After a night of pure, unrestrained passion, my body was screaming for rest. The first thing I did was stumble into the bathroom and stand under a stream of ice-cold water, trying to wash away the lingering heat and exhaustion. Leaning against the cool, tiled wall, I let my mind drift, scrolling through my status panel.
Status:
Name: Adam Wilson
Strength: 290 (+100%)
Agility: 278 (+100%)
Endurance: 270 (+100%)
Mentality: 304 (+100%)
Intelligence: 300 (+100%)
Mana: 220 (+100%)
Potential: Undetectable
Skills: [Normal Close Combat] [Boxing Proficiency] [Weapon Expertise] [Expert Massager] [Experienced Strategist] [Appraisal] [Taekwondo Proficiency] [Incubus] [Chanakya] [Advance Appraisal] [Mark for Hunt]
Passive Skills: [Great Leader] [Self-healing] [Napoleon] [Casanova] [Charmer] [Min] [President] [King's Aura]
Superpower: [Omnifex] [King's Edict]
Coins: [Prayer: 1100] [Fear: 1500]
A jolt of pure ecstasy shot through me, more potent than any physical pleasure. My stats had doubled. Every single one of them. The reward from the 'Rival' mission was beyond anything I could have imagined. I felt the power humming under my skin, a vibrant, thrumming energy that made the exhaustion from the night before feel like a distant memory.
Then, reality came crashing back in. I remembered the daunting list of missions still active, a tangled web of obligations and threats. The love missions: [Mother's Quest], [Archangel Fall in Love], and [Justice] for Anna. The two main missions with their terrifying execution penalties: [High School King] and [Trustworthy]. Huh. So many tasks. A wave of weariness washed over me, but it was quickly replaced by a cold, hard resolve. I had the power now. I just needed to use it.
I got dressed and headed downstairs, my mind already churning with plans. I made a quick pot of coffee for myself and started on breakfast, the familiar routine a welcome anchor in the chaos of my new life.
A few minutes later, Aunt Christine came into the kitchen, looking as radiant as ever. "Good morning, Aunt Chris," I said, trying to sound as normal as possible.
"Good morning, Adam," she replied, a warm smile on her face. "You're very diligent, up so early."
Then Mom came in. The moment I saw her, the memory of our encounter on the balcony slammed into me—the kiss, the feel of her skin, the look of conflicted fear in her eyes. I hadn't had a chance to talk to her yesterday, and now, the air between us was thick with unspoken words.
I forced a smile. "Good morning, Mom."
She jumped slightly, startled, before quickly composing herself. "Good morning, dear. Why are you doing all my work?"
"It's okay, Mom," I said, my voice gentle. She looked nervous, her eyes darting everywhere but at me.
Just then, Aunt Christine excused herself to the washroom, leaving Mom and me alone. She was sitting on the couch, still in her nightgown, staring into space. I poured her a cup of black coffee and sat down beside her. She took the cup without reacting, her hands trembling slightly.
"Mom," I began, my voice low. "I need to talk to you about something."
Her whole body tensed. "Honey, what do you want to talk about?" she asked, her voice a little too bright, a little too cheerful. "About your school? About your pocket money? About anything else?"
I interrupted her, my own voice firm but not unkind. "About the other night."
She looked frightened, her eyes wide with a panic she couldn't hide. "Baby, Mom has a very important meeting today. Can we… can we talk about this later?"
And with that, she was gone, fleeing the room before I could say another word. She didn't give me a chance to speak. Okay, I thought with a sigh. I'll talk to her later. But we are going to talk.
The rest of the family started to trickle in, and we all sat down for breakfast. Isabel walked in like she was treading on broken glass, every movement stiff and careful. I could tell she still had sore muscles and a bad backache from our... vigorous activities.
Aunt Christine, ever observant, looked at her with concern. "Izzy, honey, is your back bothering you?"
"You look a bit stiff, dear," Mom added, her own worries momentarily forgotten. "Did you sleep wrong?"
Isabel was startled, her face flushing a brilliant red. "Everything is fine, Mom, Auntie," she said, her voice a timid squeak as she carefully lowered herself into a chair.
I couldn't resist. A wicked grin spread across my face. "Looks like Isabel had a bit too much of a workout yesterday."
She shot me a look of pure fury, her eyes blazing. "Did you, darling?" Mom asked, her own eyes narrowing with suspicion.
"No, Mom! Adam is just joking. I'm fine," Isabel insisted, quickly looking down at her plate.
While everyone was eating, I slid a cup of lukewarm milk with honey in front of her. I leaned in close, my voice a low whisper meant only for her. "Here. Drink this. We can't have my best player getting a cramp before we get to play our game again tonight."
Her entire face went from red to a shade of crimson I didn't think was humanly possible. She looked like she wanted the floor to swallow her whole.
Aunt Chris looked at us, her eyes narrowed with a playful curiosity. "Whispering secrets so early in the morning? What kind of game are you two playing over there that's so serious?"
Isabel panicked, her eyes darting around for an escape. She blurted out the first, most ridiculous thing that came to mind. "Competitive… synchronized sleeping! Yes! It's a new esport. Adam's my coach. It's… it's really hard on the lumbar region. You have to hold your poses."
