SSS: I awakened a ghost system

Big mistake

The class had ended not long ago, and it was now break time for the students.

The students were currently in the cafeteria taking their lunch. Most sat in groups to enjoy their food together, but Max who had no friends to speak of sat alone in a far corner of the hall.

Max hadn’t eaten much. He just sat there quietly, lost in his own thoughts, staring at the system message that had appeared before him.

—————————

«User: Max Cole»

Level: 1

HP: 100/100

Exp: 0/50

«Level up as soon as possible, or face the consequences.»

—————————

He read the message again and again, still trying to make sense of it.

'Level? Exp? Missions?' he thought.

'Is this like those video games I used to play as a kid?'

That was the only logical conclusion he could come up with. Ever since he woke up, it get like his body had gone through a lot of changes.

For one, his senses were slightly sharper than before. He could hear the two girls in front of him gossiping about their crushes. Even though they were too far for any regular person to hear their whispers, Max could clearly hear their conversation

"Hmm, so does that mean once I level up, I'll be able to learn skills and power-ups?" he murmured, his hand on his chin.

It was a promising theory. However, if this system truly worked like a game… what would happen when his HP hit zero?

Just thinking of that sent shivers down his spine. Whatever the case, he didn't want to find out. For now, he needed to explore the system more

****

School had ended, and Max didn't spend a minute longer on campus. He packed his things, and headed straight home

The street was lively as always. People hurried past, cars honked every few seconds, and kids ran along the sidewalk while music played from a nearby shop.

While walking though, Max was surprised by a sudden notification

«Host has ran 4 km.»

«Host's speed has increased (+1).»

"What? That's quite the surprise," Max said.

He hadn't received any quest from the system, so if was surprising he had received such a reward out of the blue

‘…ran 4km? Was that from this morning?’ He thought

He quickly brought up his status screen to see if there had been any changes. Just by thinking about it, the message appeared in front of him.

Agility — 11

Strength — 10

Stamina— 10

G-Force — 5

From the looks of it, running that distance had improved his agility stat.

'Wait, so if I lift heavy stuff, that stat would improve as well?' he guessed.

"Hold on, what's this G-Force thing? I almost forgot about that. It doesn't sound familiar though…"

A whirlwind of questions spun through his mind. He was certain that if the old man were still around, he might have the answers Max was looking for. But for now, he'd have to cope with what he had.

BOOM!

A deafening explosion ripped through the streets, causinv conversations to die instantly. People stopped mid-step, turning their heads toward where the sound had originated

The pavement trembled under Max’s feet, vibrating hard enough the at a even few pedestrians stumbled and fell

“Wht the hell was that” Max muttered, his heart kicking up

"Run! Run for your lives!” a man screamed as he bolted past Max, practically tripping over himself in panic.

People stared for half a second, before chaos erupted

BOOM!

Another deafening sound rumbled in the air, this time louder than the first one.

The walls of some of the buildings nearby started to crumble from all the tremors and panic immediately filled the streets, causing everyone to scatter

however, Max just stood frozen in the middle of the streets, staring up ahead at the giant smoke clowd. He didn't know what had gotten into him all of a sudden, but a lingering thought rang in his head

"Ghost attack"

Recently, Ghost attacks were the most common disasters so it wouldn't be a surprise if thats what had caused the explosion

While most people fled from the danger, Max had a different agenda. He sprinted toward the smoke.

As he ran, he culd feel the sudden shift in his pace. Although subtle , he could already feel the difference in his body.

Up ahead, a crowd had already gathered behind a shaky barrier of police tape and broken railings.

Some Reapers could be seen desperately trying to get the people to stay back. Everyone was try to see the battlefield, but alsk too terrified to get too close

"Hey, watch where you're going, kid!" one man snapped, his voice sharp with irritation.

"Sorry!"

"Oops, excuse me."

"Ouch, sorry about that!"

It was a hassle, but Max finally got close enough to see the fight close up but what he saw was indescribable.

Five Pro Reapers were already there. Two worked on pushing civilians back, while three faced off against the monster responsible for the chaos.

One Reaper slammed his palm into the ground, conjuring metal bars that rose like jagged pillars to keep the crowd back. “Everyone move! It’s not safe. Get away from the fence!”

But no one really listened. Fear and curiosity had them locked in place. Some already pulled their phones out, trying to capture the scene. Even Max couldn’t force himself to look away.

The creature's body shifted like twisting shadows. It had no definite shape, but what stood out most were its sadistic yellow eyes. Its mouth was filled with jagged black teeth, and its form emanated a cold aura that sent shivers down everyone's spine.

Standing before it were three Reapers, determined to take down the monster.

“It’s unstable! Don’t let it phase through you!” Amy shouted, gripping her staff.

Kein cracked a grin. “Relax. I’ve got this.”

“You idiot, it’s still a B-rank!” John barked. “Stop showboating!”

John, the leader of the group who looked to be in his early thirties, stood tall in his dark suit that highlighted his bulky frame. In his hand, a massive war hammer resting on his shoulder, his expression was cold and focused.

They had been fighting the monster for several minutes and had managed to weaken it slightly. John had suggested they attack together, but Kein had his own plan.

Kein dashed forward, his claws snapping out like a wild tiger's.

"Don't get cocky, you moron! Just because it's a B-rank ghost doesn't mean you can let your guard down," the Reaper known as John warned.

"The ghost's been weakened, but we still need to stay alert and be ready for anything."

As Kein closed in, the ghost screamed before swinging its razor-sharp claws at his head.

“Too slow”

Kein slid under it effortlessly, carving upward and tearing off chunks of shadowy flesh. The ghost shrieked, its scream rattling street signs

It lashed out again, but Kein was faster. With catlike agility, he parried the attack, preparing for his next move.

However, the creature suddenly paused it's attack

"Come on, what's the hold up? Attack me" Kein taunted

The creature’s demonic eyes scanned the onlookers, one by one.

One…by…one, almost as if it was looking for something, or someone

It darted it's gaze for a few moment, until it directed it's attention to a particular boy in the front, having hair as white as snow

Fear crept into Max as it locked eyes with the creature

His body froze, and sweat began to form on his face as he could almost sense the impending danger…

"Crap"

Max had only flinched for a second, and In a flash, the ghost emerged in front of Max already swiping it's sharp claws at the boy, preparing to take his life

In that moment, his life flashed before his eyes

Everything moved in slow motion, and Max could see the creature's claws only a few inches from his neck.