From Suffering To Power System

4. The fight

“This cannot be real,” he thought to himself as he felt a surge of electric current run through his veins without pain. Before he could even take a step forward, footsteps echoed down the corridor. It was the same man who had punched him, laughed when he was dragged across the floor, and forced him to write those false statements.

“What the...” The cop froze when he saw that the cell was open and Owen was already outside. Still, he didn’t flinch. It was obvious he believed he could handle Owen on his own without backup, so he rushed forward.

Owen moved involuntarily. “Whoa!” He hadn’t expected that.

[ Endurance stabilized ]

His legs moved before his mind caught up. His muscles felt tighter, and his neck snapped to the side just as the cop barked, “Stop right there! Where do you think you’re going?”

The officer reached for his baton, closing the distance between them in seconds while Owen stepped aside just in time.

“Too slow,” Owen mocked, slamming his tight fist into the officer’s chest. The impact sent the cop crashing into the wall to the left, and the baton clattered to the ground.

“Damn.” Owen stared at his wrist like he had gained superpowers.

[ Impact! +10 EXP ]

Stunned, the cop snarled and swung wildly. His fist connected with Owen’s jaw. Owen didn’t see it coming and felt the pain as blood dripped from his mouth, but he didn’t fall or stumble. His stamina was impressive, even the cop looked baffled.

The officer tried another blow, but Owen caught his fist mid-swing and twisted. Bones cracked.

“Argh!” the cop screamed, dropping to one knee. Before he could recover, Owen moved quickly, smashing his knee into the cop’s face. Blood sprayed across the concrete floor, staining both of them alike.

The officer collapsed face-first, groaning in agony, while Owen staggered back, breathing hard, unable to believe what he had just done.

[ Impact! +10 EXP ]

[ Combat instincts +2% ]

Just when Owen thought it was over and he could finally leave, the cop rolled over and reached for his gun.

“Damn it!” Owen’s pupils shrank. Without hesitation, he kicked the cop’s wrist, sending the gun skidding across the room and crashing into the wall nearby.

Owen rushed to the weapon, picked it up, and returned to the cop. He pointed the gun at the man’s face, his finger trembling on the trigger.

He recalled every word the man had said, all the laughter, the blows, and the insults.

“No… no, wait, please,” the officer gasped, fear seeping into his voice. "Do... do not pull the trigger, please."

Owen ignored him. His hands shook as he acted on pure instinct, driven by anger and resentment, this man was willing to kill him, so why should he relent now? But before he could pull the trigger, the system chimed in.

[ Warning ]

[ Killing a law enforcement officer will trigger irreversible consequences ]

Owen exhaled deeply and slid the gun into his pocket. This will come in handy at some point, he thought.

Afterward, he grabbed the officer by the collar and slammed his head into the floor. On the second impact, the cop went limp, and Owen let go.

[ Task progress ]

[ Obstacle 1 neutralized ]

“Obstacle one?” Owen muttered, but he got his answer when sirens wailed, growing louder and louder until one blared nearby. He looked up. A siren hung overhead, and beside it was a surveillance camera.

“Holy—”

He didn’t wait. Owen grabbed the baton and sprinted down the corridor toward the exit. He wasn’t even afraid there might be cops waiting to stop him. This feeling was new.

As he burst out of the corridor, Owen came to a halt. Five cops were waiting, two with batons, one with a taser already raised, and two blocking the main exit.

“Freeze!” the one with the taser ordered.

Freezing wasn’t a language Owen understood, especially not now.

[ Survival probability: 9% ]

“Trash that,” Owen muttered.

The taser fired, but Owen dove sideways. The prongs snapped past his shoulder and clattered to the ground, electricity crackling uselessly.

“That was close.”

He rolled up and kicked the nearest officer in the knee and his leg folded backward with a sickening crunch.

“Argh!” The scream echoed.

[ Impact! +10 EXP ]

[ Pain suppression temporarily activated ]

Another cop swung his baton, but Owen raised his arm and blocked the hit just before it landed. In the same motion, he surged forward, slammed his elbow into the officer’s throat, and snatched the baton before the man collapsed.

With the weapon, Owen struck the next cop, smashing wrists, breaking noses, and leaving bruises in his wake.

[ Impact! +10 EXP ]

The final cop blocking the exit drew his firearm. He was the last man standing and was already calling for backup on his walkie-talkie. He was visibly terrified, hands shaking and voice stuttering.

“Don’t move!” he warned.

Owen only smiled. His gaze swept the room and landed on a metal chair nearby.

“Coward,” Owen mocked.

He rushed to the chair, lifted it, and swung it into the dangling chandelier overhead. The light exploded, plunging the entire area into darkness just as backup arrived.

“Lights are out, watch your fire!” they shouted to one another.

[ Escape probability: 80% ]

“Hell yeah.”

Owen sprinted through the darkness. A cop lunged at him from the side, but Owen slipped free and kept moving, the system guiding his vision even without light. Another hand grabbed his shirt. Owen twisted and drove his fist into the cop’s face, sending him tumbling to the ground.

Finally, one officer stood in front of the door with his arms spread wide. Owen didn’t slow down. He increased his speed and lowered his shoulder.

He slammed into the cop like a train. They crashed through the glass door together and rolled onto the concrete outside. Before the officer could get up, Owen was already moving.

He vaulted a trash can, leapt over a fence, and vanished into the darkness as gunshots cracked behind him.

[ Congratulations! ]

[ You escaped ]