Neo's punch sailed through the air, heading straight for the first boy's face.
The boy, a short, muscular beast of a teenager who looked and somehow smelled like a bull, saw Neo's attack and smirked, leaning away slightly. He dodged the punch in a masterful display of timing.
Neo's punch didn't even brush his clothes—he managed to dodge it completely!
Undeterred, Neo dashed past the first bully with the momentum of his punch, rapidly approaching the second one.
Of course, his main goal was to escape. He needed to steer the fight towards the door.
Neo reached the second bully and saw the lanky youth cock back his hand. Immediately after, a punch shot towards Neo's jaw so fast it blurred!
Neo relied on his instincts, barely ducking under the blow. In a sudden flash of inspiration, he charged at the youth's gut in an attempt to tackle him down.
Boom!
Neo's shoulder nearly cracked from the impact.
He realised that while the boy might appear thin and slender, his defence was incomparably strong!
Neo's mind suddenly registered a pair of hands around his waist, locking him in place.
There was barely enough time for him to regret his actions before a powerful knee hit him in the gut.
Boom!
Neo's intestines churned. The blow knocked the air out of his lungs, and he gasped from both the pain and shock.
He was flung backwards like a broken kite and crashed to the floor in a heap.
Chester's three goons stared at Neo's crumpled form on the floor, a gleam of anticipation in their eyes.
They were waiting for something...
As expected, Neo sprang up once again and charged at them! Seeing this, the three boys gave a wry smile.
It was indeed mentally exhausting to keep beating a weakling who always sprang back up!
He was like a rubber ball!
Why couldn't he just give up and let them do what they would quickly so they could get it over with? This fool just had to fight back!
A futile attempt!
Indeed, it was mentally exhausting, but also quite amusing!
Neo charged forward and threw another punch, channelling all his frustration and anger into that fist.
After all, Neo was feeling extremely wronged at the moment.
What exactly had he done to warrant such treatment from these boys? Because he had made a girl blush?
Why wouldn't they just leave him alone?
Was that too much to ask? Did they have to bully him just because he was weak?
It was bullshit!
Thud!
Neo's hate-filled punch hit the open palm of the last boy and came to a complete stop.
His full-powered attack couldn't even push the boy's hands back by a few inches?
Neo was enlightened. He was that weak?
The body he had transmigrated into was that weak?!
Bang!
A strong punch hit him in the side of his stomach, right where his kidney was. His eyes widened, and spittle splattered out of his mouth. The pain was unbearable!
Combined with the pain in his chest, he felt as though he was about to explode!
The next moment, a strong hand coiled around his neck and yanked him downwards.
He was thrown to the floor with such force that his kneecaps broke.
Blood began to pool beneath Neo as he grimaced.
Just as he was about to push himself off the ground and get up once again, a strong force landed on his back, pushing him downwards.
Neo saw Chester's limited edition sneakers in front of him and deduced that he was currently being stepped on!
The height of disregard!
Neo knew he should probably just surrender and allow these people to punish him in silence. But every fibre of his being rejected that thought as if it were worse than death!
In fact, to him, it was worse than death!
He wouldn't let them bully him like this without fighting back! He wouldn't!
Especially since he had done nothing wrong!
Pow!
A hard slap landed on Neo's cheek.
His eyes watered, and his whole face went numb.
His mind buzzed, and he saw stars. That slap had nearly reset his brain and turned him into a fool!
Pow!
Another slap, just as strong as the first, hit his other cheek.
A single tooth flew out of his mouth, and blood pooled in his gums. His head hurt so much he wanted to faint!
Pow!
Pow!
Pow!
Pow!
Pow!
Pow!
It sounded like a deadly parade where the drums were made of flesh and the melodies were mocking snickers.
Neo was lost in space, floating among glittering stars. His mind was dazed, and his face was on fire. Palm imprints covered his skin.
Even his neck hadn't been spared!
When Chester finally had his fill, he waved his hand, and the two boys holding Neo down released him like obedient puppies.
They stared at him with a mixture of pity and uncertainty. They were still young, after all. The oldest among them wasn't even fifteen!
A sight like this had already crossed the limits of what they could tolerate, and to them, it was beginning to feel extreme.
Yet...
The moment the victim of all this pummelling was released, he sprang forward like an enraged bull and kicked Chester in the balls!
In the balls!
Chester doubled over in pain and squealed like a woman. His unnaturally high-pitched voice made it sound like the screams of a damsel in distress!
Neo had been about to dash away when Chester's hate-filled voice growled, "Get him!"
The three boys, still dazed by Neo's courage and craziness, jolted awake and charged at him. No matter if this boy was crazy or brave, they had to take him down!
_____
Neo lay on the wet tiles of his classroom in silence.
Cleaning bots that regularly patrolled the school were now wiping up his blood that had stained the tiles.
He slowly stood up. His uniform was bloody, and his body was swollen all over. His knees hurt so much that he could barely walk properly, and he was missing a few teeth.
He looked at himself and sighed.
Could he have avoided this?
No, not really. But he could have lessened his wounds considerably.
Had he chosen not to fight back, Chester and his goons would have merely beaten him up a little, mocked and ridiculed him, and then left.
But could he do that?
Again, no.
He couldn't. Neo searched around for his bag and picked it up.
He was filled with so much anger and hatred that he wanted to cry. But at least he wasn't filled with regret as well.
Neo came to a realisation about himself in that moment. He realised that no matter what happened, or where he found himself, he would never lose his fighting spirit!
It was all he had!
It was what made him him!
Just as these thoughts solidified in his mind, all the memories suddenly came flooding back. His eyes widened with understanding as the world around him began to fade away.
He knew at once...
He had passed the Trial of Self!