Jolene's boyfriend rushed to her side, his features expressed concern, but John waged there was something else hidden in the man's gaze, something ominous.
As he arrived next to them, he turned to Jolene, "Jolene! Where were you? Are you alright?"
"Yes, Eric, I'm fine. Maria needs some medication and we went out to get it."
As Jolene spoke, John's mind wandered back to their high school days. Those were some of the toughest times of his life, and it was all thanks to this man - Eric.
Eric was the son of a powerful local politician and businessman. His father had pampered him beyond belief, and Eric was someone who craved constant excitement. When sports and video games no longer satisfied his hunger for thrills, he turned to more nefarious pursuits...
And John became his favourite victim.
It was the first day of high school for John and all the first-years around him. They were gathered around the courtyard where the school's principal was giving his usual welcome speech. Despite his circumstances, John wore a smile, like he always used to do, but little did he know his life was about to spiral out of control.
The students were lined up in rows and a brown-haired boy stood absentmindedly a few rows away from John. The boy's gaze was blank but as if something had clicked inside him, he began to survey the courtyard, scanning all of his peer's faces, and then, his gaze landed on John.
He scrutinized every feature of John's face and his lips curled into a smile. John only learned this much later, but Eric had chosen him at random. He was chosen within an hour of their first day of school to be Eric' entertainment.
Later that day, during recess, Eric was sitting on a bench with two other boys. Eric and the boys approached John who was sitting by himself eating a sandwich.
John spotted them, his smile beaming as usual, but his heart sank when one of the boys slapped the sandwich out of his hands and fell to the floor. John tried to pick the sandwich back up. He wasn't one to frown at something like this, there were times he had no choice but to eat much worse.
But the boys weren't content with that. They remained silent, and Eric, wearing only a sinister smile, watched as the two others lunged at John.
As the blows and kicks rained down upon him, John's young mind raced. He didn't understand why these boys were doing this to him. He thought they were here to make friends, to enjoy the new experience of high school. His trust in the goodness of people had yet to be marred by the harsh realities of the world.
As the punches and kicks landed with increasing force, John's body writhed in pain. His thoughts wandering, he wondered how anyone could be so cruel, so callous. Why had he been chosen as the target for their amusement?
He didn't cry out, didn't beg for mercy. Instead, he clung to his inner resilience, a determination to endure, to stand his ground in the face of this unexplained brutality. The scuffling continued, the bullies seemingly intent on breaking his spirit.
In those painful moments, the child version of John developed a resolve, a stubborn determination that would serve him well in the years to come. He may not have comprehended it fully at the time, but he was forging the steel of his character, one that would eventually grow strong enough to face any adversity, including the trials of the apocalypse and the challenges that lay ahead.
However, John's high school life would be a living hell before he could fully forge his character. Throughout their high school years, Eric subjected John to a litany of torment. He manipulated others to humiliate John in front of the whole school, set cruel traps and pranks, and even spread malicious rumours about him.
Eric's twisted sense of amusement fuelled a relentless campaign of psychological and physical abuse, all designed to break John's spirit and crush his self-esteem. It was a harrowing period in John's life, marked by cruelty, betrayal, and enduring pain.
Eric's torture had eventually led John to his breaking point, the time he met his mentor.
"John, this is Eric," Jolene introduced, her eyes widening as she observed the intense reaction on John's face. His jaw tightened, and his eyes blazed with a deep, simmering anger as if he could see right through Eric, though Jolene couldn't comprehend the reason behind this sudden change in John.
John snapped out of his stupor and took a deep breath. He turned to Eric and smiled, "fancy seeing you here, Liebermann."
Eric's eyebrows shot up, his voice faltering, "John... Sarack?"
A solitary bead of sweat trickled down Eric's temple. The revelation of John's identity made him nervous. What would Jolene think of him if she knew of what he put John through?
John smiled, revelling in Eric's anxious demeanour. Throughout his life, John had seen Eric as a figure with a dominating demeanour, but he hadn't done anything, yet, and he was already almost trembling in fear. John stepped closer to Jolene, sliding his hand around her waist.
"Eric and I go waaaaay back," John remarked, his voice danced around the words in a teasing rhythm. "We attended the same high school, didn't we, Eric?"
Eric swallowed hard as Jolene's eyes narrowed, sensing the tension in the air. Unaware of John's true intentions, the couple remained fixated on their conversation, oblivious to the lewd gesture John was making by placing his hand at the top of Jolene's ass.
Jolene's buttocks were firm and round, with soft, plump curves that hugged her body perfectly. Her skin was smooth and supple, with a hint of golden warmth that accentuated her natural beauty. John wouldn't waste an opportunity to appreciate her body, more so if it meant doing it under Eric's nose.
As John continued to stare at Jolene's buttocks, he couldn't help but feel a surge of desire. He had begun feeling attracted to Jolene since he received the system's quest, but he had never acted on it until now. He began to mentally undress her, imagining her naked body beneath his hands.
He imagined running his fingers through her long, flowing hair, pulling it back to reveal her neck and shoulders. He imagined tracing his fingertips over her delicate collarbone, feeling the soft skin beneath his touch.
Next, he imagined unbuttoning her blouse, revealing her lacy bra. He imagined cupping her breasts in his hands, feeling the firmness of her nipples against his palms. He imagined pinching and tweaking her sensitive buds, watching as they pebbled under his touch.
Finally, he imagined slipping his hand into her pants, feeling the heat of her bare skin against his fingertips. He imagined pulling her pants down, revealing her bare ass, and bending her over his knee. He imagined running his hands over her curves, feeling the softness of her flesh against his palms.
As he continued to imagine these fantasies, John couldn't help but feel a growing sense of urgency. He wanted Jolene, and he wanted her now. Just then, the system's notification chimed:
[Revenge NTR]
[Quest: Get revenge on your childhood tormentor by having sexual intercourse with his girlfriend.]
[Rewards: Strength Points. The number of Strength Points rewarded is relative to the performance and outcome of the quest.]
John's heart raced as he read the message. This was his chance to get back at Eric, the boy who had tormented him throughout high school. With renewed determination, John set out to complete the quest and claim his rewards.