2026-09-24 15:46:27Kelvin stayed hidden behind the tall shelf, barely breathing.
Zico and his two friends stood only a few meters away, still laughing. Kelvin pressed his back against the wood and listened carefully.
“Boss, what really happened to that mother and the trash boy?” one of them asked in a low voice.
The other boy started to answer, “They both should be—”
Zico slapped the back of his head hard. “Shut your mouth. Do you want the whole store to hear?”
Kelvin’s fingers dug into his palms. His heart was beating fast, but his mind was clear. So it was true. Zico had ordered the bridge to be destroyed. His mother had died because of them.
The System’s voice came quietly.
[Confirmed. Those three caused the bridge collapse that killed your mother.]
Kelvin closed his eyes for a second. Anger burned in his chest, hot and heavy. He wanted to walk out and hit Zico right now. But he forced himself to stay still. He had no proof. He was still alone. And if he started a fight in the store, he would only create more problems.
He waited until Zico and his friends left. Only then did he step out, bought the school uniforms, a new bag, notebooks, and some clothes, paid forty dollars, and walked out of the store with his jaw tight.
Outside, the sky was already dark. He needed a place to stay tonight.
“System,” he said in his mind, “find me the nearest cheap place to sleep.”
[Sixty meters ahead. There is an old inn. It has been empty for a long time.]
Kelvin walked quickly. When he reached the small two-story house, he rang the doorbell. A woman in her thirties opened the door and looked surprised to see a teenage boy with shopping bags.
“I need a room for two weeks,” Kelvin said.
The woman studied him. “This inn has no customers. I’m planning to sell it for ten thousand dollars. If you can pay that, the whole house is yours.”
Kelvin was silent for a moment. Ten thousand dollars was still far, but not impossible. The System had already given him money from one mission. If he kept moving, he could reach it.
“I don’t have it yet,” he answered honestly. “But I will try to get the money soon. Can I stay here until then?”
The woman raised her eyebrows, a little impressed by his calm voice. “Alright. Come in.”
She took him to the second floor and told him to choose any room. Kelvin opened the first door and frowned. Dust covered everything. The bed looked dirty. The air smelled old.
“Lazy owner,” he muttered.
The System spoke at once.
[New Mission: Clean this room completely.]
[Time Limit: 2 hours]
[Reward: $1,000]
Kelvin let out a short breath. Even cleaning had become a mission. He put his bags down, grabbed the old broom in the corner, and started working. He swept, wiped, and organized everything. Because time was still left, he cleaned the other three rooms and the small terrace as well.
When he finished, the blue screen appeared.
[Mission Complete]
[Host has leveled up]
[Reward: $1,000]
[Bonus for extra work: +$5,000]
[Current Balance: $6,750]
Kelvin sat on the now-clean bed and stared at the number. Just yesterday he had nothing. Now he was close to buying an entire house.
But the money did not make him smile.
He looked out the window at the dark street.
Tomorrow he would go back to school.
Tomorrow he would see Zico again.
And this time, he would no longer be the same weak boy who could only get beaten and burned.
Kelvin’s eyes grew cold.
“System,” he said quietly, “when I face them again… I won’t run.”
[Understood, Host.]
[Warning: High chance of conflict tomorrow.]
Kelvin clenched his fists slowly.
Let them come.
