The days that followed Sandra's humiliation were anything but quiet.
Whispers swept through Sue City University like wildfire:
"Did you hear Sandra begged Jackim to take her back?"
"No way. She dumped him back then for Bryan. Why would she crawl back now?"
"Because Jackim is a god now, bro. Villas, cars, money. He's out of Bryan's league."
"And he rejected her cold. She cried in public!"
By the third day, the rumor wasn't a rumor anymore—it was fact carved into the social hierarchy of the campus. Sandra's once perfect image cracked, Bryan's pride shredded, and Jackim's name grew heavier, more untouchable, like a crown he hadn't even bothered to wear yet.
But the crown came with enemies.
---
Bryan sat in his father's glass-walled office, jaw tight, fists clenched. His father, Mr. Muturi, a man in his fifties with sharp eyes and the aura of money and menace, listened quietly as Bryan vented.
"That bastard humiliated me, Dad. He embarrassed me in front of the whole school, stole Lina's attention, and now Sandra—Sandra—" His voice broke with rage. "She begged him back. ME! Bryan Muturi! Do you know how that looks?"
His father steepled his fingers. "And what do you intend to do?"
Bryan leaned forward. "Destroy him. If he wants to play god, let him face hell first. I've arranged something. An underground fight. Tonight."
A faint smile tugged at Mr. Muturi's lips. "Be careful, son. Men who rise quickly often fall just as quickly—but only if you strike hard enough."
Bryan's eyes glowed with malice. "Don't worry. By tonight, Jackim will be begging for mercy."
---
Back on campus, Jackim felt the ripple before it even reached him. The System hummed softly in his mind, a quiet warning.
Kelvin burst into the dorm, panting. "Bro—you're not gonna believe this. Bryan's planning something. I heard from a reliable source. He's invited some dangerous people to the underground fighting ring tonight. They want you to show up. Rumor is, if you don't, they'll spread that you're a coward."
Jackim's eyes narrowed. "Where?"
Kelvin hesitated. "Old industrial zone. Midnight. But bro, listen—this isn't some student fistfight. These guys are trained. Some are ex-street fighters. They don't play fair. They break bones for fun."
Jackim rose slowly, his tall frame casting a long shadow across the dorm. His voice was calm, but steel hid beneath.
"Then it's time they learn what I've become."
The System's chime rang out:
[New Main Quest: Defeat Bryan's Fighters.]
[Reward: Martial Arts Lv. 4 + $1,000,000.]
Jackim's pulse didn't quicken. He only smiled.
---
Midnight.
The old industrial zone was alive with shadows and neon lights. The underground fight club was hidden beneath a warehouse, its walls covered in graffiti, its floors vibrating with the roar of the crowd. Smoke filled the air, mixing with the scent of sweat, blood, and cheap liquor.
Jackim and Kelvin arrived quietly. Kelvin was trembling, eyes darting nervously. "Bro… this is insane. Look at those guys."
Fighters warmed up in the ring: massive men with scars across their torsos, tattoos crawling up their arms, knuckles wrapped tight. One slammed his fist into a sandbag, splitting it open with a single punch. Another cracked his neck, grinning with sharp teeth.
The crowd jeered and laughed, drunk with bloodlust.
And at the far end, in a VIP seat, Bryan lounged in a designer jacket, flanked by Sandra and his crew. He sipped whiskey slowly, smirk curling as his eyes locked on Jackim.
"Well, well," Bryan drawled. "The great Jackim actually showed. Perfect. Now the fun begins."
---
The first fight was quick. A wiry man with lightning reflexes faced off against a giant nearly twice his size. The wiry man ducked, dodged, landed clean strikes—and within minutes, the giant collapsed.
The crowd roared.
Bryan's smirk widened. "Your turn, Jackim. Step into the ring."
Kelvin grabbed Jackim's arm. "Bro, don't. They're killers. This is a trap."
Jackim gently pried his hand away. His gaze was calm, unreadable. "Every trap is an opportunity."
He stepped into the ring. The lights blazed down on him, shadows dancing across his face. Whispers surged through the crowd.
"That's him? He doesn't look like a fighter."
"Too clean. Too calm. He'll break in seconds."
"Rich boys shouldn't play with blood."
The announcer grinned wickedly. "Ladies and gentlemen, tonight we have a special challenger! Fresh meat! Let's see if he survives."
The cage door slammed shut.
Jackim's opponent entered: a hulking man with a shaved head, muscles bulging, eyes full of hunger. He cracked his knuckles and laughed. "Pretty boy, I'll break your face first, then your bones."
Jackim tilted his head slightly. "Try."
---
The bell rang.
The brute charged, fist like a hammer. The crowd gasped—
Jackim moved.
Smooth. Effortless. His body flowed like water, Martial Arts Lv. 3 guiding every motion. He sidestepped, his hand striking the brute's ribs with surgical precision. Crack.
The man roared in pain but swung again, wild, desperate. Jackim ducked low, pivoted, and slammed his elbow into the man's temple. The giant stumbled, dazed.
Gasps rippled through the crowd.
Jackim didn't hesitate. He drove his knee into the brute's chest—once, twice—then finished with a sharp palm strike to the throat.
The man crumpled.
Silence.
Then the arena erupted into deafening cheers.
"Impossible!"
"That was surgical!"
"Who the hell is this guy?"
Bryan's smirk faltered. His whiskey glass trembled. Sandra's lips parted, her eyes wide with awe and disbelief.
Jackim stood tall in the ring, calm as ever, not a bead of sweat on his forehead.
He looked directly at Bryan, voice carrying across the arena.
"Send the next one."
---
Bryan's face twisted. He snapped his fingers. Another fighter entered—the wiry man who had just won.
Fast, deadly, ruthless.
The fight was faster this time. The wiry man struck like lightning, fists blurring. The crowd gasped at his speed.
But Jackim was faster. His new reflexes burned like fire in his veins. He dodged every strike, each movement effortless, his counters sharper, cleaner.
A final spinning kick sent the wiry man sprawling unconscious across the floor.
Two fights. Two wins. Untouched.
The crowd lost its mind.
Jackim's eyes locked on Bryan again. Cold. Merciless.
"This all you have?"
---
The System chimed.
[Quest Progress: 80% Complete.]
Bryan's fury exploded. He stood, pointing at Jackim. "Enough games! Bring out the beast!"
The cage doors creaked.
Out stepped a monster of a man, taller than Jackim, scarred from head to toe, his aura radiating pure violence. He was an ex-prison fighter, infamous for breaking bones in seconds.
The crowd hushed in anticipation.
Jackim only smiled faintly.
The System's voice purred:
[Boost Activated: Martial Arts Lv. 4 Unlocked.]
Strength surged through him, sharper, deadlier, unstoppable.
The beast roared and charged.
And Jackim moved like a shadow.
--