"Hey, hey! Speed it up before I close the gate."
The teacher guarding the gate pointed at a student walking towards the entrance and shouted at him in a hurry.
"Yes, sorry," One of the students outside replied with quite an exhausted face.
He pulled himself and walked past the gate. Nathan Blake, a freshman student stopped himself as he looked at the buildings in the far distance, and subconsciously bit his lower lip.
Going to university was not the best thing he could do in his everyday life, different from what he expected. Who would have imagined that as soon as he went on his first day of being a freshman, the school thugs who were affiliated to one of the university's gang, would already picked him as their outcast?
𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘸.
"What choices do I have..."
If he fought back, not only the students who were affiliated with a gang but the entire gang itself would waste their time just to put their feet on him, resulting in his life getting messed up.
"I just wish this could be over."
Ever since the thugs took an eye on him, he had been doing this senseless wish but until now nothing yet has changed to his 'usual' day.
𝘙𝘐𝘕𝘎!
A few hours passed, Nathan's classes got over in a jiffy and an hour of break was given to them. This was where everything starts.
Like he usually did, or what the gang members also want him to do, he strode towards the school's cafeteria and found a seat there.
"Hey, Nathan."
Looking at the direction of the voice, Liam, his only friend in the school, sat beside and placed his tray of food above the table.
"Hey," Nathan said with a faint smile before eating a chunk of the bread he was holding.
"Why are you still eating bread? Are you a kid?"
Liam frowned at him and suddenly moved his tray in front of Nathan.
"Hey, you don't have to do that. I'm fine with bread."
"What do you mean 'fine with a bread', I can't remember the last time you eat a normal lunch.
"Alright, if you insist, then..."
Nathan gave up his pride and munch an amount of food while casually conversing with Liam.
Shortly after, he stopped himself from eating as he recognized something he didn't want to see.
"Liam, you should probably get out of this seat..."
Nathan spoke without taking his eyes off in a certain direction.
"Hm? What are you talking about...?" Liam tried asking but he soon realized what Liam was staring at.
It was the school thugs who always tried to gang up on Nathan and get his money. He thought that they already left his friend alone.
Liam stared back at Nathan with a slightly furious expression.
"Nathan! Why are you still-"
"Get out of here, now..."
"What? No!"
"I said get out of here..."
Tap.
"Hey, little Nathan. Oh, who's your friend here...?"
Five students spread around Nathan and one of them spoke as if he was the boss.
Nathan gave a tense gaze at the other student who seemed to be trying to do something to his friend.
"Nothing, just leave him alone."
The thug snorted hearing Nathan's half-threat before staring back at Liam again.
"Eh? Oh, it's Liam Keene. The rich governor's son."
He gave a disgusting smile and forcefully sat between the two friends sitting.
"So why are you here? D'you want to join our gang? Or do you want the other way where we beat you? Of course, we will force you enough so your father won't know."
The other students who followed him laughed before them. That's also when the other students in the cafeteria started looking in their direction as they gave a murmuring sound for their silent conversation.
Liam who was getting angered noticed that his friend on the other side was looking at him with a serious face, gesturing him to leave. Having no other choice since the gang members already threatened him, he got up and went to the other table.
"Tch."
"Alright, back to our precious Nathan Blake."
The thug scoffed and soon stared at the bully with a scorning expression.
"So can you give us the money now? Time is gold y' know?"
Nathan looked at him with a slightly angered expression as he became suspicious.
"I'll give you the money... If you promise me you won't do anything to Liam."
"Huh?" The other student was a bit shocked as he heard it directly from Nathan.
"Oi, oi. We've done this for quite a long time now. Shouldn't you be trusting me by now?"
"..."
"But I wonder what will happen to him if I said what he did to the higher-ups?"
After hearing the student, or perhaps the thug's words, Nathan got up from his seat and gave him a furious look.
"You-!"
Thwack!
The thug immediately stood and tightly grabbed his collar as if to stop him from raising his voice.
"Hey. Let's not make any commotions and just give me the money, will you? 10 dollars is not that big from my money bag, ain't it?."
"Huh?"
"What the- Why are you surprised? Are you supposed to resist at this moment... Huh?"
The student got even more annoyed as his money bag doesn't seem to be listening to him.
"Hey, why are you spacing out? Are you scared?"
Hey!
In front of him, Nathan had his mouth agape who's eyes were looking at the empty air.
But although it seemed like it, it's not empty.
[Hello, Cadet.]
"Huh?"
A window was floating in front of him.
[There's no time for introduction.]
He was extremely surprised that it made him stunned and speechless. It was a familiar window that he always saw in some certain mangas or read in certain novels.
[Reporting to you an urgent matter.]
'What the...'
But...
[You have three missions to choose from but only one of them should you accomplish.]
[A penalty will be given if you can't choose a mission within a minute, and if you can't accomplish the chosen mission within a minute!]
[Choose wisely, Cadet!]
[Missions]
1. {Ignore them and silently walk away.}
Rewards: [Straight up getting your ass kicked], [-3 Charm]
2. {Give the 10 dollars to the bullies.}
Rewards: [1 Dollar], [A punch in the face], [A classmate saying that you're really a wimp], [-3 Charm], [-2 Wisdom], [-1 Intelligence]
3. {Refuse to give the 10 dollars to the bully.}
Rewards: [Straight up getting your ass kicked], [+5 Wisdom], [+4 Endurance], [+3 Strength], [+2 Agility], [+1 Intelligence], [+0.5 Charm], [+0.25 Luck], [A classmate saying that what you did was respectable], [A friend saying that you did was great]
Penalties: [A punch in the face], [Straight up getting your ass kicked], [-5 Charm], [-4 Wisdom], [2 Intelligence]
Isn't this a little different from them...?
Hey!
Gulp.
Still surprised by this sudden phenomenon, Nathan tried to divert himself into something else but got to look into the thug's angered face instead.
"I'll punch you in the face if you don't act now-"
"Hey, boss. We're starting to get the people's attention..."
"Yeah, just beat the crap out of this kid."
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA-"
"Stop laughing, dumb ass. The teachers might hear you."
"..." Nathan couldn't decide.
The system's sudden appearance just made Nathan's situation get worse.
[You only got ten seconds to choose, Cadet!]
"Tch. Oi, if you don't give the money in ten seconds, I'm gonna kill you..."
Cold sweat began to pour down from Nathan's face after seeing the system's warning and hearing the thug's threat.
"Oh shit, other students heard you and now they are all into us..."
"Come on, just put a fork into his mouth or something."
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA–"
"Stop, laughing you dumb-ass. The teachers heard you."
"Hah. Okay. Five... Four..."
Nathan bowed his head down and bit his lower lip before slowly opening his mouth as he came to a decision.
"Three... Two..."
He soon stared back at the other student with trembling eyes as he said, "No."
"Huh?"
"I won't give my money."
[Congratulations, Cadet.]
[Mission 3 was accomplished.]
[In 30 seconds, you will straight up getting your ass kicked.]