The Daily Sign-in Rewards System

CHAPTER 8 — ROCK BOTTOM

Before Dylan could even react, a crushing pain exploded through his abdomen as a heavy fist slammed directly into his stomach with enough force to fold his body in half.

"UGH—!"

The air was violently knocked from his lungs, and agony spread through his midsection as his knees buckled beneath him. Before he could recover, rough hands seized his arms and dragged him forward.

"Move!"

One of the men shoved him hard from behind, causing Dylan to stumble several steps while desperately trying to regain his balance and clutch his aching stomach.

"What the hell do you people want?!"

A brutal strike crashed across his face before anyone answered. The impact snapped his head sideways, and a sharp ringing immediately filled his ears.

"Shut up and walk."

Fear and anger surged through his chest as his eyes darted around desperately. A few students could be seen moving between buildings in the distance, completely unaware of what was happening. Unfortunately, the area behind the engineering faculty was rarely visited during weekdays. The old gymnasium sitting at the edge of campus had long been abandoned and largely forgotten, which meant nobody would hear him even if he shouted for help.

The realization sent a chill down his spine.

The rusted gym doors groaned loudly as the men dragged him inside. The interior looked every bit as neglected as the exterior. Dust covered old training equipment scattered throughout the room, torn mats lay piled in forgotten corners, and several broken fluorescent lights flickered weakly overhead, casting unstable shadows across the vast building.

The entire place felt isolated, forgotten, and perfectly suited for what they intended to do.

Before Dylan could properly look around, another fist smashed directly into his jaw.

Pain exploded through his skull.

His vision spun violently as he crashed onto the dirty concrete floor.

"ARGH!"

Laughter immediately erupted around him.

One of the thugs spat near his face before sneering. "So this is the idiot?"

Another grabbed Dylan by the hair and violently yanked him upright, sending a sharp burst of pain through his scalp.

Dylan gritted his teeth. "You bastards—"

A vicious knee drove straight into his ribs before he could finish. A strangled cry escaped his mouth as agony tore through his side.

Then the beating truly began.

The men attacked him without restraint. Punches crashed into his face, kicks slammed into his ribs, and elbows struck his shoulders and back from every direction. Each impact brought another explosion of pain.

At first, Dylan fought back.

Instinct took over as he threw punches wildly and even managed to shove one of his attackers backward. For a brief moment, hope flickered inside him.

Then reality crushed it.

There were simply too many of them.

His body was already exhausted from everything he had endured over the past several days, and he never truly stood a chance. Within moments, they overwhelmed him completely.

A heavy boot smashed into his face, spraying blood across the floor and blurring his vision almost instantly. "Still trying to fight back?"

One of the thugs laughed before kicking him again.

Pain erupted through his ribs once more, forcing Dylan to curl into himself while raising both arms to protect his head.

The assault continued relentlessly.

Every strike felt heavier than the one before, and every passing second seemed to stretch endlessly.

Eventually, the beating stopped.

Dylan remained sprawled across the filthy floor, barely able to move while blood dripped slowly from the corner of his mouth. His entire body trembled violently, and even breathing felt difficult. Each breath sent sharp waves of pain through his chest.

One of the men crouched beside him and grabbed his hair again, forcing his head upward before smirking coldly. "Brandon sends his regards."

Despite the swelling around his face, Dylan's eyes widened slightly.

Brandon.

Of course it was Brandon.

Who else would go this far?

The thug leaned closer. "You should've known your place." Then he slammed Dylan's face back against the floor.

The group laughed among themselves before turning toward the exit. "Let's go."

Their footsteps gradually faded into the distance. Moments later, the rusty door creaked shut, and silence returned to the abandoned gymnasium.

For several long minutes, Dylan remained exactly where he had fallen.

He couldn't move.

Everything hurt.

His ribs, face, stomach, back, and shoulders felt as though they had been crushed beneath a machine. Even the simple act of breathing felt unbearable.

Slowly and painfully, he forced himself into a sitting position.

