Josh was still clutching his face, stumbled back a bit, Ryan then slowly turned to Amit.
Amit's eyes were smudged in utter shock. "Y-You…" Amit stumbled as he spoke, took one step back. "What the hell was that, how the fuck did you-"
Ryan didn't even waste another second. He stepped forward, planted his heel into the dirt as he launched a clean, swift jab straight to Amit's jaw.
'Just like the system taught him before, went straight in. There were no kind of inaccurate movements.'
CRACK.
Amit's head snapped with a loud bang, his eyes rolled up as he dropped on the ground like a sack of potatoes.
He fell into the state of unconsciousness.
Even Sophia, who had been casually watching all of it with a smirk on her face, took one step backward. Her cigarette slipped out of her fingers.
Josh growled. "You think this is over, you piece of shit?"
Ryan turned just in time to see Josh laughing at him as he stood back up from ground.
Josh then took a quick dash towards Ryan.
Ryan was not able to react in time to it. 'Shit-'
BAM!
The knee struck Ryan straight to his ribs. Pain started to explode in his lungs like a balloon popped with a needle.
He fell on the ground, panting for oxygen. Vision started getting blurry as his palms scraped some of the gravel from the ground.
But something was different, the pain was still there—Raw, stingy—but it was not as overwhelming as before.
[DING! Host has met physical threshold for strength pill consumption.]
[Use Strength Pill? Y/N]
'It's Now or Never…'
'Yes..' He replied back to system.
[DING! Strength Pill consumed. Processing...]
[Searing pain incoming. Hold on, Host.]
Suddenly, it started taking effect as Ryan felt immense pain in his muscles.
His body screamed for help, muscles clenched and spasmed. It felt like every bone was being torn apart and rebuilt at the same time.
He bit down on his tongue to avoid screaming out loud, a metallic taste filled his mouth.
[Congratulations. Strength increased to: D+ Rank]
[+4 kg fat burned | Current weight: 82 kg]
[Hidden Stat Bonus: +5% Endurance]
Josh didn't notice what had just happened, he was already swinging his fists again.
Ryan rolled back, the punch missed him by an inch. Crashing into the ground next to him, it left the impact on the gravel as it sank a bit in.
Ryan then sprang up, his footwork felt faster now, arms felt lighter, vision got sharper.
Josh turned, surprised by sudden change in Ryan's footwork.
Ryan ducked the next punch, pivoted to the other side and launched a powerful jab—then another—then another one to the ribs.
Josh groaned, Ryan didn't stop hitting him.
He gritted his teeth, raised his fist back up, and slammed it into Josh's face with all the force of his new strength could muster.
Josh fell on the ground, landed on his back.
"OH MY GOD!"
"WHAT THE FUCK?!"
"HE KILLED HIM!"
Sophia screamed, stumbling away from the wall. A group of girls who'd been watching the fight from a distance started sprinting towards the main building.
Legs shaking, voice crackling as if they have seen some kind of ghost.
Ryan stood there, panting, body covered in multiple bruises and dirt. Blood trickling down from his mouth, knuckles were torn open.
But he was still standing on his two feet, for the first time in his whole life.
'I did it… I really fucking fought them back, I finally fucking did it…'
'I did it... I really fought back. I fucking did it.'
[DING! Bonus Reward: Willpower +1]
[Skill: Boxing Jab – Mastery Increased: 40%]
Ryan didn't waste any other second, he walked away from the fighting spot on his limping legs.
Walked past multiple unconscious bodies, dropped cigarettes, past the ground where he used to be the one lying on the ground.
This time he left the scene walking, he didn't even look back as if he had no sympathy to show them.
The door to his home creaked open as he collapsed on the floor.
His mom wasn't home, his room was empty and quiet—only the soft humming sound of the fan overhead.
He slowly dropped down to the floor as he lay flat on the cold tiles, arms fully spread out.
He stared at the ceiling.
'So this is what winning feels like… God, it hurts.'
His ribs ached, arms throbbed. Legs felt like they were jelly, but the pain didn't matter.
Not when he compared it to the memory of Amit's shocked face or Josh's broken nose.
Then—
DING-DONG.
'Doorbell?'
Ryan dragged himself up as he made his way to the door while limping on the floor.
A man in the formal black suit handed him a letter. "Ryan West?"
Ryan took his hand out to take the letter. "Y-Yes?"
The man handed over the envelope and walked away without uttering another word.
Ryan tore it open as he scanned the letter, then froze.
TRANSFER NOTICE.
'Effective immediately, student Ryan West is hereby reassigned to Ironvale Secondary due to a disciplinary review concerning a violent incident involving other students.'
His mouth hung open. 'What the actual fuck!?'
[DING!]
[Host, the students you hospitalized have wealthy parents. Consider yourself lucky it ended with just a school transfer.]
[If your name wasn't backed by System Protection Protocol, you'd be in juvie.]
Ryan exhaled slowly, sliding down the wall with the letter in his hand."Of course they're rich." He muttered under his breath.
He tossed the letter aside and stared at the ceiling again, arms crossed behind his head.
He gave a big smirk. 'Fuck it! At least I won, I got a skill move, all those rewards. I lost a lot of weight too.'
He sighed as he thought. 'Let them transfer me. I'll make the next school mine too.'
He closed his eyes, for the first time in his life he slept peacefully.