The empty classroom at Midtown High was silent except for the faint hum of the city outside.
Noah Vale slowly opened his eyes and looked toward the window. Moonlight streamed across the floor, pale and quiet, and only then did he realize how late it had gotten.
He checked the time on his phone and exhaled.
Ten hours.
He'd been absorbed in training for nearly ten hours straight.
The energy circulating through his body felt stronger now—five new strands flowing steadily through his core. The sensation was subtle but undeniable, like a quiet current running beneath his skin.
"So focused I forgot to work out," Noah muttered to himself. "Next time I'm setting an alarm."
He pushed himself up from the floor and stretched. His muscles rolled smoothly under his skin, fully recovered from earlier strain. The training bath he'd been using to accelerate recovery would have to come next.
For now, though, it was time to head home.
He stepped out of the empty school building and walked along the dimly lit street. The city had quieted down, but New York never truly slept.
He was mentally planning how to make up the exercises he'd skipped earlier—
BOOM.
A violent explosion shattered the calm.
The blast echoed through several blocks, rattling windows and sending a shockwave of sound through the street.
Noah froze.
"What the hell…?"
His instincts made him step back immediately. Then curiosity kicked in.
The explosion had come from the bank on the next street over.
After a brief pause, Noah started toward it.
The Terri Bank was closed for the night.
A jagged hole—about waist-high—had been blown straight through the vault's exterior wall.
One masked man stood guard outside the opening, holding a rifle. The outfit looked like a cheap attempt at a tactical suit—dark clothing, gloves, and a face covering that vaguely resembled something out of a superhero movie.
Inside the vault, three more masked robbers were moving quickly.
They worked with surprising coordination.
Cash bundles. Foreign currency. Gold bars. Jewelry boxes. Securities. Anything valuable went into large sacks, which they tossed through the blasted opening to the guard outside.
The operation was fast and organized.
Clearly rehearsed.
From across the street, hidden in shadow, Noah watched quietly.
"So it's actually a bank robbery," he murmured under his breath. "New York never disappoints."
He studied the situation carefully.
"This location's a terrible choice, though."
Of all the banks in the city, they'd chosen one close to downtown—barely minutes from a police station.
Even at night, cops would probably respond within ten minutes.
The getaway car had fake plates, which was standard enough.
But something else bothered him.
"Only one guard outside?" Noah frowned.
No driver waiting in the car.
No lookout on the street.
Just one guy standing at the hole with a rifle.
"Either they're confident… or they're amateurs."
He watched the rhythm of the robbery for another few seconds.
Despite the sloppy perimeter security, the job itself was going smoothly.
They'd probably succeed.
Unless someone interfered.
Noah glanced around the street.
No cameras.
No witnesses.
Perfect.
He stepped deeper into the shadows and smiled faintly.
This wasn't about justice.
He just happened to be short on cash lately.
And if criminals were already doing the hard work of gathering valuables…
Well.
It would be a shame to let that effort go to waste.
Before making a move, Noah pulled up the system interface in his mind.
Name: Noah ValeLifespan: 18 / 120Strength: 1.4+Constitution: 1.3+Mental Focus: 1.4+Charisma: 1.4+Unassigned Attribute Points: 0.5
He had been staring at that half-point for days.
Part of him had always wondered what would actually happen if he used it.
Tonight seemed like the perfect opportunity to find out.
Noah crouched behind a wall and focused on the Strength line.
After a brief hesitation, he mentally confirmed the allocation.
The interface shifted.
Strength: 1.4 → 1.5
A cool sensation instantly spread through his body.
It flowed through his arms, chest, spine, and legs like a refreshing wave.
His joints made faint popping sounds as the change settled in.
No pain.
No strain.
Just raw improvement.
Noah inhaled sharply.
The difference was obvious.
His strength had jumped by roughly fifty percent in a single breath.
His muscles felt denser. Faster. More responsive.
He clenched his fist.
The bones and tendons in his arm creaked slightly under the force.
That tiny flicker of discomfort told him something important.
"My body's durability didn't increase with it."
So the system treated each attribute separately.
Raising strength didn't automatically reinforce the rest of his body.
A shame.
Still—
The upgrade had taken less than a second and produced no side effects whatsoever.
Useful.
Extremely useful.
Almost like an emergency boost button.
Noah checked the time again.
Police response time: probably eight to ten minutes.
That meant he had to finish quickly.
Eight minutes should be plenty.
He slipped off his jacket and wrapped it around his right hand to avoid leaving fingerprints.
Then he removed his shirt and pulled it up over the lower half of his face as a makeshift mask.
After that, he crouched low and moved along the side of the bank building.
With a quiet burst of strength, he jumped.
His right hand caught the edge of the second-floor ledge.
His body followed smoothly upward.
The movement was effortless—like a climber who had done it a thousand times.
Within seconds, Noah was perched above the blasted vault opening.
His heightened focus let him control every movement precisely.
Silent.
Invisible.
Below him, the robbery continued.
Inside the vault, the three robbers worked rapidly, stuffing valuables into sacks.
Every thirty seconds or so, another bag flew out through the hole.
The guard outside would grab it and carry it to the car trunk.
Over and over again.
Five minutes of looting.
Then they'd drive away with whatever they had.
Efficient.
But careless.
From his position above the hole, Noah watched the guard below pick up another sack of cash.
The man held the rifle loosely in one hand while dragging the bag toward the car.
No situational awareness.
No caution.
Noah shook his head.
These guys really are amateurs.
The moment the guard turned his back—
Noah dropped.
He landed directly behind the man.
His fist drove forward in a brutal, controlled strike to the center of the robber's chest.
The man didn't even have time to grunt.
His eyes rolled back instantly.
He collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut.
Noah caught the falling body before it hit the ground.
"Nighty night."
He dragged the unconscious robber into the shadows and immediately stripped the man of his gear.
Mask.
Gloves.
Jacket.
Pants.
Rifle.
The whole process took less than forty seconds.
The only thing Noah skipped was the bulletproof vest.
Too slow to remove.
He slipped into the stolen outfit, adjusted the mask, and calmly returned to the guard position at the vault opening.
Right on cue, another sack flew out from inside.
Noah bent down and picked it up without a word.
Just like before, he carried it to the car and tossed it into the trunk.
Then he walked back to the hole.
Waiting patiently.
Ready for the next bag.