Afternoon dragged into evening. Arts and Culture teacher—last subject of the day—stepped out of the classroom fifteen minutes before the bell. Students began to scatter everywhere.

  Gio, fresh out of the restroom, stood in the corridor. The area was empty, as another classes were still ongoing. However, he caught something suspicious in the distance.

  Kasna, the masked girl, was being herded somewhere. Two guys in front, a guy and a girl in the back. A prisoner escort formation, sealing off any potential escape routes.

  Gio felt worried. "Where are they taking her?" He’d seen Kasna leave the class right after the lesson ended, assuming she just wanted to be alone. But this wasn't normal. So he tailed them quietly.

  They headed for an isolated sector. Similar to Gio's secret base: a paved, tree-shaded dead-end alley against the school's concrete perimeter. Except this was behind the West Building—right next to the empty Olympiad club room.

  Gio arrived, peeking from the corner wall. He scanned them one by one. His brain automatically assigned labels for easier identification, using analogies based on their appearances.

  "Dipstick" for the tall guy leaning against the wall. Skinny, lanky, with a thin goatee beard. He slouched like a bent, oil-starved metal rod.

  "Rust" for the dark-skinned dude. His faded red-dyed hair tips looked like corroded iron. Classic street thug.

  "Compressor" for the heavy boy blocking the path. Thick neck rolls, greasy skin, built like a bulky, loud industrial pump.

  "Neon" for the girl. Her uniform was so tight the buttons were fighting for their lives, highlighting unappealing curves. Caked in thick makeup and glaring red lipstick, she looked like a cheap, over-illuminated dashboard rather than a student.

  Meanwhile, Kasna stood miserably in the middle of the alley. "P-Please.. Give it back..." she whimpered. Her voice cracked, completely powerless.

  Her medical mask and round glasses were now in Rust's hand. Without those, Kasna looked like a vulnerable circuit without its casing... So fragile.

  "What?" Rust leaned his ear toward Kasna’s face, mocking her. "I can't hear you. Say it louder!"

  "D-Don't... Kkkkhhh—" Kasna's voice suddenly choked out. Her mouth opened, but no words came out. Her face flushed red.

  Seeing her struggle, the four wannabe-delinquents laughed. While Rust waved Kasna's mask around like a trophy, Neon stood behind, recording the whole thing on her phone.

  "I knew it," Gio thought.

  Seeing the situation getting critical, Gio briefly shut his eyes, booting up his visual Alter-sense.

  Fear came right after the Ophema overlay flooded his vision. Here, it wasn't just teenage bullying—it was way worse.

  The four delinquents and Kasna were swarmed by demons.

  Gio knew the drill. They weren't eating "evil intentions"—there's no physics concept behind such subjective morals. They were harvesting Antinoi: byproduct of Psychonegative (type of thoughts deviating from reality).

  Four Demoniacs stood behind Dipstick, Rust, Neon, and Kasna. Tall humanoids, gross mix of slenderman and reptilian; wrapped in shredded, rotting flesh.

  No physical harm, but emotional amplification. They hacked their Abyssal Lobes, boosting their egos and delusions. The more powerful these kids felt—rejecting the reality they were just ordinary students—the higher the Antinoi produced.

  But the main course was in the center: Kinara Kasna. Her sheer terror generated wild simulations of worst-case scenarios—an incredibly dense psychonegative.

  No other option. Gio had to face these punks as a human.

  He took a deep breath, gathered his remaining courage before stepping out of cover.

  "Give it back!" The shout bounced down the narrow alley. The laughter instantly ceased. Five heads turned.

  At the alley’s entrance, Gio stood there, doing his best to look intimidating. Apparently, a cliché scene "Main Character saving the Heroine" was about to happen.

  Five seconds of suffocating silence. Realizing a new prey just entered their territory, Dipstick grinned wide. He walked slowly toward Gio with dragging steps.

  Neon let out a teasing whistled. Her phone's camera lens panned, ensuring every Dipstick's movement was captured in 1080p.

  "You're Gio, that 'Caveman' kid, right?" Dipstick stopped a meter out, staring down at the demihuman from his tall posture.

  "How's the cafeteria food? Way better than whatever jungle scraps you used to eat, huh? No wonder you're still here. Lmao!" Dipstick glanced back, seeking group’s validation. His three squadmates replied with equally obnoxious laugh.

  Not wanting to lose the insult competition, Compressor chimed in. "Did you guys hear the rumor? Heard this Caveman didn't even know how to flush a toilet yesterday!"

  "Seriously!?" Neon screeched, covering her mouth. "Hahaha, I can't even imagine the stench there!" Their laughter erupted further, echoing down the alleyway.

  Gio's face burned red. He looked down in painful shame. Hurt to admit that the rumor was entirely valid.

  Meanwhile, Kasna just watched in pure panic. Mouth muted, eyes wide, hands tightly gripping her own uniform skirt.

