The rain had slowed to a thin drizzle, but Neon City's streets still glistened, wet and slick, reflecting the holographic signs that buzzed faintly above. Jack West stood in the mouth of a side alley, chest rising and falling in ragged breaths. His stomach growled angrily, a sharp reminder that he hadn't eaten since the brutal fight with Ken.
Hunger gnawed at him worse than the bruises ever had. He'd wandered half the city looking for scraps, dumpster-diving and eyeing neon diners with longing, but he had nothing ;no money, no credits. Just him, the System, and the gnawing emptiness in his gut.
And now, three men stood in his way.
The largest one, a brick of a man with a broken nose, cracked his knuckles and grinned. The other two fanned out, eager for blood.
"You really thought you could stand up to us, West?" one of them jeered, voice rough with smoke. "You're nothing. Always have been,always will be"."Just drop off whatever credits and gadgets you have and we'll kindly leave you alone".
"I told you already,I don't have anything on me".Jack screamed at them
"Well I guess we'll just have to this the hard way then"the leader of the thugs said.
Jack's stomach knotted. His body still ached from yesterday's beating, though the cuts had mysteriously vanished by dawn. The System's voice hummed in the back of his mind, quiet, expectant.
[Quest Active: Defeat three hostile opponents without fleeing.]
Reward: +1 Strength, +1 Agility, 100 Credits.
Failure: -50 HP.
The reminder wasn't comforting. Jack swallowed, lips pressed into a hard line. His legs trembled as he stepped forward.
He wasn't ready for this. Every fiber of his being screamed at him to run, but the System had made it clear,running wasn't an option.
The first thug lunged, swinging a rusty pipe. Jack panicked, tried to teleport aside but he misjudged. He reappeared just a foot away, close enough that the man's sweaty breath hit his face.
"Shit!" Jack yelped, stumbling.
The pipe swung down. Instinct took over,Jack instantly dodged,his feet rolling in the slick puddles, his hands scraping against gravel. The thug overextended his arm and his foot skidded out from under him. With a grunt, the man toppled, his skull smacking against the wet concrete with a dull crack.
Jack froze. That hadn't been skill.It had been luck. His heart thundered as the thug groaned, dazed but not out.
[Note: Congratulations, you've weaponized gravity. Very advanced technique.]
"Shut up!" Jack hissed under his breath. His voice cracked, but adrenaline drowned out his fear."That's it I'm out of here,quest or no quest",Jack tried to teleport out of the alley but then a groan from one of the thugs distracted him and he teleported and slammed into a wall.His HP visibly dropped on his systems interface
HP:120/125
"Well,if I abandoned on this quest,my HP would only decrease more bringing me ever closer to death,"I guess I have to do this then".
The other two thugs didn't wait
One came at him with a chain, whirling it in arcs that hummed through the air. Jack teleported again, aiming for distance,only to find himself clutching the iron ladder of a fire escape, several feet above the ground. His stomach lurched at the height.
"Great… now what?" he muttered.
The thug jumped, swinging the chain toward Jack's dangling feet.
Then at the edge of his eye,jack glanced up and spotted it,but he couldn't be so sure.He used his inspect skill
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Target:Old neon sign displaying the words;The fun diner.
Condition:Poor maintenance,very disabled,loose screws,nuts and bolts
Warning:Serious danger;get away from here before it collapses on you
Desperation sparked a reckless idea. Jack yanked at the fire escape pipe, rust groaning as it wrenched loose. The motion tugged at the neon sign bolted to the wall above. Sparks hissed as screws snapped, and with a shrill metallic scream, the entire sign tore free.
"Move!" the thug shouted, but too late.
The glowing sign plummeted, crashing down with a shatter of glass and sparks. It clipped the chain-wielder's shoulder, sending him sprawling with a howl. The alley lit up in strobing red and blue, electricity crackling in the puddles.
Jack barely teleported away in time, reappearing a few feet down the fire escape, heart hammering.
[Analysis: You almost killed yourself with that, strategic attacks should be left and practices on the training ground and desired from on the battle ground. Efficiency: 3/10. Entertainment value: 9/10.]
"Wow Einstein ,Do you ever shut up?" Jack snapped, though his lips twitched despite the terror.
