Frizz, now content after his large dinner, unlocked his electric scooter and mounted it. He was about to roam the city, but a notification popped up.
[System]
New Objectives:
Follow the objective marker.
Stop the carjackers: 0/2.
Rewards: 150 experience.
"Two carjackers? The hell? They're dangerous..." Frizz muttered, covering his mouth in disbelief. One of the most commonly committed crimes in the city was vehicular theft, and most perpetrators were armed and dangerous, more than willing to use force.
There was a momentary pause before Frizz ultimately made up his mind. That this objective would be a hard pass for him. (I barely have anything substantial to stop them.) He said, noting that if this were a video game, he would still be in the intro phase.
(I have no combat nor any close-quarter fighting experience. My power level is way too low. This objective is beyond me.) He thought, clicking his tongue. "The reward's nice, it's enough to level up, but not worth the risk."
A distant thunder echoed in the distance. (I should go home, it's going to rain soon.)
"System, abandon quest er... objective." Frizz declared, turning on the electric scooter.
[System]
« Are you sure you want to abandon the objective? »
« You won't receive any new objectives for three days.»
[Yes] or [No]?
Frizz stared at the system prompt in disbelief. (Well, when you put it like that, never mind.) The wait of three days to get a new objective deterred him from abandoning it.
He clicked his tongue, scratching his head. "How can I stop them with my current level and abilities. I tested my telekinesis earlier and could barely lift 10 kilograms. Not only that, it felt like it was slow, like I could barely send any objects flying."
Shaking his head, Frizz pushed the thought aside for now. In the distance, he noticed a small, floating, diamond-shaped marker—his objective. A trail of dotted lines guides him to the nearest path.
He followed the path for six minutes, arriving at the outermost section of a hospital parking lot.
(Well, at least if I hurt them, medical help is nearby.) Scanning his surroundings, he spotted two people huddling over a small car in a dimly lit area. (Or if they hurt me...)
He observed the two, quietly mumbling. (Are they new? An experienced carjacker can do it in less than a minute." He thought, while scanning the vehicle, that they were trying to break into it.
(What a shitty car to target. It doesn't look like its owners are loaded.)
Frizz parked his electric scooter near a tree, picking up a fallen sturdy branch. He slowly crept up to the two, using the parked cars as cover. When he was about ten feet away, he hid behind a truck, listening to their conversation.
"Hurry up, we're losing time," grumbled the shorter carjacker, nervously looking around.
"This is why I prefer motorcycles; cars are too much trouble," retorted the other carjacker, wearing a red shirt, fiddling with the lock with a screwdriver. Frizz scanned the parking lot for possible lookouts but found none, only people in the distance.
(It really is just the two of them.) He made the sign of the cross, whispering a quick prayer for safety.
[System]
[In Good Faith] perk is active.
(Okay, I am a leveler, and they are two dumb thieves. I can do this; I have the abilities, and they don't. This is doable.) Frizz motivated himself as he scanned the two.
"A crowbar, screwdrivers, and those bulges in their pockets are probably knives." Frizz's hands trembled; being the aggressor was making him nervous. The element of surprise was on his side, but despite all that, the idea of getting injured terrified him.
A passive, reserved, and non-confrontational person. That was Frizz's approach to life. Deep down, however, he knew that he needed to change if he were to use his system to its fullest potential.
"Deep breaths."
Gathering his courage, Frizz charged at the two carjackers. The two were startled by the noise; they raised their guard and drew their knives.
Frizz's grip on the branch tightened, then he hurled it at the shorter carjacker, striking them in the face and causing them to fall out of balance. *Thud!*
"Shit!" The other carjacker cursed, hurriedly pulling out a revolver.
(A snub-nosed revolver!) Frizz was about to roar, but he stopped, his heart skipping a beat. The possibility of death was real; he needed to escape.
"That's right, stay back," the carjacker with a gun growled, helping his partner up as he then picked up the fallen tools on the ground while still training the gun on him.
Noticing the opportunity, Frizz turned and dashed away, but the carjacker fired the revolver, grazing Frizz in the shoulder.
Frizz's expression darkened, his eyes almost watering; he could've died. If the carjacker's aim was slightly better or luckier, he would've been dead on the spot. His adventure would've met a swift end.
"Stop moving, goddamnit! Stay the fuck there!"
Frizz raised both his hands, signaling a surrender. "I'm not moving, don't shoot," He stammered. "Just take the car and go."
The shorter carjacker held his face as blood streamed down his nose. Frizz's throw was strong enough to inflict a wound. "Shoot him, shoot him now." The shorter carjacker demanded, and the pain in his nose was severe.
"No, we're already hot. There's no need to add another murder to our names." The other carjacker reasoned, stepping forward and pulling the pin. "Drop everything you fucking have, bitch."
Frizz complied, hurriedly emptying his pockets. He dropped his wallet, phone, and even the keys to his electric scooter on the ground. "That's all I have," he weakly muttered, stepping back out of fear.
The shorter man hastily pocketed the dropped items. "Let's get out of here and screw the car! People are watching." The other carjacker said, looking around and spotting several spectators.
Both of them then ran away in the opposite direction as fast as they could, hoping to evade the inevitable authorities. Frizz watched their backs fade in the distance.
People slowly approached and encircled Frizz, looking at him with sympathy and offering token support. Several of them asked if he was okay and said there was no need to worry, since the authorities had already been called.
One woman was holding a phone; she recorded the entire encounter and gave commentary. She was live on social media.
"Are you okay, sir? Those robbers will be caught soon. I have their faces recorded on this phone. I will turn this over to the police," the woman assured, smiling.
Frizz politely smiled at the woman. "Thank you, that will help." He lied, hiding his true feelings had become a habit. "Here you can have this and take deep breaths." An older gentleman offered a can of cold beverage, trying to ease Frizz's nerves from the mugging.
"A lot of people are recording. Don't worry, they got their faces." The older gentleman assured him. Frizz accepted the offer, smiling at the older gentleman and nodding his gratitude as he opened it.
The wails and sirens of a police car could be heard; the police had arrived.
Frizz stared into the distance with a blank look on his face. He couldn't care less about losing his phone, his keys, and his money. He received a miraculous system; nothing could top that sort of luck.
However, what he cared about was the humiliation he received. (Two random NPCs.) He thought, fists clenching. A single cheap revolver was enough to stop him despite his abilities.
(Whoever you are, you two, I will get you.) He promised himself, despite not feeling any better about his declaration and the support of the people around him.
"Wasn't I the main character?" Frizz murmured to himself, a pang in his chest, and damage to his ego.