  Gio took a deep breath. He stared back at Dipstick. "You only feel strong because you're bullying a helpless girl." Gio paused. He deepened his voice, faking confidence, even though his legs shook. "That's just cowardly... Give those things back!"

  Dipstick scoffed. "Hold up, who gave you mic access? No speak before doing the modern greeting." He glanced to his left. "Rust, give this newbie a tutorial."

  Rust stepped up, fists clenched at his sides. Dipstick stepped aside, providing the execution stage. Rust stopped right in front of Gio. "The modern greeting goes like this, kid."

  Gio, still totally naive to street fight mechanics, didn't bother putting up his guard. He thought he could play on pacifist. Fatal mistake.

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  Without any warning, Rust's right hand launched forward.

  Gio's eyes caught the moment, but his reaction time lagged. No parry or evasion, Rust's fist landed a critical hit right on target’s epigastrium. The blow completely paralyzed his diaphragm. Pain instantly flooded his chest.

  Gio collapsed. He dropped in knees, leaning on left hand. Right hand clutched his gut, mouth hanging open soundlessly—desperately trying to suck oxygen.

  "S-Stop..." Kasna whimpered softly, completely ignored by the predators surrounding her.

  The torture wasn't over. Rust stepped back, then launched his right leg. A brutal kick landed on Gio's right ribs. His body was thrown sideways, lying flat on the cold pavement.

  Through his blurring vision, Gio could see Rust's face. The guy was smiling with pure satisfaction.

  Gio's mind filled with fear, panic, anger, and straight-up pity. In Ophema, he could battle giant monsters using thousand-volt electricity. Here? He just a squishy punching bag.

  Looks like the cliché "Main Character saving the Heroine" scene was a total scam. Our MC defeated in just two strikes.

  Between the pain groans, Gio cursed his own stupidity. Why did he forget his primary reference: Arua. Before letting his emotions hijack his mind, he should've first asked himself: "What would Arua do in this exact scenario?"

  The answer was obvious. Arua would never charge in empty-handed like a fool. He’d record them with his phone and weaponize the footage. Digital evidence is absolute leverage in this day. With that, he’d at least have a counterattack.

  But the damage was done. Gio could only lie there, swallowing the bitter experience.

  Until a voice sliced the tension. "What's all this noise about?" Soft, feminine, yet undeniably firm.

  Every head turned. At the alley’s entrance, stood a blonde girl in her usual oversized cream-colored hoodie. It was Erinn.

  She walked casually into the conflict zone. Left hand holding an iced drink, mouth sipping the straw. Right hand holding a brand-new iPhone at chest height, camera lens aimed to the delinquents. Red recording indicator was active.

  She was literally executing the exact tactic Gio missed.

  Realizing a third party just spawned—especially one with high social status—the delinquents lost their nerve.

  Rust backed away from Gio. Dipstick stood there awkwardly. "Tch," he pissed that his entertainment session got forcefully cancelled.

  "Alright, that's enough evidence," Erinn said to herself, intentionally raising her volume so the targets could hear. She stopped the recording and dumped the phone into her pocket.

  Gio sat, legs stretched out. Hand still clutching his aching stomach. A heavy silence muted the alley. Nobody dared to speak up.

  "Hmm? Why so quiet?" Erinn mocked. Her eyes scanned the thugs one by one, challenging them to clarify.

  Realizing she was cornered, Neon activated her ultimate move: playing the victim.

  "She started it!" Neon pointed her fake nails at Kasna. "I was just walking by, she suddenly called me a slut! Like fuck man!?" she shrieked, trying to flip the script. Her phone stopped recording, resting aimlessly in her hand.

  Erinn approached Kasna, locking eyes. "I-I didn't say that..." Kasna whispered, barely audible.

  Erinn didn’t answer. She raised the plastic cup, sucking the remaining liquid. Slurrrppp. It sounded incredibly disrespectful amidst the tension.

  Casually, she tossed the empty cup toward a trash can five meters out. Landed perfectly inside. Whether skill or luck, the psychological effect was terrific. Every eyes locked on her.

  Erinn shifted her gaze to Neon, scanning her like a harsh critic. "If she said that, she wasn't wrong." Hand pointed at Neon from head to toe. "Look at yourself. Heavy makeup, excessive accessories, tight clothes, like a cheap pole dancer. I should've dragged you to disciplinary affairs already."

  Neon's face flushed red with rage. "Shut up!"

  "Screw your useless rules!" Rust chimed in. "They don't affect our future anyway!"

  "Tch, this bitch just trying to show off!" Dipstick added.

  "Fight! Fight!" Compressor babbled in corner.

  Negotiations failed, physical escalation commenced. Without warning, Rust lunged. His right fist swung, aiming directly for the blonde's face.

  But for Erinn, the attack rendered in slow motion. She moved with smooth, laminar precision. No parry, just tilted her body to the left.

  Whoosh. Rust's fist hit empty air. His excessive momentum totally ruined his balance. Right then, Erinn switched stances. From laminar flow to a high-pressure waterjet strike.

