2025-08-05 20:14:31Max stood frozen, bloodied, and barely breathing.
In front of him were Craig, the half-conscious John, and twenty very angry members of Craig’s crew—each one cracking their knuckles, armed with blunt objects or just rage. Behind Max? A wall. No exits. Max raised a shaking hand. “Okay… fellas. Before we do something stupid, remember this: violence never solves—” “HE’S RIGHT HERE!” Craig shouted. The mob roared. Then— "FREEZE!" The cafeteria’s manager burst in. “THE POLICE ARE OUTSIDE!” The room went dead silent. Craig cursed under his breath. “Tch. You’re lucky, freak.” He motioned to the crew. “Grab John.” A few of the guys picked up John’s unconscious body. Craig gave Max one last hateful glare, then disappeared with the others like cockroaches scattering under light. Max, trembling, leaned against the wall and started laughing. Not because it was funny—but because if he didn’t laugh… he’d cry. Then everything went black. When Max opened his eyes again, he was no longer in the game café. He was… in a bathroom. Specifically—he noticed with growing horror—the women’s bathroom. “Wha—?” He tried to sit up, but a soft hand gently covered his mouth. A girl whispered, “Shhh. Don’t speak. You’re not supposed to be here.” Max blinked. It was one of the girls from the private room—the quiet trio that never said a word. Max’s face flushed bright red. “D-Did you bring me here? Why?” She leaned back and whispered, “You passed out. The police were checking the place. If they found you unconscious on the floor, Craig might’ve pinned everything on you.” Max stared. “But… why help me?” She folded her arms. “I saw your fight. With John. You didn’t back down. You were… amazing.” Max felt like melting. “O-oh… Thanks. I, uh… I owe you.” She gave a sly smile as she stood. “You definitely will.” And just like that, she vanished. Next Morning... Max groaned in bed, his entire body wrapped like a mummy. Every joint screamed. Every muscle begged for mercy. The pain wasn’t just his—it was deep. From bones to soul. His phone buzzed. Max weakly picked it up. “Hello…?” “MAXIMUS JOHNSON!” his aunt’s voice thundered through the speaker. He yelped. “Hi, Aunty!” “WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?! I’VE BEEN CALLING YOU!” “I—I just took a nap,” Max muttered. “For THREE DAYS?!” Max sat up with a jolt. “Wait, what?” He looked at his calendar. Three. Days. Missing. He dropped the phone. “I was… out for that long?” He quickly picked it back up. “I’m so sorry, Aunty! I was… sick. Very sick. Like fever and blackout sick.” His aunt sighed, concern replacing anger. “Just don’t disappear again, okay? Call me.” Click. Max sighed, collapsing back. “Grimm…” he groaned. The reaper floated down, a sly grin on his lips. “You rang?” “Do I have to feel this much pain every time I use soul link?” Grimm twirled in the air. “If the soul fights using your body? Oh yeah. You’re borrowing a super-suit without the super frame.” Max grumbled. “Then I need to be more careful…” He called out, “System! What’s my reward for beating the wrecking ball named John?” [QUEST REWARD GRANTED:] [+1 SILVER KEY] [+1 GOLD KEY] Max’s face lit up. “Gold, huh? Gonna save that.” A few hours later, Max stepped out of a local pharmacy, bandaged up and holding a fresh bottle of painkillers. The sun stung his tired eyes. Then he heard a child crying. Across the street, a little girl sobbed uncontrollably. A young woman knelt beside her, clearly trying to calm her down. Max walked over. “Hey, is she okay?” The lady sighed. “She’s lost her mom. I’ve been trying to help her but…” Max looked at the child, then to Grimm. “Hey. You said as long as I don’t use a combat soul, I’m safe, right?” Grimm nodded. “Yup. Just don’t get into a kung-fu match, and you’ll be fine.” Max nodded. “System, soul link—use Harry Houdini.” [SOUL LINKED: Harry Houdini – Master of Escapes and Illusions] In seconds, Max started producing card tricks, coin vanishes, and sleight-of-hand illusions so dazzling, the little girl’s cries turned to giggles. Her mother came running from a nearby alley. “Sweetie!” The girl gasped and hugged her mother tightly. “Mommy!” The woman looked at Max and the young lady. “Thank you. Thank you both so much.” Max smiled, tipping an invisible hat. He was about to leave when— The young lady beside him grabbed his hand. Max froze. Then she asked, softly: “…Why do you have two souls in your body?” Max’s eyes widened. Grimm’s floating eyes glowed. The wind stopped. Max’s heart dropped. “Wait… you can see them?” The girl didn’t smile. Didn’t blink. “I’ve seen it before.”
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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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