The morning sun was already high, baking the park path as I pushed through the last set of my daily mission. Sweat plastered my hair to my forehead, and my muscles screamed, but I ignored it. This was routine now. My daily grind.
Jack and Ken were nearby, watching me with wide eyes, looking like they'd just seen a ghost.
"Buddy!" Jack wheezed, wiping sweat from his own brow, though he hadn't done a single push-up. "You are doing very intense workout. If I had to do it, I would have fainted."
Ken, ever the devoted follower, nodded vigorously. "Adam-sir, you are amazing! I can't be nothing but amazed. How much you do to improve yourself?"
I was getting distracted. Their awe, while flattering, was messing with my focus. My training was serious business. I gave them a cold stare, the kind that usually made people shrink. "If both of you don't have any work, then leave me to myself."
They got the message. Their eyes widened even further, and they scrambled away, practically tripping over each other.
Thank God, I thought, letting out a heavy breath. They went away. Otherwise, I would not be able to complete my mission. After another hour of hard, grueling work, pushing my body to its absolute limit, I finally completed the daily mission. I collapsed onto the cool grass, my chest heaving.
As I lay there, catching my breath, I decided to check my status. A soft hum filled my ears, and the translucent white screen shimmered into existence before my eyes.
STATUS
Name: Adam Wilson
Strength: 145 (+20)(+5)
Agility: 139 (+20)(+5)
Endurance: 135 (+20)(+5)
Mentality: 152 (+20)
Intelligence: 150 (+20)
Mana: 110 (+20)
Potential: Undetectable
Skills: [Normal Close Combat], [Boxing Proficiency], [Weapon Expertise], [Expert Massager], [Experienced Strategist], [Appraisal], [Taekwondo Proficiency], [Incubus]
Passive Skills: [Great Leader], [Self-healing], [Napoleon], [Casanova], [Charmer], [Min]
Coins: [Prayer Coin: 250], [Fear Coin: 300]
I was genuinely impressed. My stats had jumped again! The System noted the increases: "+20 from previous mission and +5 from my hard training." It felt good, seeing the numbers climb, knowing I was getting stronger, faster, smarter.
But then my eyes landed on the new skills. [Incubus] and [Min]. What the hell are these? I asked the System for an explanation.
The System, in its usual detached tone, began: "Host, first let's talk about the skill [Incubus]. An incubus is an imaginary demon or evil spirit, typically male, believed to descend upon sleeping persons, especially women, to have sexual intercourse with them during their sleep and feed on their life force."
My blood ran cold. "What the hell are you saying?!" I blurted out, pushing myself up onto my elbows. "Do I need to live on female life force from now on?!"
The System's voice took on a slightly irritated tone. "First of all, Host, don't interrupt me while I am explaining. And second, you are a dumbass. You do not live on female life force because you are not a demon."
I let out a breath I didn't realize I'd been holding, still confused but relieved.
The System continued, "Listen, you can think of this skill as a combination of [Charmer], [Casanova], and [Min], but while all those were passive skills, [Incubus] is an active skill. Let me explain: with this skill, females will be attracted to you like iron attracted to a magnet. They can't resist your advances and temptation. You will be handsome for every single woman. With this skill, you will be insatiable, and you can satisfy any woman, and as many women. Your lust increases significantly."
My jaw dropped. Insatiable? Satisfy any woman? Lust increases? This was... a lot.
"Now, let's talk about [Min] passive skill," the System went on, oblivious to my internal freak-out. "There is an Egyptian god named Min. He is known as the male god of fertility. With this passive skill, your potency will be highly increased. Your semen will be 100% potent. In simple words, if you have intercourse with a female when that was not a safe day, she will get pregnant 100 percent."
I lay back on the grass, staring up at the sky, trying to process all this. After thinking for a few minutes, I came to a conclusion. "In simple terms, the new skills I got make me a sex professional. But they are not useful in a fight."
"Host, listen," the System replied, its voice almost exasperated. "You are such a short-sighted person. Thus, you are weak. Think of something bigger and huge. You have to become a king. This high school is a very small step in your life. Think bigger."
Think bigger? What's bigger than fighting bullies and dealing with crazy teachers and stepsisters? I was confused. My brain felt overloaded. "Whatever," I mumbled, and with a wave of my hand, I closed the System screen.
I got up, dusted myself off, and started walking home. As I was about to leave the park, I saw Anna sitting near the pond, her back to me. She was lost in thought, staring at the water. I called her name, but she didn't react. She must have been really deep in her own world.
I walked closer and gently put my hand on her shoulder. She jumped, startled, letting out a small gasp. Her eyes, wide with fright, darted to me. She looked genuinely scared.
"It's me, Adam," I said in a calm, soothing voice, trying to reassure her.
She took a deep breath, her shoulders relaxing slightly. She nodded, and we both sat down on the park bench.
"What are you doing here?" I asked, keeping my voice soft. "Alone?"
