Chapter 6
{Ding!}
{Skill—Magical energy activated. Host has received a twenty percent boost in strength and speed while increasing his attacks and combat agility.}
Good, let's dance.
The man with the stick didn't hesitate one bit as he bolted straight at Max, who calmly stood with his hands tucked in his pockets.
The man swung his stick from above toward Max, who simply sidestepped, avoiding the hit and causing the man to crash into the ground. But he quickly stood up and spun around, swinging the stick toward Max again.
Max swiftly leapt back, dodging the attack by the skin of his teeth. The stick nearly grazed him, but he was lucky to avoid it.
"What are you doing?" Scorpio snapped at the man with the stick in anger. "Finish him quickly because I'm losing my drive already."
'I need to escape from here while they're distracted,' the girl thought as she scanned the alleyway. She was just about to take a step forward when Scorpio suddenly turned around and glared at her.
"You dare take one step forward, I will make you regret it," Scorpio barked, his voice laced with fury as he glared at the girl, making her freeze in place and take a frightened step back.
Bam!
Thud!
The sound of something crashing into the ground followed by a sickening thud drew Scorpio's attention. He turned around just in time to see the stickman fall to the ground, unconscious, while Max stood tall, huffing and puffing with pride.
'Damn! That was harder than I thought. I've got no real combat experience and was just relying on the heightened speed and strength boost to dodge and finally counter. But now, my MP is draining fast,' Max thought as he turned his gaze toward his system screen.
{MP: 30/100}
"How did he lose?!" Scorpio growled. "All of you, attack that wannabe hero for me!"
The two men standing beside him didn't wait for a second order. In an instant, they surged forward to execute the command.
'Shit! I already had it tough against one of them, now two of them are heading my way?' Max thought with a gulp as the two bulky men lunged at him in unison.
"I think I should take this as a test," Max mumbled beneath his breath as one of the men dashed forward and threw a heavy fist toward Max's face. Thanks to the speed boost, Max managed to leap back just in time.
Before he could even regain his footing, the second man rushed in from the side and slammed his fist into Max's face, sending him tumbling forward in pain.
'Ow! That freaking hurt!' he roared in his mind. He gritted his teeth and forced himself back to his feet, just as the first man charged at him again, this time wielding the same stick the earlier man had used.
The thug swung it with full force.
"Shit!" Max muttered as he instinctively raised his arm to shield himself. The stick struck hard—but to their surprise, it snapped clean in two, and splinters grazed Max's skin, drawing trickles of blood from his arm.
"What the hell?!" the man gasped in utter shock, staring at the broken pieces of wood in his hands.
Max didn't waste the opportunity. Making use of the man's stunned moment, he darted forward and instantly launched his fist straight ahead.
Boom!
His fist smashed into the man's face, hurling him a metre away in pain and unconsciousness while Max stood in the same spot, staring at his hands in surprise.
'I did that?! I mean, I did it the first time against that man, but now against this one, it's clear it's no fluke. It's obvious that I'm a little bit stronger and faster than the average human.
This system thingy is so cool!'
"Focus on the damned fight, you fool!" Pix shouted straight into Max's mind, snapping him back into reality and just in time for as a fist slammed straight into his face, causing him to stumble back with a nosebleed.
"It's clear you haven't been in a real fight before. You need to focus on the fight and not let your mind wander," the man who had hit Max said as he dashed forward, while Max took a weak, shaky stance, bracing himself in determination.
'I only have 20 MP left. And I hope it'll be enough. I really don't want to find out what would happen if it hits 0.' Max thought as he readied himself, his gaze sharp and firm.
The man swung his fist as fast as possible toward Max, but Max saw it moving in slow motion. He quickly ducked in time, avoiding the strike.
"Have the taste of your own medicine!" Max roared as he slammed his fist as hard and fast as he could into the man's gut.
The man's eyes rolled back, his mouth hung agape, and spit burst from his lips as his body collapsed to the ground with a solid thud and a soft plop.
"Why you!" Scorpio cried out in rage as he reached into his pocket, pulling out a dagger with fury in his eyes. Without hesitation, he darted straight for Max.
"Shit! Yo, let's talk about this like real men. No need to use real weapons!" Max yelled, waving his hands in front of him. But Scorpio wasn't listening. He was already beside Max, wasting no time as he swung the dagger forward with murderous intent.
"Leap back!" Pix's voice rang through Max's mind, urgent and loud. Without any hesitation, Max obeyed, leaping back just in time as the dagger sliced through empty air.
With a burst of adrenaline, Max tried to dash forward, attempting to gain an advantage. But Scorpio was just a tad faster.
He snapped the dagger back and launched a powerful kick that smashed into Max's leg, sending him crashing to the ground in pain.
{HP: 80/100}
'Shit!' Max cursed internally as he saw Scorpio's foot coming straight toward him from above.
Before he could react, the foot connected with his chin, sending his body flying, blood spraying from his mouth as he crashed back.
{HP: 70/100}
"Kuk!" Max coughed out specks of blood as he tried to lift himself up, struggling.
{Ding!}
{MP: 10/100}
"Argh!" Max groaned as his hair was grabbed roughly, his head yanked upward by Scorpio, who glared at him with venom in his eyes.
"Because of you, I lost my mood. You even injured my men. You're going to suffer for this!" Scorpio snarled as he lifted his dagger high, staring down at Max with a twisted, savage grin.
'Damn it! I can't let anything happen to the person who's trying to save me. If something bad happens to my savior, how will I ever forgive myself?' the female thought anxiously as she scanned the alleyway.
Her eyes darted around, searching for anything useful. That was when she spotted another thick stick lying nearby.
Without a second thought, she bolted toward it, heart pounding in her chest.
In a flash, she grabbed the stick and lunged toward Scorpio. He had already raised the dagger, sending it down toward Max's neck—when the woman smashed the stick on his head with every ounce of strength she had.
Smash!
Crack!
The stick slammed into Scorpio's head and instantly shattered in two. But it didn't matter. It had done what she intended. Scorpio grunted in pain and instinctively let go of Max's hair. He spun around to glare furiously at the woman.
"I wanted to have my way with you peacefully and then go my own way. I wanted to suck you and make you feel good. But no—you had to make things hard for yourself. So now, you can die for all I care!" Scorpio roared as he swung the dagger towards her.
The woman quickly shut her eyes in fear, bracing for the worst.
"You can as well suck on this!" Max's voice rang out just before his fist smashed straight into Scorpio's mouth, knocking out two of his teeth.
A second fist immediately followed, slamming into Scorpio's gut with all the strength Max could muster, hoping it would be enough.
"I… I… I will kill you," Scorpio groaned as his eyes fluttered in and out, then finally rolled back. His body slid to the ground with a loud thud.
Max stood hunched over, hands on his knees, drawing in hoarse breaths. His chest heaved as sweat drenched his face. His arms bled freely, and blood still dripped from his nose.
"Di… did I win?" he asked himself, dazed and exhausted.
The system answered for him.
{Ding!}
{First Quest Completed}
{Rewards will now be distributed…}
__
{A/N}
Hey guys! Just wanted to apologise in advance. In case you find some of the words or tone offensive, then I'm really sorry. Like I said, this is my first attempt at writing a novel and a harem at that.
So I'm so sorry for any inconveniences. So long guys!✌️☺️