Chapter 69: A Demon in Broad Daylight

"Ahem," Si-Yeon cleared her throat awkwardly as she stepped inside, closing her eyes for a brief moment in slight embarrassment.

Since the spacious shop currently housed only three people, anyone entering immediately became the center of attention.

But the moment Si-Yeon opened her eyes, she was confronted with an impossible sight that her mind struggled to logically process.

Seeing her frozen reaction, Zerke and Jong-Kook exchanged a knowing glance before turning their eyes toward Donape.

"Kid, you’d better get used to it," Jong-Kook said with a soft chuckle. "From here on out, that’s going to be the standard reaction for every new customer who isn’t familiar with the shop’s spatial expansion."

Donape simply shrugged, pursing his lips with a mild tilt of his head. There was nothing he could do about it. After all, those were the natural consequences of bringing the impossible into reality.

"Alright, miss. No need to stand at the door looking startled by the layout," Donape said nonchalantly. "Why not take a seat at the counter and process your shock comfortably instead?"

"Pfft." Zerke and Jong-Kook both snorted in amusement.

Though Donape’s words sounded like a light tease, both regulars understood he was simply breaking the tension and easing the sheer disbelief playing out across Si-Yeon’s face.

Meanwhile, Si-Yeon was fighting a losing battle to maintain her composure.

As she walked stiffly toward the counter, her mind raced into overdrive. ’How can this interior expand so tremendously to fit fifty VR Capsules while the exterior footprint remains unchanged? Is this an illusion? Am I being tricked right now? How on earth is this possible?!’

Surviving two frontal assaults on the Baek Family estate had been horrifying and shocking in its own right. But the casual, real-world spatial distortion inside Origins VR Cafe was on a whole different level of terrifying.

No matter how advanced modern technology became, she could still rationalize concepts like high-grade VR capsules bringing virtual reality closer to real life. But true spatial expansion? An actual physical space warp, rather than some clever optical trick using mirrors and blind spots?

It was happening right before her eyes, completely defying logic.

While taking a seat at the counter, Si-Yeon was so bewildered that she momentarily forgot her original purpose for visiting Origins VR Cafe.

Before she could utter a single word, however, a sudden commotion erupted outside the shop’s large glass storefront.

Zerke, Jong-Kook, and Si-Yeon all turned toward the window after noticing the shift in Donape’s gaze.

Because the shop was built to completely isolate outside sound and kinetic force—providing customers with the ultimate environment to relax—no noise had leaked inside. But watching the chaos through the glass, it was obvious a violent fight was breaking out. Moments later, an elderly man was violently thrown against the shop’s exterior window.

Yet, despite the impact, not a single vibration shook the glass, nor did a sound pierce the interior.

Donape stepped out from behind the counter and walked directly toward the front entrance.

The moment he pushed the door open, the harsh noise of the street flooded into the cafe.

Seeing Donape step outside, one of the men roughing up the elderly victim immediately barked out a harsh threat.

"Hey, brat! Go, hide under your blanket! This isn’t your business—get back inside before you pee your pants!"

"Bastard! Get out of our sight unless you want to get beaten black and blue!" another thug bellowed, cracking his knuckles. "Are you deaf?! Did you hear me?!"

Donape let out a quiet sigh, his expression entirely flat. The insults were almost adorably weak.

Scanning the group, he counted seven thugs in total. They were currently pinning an elderly man against the shop’s glass window.

That old man was the owner of the small food stall near the campus. There was no way he could turn a blind eye to this.

A crowd of onlookers had gathered nearby, but none dared to intervene, keeping a cautious distance while watching the drama unfold like a live show.

"Instead of resorting to violence, we can have a civil conversation," Donape said calmly as he stepped fully onto the sidewalk. "We’re human beings. There ought to be a little compassion."

Behind him, Zerke and Jong-Kook stepped out as well, followed closely by Si-Yeon.

The two middle-aged men didn’t look worried in the slightest about a few low-level street thugs. Meanwhile, Si-Yeon possessed refined martial arts training, making her a formidable combatant even without the presence of Qi.

"Heh, look at this bastard! He brought backup!" one of the thugs sneered, spitting onto the pavement. "Two middle-aged geezers and a young girl? What kind of ridiculous lineup is this? Are you guys planning a family quiz show?! Pfft!"

Donape glanced back briefly, waving a hand to signal Zerke, Jong-Kook, and Si-Yeon that there was no need to interfere—he would handle this himself.

He opened his mouth, intending to de-escalate the tension one last time.

