The street didn't stay empty for long.
A few minutes after the creature fell, people slowly began to return.
Cautious.
Careful.
Whispering among themselves.
"…Is it dead?"
"Who killed it?"
"I saw something move here earlier…"
Aarav stood near the body, the metal rod still in his hand.
He didn't speak.
Didn't explain.
He simply watched.
A man stepped closer, staring at the creature on the ground.
"…It's really dead," he said, disbelief clear in his voice.
Another person looked at Aarav.
"You did this?"
Aarav shrugged slightly.
"…It attacked."
That was all he said.
Nothing more.
Nothing less.
The people exchanged glances.
Confusion spread.
"But… you're not glowing," someone said.
"Yeah… where's your system?"
"He doesn't look like an awakened."
The whispers grew louder.
Suspicious.
Uncertain.
Aarav sighed quietly.
"…Here we go."
Before things could escalate—
A new presence arrived.
Strong.
Sharp.
Different.
Footsteps echoed down the street.
Confident.
Unhurried.
And then—
They appeared.
Three individuals.
All glowing faintly.
All carrying themselves with clear authority.
Awakened.
The crowd immediately stepped back.
"They're from a guild…"
"Real heroes…"
"They'll handle it now…"
Aarav glanced at them once.
Then looked away.
"…Late," he muttered.
One of them—a tall man with a calm expression—stepped forward.
His eyes scanned the area quickly.
The broken surroundings.
The people.
And finally—
The creature.
Dead.
He stopped.
"…Who killed it?" he asked.
Silence.
Then—
Multiple fingers pointed toward Aarav.
The man turned.
Their eyes met.
For a brief moment—
Nothing happened.
Then—
The man frowned slightly.
"…You?"
Aarav didn't answer immediately.
He just looked at him.
Calm.
Unimpressed.
"…It was weak," he said.
The other two awakened exchanged glances.
One of them laughed lightly.
"Weak? That's a low-tier beast," she said. "Still dangerous for civilians."
Aarav tilted his head slightly.
"…Didn't feel like it."
That answer made things… awkward.
The tall man stepped closer.
His gaze sharpened.
"…Show me your system."
Aarav didn't move.
"…Don't have one."
Silence.
The air shifted.
The two awakened behind the man stiffened slightly.
"…That's not possible," one of them said.
"Everyone has a system now."
Aarav shrugged again.
"…Guess I'm special."
That didn't sound like a joke.
And that made it worse.
The tall man's eyes narrowed.
For the first time—
There was suspicion.
"…Or you're hiding it."
The tension grew.
People stepped back even further.
Aarav remained still.
Unbothered.
"…Believe whatever you want," he said.
For a moment—
It felt like something might happen.
Then—
The man stepped back.
"…We'll confirm it later," he said calmly.
He turned to the others.
"Secure the area."
Just like that—
The pressure disappeared.
The awakened began handling the situation, marking the area and guiding people away.
Aarav watched quietly.
"…So this is how it works," he murmured.
Strong ones arrive.
Take control.
Get recognition.
Standard.
He turned to leave.
But before he could—
A voice stopped him.
"Wait."
Aarav paused.
Then looked back.
It wasn't the tall man.
It was the girl.
One of the awakened.
Her eyes were sharp.
Observant.
Different.
"…You said it was weak," she said.
Aarav nodded slightly.
"Yeah."
She stepped closer.
Studying him.
"…That's strange."
Aarav raised an eyebrow.
"…Why?"
She didn't answer immediately.
Instead—
She looked at the creature.
Then back at him.
"…Because this one isn't supposed to be easy."
Silence.
Aarav's expression didn't change.
But inside—
Something clicked.
"…Interesting," he thought.
Because for the first time—
Someone else had noticed.
And that meant—
Things were about to get complicated.