Aditya was in a lot of trouble at the moment. The system had already offered him the first task, but he had no idea where he would find the criminals. Moreover, he didn't know how to use his powers. Even though he had gained this power, he didn't yet understand how to control it. For example, if he attacked a weak criminal and accidentally lost control of his strength, killing the criminal with just one strike, it would be very dangerous for him. The system had clearly instructed him to capture the criminals and hand them over to the police.
So, he was left wondering how he could accomplish this task. Frustrated, he finally asked the system, "At least tell me where I can find these criminals."
When the system heard this, it laughed and said, "Where else would you find criminals? They'll be at places where bars, disco nights, and illegal activities happen. Anyway, since you're asking me for help, let me tell you about a place where you'll easily find criminals."
With that, the system provided Aditya with details about a specific location.
Mumbai was still called the city of dreams, even though the year was now 2391. The city's charm hadn't diminished one bit. It was home to some of the world's richest, most powerful, and most influential individuals. Not only that, but Mumbai had also reached the number one position globally in terms of the film industry. Just as America had dominated in the 21st century, this Indian city now stood at the top worldwide.
Although the concept of countries no longer existed on Earth, cities were still cities. Therefore, some people who still took pride in being Indian viewed this as a matter of great honor.
Aditya had grown up in this city since childhood, so he knew a lot about its various places. He lived in the outskirts of the city and had spent his entire childhood there. He had a dream of buying a magnificent house for himself in the inner city, but that dream never came true.
However, now that he had learned he was the son of a warrior—a warrior who had saved Earth from destruction twice—he was certain that his parents must have left behind some wealth for him.
Aditya was currently standing atop a building in Mumbai's inner city. While he couldn't fly yet, he could definitely leap, and he was jumping from one building to another. Aditya knew he could find criminals in the outskirts of Mumbai as well, and he was confident that there were more criminals in the outer areas than in the inner city. However, he decided to follow the system's advice and search for criminals in the inner city instead. He didn't understand why the system had suggested this.
As Aditya was lost in his thoughts, he noticed a group of men harassing a girl. Without wasting time, he put on the mask he had bought and immediately ran toward the girl to save her. Just as he was about to act, the system's voice interrupted him.
"Host, the strength of all these criminals has reached the top level of Warrior. Therefore, the system will also limit your strength to the top of the Warrior level."
Hearing this, Aditya grew frustrated and said, "What is this? You want my power to be at the same level as theirs, but you're not considering the fact that there are more than ten of them here! Just think—how am I supposed to fight so many people at once with the same strength as theirs?"
The system replied, **"Who said you have less power? Think about it logically. I'm giving you equal strength to theirs. Remember, I'm giving you these small tasks only to help you learn to control your power and improve your combat skills. In the future, you'll have to face opponents far more dangerous than these, with powers capable of destroying entire galaxies with a single punch, or even entire universes.
For now, fight them with the strength I've given you. As for how to defeat them, I'll provide some guidance, but the rest you'll have to figure out yourself. Now go, and hand over all these criminals to the police."
Aditya was furious at the system after hearing this, but he knew there was nothing he could do. He was well aware that the system wouldn't listen to him. In all the novels he had read, one thing was clear: systems always did what they decided beforehand, and they never let anyone dictate their actions.
Soon, Aditya reached the group and hid behind a tree to observe them. A short distance away, the group of men was harassing a young woman. The woman was stunningly beautiful, with every feature crafted as if by a god with utmost care. She was about 5 feet 7 inches tall and appeared to be around 28 years old. Her figure was perfectly proportioned, with well-shaped breasts and a flawless posterior. Her lips were soft, and her eyes carried a hypnotic allure. She was wearing a shirt and skirt, giving her a strikingly attractive appearance.
Perhaps this was the reason why those boys were after the girl, but the girl seemed uninterested in them. As for Aditya, seeing her stirred feelings in his heart as well. He had just gone through a breakup earlier that day, and now he had come across a girl even more beautiful than his ex-girlfriend. He observed the girl's figure for a moment and then decided that he would teach those boys a lesson. However, before acting, he chose to wait for a bit.
Among the group of boys harassing the girl, one of them said, "Hey sweetheart, where are you going? Spend some time with us. I swear we'll make your night unforgettable. We'll take you to the stars, baby. We've never seen someone as beautiful as you before. That's why we're offering you the chance to come with us."
He then laughed and added, "Don't even think about rejecting our offer because you're coming with us anyway. The only choice you have is whether you come willingly or we take you by force. If you come willingly, we'll make love to you gently, one by one. But if you act stubborn and resist, we'll still have our way with you, but in that case, you'll be roughed up. The decision is in your hands."
Hearing this, the girl grew visibly uneasy. She kept glancing at her communicator, likely waiting for someone. However, she didn't know how long the person she was waiting for would take to reach her.
When the boys noticed that the girl wasn't responding to anything they said, they grew frustrated. Anger clouded their judgment, and they decided they would forcefully take the girl with them.
6Just as they were about to execute their plan, Aditya realized there was no point in hiding any longer. He stepped out from behind the tree and stood before them. In a firm and commanding voice, he said, "Look, I don't know who you are or which gang you belong to, but let me give you a warning. If you don't leave right now, I'll hand you all over to the police."
Hearing this, the group of thugs initially looked at Aditya in surprise. Then they all burst out laughing. One of them, a burly man in his mid-30s, stepped forward and said, **"Hey, idiot! You're worried about this girl? You should be worried about yourself. A 17- or 18-year-old boy like you meddling with guys like us—it's actually good for us. You see, some of our guys prefer boys over girls.
"Even though you're wearing a mask, we can tell how smooth and fresh-faced you are. Some of my brothers will be more than happy to have fun with you."
Hearing such disgusting remarks, Aditya's blood boiled. Without wasting a second, he charged at the man with incredible speed and attacked him. However, the man was surprisingly quick and managed to dodge the attack.
But even though he avoided the blow, he couldn't help but be shocked. He realized that the attack had been extremely dangerous. If he hadn't moved out of the way in time, he could have been injured—perhaps not severely, but injured nonetheless.
The man immediately understood that Aditya wasn't an ordinary teenager. He must have come from a wealthy or powerful background because such strength at such a young age wasn't normal. Even so, he composed himself and tried to remain calm.
The man looked at Aditya and said, **"Listen, kid, I don't know who you are or which powerful family you belong to, but here's a piece of advice: stay out of this matter. That girl is desired by a young master from another influential family. You're smart enough to understand what that means."
Saying this, the man launched a deadly attack on Aditya. Unable to anticipate the move, Aditya couldn't dodge in time. The man, being a highly skilled martial artist, struck with such precision and force that Aditya was sent skidding across the ground. Struggling, Aditya managed to regain his balance and composure, but he realized that things were now serious.
Determined not to back down, Aditya decided to unleash his full strength and launched a deadly attack on the man. However, the man once again evaded it with ease. Not only did he dodge, but he counterattacked, landing a powerful punch square on Aditya's chest, sending him flying and crashing to the ground.
Aditya was left severely injured by the blow, and seeing his condition, the man and his henchmen burst into loud laughter, mocking him.