MAXIMUS: System Of The Underdog

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!” A voice rang like a bell across the rooftop.

Max squinted through a bruised eye. Lisa. Lisa freaking Everhart. The school’s golden-haired idol, student council queen, drama club diva—and his childhood friend. Or… she used to be.

She ran over, kneeling beside him with tears brimming in her big brown eyes.

“What the hell, Max?” she whispered, dabbing a tissue on his bleeding lip. “Why do you let them do this?”

He blinked slowly. “Because I’m weak. I’ve got zero muscle. My life’s basically a tutorial on how not to win.”

Lisa frowned. “Then let me help.”

He pulled away gently, face down. “No. You’re… you’re like sunlight. If you stay around me too long, you’ll burn out. Just pretend I don’t exist.”

And like that, Max got up and limped off the roof—leaving Lisa frozen with hurt in her chest and a crumpled tissue in her hand.

At home, silence was his only family.

His dad had left when he was six, muttering something about “needing freedom.” His mom passed away two years ago. Since then, the creaky old house had become Max’s fortress and prison.

But online?

Online, he was Apex_MJ, a level 99 god of war in Soul Crusaders Online—the only level 99 in the entire server. His companions? Two legends known only as Player Armageddon and Player Holy. Together, they cleared raids like legends. They never voice-chatted—only typed. But their presence was comforting. Familiar.

He logged in, fingers dancing on the keyboard, trying to forget today’s beatdown.

Armageddon: “You logged in late.”

Holy: “Did it happen again?”

Max paused. He’d never talked about real life. But something inside cracked.

Apex_MJ: “Yeah. They beat me again. My ribs feel like mashed potatoes. I just… hate it all. I’m so tired.”

Silence.

Then a message popped up:

Armageddon: “Do you want power?”

Max blinked.

Holy: “Yes or no.”

“Huh… power?” Max mumbled, assuming it was a secret in-game quest.

With a tired smirk, he clicked YES.

Big mistake? Big adventure? He had no clue.

The screen flickered. Then went blue.

The computer shut off. Max tapped the mouse.

“What the—power outage?”

Suddenly, a loud electric ZAP! shot from the monitor, striking his chest. He screamed as pain tore through him, flinging him back. His eyes rolled, and everything went black.

Next morning, Max woke up on the floor. His neck ached. His brain felt fried.

“I need to lay off those midnight raids…” he muttered.

Then—

“You should.”

“WHO SAID THAT?!”

He whipped around and nearly swallowed his tongue.

Floating in midair was a tiny creature—like a cross between a rabbit and a light bulb—with wings and a smirk. Beside it hovered something that looked suspiciously like… a video game UI?

The floating screen blinked.

[WELCOME, MAXIMUS JOHNSON]

“Congratulations,” the creature said in a high, squeaky voice. “You’ve just unlocked the System of Legends.”

Max blinked. “...Am I still dreaming?”

The creature chuckled. “Nope. You clicked ‘YES,’ remember? You said you wanted power.”

Max stared at the screen, then at the creature.

Then fainted again.