In an empty classroom at Midtown High School, Noah glanced at the moonlight filtering through the windows. It finally hit him just how long he'd been sitting here, lost in his practice. Strange—no one had come to check on him or even mentioned the time.
"Guess I got a little too wrapped up." He mused, stretching as he stood up. After almost ten hours of uninterrupted practice, he had added five new strands of Qi to his Dantian. "I should probably set an alarm next time."
His body protested as he stretched, reminding him that he'd missed out on exercise all day. Sighing, he headed home under the soft glow of the street lamps, determined to make up for the lost workout time.
Just as he passed the street near Terry Bank, a massive explosion rattled the ground, echoing through the night air. Noah stumbled back, startled by the blast's sheer volume.
"What's going on?" He instinctively stepped back but felt his curiosity grow as he registered the sound's origin. After a moment's hesitation, he started moving toward the bank.
Terry Bank's facade was in shambles; a jagged hole had been blown into the vault wall, revealing masked robbers in action. One robber stood guard outside the entrance, wielding a rifle and looking tense, while the rest scrambled inside, grabbing cash, jewelry, and other valuables with surprising speed. They clearly weren't amateurs, though Noah noted their planning seemed… off.
"Really? Right in the city center, practically down the street from the police station? And only one guy standing watch? This team is either extremely new or just plain reckless."
From his vantage point, about thirty feet from the bank, Noah analyzed the scene, mentally breaking down each robber's role. It was clear they hadn't covered all the angles, but from the looks of it, they'd probably get away with enough loot before the cops showed up. Noah checked for security cameras and, finding none nearby, decided it was time to take action.
And this wasn't some heroic impulse—it just so happened he was low on cash, and a little "redistribution" seemed perfect.
Bringing up his attribute panel, he quickly reviewed his stats:
Name: Noah
Lifespan: 18/120
Strength: 1.4+
Constitution: 1.3+
Spirit: 1.4+
Charm: 1.4+
Attribute Points Available: 0.5
Seeing the unused attribute points, Noah had been curious to test their effect, wondering what would happen with even a slight increase in strength. This bank job seemed like the perfect opportunity to find out.
He tapped on the plus sign next to "Strength," bumping it by 0.1. The moment he did, a cool wave of energy coursed through his body, filling his limbs and bones. Muscles cracked and strengthened, his joints gave a satisfying pop, and with every breath, he felt his strength growing.
Clenching his fists, he marveled at the noticeable increase. It was as if his power had risen by 50% in just a moment. There was no discomfort or adjustment period—just an incredible surge of raw power and confidence.
"This is unreal," he murmured, impressed by the sheer boost. He knew he'd surpassed normal human limits and was eager to put it to use.
Realizing time was of the essence, he mentally set an eight-minute limit; he'd have to finish this up quickly to avoid a run-in with the cops. As a precaution, he took off his jacket, wrapped it around his right hand to avoid leaving fingerprints, and slipped his inner shirt over his face to mask his identity.
With swift agility, he leaped onto a ledge on the bank's second floor, holding himself steady with his enhanced strength. He felt as nimble as a cat, moving silently as he approached the hole blasted into the vault wall.
Inside, the three robbers were piling cash, foreign currency, gold, and securities into large sacks. They chucked these through the hole, where their lookout was supposed to load them into the getaway car. The whole operation was executed with the precision of a well-practiced routine.
Noah crouched near the hole, eyeing the guard outside. Just as the guard bent down to retrieve a sack, Noah dropped silently behind him and delivered a swift punch to his back. The guard went down without a sound, instantly knocked out.
Quickly, Noah dragged the unconscious guard out of sight, deftly stripping the man of his mask, gloves, and coat. Fully disguised, he took up position at the vault entrance, blending in with the gang's routine. A moment later, a new sack of cash was tossed his way, which he casually threw into the trunk of the getaway car. With each bag, he silently redirected part of the loot to a stash he was building nearby.
The robbers inside continued their heist, oblivious to the change in staff. With each trip, Noah pocketed a portion of their haul, efficiently slipping the valuables into his own stash while maintaining the flow of bags to the car. It was an effective yet subtle double-cross, and the rest of the team didn't suspect a thing.
However, he knew his luck wouldn't hold forever.
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All right, my exams for this week are done. So, I will try to consistently upload for maybe the next 2 days. And here is one of the promised Bonus Chapters. There will be more. Maybe...
So, this is my first time doing this. I hope you guys can help me improve by providing your feedback, and some stones would be nice. (づ ◕‿◕ )づ