The back office was quiet, the only sound being the hum of the CCTV footage playing on the monitor.
As they both scrutinized the recordings, Asher walked the owner through the sequence of events with a calm demeanor.
After confirming that the assailants were from the notorious Tiger gang, the store owner's expression shifted from disbelief to sigh of relief.
"I'm sorry about what happened," Asher apologized calmly, keeping steady eye contact with the store owner.
"You made the right decision. Don't worry, I won't deduct this from your pay," he reassured him.
"Thank you, boss"
With everything sorted, he began to clean the store.
Asher wiped his hands on his apron and glanced around the store one last time. Everything was in order.
With a nod to himself, he untied the apron and hung it on the back of the office door before stepping out.
As he passed the freezer section, his eyes caught the familiar sight of a few expired frozen meals, still safe to eat.
He opened the door and grabbed a couple, tucking them under his arm.
It was one of the few perks of working here—free food that was on its way to the dumpster.
These frozen meals had become his usual breakfast, something small that added a bit of ease to his mornings.
He also grabbed some frozen rice balls; these would be his lunch later on.
The sky was still dark when he set foot on the road, a common occurrence in his daily routine.
It would take him a couple of minutes to walk to his apartment, something he didn't find bothersome at all.
"Kid, stop!"
Asher stopped as the call rang out, breaking the silence of the empty street.
His eyes drifted ahead, landing on familiar faces—the ones who had robbed the store earlier.
He thought they had gone their separate ways, but the way they were glaring at him now suggested they were up to no good.
"What's the problem?" he asked, staying cool and collected.
He was not afraid of an actual confrontation if he had no choice. He would give them a chance to back off, and if they still wanted trouble, that was on them.
"I'm sorry, kid, but today's your unlucky day. Get him!" the leader barked, and two men charged.
They were bigger, clearly thinking size alone would do the job.
However--
BAM!
Asher reacted fast, stepping in with a sharp left jab that caught the first attacker square in the jaw.
Without missing a beat, he unleashed a series of left-handed strikes, each punch landing clean and quick, keeping the guy off balance and on the defensive.
He didn't even bother dropping the plastic bag in his right hand—his left was more than enough.
BAM!
BAM!
BAM!
Each punch landed effortlessly, widening the gap between them until the first opponent finally dropped to his knees, succumbing to the damage.
Meanwhile, the second thug froze, eyes wide as he watched his companion go down so easily.
His friend wasn't weak; the kid in front of them was just too strong.
"I was just going to eat breakfast and take a go home but you guys had to come here," Asher yawned, his voice filled with exhaustion .
Even his eyes looked tired. He would be lying if he claimed he was in the best shape right now.
"What are you waiting for? That kid looks ready to nap—take him down!" the leader shouted.
They had regained their energy after that mysterious girl gave them something, and now they felt ready to take on anyone.
"You're right!" the thug shouted, trying to pump himself up. But the moment he stepped into Asher's range, a quick jab caught him off guard, sending him stumbling back."
"H—How is this guy sleepy?" the thug grumbled, feeling that he got trick. There was no way that could be true.
If someone could fight this well while tired, then that person was a monster in human skin.
Little did he know, Asher was indeed feeling sluggish. His reaction time had slowed from 0.07 to 0.15, and a heavy fog weighed down his thoughts, making it hard to focus.
Seeing that the instigator had no intention of attacking., Asher decided to go on the offensive. Instead of rushing in, he casually walked forward.
The thug instinctively adopted a turtle-like defense, shielding his face in anticipation of the attacks.
BAM!
The first punch landed, but the thug was able to blocked it, giving him a moment of confidence.
However—
In a blink, Asher's jabs transformed into multiple flicker jabs , a nonstop barrage.
BAM!
BAM!
BAM!
The force behind the punches proved too much for the thug's arms to handle, and soon enough, they gave in.
Asher seized the moment, launching a rapid series of left jabs. Each punch landed with a sharp thud—one to the jaw, another to the cheek, then to the temple.
His opponent staggered back, each punch causing the face to swell more and more.
Finally, the thug couldn't take any more hit and collapsed to the ground.