  Erinn's right elbow shot straight into his defense gap. Thud! The sharp bone nailed Rust's epigastrium with critical accuracy, mimicking what he’d just done to Gio.

  The difference, Erinn's attack used a much smaller surface area (elbow tip), dealing way more destructive pressure by focusing the kinetic force.

  "Ugghh—!" Rust's eyes bulged, air forcefully expelled from his lungs. The guy instantly collapsed, ragdolling next to Gio. Now there were two people clutching their guts on the pavement.

  Not staying idle, Dipstick entered the arena. "Bastard!" The tall guy launched a wild punch at Erinn's stomach. High force, no technique. Classic street thug style.

  Too bad that didn't work on Erinn. She set a low stance. Her left hand snapped up, parrying Dipstick's wrist and deflecting his trajectory sideways.

  Simultaneously, Erinn's right foot swept Dipstick’s inner plant leg. Structural support broke, the man lost his balance.

  Next, she grabbed his striking arm, twisted it behind his back. She pushed the arm up toward his neck while her left hand pinning his left elbow down, applying extreme torque right to the shoulder joint.

  Keeping the pressure, Erinn kicked the back of Dipstick’s knee, forcing him down, then pressed his body hard against the pavement with her foot. He was completely deadlocked. Moving even a single inch would dislocate his shoulder.

  "Ack! My arm—!!!" Dipstick screamed. His fierce face was now intimately kissing the mossy ground.

  Two enemies down. Erinn’s eyes shifted to the next target: Compressor.

  The fat guy, who had been maintaining a safe distance, instantly threw his hands up. "I-I'm not involved! Hehe..."

  As for Neon, despite wanted to yank that blonde hair, her survival instincts said otherwise. Seeing her two “bodyguards” get wiped in seconds, she chose to back away.

  "You're lucky I don’t wanna deal with this right now..." Erinn released the lock, lightly shoving Dipstick's head. "Get out! If I catch you wearing the same tomorrow, you're dead."

  Dipstick and Rust scrambled up. The two wannabe-thugs scooped up whatever pride they had left and bolted, followed by Compressor and Neon.

  Erinn scanned the ground. She picked up the mask and glasses that fell from Rust's pocket, then approached Kasna, who was still shocked. Without a word, she handed the items back.

  "T-Thanks..." Kasna took her mask and glasses, immediately put them back on.

  Meanwhile, the pain in Gio's gut finally calmed down. He forced himself to stand back up, awkwardly brushing the dirt off his pants.

  "Tch. My hair ruined again," Erinn muttered, quickly fixed her own stunning blonde hair. A few strands stuck out due to the recent action. Her blue eyes looked upward, trying to estimate the angle of her out-of-sight bangs.

  Gio and Kasna just stood there staring. They see Erinn as a perfect combination of visual elegance and lethal physical dominance. "So cool..." they both thought simultaneously.

  Gio stepped closer. "Thanks a lot... But how did you know something was happening here?"

  Erinn raised an eyebrow at him. "Did you forget? I'm scheduled to monitor you this week."

  "Oh... Right."

  "I've been tracking you from Ophema since the start. Once I realized what those thugs were up to, I instantly returned back to my body and sprinted here." Erinn reached her pocket, taking out her phone and opening Notes app. "So, Gio... You stalled them pretty well. I appreciate the courage..." Her thumb tapped the screen. "Five points for you."

  "But..." Gio looked down at his disappointing hands. "I didn't actually do anything. I was just a punching bag."

  "That’s weird." Erinn dumped her phone back into her pocket. "You literally matched my stats back then. Why did you lose against them?" She was referencing their first encounter in Ophema eight days ago.

  "Ummm... I don’t know." Gio let out a heavy sigh. "It just feels different between my soul and this body."

  "Oh, that makes sense."

  A brief silence. Gio and Erinn finally remembered the third party was present. They both glanced at Kasna, who'd been quietly listening this entire time.

  For a Non-supernaturalist like her, that whole convesation sounded completely absurd. Like listening to two chuunibyou kids trapped in their shared delusion.

  Erinn rushed to clarify. "Ah, it's nothing." She waved it off with a stiff smile. "Just... some martial arts terms from our karate club. Right, Gio?"

  "Y-Yes, exactly!" Gio replied frantically. Kasna didn't reply. She just gave them a flat expression. Her mind was too busy trying to figure out how Gio—the weird, outdated kid from her class—was close with the school's primadonna.

  Feeling the awkwardness spike, Erinn quickly changed the topic. "Anyway, how'd you end up dealing with them?"

  Kasna flinched. "T-That's..." Her eyes darted around, avoiding Erinn's gaze. "I just wanted to go home early..."

  Erinn narrowed her eyes suspiciously for a moment, but decided not to press her any further. "Take good care of yourselves next time."

  After saying that, the girl spun around. She walked off, leaving the damp alley back to her crowded habitat. "Okay," Kasna replied.