"Nothing much, Leader," she replied, her voice timid as usual.
"When we're not in the guild, you don't need to call me Leader," I told her. "Just call me by my name, Adam."
She hesitated for a moment, then gave a small nod. "Okay... Adam."
"Do you want some fruit juice?" I asked, holding out the bottle I'd bought earlier.
"What?" she asked, looking surprised.
"Fruit juice? Juice?" I repeated, offering it again. She then took one, her fingers brushing mine briefly.
We sat there peacefully for a few minutes, the quiet broken only by the chirping of birds. But I couldn't forget the look on her face when I'd approached, or the way she'd looked during the guild meeting. She was clearly carrying something heavy. I was nervous about asking, but I knew that if I wanted to help her, I needed to understand.
I took a deep breath, gathering my courage. "Listen, Anna," I began, my voice gentle but firm. "I know you're uncomfortable, but if you tell me what's bothering you, I'm not a hundred percent sure, but I will try my best to help."
She looked dejected, her gaze fixed on the pond.
"If you don't want to, then you don't need to," I added, trying to give her an out.
She interrupted me, her voice barely a whisper. "I am sorry, Adam. What happened in our first meeting? These are the same painful memories, but I can't live on like this." She took a shaky breath. "Let me tell you, Adam."
Her voice was soft, but it held a raw, trembling edge as she began her story. "Four years ago, I was in a small town of Grand Metropolis, in the eastern part of Kasia. I was in middle school. I was new there. I didn't know anything about social hierarchy. By mistake, I offended a person named Hughs Jackson. One day, by mistake, I stumbled on him, and he took that to heart. Then, he started bullying me. They bullied me every day. I tried to tell my parents, and my parents complained, but the teachers ignored them, and the bullying only got intensified. I didn't know what to do. I felt like I was living in hell. I was scared, terrified. I didn't want to go to school. They even announced that if anyone became my friend, they would face something similar. I was completely alone."
Her voice cracked, and a tear traced a path down her cheek. I listened, my hands clenched into fists, a cold rage building in my chest.
"But then," she continued, her voice gaining a fragile strength, "one new transfer student came. Her name was Rio Banner. She was alone too. We both, being loners, became friends. Then, I started feeling normal again. But then, Hughs and his group targeted Rio because she violated his rule. She faced even more brutal bullying than me. One day, I came to school, I opened the door, and I found Rio standing on the window. Before I could say anything, she looked at me and said, 'I am sorry, Anna. Look like I am not as brave as you.' She gave me a smile while her eyes were teary, and then she jumped. Before I could process anything, she committed suicide."
Anna's voice dissolved into a choked sob. She started crying bitterly, her body shaking. "I'M SORRY!" she screamed, burying her face in her hands. "I AM SORRY, RIO! I KILLED HER! I CAN'T FORGIVE MYSELF! I AM A KILLER!" She was gone crazy, consumed by guilt and grief.
I immediately wrapped my arms around her, pulling her into a tight hug. "No, Anna," I said, my voice firm, trying to console her. "It's not your fault. It is the fault of those bullies."
She sobbed against my chest. "But she died because she was my friend. I killed her. I should also die. But I am a coward. I can't even commit suicide. I can't kill myself."
I held her tighter, rubbing her back. "Calm down, Anna. You are very brave. You told me about your problem. We will discuss about it later." I continued to console her until her sobs quieted, then I walked her home.
On the way back to my own house, my mind was a whirlwind. I had always thought my revenge on Friedrich and Lina was the most important thing. But now, hearing Anna's story, seeing the pain of a victim who committed suicide because of bullies... How could they do something like this? Who the hell is this Hughs Jackson?
I pulled out my phone and called Jack. "Hey, Jack. Do you know anyone named Hughs Jackson?"
"Hughs Jackson?" Jack replied, his voice tinny through the phone. "Yeah, there's a guy named Hughs Jackson in the Ruthless Animals. I think he's second after the boss of the Ruthless Animals."
"Okay," I said, my voice grim. "Thanks, Jack."
I hung up, my thoughts racing. Second after the boss of the Ruthless Animals. This wasn't just a revenge quest anymore. This was bigger. This was about justice. I would make sure Anna got her revenge, and her friend Rio got her justice. I knew I wasn't a good person, not with all the System's crazy missions and my own dark desires. But Anna was a member of The Hunter's Guild, and our motto was clear: we hunt them. I determined it in myself.
As I was talking to myself, the System chimed, a familiar notification appearing in my vision.
[Love Mission]: Justice
[Objective]: Help Anna to get revenge and she can move on from her past trauma.
[Duration]: 2 Months
[Penalty for Failure]: Castration
[Reward]: [???]
Castration. The System, of course, had to throw that in. But this time, the fear was overshadowed by a burning resolve. This wasn't just a mission; it was personal. For Anna. For Rio. The Hunter's Guild had a new target. And I was going to make them pay.