2025-08-19 20:38:25Max’s stomach twisted into knots the second the system window materialized in front of him.
[Quest Objective: Strike Lisa with the Hammer.] [Time Limit: 2 minutes.] His throat went dry. The bright digital countdown had already begun ticking mercilessly—1:59, 1:58, 1:57… What kind of sick quest is this?! Max thought, gripping the wooden hammer so tightly that his knuckles turned white. He looked at Lisa beside him, her cheerful face completely unaware of the situation. Lisa tilted her head curiously. “Max? What’s wrong? You’ve been staring at that hammer like it’s cursed.” Max snapped upright, forcing a laugh that sounded painfully fake. “H-Haha, nothing! Absolutely nothing at all.” He immediately dropped the hammer with a clunk and shoved his hands in his pockets, trying to look casual. “Let’s just… move on, yeah?” But as they walked through the amusement park, Max could feel sweat running down his back. His mind raced with possibilities. How the hell am I supposed to hit Lisa? The system’s insane… Every second that ticked away from the invisible timer made his chest heavier. He needed a loophole. Something. “Ah!” Lisa’s voice broke his frantic thoughts. She had stopped at a small booth, her eyes sparkling. “Max, look at this game!” Max turned—and then nearly cried from relief. The booth was for a silly carnival contest: Rock-Paper-Scissors Battle. The winner got to grab a brightly colored toy hammer and try to bop the loser’s head, while the loser defended themselves with a silver bowl strapped to their scalp. It was all for fun, silly and harmless. This… this could work. His brain lit up like fireworks. “Lisa! Let’s play this one!” Lisa blinked, then chuckled at his sudden enthusiasm. “You really want to, huh?” “Yes!” Max almost shouted. “I mean… it looks fun.” The game began. Round one. “Rock, paper, scissors—shoot!” Lisa’s paper smothered Max’s rock. She gleefully grabbed the toy hammer and whacked his bowl-covered head with a squeak. “Clang!” Lisa giggled. “That’s so fun!” Max forced a smile, but his eyes flicked to the invisible timer. [1:15 remaining.] Round two. Lisa won again. Clang! Round three. Lisa still won. Clang! Over and over, Lisa crushed Max in rock-paper-scissors, laughing every time she bopped him on the head. People passing by chuckled at the sight of the tall boy losing to his cute companion. Max, however, wasn’t laughing. [0:35 remaining.] Why is she so good at this game?! he screamed internally, his forehead throbbing from the repeated squeaky blows. Lisa, on the other hand, beamed with joy. “I haven’t had this much fun in ages, Max! You’re really bad at this!” Max gave her a strained smile. “Y-Yeah… having the time of my life.” [0:20 remaining.] His heartbeat thundered in his ears. Panic set in. One chance. He needed one chance! Final round. “Rock, paper, scissors—shoot!” Lisa threw scissors. Max threw paper. Lisa grinned in victory, reaching for the silver bowl again. But Max’s hand shot out faster, grabbing the toy hammer before she could react. “Sorry, Lisa!” he shouted. WHAM! He brought the toy hammer down with everything he had, smacking it onto her head. The squeak echoed loudly, exaggerated by the carnival booth’s speakers. For a split second, silence. Then— [Quest Complete.] [Reward Granted.] The glowing words shone brilliantly before disappearing. Max fell back a step, gasping in relief as the crushing tension evaporated from his shoulders. Lisa blinked a few times, rubbing her head where the squeaky hammer had landed. “Huh?” she mumbled. Then she looked at Max, who was still catching his breath. “…Max?” He swallowed hard. “I… uh… got a little carried away?” The walk home was quiet at first. Lisa hadn’t said much, which made Max’s stomach twist in guilt. He kept glancing at her from the corner of his eye. Did I hurt her? Was I too rough? Damn it, system… But then— Lisa burst into laughter, her bright voice ringing through the night. “Max! That was the best time of my life!” Max stopped in his tracks, stunned. “W-What?” She nodded, grinning ear to ear. “Seriously! I haven’t laughed like that in forever. Thank you.” Max let out a shaky chuckle of relief. “Heh… glad you enjoyed it.” But across the street, shadows stirred. One of the boys Max had defeated earlier in the cafeteria stood whispering to a monstrous figure. The man was built like a tank—bulging muscles, arms thick as tree trunks, his silhouette alone radiating menace. “That’s him,” the boy muttered, pointing. “That’s the one who beat us.” The giant’s gaze shifted toward Max and Lisa. A dark grin spread across his face. “And that’s a nice girl he’s with.” After walking Lisa safely to her door, Max waved goodbye. She smiled warmly before heading inside, and Max turned to leave. But then— A massive hand clamped onto his shoulder. Max froze. Slowly, he turned his head to find the bodybuilder standing inches from him, eyes cold and heavy like boulders. “Are you the one who laid hands on my boys?” the man growled. Max’s heart skipped a beat. How the hell did he get here so fast? “I-I mean…” Max stammered. “Look, that was just a misunderstanding—” The bodybuilder cut him off with a low chuckle. “Relax, kid. I don’t waste my time on small fries.” Max let out a huge sigh of relief. “Oh, thank god…” But then the man’s expression darkened. His voice dropped, sharp as a knife. “But that girl.” His eyes flicked to Lisa’s house. “She lives here, doesn’t she? I think I’ll have some fun with her.” The words pierced through Max like a dagger. For a second, the world went still. Then something inside him snapped. He grabbed the bodybuilder’s shoulder, fingers digging in with unnatural force. His face twisted with fury. “Shut. Up.” The air around them vibrated as a scarlet glow engulfed Max’s vision. [Sudden Quest Triggered.] [Maximum Johnson has been enraged due to enemy taunt.] [Battle Begins Now.] The red screen burned in front of Max’s eyes as his rage exploded like wildfire. And for the first time, the bodybuilder flinched—realizing too late that the boy he mocked wasn’t “small fries” at all.
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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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