Lin Mo stared at his fingertip, half-expecting the tiny flame to reappear on command.
It didn't.
He flexed his fingers, concentrated—and nothing happened. No heat. No glow. Just his normal, boring hand.
"Come on…" he muttered under his breath.
He had spent the last thirty minutes in his tiny kitchen, hovering his hand over the stove like some kind of wannabe wizard. He'd followed the system's instructions—"Focus. Visualize. Release."—but so far, all he'd managed was a lot of awkward gesticulating and one slightly burnt kitchen towel.
"Maybe it only works when you really need it," he grumbled.
🔊 [That would be convenient. Unfortunately, abilities don't operate on convenience. They operate on focus, intent, and a tiny bit of competence—which, in your case, is still in development.]
Lin Mo jumped slightly. He hadn't actually said that last part out loud… had he?
🔊 [You didn't have to. I can read your thoughts. Mostly. It's part of the system package.]
"Great," Lin Mo said, slumping onto a chair at his small dining table. "So now you're in my head and judging me."
🔊 [I'm not judging. I'm assessing. There's a difference. Though in your case, the line is admittedly thin.]
Lin Mo rolled his eyes mentally and stood up, deciding to call it a night. Maybe flames weren't meant to be summoned on demand. Maybe he needed more practice. Or maybe he was just overthinking it.
Either way, he was tired.
He locked up his apartment, stepped out into the cool evening air, and began the short walk back from the corner store where he'd picked up a couple of energy drinks and instant noodles. It wasn't a long walk—just a few blocks through the quieter part of campus—but it was late, and the streets were mostly empty.
That's when he saw them.
Two figures, huddled near the entrance of the apartment complex. A man and a woman. The man was taller, broad-shouldered, his posture aggressive. The woman looked uncomfortable, arms crossed tightly over her chest, trying to edge away.
Lin Mo slowed his pace, glancing sideways. He didn't want to get involved. He never did. It wasn't his business. He'd learned that lesson a long time ago.
But then the man raised his voice.
"Come on, don't be like that. I just wanna talk."
The woman took a step back. "I don't have anything for you."
Lin Mo stopped walking.
He recognized the woman. She lived in the unit next to his—a quiet graduate student, always polite, always polite. She'd said hi a few times in the elevator. Never complained about the noise. Just… kept to herself.
And now some jerk was harassing her.
🔊 [Well, well. Look at you. Mr. Invisible finally notices something happening outside his own head.]
🔊 [Don't get any ideas. You're not a hero. You're not trained. And you're definitely not ready for a fight.]
Lin Mo hesitated. His hand twitched toward his pocket—where his phone was. He could call security. Or pretend he hadn't seen anything. That was the safest option.
But then the man reached out, grabbing the woman's wrist.
She flinched. "Hey—let go!"
That was it.
Without thinking, Lin Mo took a step forward.
🔊 [Oh, for—really? You're just going to charge in? Brilliant.]
Lin Mo ignored the system's voice. His heart was pounding, but he kept walking. "Hey!" he called out. "Leave her alone!"
The man turned, startled for just a second—just enough for Lin Mo to see the sneer spread across his face.
"Oh, look. Another hero."
Lin Mo didn't respond. He kept approaching, his gaze fixed on the man's hand on the woman's wrist. The woman looked terrified. Frozen.
And then—instinct took over.
Lin Mo raised his right hand. Just a small movement. A flick of his fingers. A thought.
"Come on… just a little."
A faint blue flicker sparked at the tip of his index finger.
Then—a small flame ignited.
Not huge. Not dangerous. Just a tiny, controlled burst of fire, no larger than a lighter's flame, hovering just above his fingertip.
But it was enough.
The man's eyes widened. He let go of the woman's wrist instantly, taking a step back.
"What the hell—?"
"It's fine," Lin Mo said quickly, his voice firmer than he expected. "I just want you to leave her alone."
The man stared at the flame. Then at Lin Mo. Then back at the flame.
"...What are you?"
"Someone who's not going to let you hurt her," Lin Mo said, his grip tightening around his phone—not because he planned to use it, but because he needed something to hold onto.
The man muttered something under his breath, shot one last glare at the woman, and then turned and walked off quickly, disappearing into the night.
The woman exhaled shakily. "Thank you…"
Lin Mo nodded, his heart still racing. "Are you okay?"
She nodded. "Yeah. I… I didn't know what to do. I'm sorry."
"It's okay," he said. "You're safe now."
As she hurried inside, Lin Mo stood there for a moment, staring at his finger. The flame had already vanished, but the warmth lingered.
🔊 [Well. That was… unexpected.]
🔊 [You actually used it. In a real situation. Without setting yourself on fire. I'm… marginally impressed.]
Lin Mo snorted. "It wasn't that hard."
🔊 [For you, it kind of was. Don't sell yourself short. You reacted. You focused. You didn't freeze. That's more than most people would've done.]
Lin Mo looked down at his hand, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
🔊 [Also, fun fact: you've officially earned a bonus point for initiative. Total: 11. Not a lot. But it's something.]
Lin Mo shook his head, but he couldn't help the grin spreading across his face.
Maybe he wasn't a hero yet.
But tonight, for the first time…
He felt a little less powerless.