The Juggernaut System

Chapter 4: Beginner’s Luck?

[VIP Lounge - The Safe Zone]

The crystal champagne glass shattered against the marble floor.

Silence fell over the luxurious viewing room. The wealthy elites, who had been laughing and cheering just moments ago, now stared at the massive central screen in surprise.

On the screen, Alex was wiping the blood off his face, staring coldly into the camera lens.

"He... he killed The Jackal?" a fat man in a tuxedo stammered, checking his betting tablet. "The Jackal was a Class-D assassin! How did a delivery boy kill him with a rock?"

"Luck," a cold voice cut through the murmurs.

Alice stood up, her face twisted in annoyance. She wasn't angry that a man had died; she was angry that she had lost her bet.

"It was pure, dumb luck," Alice scoffed, signaling a servant to bring her a new glass. " The Jackal was careless. He played with his food and got bit. That trash..." She pointed a manicured nail at Alex’s image. "...is running on adrenaline. Once that wears off, he’ll be crying for his mother again."

"I don't know, Alice," a young man with silver hair chuckled, sipping his wine. "Look at his eyes. That doesn't look like fear to me. I'm putting 2 million on him surviving the night."

Alice glared at him. "You’re throwing your money away. Alert the other Hunters. Tell them Number 100 has a bounty on his head now. Ten thousand dollars to whoever brings me his head."

She sat back down, her eyes narrowing. Die, you filth. Just die already.

[Dead Man’s Isle - Sector F]

Alex didn't know about the bounty. And he didn't care.

He was currently busy looting.

He stripped the dead assassin of his heavy combat boots. He threw away his own slippery, ruined dress shoes and laced up the boots. They were a size too big, but they offered grip and protection.

It feels... natural.

Alex spun the combat knife in his hand. Forward grip, reverse grip, slash, stab. His fingers moved with a dexterity he never had before. The [Basic Dagger Mastery] wasn't just information; it was muscle memory imprinted directly into his nerves.

"I need supplies," Alex muttered. His voice was calm. Unnaturally calm.

He searched the body’s pockets and found a Zippo lighter, a half-empty pack of cigarettes, and a small, crumpled map of the island.

He checked the map. The island was divided into sectors. He was in the outer rim. The center of the island was marked with a skull symbol—likely where the "Safe Zone" or final circle would be.

Crack.

A twig snapped nearby.

Alex didn't jump. Thanks to his Agility +3, his senses were sharper. He immediately crouched low, blending into the shadows of the fern bushes.

"Please... no... take anything you want!"

A woman’s voice. Desperate. Crying.

Alex crept forward silently. Through the leaves, he saw a small clearing.

It was the Nurse he had seen on the beach. She was backed against a tree, her uniform torn. Standing over her was a massive man—another Hunter. This one wasn't using a knife. He was wearing brass knuckles spiked with steel.

"I don't want your money, sweetheart," the big Hunter grinned, cracking his neck. "I want to hear you scream. The VIPs love the sound of breaking bones."

The Hunter raised his fist for a killing blow.

Alex watched from the bushes, ten meters away.

Option A: Run. The Hunter is distracted. Alex could slip away easily.

Option B: Fight.

Alex’s old self—the delivery boy—would have run. Or maybe tried to yell to distract him.

But the new Alex calculated the odds in a split second.

Target: Large build. Slow movement. High strength. Low awareness.

Me: Small build. High agility. Weapon: Dagger.

Conclusion: Killable.

Alex didn't do it for justice. He didn't do it to be a hero. He did it because this Hunter was another loot box walking on two legs.

Alex moved.

He didn't scream a battle cry. He sprinted out of the bushes without a sound, his boots digging into the soft earth.

Ten meters. Five meters. Two meters.

The big Hunter sensed movement and began to turn his head. "Huh?"

Too late.

Alex didn't aim for the head this time. He aimed for the weak point his skill highlighted.

Slash.

The combat knife severed the hamstring of the Hunter’s right leg.

"ARGH!" The giant roared and collapsed to one knee, losing his balance.

Alex didn't stop. He used his momentum to slide past, pivoting on his heel. He switched the knife to a reverse grip and drove it downward into the side of the Hunter’s neck.

Blood sprayed onto the Nurse’s face.

The giant gurgled, clawing at his throat, and then fell forward with a heavy thud.

[DING!]

[Target Eliminated.]

[Plunder Successful!]

[Reward 1: Attribute Points]

* Strength +4 (Your muscles density has increased.)

* Endurance +2 (You can withstand more pain and fatigue.)

[Reward 2: Skill Extraction]

* Obtained Skill: [Low-Grade Iron Skin (Passive)]

* Description: Your skin is tougher than average. Minor cuts and bruises are reduced by 30%.

Alex exhaled, feeling a new surge of power rush through his veins. His arms felt heavier, harder. The cut on his arm from the previous fight stopped bleeding.

He stood up and shook the blood off his blade.

The Nurse was staring at him, her eyes wide with terror. She didn't see a savior. She saw a man who had just butchered a giant in three seconds flat.

"P-Please..." she whimpered, curling into a ball. "Don't kill me..."

Alex looked at her. He felt... indifferent.

"Get up," Alex said coldly. "Unless you want to wait for the next one."

He turned and walked away, checking the dead giant’s pockets for food. He wasn't a babysitter. But he wasn't a monster. Not yet.

"Wait!" The nurse scrambled up, ignoring her shaking legs. "Wait! I... I can help! I know first aid! I found a backpack with water!"

Alex stopped.

Water. He was thirsty.

He turned back, his silhouette dark against the jungle gloom.

"Keep up then," he said. "Fall behind, and you die."