At Gloomfield High, tragedy wore a hoodie and a bruised lip.Maximus Johnson—yes, his full name—was known not by any cool nickname, but by a series of embarrassing titles: Slave Boy, XP Mule, Rank Booster, Punching Bag Max, or just Hey You. His daily routine? Wake up, get dressed, go to school, and be someone else’s chew toy.The bullies didn’t even hate Max. They just…used him.“Hey Maximus!” yelled Craig, the meaty captain of the soccer team. “Gold rank by lunch. If I’m still Silver, I’m punching your kidneys. Again.”Max smiled, barely. “Yes, Craig.”He didn’t even bring a backpack anymore—just a power bank and his fingers of destiny. His gaming fingers. On-screen, he was unstoppable. In life? Very, very stoppable.The school roof was his regular nap and slap zone. That day was no different. Craig and his goons tossed him like a laundry bag onto the cold concrete. Laughs echoed. Kicks landed. Max bit his lip. No one stopped them. No one ever did.Except this time… someone did.“Hey

The school was silent after the storm. Craig was defeated, twitching on the floor, and Lisa—though still shaken—helped Max gather his things. Her concern lingered in her eyes, but Max reassured her with the weakest of smiles. "I'm okay," he said, even though his body felt like it had been borrowed, broken, and returned.She watched him walk off alone, worried.Max stepped into his dark, dusty home.He walked past the cracked wall and old furniture to a framed picture sitting on the shelf. He gently wiped away the dust with his sleeve, revealing a photo of himself and his mom, both smiling brightly in a sunlit park.He sat down on the couch, exhaling deeply, and looked at the two strange presences floating before him.“You two,” he muttered. “What are you?”The winged creature hovered closer, grinning.“I’m the Grim Ripper,” he said with a bow, his voice laced with pride. “Master of spirits, controller of the dead, dealer of soul-fueled destruction.”Max blinked. “And… the screen?” [I

[SUDDEN QUEST TRIGGERED:] [DEFEAT THE ANGRY GIANT — JOHN KENT]Max read the message with a stiff laugh. “Defeat… him?” he glanced at John—built like a dump truck with fists the size of tree trunks.Max raised his hands nervously. “Listen, John… I can explain this.”WHAM!Max’s explanation was interrupted by a freight-train punch to the gut that sent him crashing into a row of folding chairs.Grimm winced from above. “Yeah, I don’t think he’s in the mood for explanations.”“Screw it!” Max yelled, scrambling to his feet and charging forward. “Consecutive punches!” [ERROR: SKILL LOCKED.]Max’s heart skipped. “WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT’S LOCKED?!”John’s fist answered for the system with a crunching blow to Max’s side. He dropped to his knees. [HP: 23/369]“System!” Max barked through the pain. “Help me!” [INSERT BRONZE KEY TO UNLOCK A SKILL]Max dug through his pocket, hands trembling, finally pulling out the bronze key. He slammed it into the system’s glowing slot.[SKILL UNLOCKED: FALCON

“Why do you have two souls in your body?”Max froze as the girl's soft voice clung to his spine like ice.He laughed nervously. “W-What? Two souls? You must be… seeing things, haha…”She narrowed her eyes. Just before she could speak again, a group of well-dressed men appeared behind her.“Young Miss, your car is waiting,” one said with a bow.She looked back at them, then turned to Max.But Max was already gone.Max was hiding behind a convenience store dumpster, gasping for breath.“Grimm!” he shouted, sweat dripping from his forehead. “How the hell did she know?!”Grimm floated beside him, popcorn in hand, chewing slowly. “Hmm. That girl… she’s something. Don’t worry, Max. You’ll meet her again.”“THAT’S NOT WHAT I ASKED—ugh, forget it!” Max groaned.That evening, Max finally returned home. He dropped onto his bed, his muscles still aching from the John encounter. He rolled over and pulled out the silver key and gold key from his drawer.He examined the silver key. [ITEM ANALYSIS:

Max’s heart was blazing as he darted into the burning building, cloth wrapped over his mouth, adrenaline pounding in his chest.“EMILY!! I’M COMING TO SAVE YOU!” he shouted like a battle cry.Only to pause a few steps in.PSSSSSSHHH.A fire extinguisher hissed.Emily calmly doused the last of the flames.Max stood there, heroic pose frozen, blinking through the steam.Grimm, floating behind a half-charred couch, burst into uncontrollable laughter. “PFFFT—You looked so cool for a solid five seconds!”Max lowered his arms, coughing awkwardly. “Seriously?”Just then, the boy with glasses—the Bully Council’s tactician—walked past, dragging a half-conscious Jacob.“Congratulations, Max,” he said coolly. “You’re now the official representative of Bloomfield High. Try not to die.”Then he left.Outside the building…Max walked quietly alongside Emily.“…Thanks,” he said, glancing down. “For saving me. If I hadn’t known what the Council was planning… I’d be toast.”“You’re welcome,” Emily rep