The three men stumbled forward with ugly smirks plastered on their faces. Their old boots dragged against the dirt, stepping on twigs on the ground.
"Well, well, well," one of them drawled. A small smile appeared on his lips.
"Looks like we've got ourselves a hero."
"Or maybe… a replacement toy." The second one chuckled, showing missing teeth.
"Sorry, I don't swing that way." Leonard tried to joke around, but the three men obviously didn't take it lightly.
The three men stopped dead in their tracks. Their smiles twitched then vanished. For a second, the air went silent, and Leonard somehow regretted opening his mouth at all.
"What the fuck did you just say?" The third one and the tallest one among all, uttered. His eyes narrowed dangerously. His breath reeked of alcohol even from where Leonard stood.
'I wonder where they get the alcohol.' He couldn't help but think.
The one with the missing teeth spat on the ground, his face twisting.
"You think you're funny, huh? Little rat thinks he's a comedian here."
"Yeah, laugh it up," the third one slurred, pointing a crooked finger at Leonard.
"We'll see if you're still cracking jokes when your teeth are scattered all over the dirt!"
They all started cursing at him in unison, their voices overlapping.
"Cocky bastard—"
"I'm gonna break your legs—"
"You fuc—!"
Leonard flinched at the spit and rage flying his way, but he couldn't help himself. His lips curled into a nervous grin.
"Wow, you know how to curse like that in medieval times?"
"SHUT UP!" the tallest one bellowed, stomping forward. His hand shot out as he grabbed Leonard by the collar and yanked him close. The stench of alcohol and sweat slammed into Leonard's nose, making his stomach churn.
'Eww…' Leonard made a face.
"You think you can talk shit to us?" The man's bloodshot eyes glared into his.
Leonard's hand twitched and his heart hammered.
'Oh shit, it's getting serious.'
The missing-teeth man cracked his knuckles and grinned wickedly.
"Let's carve that smile off his face, boys."
Leonard swallowed. Hard. He forced a laughter on his lips, his voice cracking as it escaped his throat.
"You know… uh… maybe we can talk this out"
The hand gripping his collar tightened.
"Too late for that, ugly boy."
Leonard blinked, stunned.
"Ugly boy?"
Of all the things they could've said, that was the one that stung.
"Excuse me?" His face twisted.
Before he could protest further, a fist slammed into his stomach. The air burst out of him in one sharp gasp.
"Ughh—!" Leonard doubled over, pain exploding through his gut. The man's boot followed next, kicking him to the side like a rag doll. He crashed onto the dirt, his body rolling until he smacked against a tree root.
Groaning, Leonard clutched his stomach.
'Holy shit, I think my intestines just saw heaven.'
"So pathetic." The tallest thug spat at the ground near him. "Not even worth the effort."
The three turned away from him, dismissing him entirely. They laughed and cheered at each other before walking back to the trembling woman, who couldn't run away, as she was already beaten up.
She knew that running away would just put her at more risk.
The woman shrank against the tree, tears streaming down her cheeks. Her cries grew louder as their shadows fell over her again.
The missing-teeth man grabbed her chin roughly, tilting her face up.
"C'mon, sweetheart. Smile for us."
"Or you can cry louder too, maybe we'll like it more," the second sneered, brushing grimy fingers across her cheek.
"Look at us, motherfucking ugly beggar! This is what happens when you play hero! You rot there on the side while we please ourselves here!" The tallest barked a laugh. "How can a worthless piece of shit like you stop us?"
"…"
That was it.
Leonard froze on the ground, their words echoing in his skull.
'Ugly… beggar?'
His fingers twitched in the dirt. His eyes narrowed. Heat bubbled up in his chest, not just in light anger, but pure fury.
'Ugly? Fine. I can live with that sometimes. But beggar? Beggar?! Do I look like I'm wearing rags here? I've got pride, dammit! Pride! Who the hell do they think they are?!'
[Ding!]
[Help from the System is here to save the face of the Host.]
– All pain and fatigue on the Host's body have been erased.
– Body condition boosted to peak form.
– Basic Combat Knowledge has been provided.
[Temporary Buff Activated.]
The system's notification flashed across his vision like an angel. Just like that, something surged through him. There was like fire rushing into his veins, steadying his legs, and sharpening his instincts.
"Hell yeah!"
Leonard pushed himself up with a grunt. His eyes locked onto the three men.
"You know…" He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, his voice was low and trembling with fury.
"You guys just made the biggest mistake of your lives."
And then, before he could even think twice, Leonard launched forward. His body moved faster and sharper than before as if it suddenly kn how to fight.
He barreled toward them, teeth gritted, every ounce of rage and pride behind his swing as he crashed into the nearest thug.
"The one thing I hate the most…" he roared out loud, veins standing out on his neck, "is being called a beggar!"
His hand shot into his pocket, fingers wrapping around the cold body of the dagger he had cursed earlier. With a snarl, he took it out of his pocket, the steel glinting under the faint moonlight.
"I was a fucking millionaire, you motherfuckers!"
He lunged forward with a speed that even he was surprised to have. The blade flashed as he slashed at the tallest thug. The man was forced to stumble back, his arms instinctively raised in defense.
The other two staggered in confusion; their drunken smirks disappeared in an instant.
"W-what the hell?!" the missing-teeth thug gasped, clutching his face.
"Shit, he's fast—!" the second one also cursed, trying to run back.
But Leonard didn't stop.
He felt his muscles burn, not with pain but with power. Each movement from his body came naturally, like his body already knew the flow of combat. His grip on the dagger was firm, and he swung it in the air as if he had been doing it all his life.
The three thugs, who were still half-drunk, were too stunned to react.
The "pathetic beggar" they had kicked aside just moments ago now stood tall, with dagger in his hand. His eyes burned with a mad fury that made them flinch.
Leonard sneered, advancing step by step.
"Beggar, huh? I'll show you a beggar who'll cut your asses!"