Walking into class a couple of minutes later, the rustle of whispers and curious glances converged on me. "What are they talking about?" I thought, acutely aware of their scrutiny. My clothes, torn and battered from a recent altercation, seemed to be the focal point of their curiosity.
Suppressing my irritation at their gossip, I made my way to my desk, determined to remain unfazed. I unzipped my backpack and pulled out my water bottle, its cool surface providing a brief respite from the mounting unease in the room. Despite my best efforts, the glances and muted discussions persisted, like an itch under my skin. Then, a couple of girls in the back couldn't resist a mocking chuckle. Their laughter, laced with condescension, intensified the sense of discomfort in the room. I couldn't let it go unanswered.
Turning my gaze towards the girls who had laughed, I shot them a sharp, silencing look. Their laughter faded, replaced by awkward coughs and hushed apologies. The classroom was quiet once again, though the unease lingered.
Just as I tried to regain my composure, Megumi, the guy I beat, descended from the front row. He peered at me with a curious tone, leaning in to ask, "You fought with Rank Seven, didn't you? Everyone's talking about it." I nodded, my voice meek, "Yeah, his skill is pretty impressive. I couldn't react to some of his attacks."
Megumi's frustration got the better of him as he slammed his hand on my desk, causing the nearby students to jump in their seats. "You can't let this slide!" he insisted, his voice filled with urgency. "Right now, you're the strongest in this class, and technically, you represent it. You need to get payback!"
With my patience wearing thin, I firmly warned him, "Don't slam your hand on my desk again." I brushed his hand off with a dismissive gesture. "I have no interest in your petty classroom ego trip." Megumi, his frustration evident, reluctantly returned to his area, muttering to himself.
Deciding to shift my focus away from the gossip and the confrontational discussions, I leaned back in my chair and closed my eyes. The comfortable familiarity of my seat provided a moment of solace, and I intended to rest for a while, trusting in my passive healing skill to mend the damage I had sustained during the previous battle.
Waking up from my unplanned nap, I was taken aback as I realized that a significant amount of time had passed. The warm, golden hues of the evening sun painted the room, signaling that it was already sundown. I scrambled to my feet, feeling a sense of disorientation wash over me. The teacher, who had noticed my awakening, made her way towards me with a couple of books in her hand. With a kindly smile, she said, "School ended while you were asleep. You should probably head home." Baffled, I inquired, "How long did I sleep? And why didn't you wake me up?"
Her response was as surprising as her initial statement. "Three hours," she replied, "and because the strong don't need to abide by basic training regulations. Whatever you're doing is clearly working, so we won't nag you. Although, you couldn't sleep during the math, science, and English portions." I hastily grabbed my backpack and mumbled, "Well... uh, see ya, Mrs. June." She nodded in understanding, and I made my way out of the classroom.
Walking through the empty hallways, an eerie silence hung in the air, creating an unusual atmosphere. As I reached the main doors and stepped outside, I couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. I prepared myself to sprint home, adopting a familiar stance. The apartment Tony had provided for us was well-kept, and I imagined living there for a month. Aroha probably had something delicious cooking for dinner. The process of moving in from our old house had been annoying, but the new place was growing on me.
Sprinting with increasing speed, I couldn't help but notice how much faster I had become since just a month ago. I easily outpaced the cars on the road, moving four times as fast as their sluggish pace. Step by step, I maneuvered the urban landscape with grace and ease.
However, a sudden cry disrupted my thoughts. "Get off of me!" The voice was filled with desperation. I came to an abrupt halt, creating a small wind current beneath my feet to cushion my landing. With a sense of foreboding, I moved cautiously towards the source of the outcry.
Turning a corner, I found myself in a dimly lit alleyway. Three imposing figures, all my age and dressed in heavy coats, loomed over one individual who was on the ground, battered and bloodied. These guys look like criminals already! Worst part is they are all my age. What on earth was happening?