However, the thugs had no intention of talking.

Without warning, the leader pinning down the old man reared back his fist to strike, while another thug lunged directly at Donape with a wild right hook.

Zerke, Jong-Kook, and Si-Yeon were momentarily caught off guard by the sudden escalation, their reactions half a beat too slow.

Donape’s brow furrowed as a sudden spike of annoyance flared within him.

As the incoming punch closed in, Donape caught the thug’s fist effortlessly with his left hand. Simultaneously, with a swift backhand flick of his right arm, he sent a concentrated wave of Qi whipping through the air.

SLAP!

Before the leader’s fist could hit the elderly stall owner, an invisible impact slammed into the side of his jaw, throwing him violently sideways into the pavement. His cheek instantly swelled, bright red and heavily bruised, as if he had been struck with an iron paddle.

Before the surrounding onlookers could even process what had happened, a sharp groan of pain echoed through the street.

Donape casually twisted the lunging thug’s caught wrist to the left, putting pressure on the joint.

"Agh! It hurts! Fuck, it hurts! Let go of my hand, you bastard!" the thug shrieked, dropping to his knees.

"I told you we should talk first," Donape said, his tone dropping an octave, heavy and dead serious. His sharp gaze locked onto the remaining thugs. "Don’t resort to violence. Did you guys go deaf from your own stupidity?"

The surrounding onlookers were mostly local residents from the immediate area—neighbors who knew each other by face, but nothing more.

In a quiet quarter like this, nobody had the time or inclination to pry into trouble. Had this occurred in a bustling commercial district or a popular hangout spot for youth, a sea of smartphones would have already been drawn, recording high-resolution footage from every angle.

Instead, a suffocating silence fell over the alley as the remaining thugs began to tremble.

It wasn’t just Donape’s absurd physical reaction—or the fact that they couldn’t fathom how their leader had been struck from a distance—it was the crushing pressure rolling off him.

Donape subtly channeled his Qi, lacing it into his intent. The resulting wave of pure intimidation was more than enough to send a cold thrill of terror through the thugs’ spines.

Even the man whose wrist Donape still held began to foam at the mouth, his eyes rolling back as his senses buckled under the weight of Donape’s aura before he collapsed into unconsciousness.

Releasing the unconscious thug, Donape approached the remaining five terrified men while dispelling his oppressive aura.

"Apologize to this gentleman," Donape instructed calmly. "If he forgives you, you may leave. And remember—if there’s a problem in the future, talk it over civilly first. Got it?"

"Y-Yes... kid! No, sir!"

They shouted in unison, dropping to their knees and bowing their heads to the pavement as they begged the elderly man for forgiveness.

Donape stepped past them, helping the old man to his feet. "Sir, are you alright?"

Still reeling from the sudden shock and violence, the old man struggled to gather his thoughts, unable to respond right away.

Noticing the gathering crowd, Donape took the initiative to clear the street. "There’s nothing more to see here, everyone. Please disperse. The alley is narrow, and crowding together makes it difficult for people to pass through."

As the onlookers began to scatter, the old man finally snapped out of his daze.

"Ah! Thank—thank you for your help, Alexander!" the old man stammered, bowing deeply with profound sincerity and gratitude. "This old man doesn’t even know how to repay you..."

Donape gently caught the old man’s shoulders before the bow could fully manifest. "Oh, please! There’s no need for that, sir. We’re old acquaintances—how could I possibly turn a blind eye? You helped me plenty of times back when I was a broke college student, letting me eat at your stall whenever money was tight. So please, this is nothing."

Noticing the old man’s hands trembling from lingering shock, Donape clasped them gently, channeling a faint, soothing stream of Qi into his palms.

As a comforting warmth spread through the old man’s body, easing his frayed nerves, Donape offered a firm promise.

"If trash like this ever tries to hassle you again, sir, just come straight to my shop. I guarantee you, they’ll be flattened into the dirt before they can see the next sunrise."

The kneeling thugs flinched violently at his words. Once the elderly owner gave a faint, reluctant nod of forgiveness, they scrambled to their feet, dragging their two unconscious comrades away as fast as their legs could carry them.

Donape didn’t pry into the cause of the dispute—it was the old man’s private affair—but he made sure his offer of protection was clear without making things uncomfortable.

Meanwhile, Zerke, Jong-Kook, and Si-Yeon remained rooted to the spot in absolute silence.

Turning back toward his shop, Donape looked at the three of them and raised an eyebrow. "Why are you guys standing there as if you’ve just seen a demon?"