[New Skill Learned: (D-Tier) Analyze!] ⓘ
Even as the crowd of students went nuts over the huge upset in the duel, Mako just stared at the notifications displayed in front of him.
Mako immediately opened the system interface and quickly went over the Skills tab to find that Analyze was also under the unique skills, and it was shaded blue in color as it represented that it was a D-tier skill, which was huge for Mako.
Wasting no time, Mako quickly opened the information of this particular skill.
(NEW!) [(D-Tier) Analyze] ⓘ (Level 1)
[Upgradable!] ⓘ
[Analyze is an ocular ability that, when activated, causes the user's eyes to glow faint red. While active, the user gains the ability to scan and retrieve information about objects up to a limit. Additionally, the skill can also display the profile and vital stats of any person up to a limit.
An amazing skill that would allow Mako to be always one step ahead of his enemies as he could now find out their information before the fight even began.
Beneath the Analyze skill, a new icon that read "Upgradable" caught Mako's attention. He wasn't sure if this meant the skill would simply improve or if it could transform into something entirely new. The only way to find out was to check its description.
[Upgradable!] ⓘ
[Skills marked with this icon have the potential to evolve in quality, progressing from F-tier up to A-tier, depending on their inherent growth limit. Each skill starts at a different tier and can only advance to its predetermined cap before reaching its full potential.]
'WOW! That would be really helpful, but I wonder what the upgrade requirements for the Analyze skill will be.' Mako thought, as he still had many questions but the system helped him out with this one.
[(D-Tier) Analyze] ⓘ (Level 1)
[Upgrade requirements: Upgrade Analyze Skill Level to a certain level (unknown), Continuous usage to a certain point (unknown), Acquire Level 8]
[Evolution benefits: Unknown]
Unimpressed by the system's explanation, Mako let out a sigh. 'Not much to go on, but I get the gist. I'll just have to use Analyze whenever I can and push myself to Level 8 as soon as possible.'
Curious to see the skill in action, Mako shifted his gaze back toward Bill, who lay unconscious on the gym floor. As he activated Analyze, a faint red glow flickered in his pupils, signaling the skill had taken effect.
[Analyze]
[Profile: Bill Johnson] (Unconscious)
[Ability: Earth (Level 3)] ⓘ
[Health: 67/140] ⓘ
[Energy: 18/200] ⓘ
[Strength: 25] ⓘ
[Agility: 9] ⓘ
[Perception: 3] ⓘ
[Intelligence: 3] ⓘ
[Mentality: 4] ⓘ
[Stamina: 10] ⓘ
[Charisma: 9] ⓘ
[Fortitude: 15] ⓘ
Mako's eyes widened as he processed the information on Bill's stats. The gap between their attributes, such as Strength and Fortitude, was massive.
Bill was physically superior to Mako in nearly every way. The only reason Mako had managed to win was Bill's lack of perception, which made him unable to see through Mako's Phantom Skills. On top of that, Bill had underestimated him, leaving himself open to mistakes that led to his downfall.
*SWOOSH!*
Mako's thoughts shattered as a biodegradable plastic water bottle came hurling toward his head, thrown by one of the furious students in the crowd.
His perception kicked in, and he sensed the incoming bottle. However, he was too exhausted to react in time, and the bottle landed on his head with a dull thud.
"There's no way Mako won fair and square!" someone in the crowd yelled. "He had to have cheated!"
Similar accusations rippled through the gym, growing louder with each passing second. A wave of frustration and disbelief spread among the students who had lost their bets, their anger now solely directed at Mako.
Before the situation could escalate, the instructor's voice cut through the commotion.
"Someone get the nurse, now!" he barked, kneeling beside Bill, who remained unconscious on the gym floor. His expression darkened as he noticed a trail of blood seeping from a wound on Bill's head. "He's bleeding badly!"
The moment the words left his mouth, the attention in the gym shifted. Gasps filled the air as students, who had just been jeering at Mako, now murmured anxiously about Bill's condition, completely disregarding Mako, who was in an even worse condition with a massive laceration on his left cheek.
Mako, however, expected nothing more from people like them and instead took this as his best chance to leave.