A groan escaped his lips as he used the nearby wall for support and struggled to stand. Blood stained the front of his shirt, one eye had swollen nearly shut, and his legs trembled so violently that he nearly collapsed again.

At that moment, Dylan looked like a man who had lost everything. The worst part was that he felt exactly that way.

The abandoned gym remained eerily silent around him as humiliation settled heavily inside his chest.

Amber had betrayed him.

Brandon had ruined him.

The university had abandoned him.

His job was gone.

His scholarship was gone.

And now Brandon was sending people to beat him like a disposable animal.

A bitter laugh escaped his lips.

What else could possibly go wrong?

Using the wall for support, he staggered toward the exit. Every step sent waves of pain through his battered body. By the time he finally emerged outside, evening had begun settling over campus.

The sky glowed orange beneath the setting sun while students walked around laughing and chatting with friends.

The normalcy of the scene felt almost cruel.

Everyone else's life continued as though nothing had happened.

Meanwhile, his own life had collapsed in less than forty-eight hours.

Eventually, Dylan reached an empty bench near the edge of the university grounds. The moment he sat down, exhaustion crashed over him like a tidal wave. His body slumped heavily against the backrest while the cool evening breeze brushed against his bruised face and sent painful stings across his skin.

For several minutes, he simply stared into the distance.

Emotionally, he felt numb.

Physically, he felt shattered.

Everything replayed endlessly inside his head, and the entire situation felt like a nightmare from which he couldn't wake up.

Slowly, Dylan lowered his head into his hands.

He was tired on a deeper level than physical exhaustion.

He was tired of fighting, tired of struggling, and tired of losing.

For the first time in years, he genuinely wanted to give up. A hollow laugh escaped his lips.

Maybe Brandon was right.

Maybe he really was cursed.

He had lost his parents, lost his family's wealth, lost Amber, lost his future, and now stood only three days away from expulsion.

Forty-seven thousand dollars.

The number alone felt impossible.

Even if he worked nonstop for years, he still wouldn't be able to gather that amount.

His chest tightened painfully.

Slowly, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his worn wallet.

It was pointless.

He already knew there was almost nothing left inside.

Still, a tiny desperate part of him hoped there might be something he had forgotten.

Perhaps some miracle would appear.

When he opened it, however, only a few crumpled bills remained.

There wasn't even enough money to comfortably feed himself for the next few days.

Another bitter laugh escaped him.

Then something caught his attention.

Tucked inside one corner of the wallet sat the old black amulet the strange old woman had given him.

For several seconds, Dylan stared at it while his expression gradually darkened.

The old woman's words echoed through his mind.

"This amulet brings good fortune."

Good fortune?

Dylan almost laughed.

Ever since accepting that stupid thing, his entire life had collapsed. Amber had betrayed him, his reputation had been destroyed, his scholarship had vanished, his future was hanging by a thread, and he was now only three days away from expulsion.

Good fortune?

What a joke.

Frustration exploded inside him.

"Piece of trash!" In a burst of anger, Dylan ripped the amulet from his wallet and hurled it toward the pavement.

CRACK!

The black amulet shattered instantly upon impact.

For a brief moment, nothing happened.

Then everything changed. A brilliant blue light erupted from the shattered fragments.

Dylan's eyes widened in shock. "What the hell?!"

The broken pieces began floating above the ground while thin strands of electric-blue energy crackled through the air. The atmosphere around him distorted suddenly, and the surrounding space rippled unnaturally as though reality itself had been disturbed.

Then a sharp electrical hum filled the air.

A glowing holographic screen materialized before him.

Dylan's breathing stopped.

The translucent blue panel hovered silently in midair like something pulled straight out of a science-fiction movie. Lines of glowing text appeared one after another across its surface.

[Energy Signature Confirmed...]

[Host Compatibility Verified...]

[Binding Process Initiated...]

Dylan stared at the display in complete shock as his exhausted mind struggled to comprehend what he was seeing.

"What..."

The holographic screen flickered once.

Then another line appeared.

[Congratulations.]

[The Daily Sign-In System has successfully activated.]

As the final words appeared before him, the entire world seemed to fall into absolute silence.