2025-08-05 20:07:44At 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.
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Chapter twenty three: Never Give Up
Kael’s grip tightened like an iron vice around Max’s leg. Before Max could react, Kael dragged him across the floor, the tiles scraping his back raw. Then, with a guttural roar, Kael swung him overhead and hurled him into the ground. The impact rattled Max’s bones, forcing the air from his lungs in a choking gasp.Dazed, Max struggled up on trembling arms. His vision swam, but Kael was already there, moving like a predator.WHAM!A fist slammed into Max’s ribs.BAM!An elbow cracked against his jaw.THUD!A knee drove into his stomach, folding him like paper.Each strike tore deeper into his body, leaving him staggering like a puppet barely holding its strings. His breaths came ragged, blood dripping down his lip, his legs unsteady.Kael sneered. “What’s wrong, boy? You slowing down?”Max’s body screamed for rest. His swollen eye barely opened, yet he refused to drop. Step after step, he forced himself forward—toward Kael.Then, with a weak grunt, he threw a punch.It barely grazed Ka
Chapter twenty two: Stun Smash
The sound of splintered wood echoed through the hall as Kael dropped the stick he’d been wielding. The weapon clattered to the floor, forgotten. His face twisted into a cold grin as he seized Max by the collar, lifting him off the ground like he weighed nothing.“Sticks are useless,” Kael sneered, his breath hot on Max’s face. “Hands are better.”Max clenched his teeth, glaring. The moment Kael loosened his grip just slightly, Max twisted, activating Blind Spot Strike—a skill meant to strike where the enemy couldn’t defend. But Kael’s reflexes were inhuman. With one arm he caught the blow, blocked it like swatting a fly, and hurled Max across the room.Max crashed into the wall, coughing. He staggered to his feet, chest burning.Kael dusted his hands like the fight was already won. “You know,” he said casually, “I did some digging on you.”Max froze.“I learned something… fascinating.” Kael’s eyes narrowed. “Your mother—Amanda Johnson. She wasn’t just anyone. She ran the Moonlight She
Chapter twenty one: The Rising Clashes
“Don’t forget our deal, Max,” Jacob muttered as they approached the half-finished construction site, his voice sharp and arrogant. “Once we’re done here, the representative position belongs to me. You were just keeping it warm.”Max tightened his grip on the metal bat and didn’t even glance at him. “Shut up and do the job.”They pushed open the loose steel door and stepped inside. The stale air reeked of dust and paint, but what caught their eyes wasn’t the smell—it was the twenty students of Swisscom High lined up in formation at the entrance.One of the guards stepped forward, a thick wooden stick in his hand. “Bloomfield trash. Leave now before you regret it.”Neither Max nor Jacob moved. The silence stretched, tense and heavy.“Did you not hear me?!” the boy yelled. He charged forward, raising the stick.“Max—” Jacob started, but before he could finish, the stick came down across his back.The crack echoed through the half-constructed floor. But Jacob didn’t even flinch. Slowly, h
Chapter 20: The Dungeon Party
Max sat on his bed with one hand pressed gently against his swollen eye while the other held the dungeon map. The glowing parchment pulsed faintly with red lines that shifted like veins, as if alive, mocking him with the quest requirements.[Quest Requirement: Minimum of Two Party Members]“Of course… figures I can’t just go solo,” Max muttered, dropping the map on his lap. “Why can’t this system let me breathe for once?”Grimm appeared in his spectral form, arms crossed and expression sly. “Because, partner, it wouldn’t be fun otherwise. Besides… you’re strong, but even you need backup.”“Backup, huh…” Max thought about his classmates. The first name that came to mind was Chris. At least Chris was loyal. Maybe he’d be willing to tag along.The next morning, Max approached Chris near the lockers. “Hey Chris, you free this weekend? I’ve got… something big. Might need your help.”Chris laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. “Max, you know I’m no fighter. I’d probably faint the
Chapter 19 – The Unlikely Bodyguard
The school break the next day felt heavier than usual. Max leaned against the wall of the courtyard, staring at the ground as though the tiles themselves had answers hidden beneath them. Lois stood in front of him, hands on her hips, repeating his own words from the day before with a sharp look on her face.“So… let me get this straight,” she said slowly, raising a brow. “You lost the check, and now you have no choice but to take up my father’s offer?”Max sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “Yeah. That’s basically it. Not like I planned for it. But what else can I do?”Lois tilted her head, studying him with that mischievous spark she always had in her eyes. Then, suddenly, she leaned closer. “Max… do you own a suit?”Max blinked. “A suit? What does that have to do with—”“Never mind,” Lois cut him off with a wave of her hand, smirking. “Don’t worry about it. After school, I’ll get you one.”Max frowned. “Wait, what—”The bell rang, cutting off his question. Lois simply winked and
Chapter Eighteen – Weapon Mastery Unleashed
The streetlights flickered weakly above, casting long shadows across the deserted road. Max stood rigid, his fists clenched, glaring at the mountain of muscle in front of him. The man was built like a tank, veins bulging along his arms as if they might burst any second. His cruel smirk only deepened when he saw Max’s stance.“Look at you,” the bodybuilder sneered, his laughter booming like thunder. “Are you seriously planning on fighting me? Don’t make me laugh, kid.”Max didn’t respond. His blood was boiling, his heart pounding against his ribs so loudly it almost drowned out the man’s words. He took the first step forward, then another, and with a sharp breath, he launched a barrage of punches at the man’s chest and jaw.Thud. Thud. Thud.It was like punching a brick wall. The bodybuilder didn’t even flinch. Instead, his grin widened.“My turn.”The man’s massive fist swung with terrifying speed. Max barely had time to react before the blow connected with his side. Pain exploded thr
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