Leveling Up in Reality... by Slaughtering Chickens!?

Chapter 005

"Two cheeseburgers... Thanks."

The steaming food arrived quickly, and Glen Johnson devoured it with ravenous intensity, completely ignoring the throbbing pain from the unhealed gash on his head.

"Well, well... if it isn't our old classmate, Glen Johnson! Eating like a pig all by yourself!" a mocking voice rang out. "Tsk, tsk... looks like you've been doing just fine these past six months!"

A loud group of people had just swaggered into the diner. The one running his mouth was none other than Benny Gosling, Glen's former college roommate.

Benny was a Kingston City local. His family ran a lucrative building materials business; while not a massive empire, it was more than enough to solidify Benny’s status as a bona fide, spoiled rich kid.

Back in college, Benny had always paraded around with unbearable arrogance, harboring a specific, vicious disdain for Glen. He viewed Glen’s rural background as a contagious disease, genuinely terrified that spending too much time near someone so 'provincial' would somehow ruin his own elite vibe. Because of this, Benny rarely even slept in the dorms.

Despite his poverty, Glen completely refused to bow his head to wealth. He never once backed down from Benny’s relentless sneers, firing right back every single time. As a result, almost every encounter between them inevitably exploded into a screaming match—they were natural-born enemies.

Hearing the familiar, grating mockery, Glen frowned deeply. He opened his mouth to tell Benny to screw off, but as he looked up, his eyes locked onto a familiar, slender figure standing in the crowd.

It’s her...

Seeing the woman, who had only grown more mature and strikingly beautiful since graduation, Glen involuntarily clenched his fists. A flash of deep, unresolved pain crossed his face.

Her name was Anne Safdie, another former classmate. Glen had majored in Architectural Engineering, a department heavily dominated by guys. Naturally, like half the faculty, Glen had harbored a massive, secret crush on Anne, who was universally recognized as the beauty of their department.

Glen was painfully aware of his own pathetic financial status and knew he didn't stand a chance with her. He buried his feelings deep, only occasionally letting her name slip during late-night dorm chats or after a few too many cheap beers.

But out of nowhere, the impossible happened: Anne had actively sought him out. She invited him to the campus 'grove'—a notorious spot for couples. That night, she spoke to him with melting tenderness for hours, explicitly declaring that she didn't care about his poor background. She promised that as long as he worked hard, she wanted to build a beautiful future together with him.

Intoxicated by her words and completely blinded by love, Glen lost all rational thought. Egged on by her sweet encouragement, he foolishly dropped to one knee, clutching a cheap wildflower he had plucked from the roadside, preparing to pour his heart out and confess.

But at that exact, vulnerable second... a deafening explosion of cruel laughter erupted from the shadows. At least twenty to thirty people stepped out from the dense trees. Most of them were his own classmates, and leading the pack was none other than Benny Gosling. It was agonizingly obvious: the entire romantic setup had been a malicious, calculated trap orchestrated by Benny just to completely humiliate Glen.

The crowd swarmed him, roaring with laughter, their phones held high to record every pathetic second of his humiliation. They mocked him relentlessly, and to twist the knife, they uploaded the footage directly to the campus forum. Overnight, Glen became the biggest joke in the entire university.

That night became the single most defining trauma of Glen’s life. Even now, just thinking about it made his blood boil with unbearable shame.

Standing slightly behind Benny, Anne saw the raw agony etched into Glen’s face, and a fleeting trace of guilt flashed in her eyes. She quickly tugged at Benny’s sleeve. "Come on... let's just go order some food. I'm starving..." she murmured.

But Benny wasn't even close to finished. Drunk on his own perceived superiority, he aggressively yanked Anne into his arms, locking her against his chest while staring down at Glen with a sickeningly triumphant smirk.

"Hey there, classmate. I know you've been obsessing over my sweet little Anne for years, but you never got the chance to even touch her, did you?" Benny laughed maliciously. "Tell you what... if you beg me right here, right now, maybe I'll take pity on you and give you a little taste. Hahaha!"

Being groped and degraded in public sent a wave of flushed humiliation over Anne. But... remembering that she desperately needed Benny's help for a personal matter, she forced herself to swallow the indignity. She didn't pull away; instead, she plastered a stiff, bitter smile onto her face.

Glen had originally planned to ignore the idiot, but Benny had completely crossed the line. Driven past the breaking point, Glen slammed his palm violently against the table and shot to his feet.

"Ooh... is the little peasant angry?" Benny mocked, though he instinctively took a nervous step backward at the sheer murderous rage in Glen's eyes. Realizing he couldn't look weak in front of his crew, he quickly puffed his chest back out and scoffed. "What? You wanna hit me? Come on then, take a swing! I'm not underestimating you, you pathetic loser—you don't even have the guts. If you dare touch me, I swear to God I'll make you—"

Smack!

Before Benny could finish his arrogant threat, Glen’s hand whipped through the air like a steel cable. A vicious, open-handed slap connected squarely with Benny’s jaw, the explosive force sending the rich kid spinning dizzily on his heels.

"You bastard... you actually hit me?!" Benny shrieked, equal parts terrified and completely enraged as a burning red handprint instantly swelled on his face. He stumbled backward, clutching his jaw, and wildly waved his hand at his crew. "Get him! Cripple this son of a bitch! If you beat him to death, the bill is on me!"