2026-09-24 15:48:16The next morning, Kelvin woke up early again.
His shoulder still felt a little sore from the fight, but it was nothing serious. He sat on the edge of the bed and opened the System screen.
Strength: 7
Intelligence: 1
System Points: 18
Balance: $35,750
He had more than enough money to buy the inn now. The woman who owned it had said she wanted ten thousand dollars. He could pay that today and still have plenty left.
Kelvin washed his face, put on his school uniform, and went downstairs. The woman was already in the small kitchen, making tea.
She looked surprised to see him up so early.
“You’re leaving for school already?” she asked.
“Not yet,” Kelvin answered. He took out a thick stack of money and placed it on the table. “I want to buy this house. Here’s ten thousand dollars.”
The woman stared at the money, then at Kelvin’s calm face. For a few seconds she could not speak.
“You’re serious?” she finally asked.
“Yes.”
She counted the money carefully. When she finished, she looked at him with a mix of surprise and respect.
“Alright. The house is yours. I’ll prepare the papers today. You can start living here as the owner from now on.”
Kelvin nodded. “Thank you.”
After the woman went to get the documents, Kelvin stood alone in the living room. For the first time, he had a place that truly belonged to him. No more sleeping under bridges. No more worrying about rain or cold nights.
But the empty feeling in his chest did not disappear.
His mother should have been here with him.
---
At school, the atmosphere felt different.
Students still whispered when Kelvin walked past, but the whispers had changed. Some looked curious. Some looked careful. News of the fight in the parking lot had already spread. No one knew the full story, but everyone could see that Zico had a swollen nose and dark bruises.
Zico did not come to school that day.
Xenovia found Kelvin during the morning break. Her face looked worried.
“I heard my brother and his friends got hurt yesterday,” she said in a low voice. “Was it you?”
Kelvin did not lie. “They tried to attack me after school. I defended myself.”
Xenovia bit her lip. She looked torn between anger at her brother and worry for Kelvin.
“He’s not going to stop,” she said quietly. “When Zico gets angry, he becomes… dangerous. Please be careful.”
“I know,” Kelvin replied. “That’s why I’m getting stronger.”
Xenovia looked at him for a long moment. There was something soft in her eyes, but also fear.
“I don’t want you two to keep fighting,” she whispered. “I don’t want to lose either of you.”
Kelvin did not know what to say. He could not promise her that the fighting would stop. Not while Zico still breathed after killing his mother.
The bell rang, saving him from answering.
---
After school, Kelvin did not go home right away.
He rode his motorcycle to a quiet area near the river and parked under a large tree. He needed to think.
The System had given him money and strength, but it had not given him a way to make Zico pay for his mother’s death. Beating Zico in a fight was not enough. Zico could still walk free. He could still smile. He could still hurt people.
Kelvin spoke in his mind.
“System. I want a real mission. Something that helps me take justice for my mother.”
[Searching for suitable mission…]
[Mission Found.]
[Mission: Gather evidence of Zico’s crimes within seven days.]
[Details: Find proof that Zico ordered the bridge explosion and the attempt to burn you alive.]
[Reward: $20,000 + Special Item]
[Failure Penalty: None, but opportunity will disappear]
Kelvin’s eyes narrowed.
Evidence.
If he could prove what Zico had done, the police would have to act. Beating Zico was temporary. Putting him in real trouble was better.
“I accept,” Kelvin said.
[Mission Accepted.]
[Time remaining: 7 days]
Kelvin started the motorcycle and rode toward the old alley where everything had begun. The burnt barrel was still there, black and twisted. He stood in front of it for a long time.
This was where he had died.
This was where his new life had started.
He looked around the alley carefully. There might still be something left — a footprint, a piece of clothing, a mark, anything. He did not know how to investigate like a detective, but he had to start somewhere.
While he was searching near the barrel, the System suddenly spoke in an urgent tone.
[Warning: Multiple hostile signals approaching.]
Kelvin stood up at once and turned around.
Three motorcycles stopped at the entrance of the alley. Zico was not among them. Instead, three older boys — bigger and older than Zico’s usual friends — stepped down. Their faces looked rough, and one of them was holding a metal pipe.
The tallest one smiled coldly.
“You’re the kid who hurt Zico, right?” he said. “He paid us to teach you a lesson. A real one this time.”
Kelvin slowly clenched his fists.
So this was Zico’s new move. He was too scared to come himself, so he hired older people.
The three boys started walking toward him.
Kelvin’s heart beat faster, but he did not run. There was no easy way out of the alley behind him.
He raised his head and looked at them straight on.
“Come then,” he said in a low voice.
The tallest boy lifted the metal pipe and smiled wider.
“With pleasure.”
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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