Mrs. Saito raised her hands slowly, her expression more annoyed than frightened. The only other customer—an old man browsing magazines—did the same.

I stayed in the tea aisle, partially hidden by a display of chips. The robber hadn’t seen me yet, his attention focused on the register.

"Open it!" he yelled at Mrs. Saito. "Now!"

I set my basket down silently. Evaluated my options.

Option one: Do nothing. Let him take the money and leave. No one gets hurt. The cops handle it.

Option two: Intervene. Risk getting shot. Risk others getting shot. Risk exposing my abilities in public.

Option three: Use my abilities subtly. Neutralize the threat without revealing anything too unusual.

Option four popped into my head like a gift from the universe itself. This was pure aura farming potential—what the system called "reputation points." Using abilities for self-defense fell into that beautiful grey area of hero regulations where nobody could legally bust my balls for it. And with no licensed heroes in the vicinity? Perfect opportunity.

The robber jabbed his gun toward Mrs. Saito again. "Hurry up, grandma!"

Mrs. Saito moved with deliberate slowness, her wrinkled hands punching buttons on the ancient register. I could tell she was stalling, probably hoping someone would notice and call the cops.

Too bad for these guys I was already here.

I activated System Interface, my eyes scanning the four men. Data streams materialized in my vision, cataloging their physical stats and threat levels. The leader with the gun registered as the primary danger—obviously—while the other three were basically NPCs with knives.

Gun Guy: High threat. Weapon gives range advantage. Position near door means he controls entry/exit.

Knife Bros: Low threat individually. Numbers create complication.

I crouched lower, considering my approach. I needed this to look good enough to generate aura without revealing too much of what I could do. This was like walking a tightrope while jerking off—theoretically possible, but requiring serious concentration.

The small bell above the door rang again as a young mother with a stroller entered, then froze at the sight of the gun.

"Get in here!" Gun Guy grabbed her arm, yanking her forward while the baby started wailing.

And just like that, my patience meter hit zero.

I activated Rubber Body first, feeling my muscles and bones turn elastic. My reach extended, my limbs ready to compress and expand. Then I opened a small Liminal Step gate behind the magazine rack—nothing anyone would notice unless they were looking directly at it.

I slipped through the gate and emerged behind the counter beside Mrs. Saito, who jumped slightly but kept her expression neutral. Smart lady.

"Hey assholes," I called out.

Four heads snapped in my direction.

"What the—" Gun Guy swung his weapon toward me.

I activated Gravity Jail. My eyes heated as the ability kicked in, invisible force suddenly doubling the weight pressing down on Gun Guy’s pistol hand. The unexpected weight dragged his arm downward, throwing off his aim as he fired.

The bullet hit the floor with a sharp crack.

The mother screamed. The baby wailed louder.

"That was rude," I said, stepping forward. "Mrs. Saito was having a nice quiet morning before you showed up."

Gun Guy struggled to lift his weapon again, eyes wide with confusion at why his arm suddenly weighed as much as a bowling ball. "Who the fuck are you?"

"Just a customer who wants his goddamn orange juice."

One of the Knife Bros lunged at me, blade extended. I sidestepped and stretched my arm—literally stretched it two feet longer than biologically possible—and clotheslined him across the throat. He dropped like someone had cut his strings, gasping and clutching his neck.

"One down," I announced cheerfully. "Three to go."

The remaining two Knife Bros exchanged nervous glances. Gun Guy was still fighting against the gravity effect, his face reddening with effort.

"What’s happening?" he demanded, staring at his arm.

"Physics is a bitch," I explained helpfully. "So is karma."

I opened another gate, this one directly above Knife Bro #2. As I stepped through, I dropped from the ceiling and landed directly on his shoulders, wrapping my legs around his neck. My weight drove him face-first into the floor with a satisfying crunch. His knife skittered across the linoleum.

"Two down."

The last Knife Bro decided running was his best option. Smart man. Unfortunately for him, I wasn’t done farming reputation.

I stretched my arm again, this time reaching all the way across the store to grab the back of his hoodie. The fabric caught between my fingers as he reached the door, and I yanked him backward like a yo-yo on a string. He flew through the air, arms windmilling, before I slammed him into a display of chips.

Barbecue flavor everywhere.

"Three down."

Gun Guy had finally given up trying to aim his weapon and instead charged at me like a bull, planning to use the gun as a blunt instrument.

I opened a gate in his path.

He ran straight through it and emerged from the exit gate I’d placed beside the freezer section, his momentum carrying him face-first into the glass door. The impact was brutal. Glass didn’t break—safety standards and all that—but his nose definitely did.

Blood sprayed across the frosty surface as he rebounded, stumbling backward.

"And four makes a complete set," I announced, crossing my arms.

The store fell silent except for the baby’s continued crying and the moans of four men in various states of pain and confusion.

The mother clutched her stroller, staring at me with wide eyes. "Are you... a hero?"

I thought about my ranking. Fifty-eighth in class. Barely able to graduate without my father disowning me. Currently juggling two girlfriends while eyeing a potential third.

"Something like that," I answered with a grin.

Mrs. Saito was already on the phone with the police, rattling off the address in rapid-fire Japanese. The old magazine browser had his phone out too, recording everything.

Great. Social media evidence. Just what I needed.

I deactivated Gravity Jail and felt the familiar drain on my stamina. My eyes would be bloodshot for hours. Worth it, though, for the aura I’d just generated. The system had to give me credit for this, right?

I checked my quest log. Sure enough, a notification blinked in my peripheral vision:

PUBLIC SERVICE ACTION COMPLETED

REPUTATION POINTS: +85

COMMUNITY STANDING: +12

HERO RANK: UP 2 POSITIONS

Eighty-five RP from one encounter? Not bad. That put me at... what, fifty-sixth now? Still garbage tier, but progress was progress.

"Thank you," the mother said, her hands shaking as she checked on her baby. "I don’t know what would have happened if you weren’t here."

I shrugged, uncomfortable with her gratitude. "Just happened to be shopping."

"For orange juice," Mrs. Saito added with a slight smile. "Very important."

"Extremely," I agreed.

Police sirens wailed in the distance, growing closer. I glanced at my watch. Still had ninety minutes before Aurora would arrive at my apartment, but dealing with cops would eat all that time and more.

I looked at Mrs. Saito. "I should probably go."

She studied me for a moment, then nodded once. "I saw a young man help. Did not see his face. Did not see... stretching. Or portals."

"What portals?" I asked innocently.

"Exactly." She pointed to my abandoned shopping basket. "Take your things. No charge today."

"You don’t have to—"

"I am old, not stupid," she interrupted. "Take."

I wasn’t about to argue with that kind of generosity. I grabbed my basket, added a couple more items including a fancy tea that Cheon would appreciate, and headed for the door.

"Young man," Mrs. Saito called after me.

I turned.

"Come back anytime. Good customers always welcome."

"Thanks, Mrs. Saito." I nodded to the mother and her baby. "Take care."