As Alaric stood there provoking them, one of the goons swung his axe at Alaric's neck, aiming to take his head clean off.
Alaric ducked low and drove a brutal right hook straight into the goon's chin, snapping it with a sickening crack. The man dropped like a sack of meat, lifeless.
"Damn," Alaric muttered, flexing his fingers.
"Guess I did get strong enough to kill someone in one hit. But who cares? These are scumbags who kidnap, assault, torture innocent children, and get involved in all kinds of dirty things. They're barely human."
The other goon lunged at him with a knife, but Alaric slipped past with ease. In one swift motion, he slammed a right hook into the man's jaw, so hard it shattered his teeth. The goon collapsed, writhing on the ground, choking on blood and broken molars.
The remaining goons, eyes wide with fear, immediately let go of Maya's pale arm, now bruised with angry red marks where their filthy hands had gripped too tightly.
As they rushed at him, Alaric slipped behind them in a blink, leading with a swift step and weaving through their brutal attacks. With surprising ease, he grabbed one of the goons and hurled him into the others—his smaller frame belying the raw power granted by his boosted strength stat. The impact knocked them out cold, their bodies crumpling to the ground like broken puppets.
Maya stood there by amazed feat of Alaric overpowering goons so easily as if they were kids.
Alaric walked slowly toward Maya, the tension in the air finally settling. She looked up at him with wide eyes as he offered a faint, almost casual smile.
"Hello. I'm Alaric Ashworth, heir to the Ashworth family," he said, voice steady but informal.
Maya gave a slight nod, brushing dust from her dress. "Pardon my manners. I'm Maya Goldsworth."
Alaric raised an eyebrow, feigning surprise. "Are you from the richest merchant family ?"
"Yes, thank you for saving me, saviour, "Maya says, greeting sincerely while smiling with her soft lips.
"Lady Maya, Lady Maya" voices echoed across the street. A Woman in her twenties appeared and unsheathed her sword quickly, even Alaric was not able to react to that, resulting in a small cut on his neck, with thin blood trailing.
"Stop!! Maya shouts, "He is my savior, he protected me from those goons."
But "My Lady still holding her blade defensively, we can't let someone unknown get away so easily. "
He's not a threat. He is Alaric Ashworth, heir to the Ashworth territory. So put that sword down, Freya."
"...My apologies," she said with a respectful bow. "Out of reflex, I am Freya, the personal knight of Maya Goldsworth."
"Freya, after Maya's death, she goes on a quest to kill all injustice criminal organisations, only to end up caught by the black magician to be a living experiment."
"My Lady, we must leave at once. Your father is worried sick over your sudden disappearance," Freya said firmly as she led Maya toward the nearby carriage—a luxurious one bearing the golden crest of the Goldsworth merchant family.
Just as Alaric turned to walk away, Maya called out, "Wait!"
She stepped closer and handed him a small, ornate token engraved with her family's seal.
"Please… take this," she said earnestly. "Come visit our estate. I'll make sure my father rewards you properly."
Alaric blinked, rubbing the back of his head with a crooked smile. "Haha… there was no need for that. I didn't help you for a reward."
But still, he tucked the token into his pocket.
"Heh, jackpot," Alaric muttered under his breath, grinning. "I was planning to drop by anyway, but she handed me a token herself? Lady Luck must like me today.
After the Carriage rolled beyond the edges of Ashworth territory,
"My lady, even if he did save you, why did you give him an ornate token which was meant only to be given to form lasting ties with our family?".
Maya tightened her finger on the hem of the cloak.
"Freya, if he didn't come to save me, by this time, I would already be caught by them, you would only find me as a corpse."
Freya's jaw clenched, the weight of her guilt visible in her eyes.
"I understand, Lady".
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| SystemNotad***
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Alaric:15,Male
Title: Ugly Mosshead, shut-off
Stats: Strength: 22->23
Dexterity: 20->21
Constitution: 24
Mana: 1
Skills: Training skill, Boxing Skill
Traits: Fighting Spirit
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"Looks like my stats got a boost from that close call with the goons, guess I have my trait to thank for that."Alaric, while tossing the ornate token playfully on his bed.
"Okay, next step, to protect this house from poverty.
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| SystemNotad*** Notification
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Quest: Change the lifestyle of the household
Reward: Bonus points 10+, Mana 2+
Failure: Coma for 3 days
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