Clenching his fists, he turned around and quietly slipped through the crowd, keeping his head low. The dim lighting of the gym worked in his favor, masking his quiet escape as students rushed toward Bill instead.
Mako's entire body ached; his left cheek was still bleeding, and his limbs felt heavy with exhaustion. If the students turned their focus back on him, there was no telling what they might do so he forced himself to keep moving and quickly make his way toward the exit.
The reality of his victory was settling in. He had won. He had actually beaten Bill.
***********
[4:03 PM]
Mako was smiling as he slowly walked back home from his school.
He was stuffing his face with snacks he had bought from a vending machine to replenish his energy, which was dangerously close to zero again.
As he slowly made his way back home, Mako made an unusual stop at the bakery.
Mako always worked the night shift, but before he left today, Sir Derek had stopped him and asked him to visit the bakery on his way back from school.
Mako was puzzled by Sir Derek's strange request at first, but he chose to comply. After all, Derek had been surprisingly kind to him throughout the entire shift and had even let him leave early.
************
*RING!*
The backdoor bell rang as Mako entered through the worker's entrance. He then made his way to the small office next to the kitchen where Sir Derek mostly worked.
Arriving in his little office, Mako noticed that Sir Derek was calmly napping on his big retractable leather chair.
'Running a 24/7 bakery must be exhausting. You have to grab any chance to rest whenever you can.' Mako thought.
He decided to pull up a chair and wait until Sir Derek woke up so that he wouldn't disturb him in his sleep.
However, as soon as Mako pulled the chair, the chair sliding on the marble tile floor made a screeching sound, which was enough to wake Sir Derek up.
"Huh? My boy, it's really you..." Sir Derek asked in a very unusual tone.
"What happened, Sir Derek? Of course, it's me... Why would you think otherwise?" Mako replied, slightly confused.
Before any more words were exchanged, Sir Derek started crying. He hugged Mako tightly while continuously chanting," THANK GOD!"
After taking a deep breath to compose himself, Sir Derek finally spoke.
"I heard about your fight," he admitted. "Some students were in here talking about what kind of bets they would be making, and I overheard them mentioning that someone named Bill might actually try to kill you."
Mako stiffened at the words. He had no idea that Sir Derek knew anything about the fight, let alone Bill's murderous intent.
"I didn't think much of it at first," Sir Derek continued. "Kids talk big all the time, but something about the way they said it… I could tell they meant it. It made me uneasy, but I figured it was just high school drama. You know how kids are talking tough and making threats but they don't actually have the guts to follow through on."
Mako stayed silent, listening intently as Sir Derek sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.
"I thought you had just gotten into a big fight and had a rough day ahead of you, so I decided to give you a break and take it easy on the shift."
"But then, after you left early, some of the regulars from your school came in for breakfast. They were still buzzing about the fight, laughing and boasting about how Bill was going to tear you apart. That's when I heard it again about how he wasn't just planning to humiliate you but actually kill you."
Sir Derek's grip tightened on the counter as his jaw clenched. "That's when it hit me. It wasn't just talk. They really believed it. And by the time I figured that out, it was already too late to do anything." He exhaled sharply, shaking his head in frustration. "I thought I'd never see you again."
Mako shifted uncomfortably. He wasn't sure how to respond. He had spent so long thinking no one cared, yet here was Sir Derek, someone he was barely close with, looking relieved to see him alive.
Sir Derek paused for a moment as he scanned Mako's injuries a bit more carefully. His bruised arms, the swelling on his face, and the deep gash on his cheek were too unbearable for Sir Derek to look at for long. He let out a long sigh, shaking his head.
"Kid, you really took a beating," he muttered, his voice laced with concern. "I don't know what kind of grudge that bastard had against you, but whatever it was, it wasn't worth your life."
He crossed his arms, his expression firm but understanding. "Defeat is much better than ending up in a coffin, Mako. I am happy that you survived that punishment, but now you need to take it easy for a few days and get some rest."
Sir Derek placed a firm but gentle hand on Mako's shoulder. "Take a few days off, alright? You need to rest and let your body heal. You've been through enough..."
Mako nodded slowly. "But Sir Derek... I won..."