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Quest 6: Protecting the Weak
Bullying is a bit whack, right? Destroy them.
Requirements:
Beat them all down.
Recommendations:
N/A
Rewards:
2000 points
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A quest? I have to complete this. But even more so, these people reminded me of Jack and them, the people who made me suffer. I couldn't just.. accept an end like that. I yelled, my voice sharp with concern, "What are you doing?" The two guys who were menacing the kid in the alleyway turned around to face me, their expressions a mix of irritation and defiance. One of them sneered, "Move on, this ain't your turf!" Unfazed by their hostility, I shot back, a hint of determination in my voice, "What if I make it mine?" The tension in the air grew palpable as we locked eyes.
One of the burly guys, towering over me, slowly approached and placed his massive hand on my shoulder, attempting to intimidate me. I met his gaze, unyielding. I couldn't help but find his overbearing presence somewhat annoying, so I decided it was time to take action. With a swift, well-placed uppercut, I unleashed a powerful blow to his jaw, sending him hurtling into the sky. The impact left an indelible mark, with his jawbone clearly contorted. Blood spurted from his mouth as he began his descent, ultimately landing precariously on the edge of one of the buildings that lined the narrow alleyway.
The kid who had been bullied tried to stammer his thanks but faltered under the weight of the situation. Meanwhile, the remaining two big guys adopted defensive stances, preparing for a showdown. The last one, with long white hair and a red t-shirt, exuded a palpable air of confidence. As his piercing gaze met mine, he suddenly seemed to recognize something. "You're that transfer student!" he exclaimed with a mix of recognition and annoyance. "You shouldn't be messing with my mugging, brat."
Taken aback by his revelation, I responded, "You're from the school too?!" He nodded and issued a bold declaration, "I'm Rank Nine: The Breaker! Anything my fists touch, it breaks... including people!" As he revealed his sinister title, the pieces of the puzzle began to fall into place. This was undoubtedly someone who might be inclined to join the notorious Criminal Alliance, a fact that became clearer with every passing moment. How could people be this evil? It's not like he just beat him up a little, the kid looks half dead! I couldn't help but feel the need to investigate further. With a quick glance at his stats, I tried to gather as much information as possible.
The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
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Soul: 100 (-10)
Skills:
Lvl. 2 Peeking - Peek into other's stats and skills by squinting really hard. 10 soul to use, thirty minute cooldown. (Activated) The thirty minute cooldown has commenced.
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Name: Ilomia Tsandu
Strength: 40
Speed: 20
Defense: 20%
Soul: 150
Skills:
Lvl. 2 Strength Supremacy (Passive) - Gain the strength stat around twice as fast.
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With a moment of contemplation, I weighed my options. The prospect of stealing his skill was futile, given the tradeoff for my infinite growth limit being the undeniable reality I must use points to upgrade stats. I cannot train to get stats. Wanting to prove my abilities and my morality, I set my backpack down to the side and beckoned him forward, adopting a classic boxing stance. I declared with unwavering confidence, "C'mon, I lost to Rank Seven, but that doesn't mean I'll lose to you."
A faint chuckle escaped Rank Nine's lips, and he swiftly directed his minions. "Destroy him!" he ordered. The two big guys moved with surprising synchrony, displaying a degree of teamwork that caught me off guard. The one on the left, slightly quicker than his counterpart, launched a jumping sidekick. Thinking on my feet, I parried the kick with my knee and then delivered a precise punch at a downward angle to his jaw, causing him to slump to the ground in an instant.
The second one let out a battlecry and tried to overwhelm me with a barrage of punches and kicks. However, my agility and speed proved to be my allies. I effortlessly dodged each of his strikes, swaying and weaving with grace. He punched with an incredibly quick left jab which caught me off guard, but I was ready.
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Soul: 99 (-1)
Skills:
Lvl. 1 Cross-Arm Guard - Cross your arms when guarding and mitigate an extra 10% of damage. 1 soul to use, one second cooldown. (Activated) The one second cooldown has commenced.
