked up. "To keep it short, it's Ichi. I don't know much about him, but that name can't be ignored. Don't mess with him."
The muscular guy seemed surprised. He knew that nickname well, more than his boss.
"Wait, are you saying that scrawny guy is Ichi?" he asked, realizing his mistake too late.
The boss stood up. The muscular guy stepped back, but he didn't see the punch coming. Despite his size, he ended up on the ground, bleeding from the mouth.
"You talk too much. Next time, don't provoke him. And don't drag me into your mess!" said the boss, reminding everyone who was in charge. With a division this big, he needed to maintain order. The others watched in silence.
They were curious about who Ichi really was. "Who is Ichi, anyway?"
"I told you, I don't really know him," the boss replied, "but he's trouble for people like you. Maybe that whiner over there knows more about the rumors. I just know how to recognize someone, that's all."
Yo Byron Jeomcheol hadn't always been a delinquent. He came from a modest family, living a normal life. He seemed ordinary, but you can never judge someone's ordinariness, even if they act like everyone else.
He was searching for something but was misunderstood by his peers. He had done different things and, on a whim, infiltrated Nas'eul's Northern Division, defeated everyone, and became the leader.
But he knew he didn't have the strength to face Nas'eul directly, so he waited. Nas'eul left him alone. Yo Byron Jeomcheol couldn't tell if Nas'eul wanted him to flush out traitors in the organization or if it was just a whim.
Yo Byron Jeomcheol knew things could have gone wrong. His family could have been in danger because of him. Nas'eul wasn't just a group of kids; it was a big organization that thrived on violence.
However, having Yo Byron Jeomcheol in charge was a good thing for the North. Illegal activities had decreased, unlike in other areas.
Then one day, a message appeared: "YOU ARE THE FIRST SYSTEM USER." Yo Byron Jeomcheol saw a window, as if he was wearing augmented reality glasses. At first, he thought he was losing his mind. This world is really messed up; he thought.
As he started to understand what was happening, he saw an opportunity. He could gather information about everyone and felt something changing inside him.
A new beginning for Yo Byron Jeomcheol.
An ambition was born: With this, I could conquer all of Nas'eul. I'm the only system user right now. If I use it wisely, I can easily defeat these delinquents and even dismantle Nas'eul.
Using the system, he could evaluate everyone's strength, gather useful pawns, and measure the strength of his enemies. He had a brief encounter with Nas'eul and realized the gap that separated them.
But with this system designed for awakening, he knew that gap was just a minor obstacle. Confident in his abilities, he started planning his strategies calmly. Even if he encountered someone stronger, he would analyze and evolve accordingly. Or so he thought, until he met an anomaly.
Theos Martin, a person he couldn't evaluate with the system. Only the name and a restriction appeared, showing he was the sole user of the system. This had never happened before.
Even among Nas'eul's members, there were stronger people, but he could always analyze them. And these idiots think I'm wrong with the system – I can see your names and abilities – I know that was Ichi!
This encounter confirmed the rumors about Ichi for Yo Byron Jeomcheol. Normally, he would have let his subordinates test the waters, but this time, he wanted no part of it. "If that guy wants to provoke him, that's none of my business!"
If Nas'eul got involved, it might even work to his advantage. He briefly considered using the girl to start a conflict with Nas'eul but quickly dismissed the idea. His plan was going smoothly, and an unpredictable variable would be a problem.
"I think he'll behave. Just stay away from him."
Nothing was scarier than the unknown. After getting used to probing others, the fear of the incomprehensible grew stronger. This was Yo Byron Jeomcheol's current mindset.
"Who would be crazy enough to provoke this guy? Especially if the rumors I've heard are true," said one of the remaining members.
"As long as you understand!!!"