There was a moment of dead silence at the table. My mom just stared, utterly bewildered.
Aunt Christine simply raised a perfectly sculpted eyebrow, a slow, amused smile spreading across her lips. "Synchronized sleeping? My, that sounds… strenuous. Do you get a medal for that?"
"Yes! Of course!" Isabel squeaked, digging herself deeper.
I just chuckled, stood up, and patted her on the shoulder. "She's a natural. You should see her REM-cycle form." I said my goodbyes before heading out for school, leaving her to fend for herself.
The walk was peaceful, the morning air cool and crisp. As I passed by the park, my glance was drawn to a familiar, ugly scene. A skinny boy with glasses was on the ground, being kicked by a much larger, more muscular boy. And standing beside the bully, leaning against him with a bored expression, was a girl. They were all wearing our school's uniform.
After one final, contemptuous kick, the boy and girl walked away, laughing. I waited until they were gone before I approached the kid on the ground. I picked up his glasses, which had been knocked off his face, and helped him to a nearby park bench. I handed him a bottle of water I had with me.
"What happened?" I asked, my voice gentle.
He didn't look at me, his gaze fixed on the ground. "Thank you, friend," he mumbled, his voice thick with a despair that was all too familiar. "I'm nothing but a pathetic person. It's nothing… my girlfriend just left me for some random rich and big fella. And here I am, on the ground."
Listening to his words, a wave of sympathy washed over me. He was just like my past self. Betrayed. Broken.
"Let's just let this go," he continued, finally looking up at me. "By the way, my name is Kenji Satao. What's your name?"
"My name is Adam Wilson," I replied.
He was shocked. His eyes widened, and he stared at me with a new, focused intensity. "Are you… are you really Adam Wilson? The leader of the Hunter's Guild?"
"Yes, I am," I confirmed.
In an instant, he was off the bench and on his knees, performing a full kowtow, his forehead hitting the pavement. "Mr. Wilson, please let me join your guild! I want to take my revenge!"
I was bewildered. "But, Kenji…"
He looked up at me, his eyes blazing with a desperate determination. "I know I'm weak, but I want to become powerful!"
It was a very weird situation. I looked at his pleading face, and I couldn't bring myself to say no. But still, accepting him would only be a burden on us. I activated my [Appraisal] skill, my curiosity getting the better of me.
Status:
Name: Kenji Satao
Strength: 30
Agility: 20
Endurance: 40
Mentality: 20
Intelligence: 10
Mana: 0
Potential: B+
Skills: [None]
Passive Skills: [Guan Yu] [God of War]
Superpower: [None]
Soul Ledger: [Devotee to Adam] & [God]
After looking at his very average status, I just couldn't accept him. But then my eyes stopped on his passive skills: [Guan Yu] and [God of War].
"System, explain," I commanded.
'In a certain history,' the System explained, 'Guan Yu was known as a mountain of loyalty. This means that whoever he is loyal to, no enemy can touch them as long as he is alive. He is a mountain for his king. The other, [God of War], is also known as Ares in a certain mythology.'
I was still in doubt. "But his potential is only B+, his stats are below average, and he has no skills. How can he be a god of war and a mountain of loyalty? Whatever."
'Okay, let me tell you,' the System replied, its tone almost condescending. 'The reason he is a diamond in the rough. Yes, it's true his potential is not as good as your other members, but his passive skills are amazing. He has the potential to become an unbreakable mountain for you.'
"He doesn't have any skills," I argued. "Even if I use a random skill voucher on him, it would be a waste."
'Yes, you are right,' the System conceded. 'You will need to train and transform him.'
After hearing this, I thought for a minute. This was a gamble. A huge gamble. But my new [Chanakya] skill was whispering in my ear, telling me that loyalty was a resource more valuable than any stat.
"Kenji," I said, my voice firm. "I will accept you."
He was delighted, his face lighting up with a look of pure dedication.
"On one and only one condition," I continued, my voice dropping, my own skills activating, filling the air with a palpable pressure. "I will give you power. But you have to prove you are worthy of it. In ten days, you will challenge the person who beat you earlier. And you will win. Can you do it? My Hunter's Guild only accepts those who have the guts to fight. You have to prove yourself. Can you do it?"
His blood went cold. He looked hesitant, the fear warring with the desperation in his eyes. Finally, he took a deep, shaky breath. "Yes, leader," he said, his voice trembling but firm.
I opened the System store and, without a second thought, spent 500 of my Prayer Coins on five Advanced Body Enhancement Potions. I then used the two Random Passive Skill vouchers I had.
"Your body might feel some pain," I said, my voice cold and detached. "A reconstruction. You should go back home. You will feel some major changes in your body. When you wake up tomorrow, come and meet me in the Hunter's Guild."
Kenji was already starting to tremble, his face pale with pain. "But leader… what do you mean?"
I didn't answer. I just turned and left him there in the park, his body already starting to convulse. This was his test. His trial by fire. In ten days, we would see if I had found a diamond, or just another rock.