Previous Chapter
Latest Chapter
Chapter 14
Kelvin left the house at first light. He checked the wooden board on the window one more time, then rode toward the old bridge.Three days left. He needed something stronger than paper and photos.Near the closed part of the bridge he found a woman hanging clothes outside a small house. She looked tired. Kelvin stopped a few steps away and spoke quietly.“I am looking for anyone who saw the fire near the barrel months ago. Or the night the bridge was damaged.”The woman glanced at him, then at the street. “People do not talk about that night.”“I was the one in the barrel,” Kelvin said. “I only want the truth.”She was silent for a long moment. Then she pointed toward a narrow path behind the houses.“There is a boy who collects scrap there every morning. He was out that night. He saw more than he should have. But he is afraid.”Kelvin thanked her and followed the path. After a few minutes he found a thin boy about his age pulling a metal cart. The boy stopped when he saw Kelvin.“I d
Chapter 13
Kelvin did not sleep much. Every time a motorbike passed outside he opened his eyes. When morning came he got up, checked the wooden board on the window, and left the house early.He rode straight to the alley near the river. The old man who had spoken to him before was sitting in the same place, fixing another broken chair.Kelvin stopped in front of him.“I need your help,” he said. “Not to fight. Just to write down what you saw that night. Even a few lines.”The old man looked at him for a long time. “I already told you I do not want trouble.”“I know,” Kelvin said. “But if no one writes anything, the people who did it will keep walking free. I will not put your name on any paper if you do not want it. I only need the words.”The old man rubbed his hands together. Finally he nodded once. He took a small piece of paper from his pocket and wrote slowly with a short pencil. When he finished he gave it to Kelvin.The writing was simple:Three boys. One of them called Zico. They poured
Chapter 12
Kelvin left the house before sunrise. He did not tell anyone where he was going. He only took his phone, his notebook, and enough money for fuel.He rode slowly through the quieter streets near the river and the old market. Xenovia had said Raka was coming today. Kelvin did not know the exact place, so he watched and listened. He stopped at small shops and asked careful questions. Most people said nothing. One man who sold cigarettes finally spoke in a low voice.“If you are looking for the man named Raka, try the empty lot behind the old warehouse. People meet there when they do not want to be seen.”Kelvin thanked him and rode that way.The warehouse stood near the edge of the industrial area. The lot behind it was full of weeds and broken concrete. Kelvin parked his motorcycle two streets away and walked the rest of the distance. He stayed behind a low wall and watched.After almost an hour, a black car stopped. Two men got out. One was Zico. The other was older, maybe in his late
Chapter 11
Kelvin woke up with the same pain in his ribs, but he did not stay in bed. Five days left. He needed answers about the name Xenovia had given him.Raka.He rode to school early and asked carefully. Most students shook their heads. One older boy from another class finally spoke in a low voice near the back gate.“Raka is not a student,” the boy said. “He is older. People say he fixes problems for money. Broken legs. Lost papers. Sometimes worse. Stay away from that name.”That was all Kelvin got before the boy walked off fast.At school the whispers had changed again. Some students looked at Kelvin with open dislike. During the first break a teacher called him aside.“There is a report,” the teacher said. “Someone says you started the fight in the parking lot and also the one in the alley. The school is looking into it. Be careful.”Kelvin knew who had made the report. Zico was not only hiring people now. He was using words and lies.After class Kelvin did not go home. He rode back to
Chapter 10
Kelvin left the house early the next morning. His ribs still ached, but he ignored the pain. He had six days left. Sitting at home would not help.He rode straight to the old alley near the river. The burnt barrel was still there, black and twisted. A few older people sat on plastic chairs outside the small houses along the street. Most of them looked away when they saw him.Kelvin stopped in front of an old man who was repairing a broken chair. The man’s hands were slow and careful.“Excuse me,” Kelvin said. “Were you here the night of the fire a few months ago?”The old man looked up. His eyes were careful. “Why do you ask?”“I was the one they threw in the barrel,” Kelvin answered. “I need to know if anyone saw who did it.”The old man put down his tools. He looked at the barrel for a long time, then at Kelvin’s face.“I saw three boys,” he said in a low voice. “One of them was laughing. He had a school bag. The others poured something on the barrel and lit it. I stayed inside. I a
Chapter 09
Kelvin woke up before the sun rose. His ribs still hurt every time he took a deep breath. The cut on his lip had dried, but his left arm felt heavy and stiff. He sat up slowly and checked the System screen.Strength: 7 Intelligence: 1 System Points: 18 Balance: $35,750 Mission Progress: 5% Time left: 6 days, 6 hoursHe put the silver button on the table next to his bed. One small piece. Not enough. He needed more.He washed, put on a clean uniform, and went downstairs. The house was quiet. It was his now. He still had not gotten used to that. He made simple food, ate a little even though his side hurt, and left early.At school the whispers were louder. People stared at the bruises on his face and the way he walked carefully. Zico was back. He sat in class with a bandage across his nose and dark marks under his eyes. When Kelvin walked past, Zico looked at him with pure hate, but he did not speak. Not yet.During the morning break Xenovia found him near the old tree by the s
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