The last thug rushed at him. Jack panicked, trying to blink behind the man—but his aim was sloppy. He reappeared half inside a rusted dumpster, the lid slammed shut on his back.
"Goddammit!" he groaned, thrashing.
The thug laughed hysterically. "You're a joke, West!"
But as he yanked free, something clicked in Jack's mind. His hands gripped the heavy lid, and with a grunt, he shoved it forward just as the thug swung. The lid caught the chain mid-swing, deflecting it with a metallic clang. Jack shoved harder, and the lid smacked the thug across the jaw.
The man staggered. Jack charged, shoving the entire dumpster with all his weight. The wheels screeched against the wet pavement, and the rusted box crashed into the thug's knees. With a howl, the man toppled onto the ground, cursing.
Breathless, Jack stood there with the dumpster lid hanging from his hands like a makeshift shield.
[New weapon acquired: Trash Can Lid.]
[Rank: Below basic].
Jack groaned. "You've gotta be kidding me"
Only one thug remained;the pipe-wielder, who had scrambled back to his feet after the fall. Blood trickled from his temple, rage burning in his eyes.
"You little bastard," he spat, limping forward. "I'll gut you!"
Jack's pulse roared in his ears. He spotted the fire escape again, this time with more purpose. Teleporting onto the platform, he steadied himself, then jumped.
In midair, he blinked behind the thug. Momentum carried his leg forward, and his boot slammed into the man's back. The impact sent the thug crashing face-first into the puddle, where he lay groaning and unmoving.
Jack landed hard, knees screaming from the impact. He panted, chest on fire.
It was over,finally.
For a moment, silence hung heavy. The three thugs groaned, battered, broken, but alive. Jack spotted a jagged pipe nearby. His fingers closed around it, knuckles whitening.
Images of every insult, every kick, every night left bleeding in alleys flashed in his mind. The urge to drive the pipe into their skulls was overwhelming.
He raised it high,then stopped.
His reflection stared back at him in the puddle: eyes wide, face twisted with rage. He hated what he saw.
"No," he whispered, voice trembling. "This isn't who I am."
With a cry, he flung the pipe aside. It clattered against the wall and fell silent.
The thugs scrambled to their feet, terrified now. Without a word, they bolted down the alley, limping and stumbling, desperate to escape the monster Jack had become.
Jack dropped to his knees, trembling, every muscle screaming, hunger clawing at his gut.
[Quest Complete.]
[Rewards: +1 Strength, +1 Agility, 100 Credits.]
[Updated Stats:]
Strength: 2 → 3
Agility:2→3
Endurance:3
Speed:1
HP:125/125
Intelligence:3
Willpower:4
Charm:2
Charisma:2
Luck:1
Jack laughed weakly, the sound broken, almost hysterical. "I… I did it."
From the shadows, Marcus's face twisted in disbelief. His voice was low, venomous. "Impossible. Ken couldn't finish him, and now… this trash survives three men?"
Jack didn't hear him. He stared at his trembling hands, still feeling the weight of that jagged pipe. His chest rose and fell as he whispered to himself, "I'm not trash anymore."
But the growl of his stomach followed, relentless, a reminder of his humanity. He still needed food. He still needed strength.
And for the first time in years, he almost believed he deserved it.
Jack leaned against the alley wall, his chest heaving, the glow of his fading teleport lingering like sparks. The three opponents were gone, scattered in fear, leaving only the echo of his ragged breaths.
Then, as the adrenaline drained, his stomach growled so loudly it almost startled him.
He doubled over, pressing a hand to his gut.
"System," he muttered weakly. "Do I… get food… as a reward, too?"
[Ding!]
Notice: Hunger level critical. HP recovery slowed until nourishment is obtained.
"Critical?" Jack groaned, sliding down the wall. "I almost died fighting three lunatics and now I'm gonna drop dead because of… hunger?"
The System's voice chuckled. "Congratulations, Host. You've unlocked the most dangerous enemy of all an empty stomach."
Jack tilted his head back, eyes burning from exhaustion, and that's when he caught it
the faint smell of roasted meat drifting from somewhere deeper in the neon-lit district.
His throat tightened. His body ached. His legs trembled.
But he forced himself upright, muttering, "Food… I need food…"
And with a half-broken grin, Jack teleported toward the smell straight into whatever came next.