Sir Derek was about to say something when, all of a sudden, he froze midway. He blinked, completely taken aback by what Mako had just said. His mouth opened slightly, but no words came out. He stared at Mako as if he had just grown a second head.
"You... won?" he repeated, his voice rising in sheer disbelief. He slammed his hands against the table as he leaned forward. "Are you messing with me, kid?! You... against that brute of a bastard... actually won?"
Mako nodded, exhausted but unable to stop the small smirk from tugging at the corner of his lips.
Sir Derek let out a loud, stunned laugh, half in disbelief and half completely amazed. "You're shitting me! No, seriously, please tell me you're shitting me!" He ran both hands through his head, pacing in circles within the tiny office. "I thought maybe you'd survive by some miracle, but winning?!"
He suddenly pointed a shaky finger at Mako, his expression wild with emotion. "That means... Oh, for hell's sake! The bets! The school! The damn students must've lost their damn minds!"
Mako chuckled, rubbing the back of his head. "Yeah… they weren't exactly thrilled about it."
"Of course, they wouldn't! They all bet against you!" Sir Derek shouted, throwing his arms in the air. "Damn fools! I should've put money on you myself! I would've been rich!"
Despite the humor in his words, his eyes shone a sense of pride, relief, and something that almost looked like admiration. His voice softened just a bit. "You really did it, huh? You actually took that bastard down… Damn, kid."
He walked around the counter and placed a firm, fatherly hand on Mako's shoulder. "You're insane, you know that? Absolutely nuts. But damn, I'm proud of you."
Mako exhaled sharply, his exhaustion finally catching up with him. However, that wasn't the only reason he felt lightheaded, as Sir Derek's words hit him deeper than he expected.
It had been so long since Mako felt this kind of love and praise that it almost brought tears to his eyes.
He stepped back, shaking his head with an amused chuckle. "I still can't believe it… You, winning against Bill. Damn. That school's never gonna recover from this one."
Mako let out a breathy laugh, his body aching with every motion. "Yeah… I guess not."
Sir Derek patted him on the shoulder before walking over to a small cabinet. He pulled out a bottle of medium-tier healing pills and shook two into his hand. "Here, take these. They'll help with the pain."
Mako took them gratefully, swallowing them down, and soon, the tension in his muscles started to ease.
After another half-hour of conversations and praise, Mako felt recovered enough to walk home without much trouble. Deciding it was finally time for some much-needed rest, he bid Sir Derek farewell and started to head home.
However, as he turned to leave, Sir Derek suddenly grabbed an envelope and quickly pressed it into Mako's hands.
"It's a gift for my little champion!" he said with a wide grin before finally going back to work.
Mako stared at the envelope for a moment, then smiled softly before heading out the door.
*******************
Today was the day Mako realized how much Sir Derek cared for him and his concern for Mako's well-being. He now viewed Sir Derek in a brand new light as he continued his journey home.
On his way, Mako decided to open the envelope he had been given. After opening it, He had a huge smile on his face.
The envelope contained a card with 100 credits loaded into it. In contrast, Mako earned around 500 credits a month, so it was like getting a big bonus at work.
Mako decided to cash the credits into his own bank account on the way back home as there was an ATM close by.
After a few minutes of walking, he arrived at the ATM and booted up his account. Taking out the card from the envelope, Mako inserted it inside the machine to transfer the money to his main bank account.
{User: Mako Grey}
{Received 100 Credits from account name: Derek Hilton}
{Current Balance: 167,450 Credits}
Withdrawing his card from the machine, Mako was about to leave the ATM when all of a sudden, he realized something.
He rushed back to the ATM and booted up his account again, hoping that maybe his eyes were playing tricks on him.
{User: Mako Grey}
{Current Balance: 167,450 Credits}
"WHAT!!!"
**************************
Author's Note: Hey guys! Universal Power System is one of my favorite projects, and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I have enjoyed writing it. This is my very first work, so expect some amateur writing and a few slips. However, I always try to learn and correct myself so I can create a more coherent narrative. I hope you guys enjoy it. Don't forget to check out my other works!
Come say hi to me on Discord: https://discord.gg/TvjkrdnbE2