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Then, with a swift motion, I swept his leg out from under him and delivered a powerful punch that left a noticeable crater on his face, similar to the one on Jack's. Taking my attention off his minions, I got ready to fight the 'boss'. Observing Rank Nine's actions, or as I decided to call him after using Peeking, Tsandu, I couldn't help but notice the obvious lack of speed and finesse in his movements. His speed stat was heavily undertrained due to his skill. He jumped onto the walls and attempted to bounce off them, as if trying to disorient me. I couldn't help but quip, "You're really slow, you know?" My taunt was met with a moment of disbelief and disregard, as he continued.
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Soul: 44 (-55)
Skills:
Lvl. 2 Skill Combination (Speed + Strength Booster) - Stacked the Speed and Strength Booster skills. The cooldown has activated for both of these skills, not for skill combination, however. You have one use left.
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Jumping to the walls like Tsandu, I mirrored his movements with much more finesse and speed. Our synchronized movements created a dazzling spectacle as we leaped from wall to wall. He jumped to the left, and I mirrored his actions, landing gracefully on the same wall as him.
In a bold move, I reached out and grabbed his face, orienting my body downward as if I were skydiving. He tried to push my hands off, but even with his skill, my strength is higher than his due to 'Roulette'. As we descended towards the ground, I couldn't resist a mocking quip, "How about I break you?" The impact of our landing sent shockwaves through the alleyway, cracking the ground beneath us.
I slammed Tsandu's head into the ground, the sheer force threatening to obliterate the entire alleyway. I continued to pound his head into the pavement relentlessly, rendering him unconscious and transforming him into a gruesome, bloody mess. It was a fitting retribution for his arrogance and misuse of his powers.
Satisfied with my actions, I released my grip on him and turned my attention to the kid who had been at the receiving end of the brutal assault. Squatting down beside him, I offered a concerned, "You okay?" His response was immediate, as he scrambled to his feet and began running past me, a mixture of gratitude and fear in his voice. "Thank you, but you're scary!!" I felt a pang of frustration at the misunderstanding. "I just helped you, you know?" I called out to his retreating figure, although it seemed he had already made up his mind.
Turning back to survey the destruction in the alleyway, I couldn't deny that I had gone a bit overboard. The once-narrow passageway now bore the scars of our battle, a stark reminder of the power I wielded and the responsibility that came with it.
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Quest 6: Protecting the Weak (COMPLETED)
Good work. People who abuse others are
not worthy of mercy.
Rewards:
2000 points
Tips:
Train your martial arts already.
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After the satisfying sight of the quest completion notification flashing in my side view, I wasted no time in pondering my choices. I casually walked toward the entrance of the alleyway, where my backpack was waiting for me. The thought of potential upgrades and adjustments had me eager to get back to it.
Kneeling down beside my backpack, I swiftly unzipped it and retrieved the book to make some quick adjustments. I initiated the stat upgrades, and I grew stronger yet again. I then put the book back inside and got ever so closer to home.
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Book Level: 3
Name: Oren Hashigana
Health: 2200 (+300 Max)
Strength: 48 (+6)
Speed: 48 (+8)
Defense: 5%
Soul: 44 (+50 Max)
Skills:
Lvl. 2 Skill Combination
Lvl. 1 Strength Booster
Lvl. 1 Speed Booster
Lvl. 1 Triple Strike
Lvl. 1 Cross-Arm Guard
Lvl. 1 Critical Hit
Lvl. 2 Danger Sense
Lvl. 1 Sledgehammer
Lvl. 1 Rage
Lvl. 1 Stealing Skills
Lvl. 2 Guaranteed Dodge
Lvl. 2 Peeking
Lvl. 1 Passive Healing
Lvl. 3 Roulette
Lvl. ??? Infinite Growth Limit (Passive) - No growth limit.
Points: 3
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