Chapter 4 – The First Experiment
The city was buzzing—not with the usual noise of merchants and market stalls, but with whispers.
"Did you see him?"
"The boy… he exposed three villains at once!"
"Jobless… but powerful."
I smiled. The beauty of invisibility was that people never see the full picture.
Orion, update social perception.
"Public awareness rising. Legends forming. Estimated fear factor: 61%. Amusement index: 94%."
I liked it. People feared what they didn't understand.
Mr. Tarlow wasn't idle. From a hidden office in the poorer district, he plotted revenge.
"Three strikes, Rocky," he muttered, slamming a fist on his desk. "If I fail, I'm ruined. But if I succeed… I'll expose him for the fraud he is."
Fraud? I chuckled silently. They never understood intelligence.
Orion, probability of Tarlow's success if he coordinates minor villains?
"Probability of success: 0.01%. Probability of collateral chaos if miscalculated: 87.2%. Moral question: irrelevant if outcome is amusement."
Exactly. That's why I didn't worry.
The morning sun rose. I walked into the central plaza, unassuming as always. Yet today, I wasn't just a prankster. I was about to test the first prototype suit enhancement—a subtle exosuit, barely visible, designed to augment my reflexes, analysis speed, and energy output.
I pressed a hidden panel in my wristband. Small drones deployed, mapping every alley, every shadow, every potential threat.
Orion, calculate enemy patterns.
"Three active targets detected: brute, schemer, wildcard. Probability of detection by them: negligible. Probability of public notice: high if broadcast occurs."
Perfect. The stage was set.
By noon, Mr. Tarlow's plan was in motion. Three D-Rank villains, armed with minor weapons and petty tricks, attempted to corner me near the central fountain.
I smiled. They didn't know this wasn't about fighting—it was about orchestration.
Orion, execute pattern Omega.
"Pattern Omega activated. Outcome: maximum amusement, minimum risk to human life. Probability of villain humiliation: 99.7%."
The first drone fired a tiny net—nothing lethal, just enough to trip the brute into the fountain. Water splashed everywhere.
The schemer tried to flee—but my suit projected a hologram in front of him, mimicking a towering, monstrous silhouette. Panic ensued.
The wildcard, thinking he was clever, hurled a smoke pellet. I let it swirl, and within the mist, micro-drones delivered a harmless shock to disable his gadgets.
By the time the smoke cleared, the villains were humiliated, exposed, and trapped in their own chaos. Citizens cheered from the sidelines, murmuring:
"Is he… some kind of guardian?"
"Jobless? How?"
"Dangerous… yes… but helpful?"
I stepped away, hands in pockets, pretending to tie my shoes again.
Orion, funds redistribution report.
"Total transferred from villain accounts: 73,400 credits. Beneficiaries: 12 districts. Happiness index improved: 21%. Legendary prank status: initiated."
I laughed quietly. My F-Rank label was a mask, a joke, and the world was my playground.
But even I knew this: every experiment, every prank, every redistribution… it was teaching me something new. Every villain, every citizen, every minor chaos event was a calculation in preparation for something far greater.
And Tarlow? He'd be back.
Orion, probability of future retaliation?
"High. Very high. Shall I prepare the next Omega experiment?"
I grinned. "Do it."
Cliffhanger / Foreshadowing for Chapter 5
Mr. Tarlow begins long-term plotting against Rocky.
Rocky's prototype suit shows its first real effectiveness, hinting at future planetary/cosmic tech.
Citizens now whisper his nickname and legend, setting the stage for global reputation arcs.
Orion hints at philosophical questions about morality and consequences.