Chapter 14: Remnants of the Past
------ October 13th 2024 Friday
Ain woke to the familiar, comforting sensation of the system's presence in his mind. He blinked, groggily pushing himself out of bed and rubbing his eyes, as the warm sunlight filtered through the window of his modest room. It was still early, but the day's challenges already loomed large. He could feel it—the pressure, the expectations that were slowly taking root in his heart.
With a deep breath, Ain reached out, mentally invoking the status screen. The familiar window popped up, its data filling the air around him like an invisible hologram. His eyes darted across the details, like a soldier inspecting his gear before heading into battle.
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Status Update:
Name: Ain Lalder
Age: 14 (Middle Schooler)
Class: Time-Travelled Fighter: Intermediate Novice Boxer
Martial Level: 3
---
Attributes:
Strength: 8.5/15 (+2 from system rewards)
Speed: 10/15 (+2 from Combat Power)
Endurance: 10/15 (+1 from Stamina Management and +1 from combat power)
Stamina: 10/15 (+1 from Daily Quest)
Combat power: 11/15
Charm: 9/15 ( Can be considered a 7)
Fighting Potential: 13/15 (+7 from System Rewards)
Boxing Points: 3
Note: It takes 3 boxing points to increase an attribute
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Combat Power: 8.0
Reflects synergy of Accuracy, Strength, and Experience. Enhanced through Stamina Management and Combat Power synergy.
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Skills:
Time's Embrace: Advanced ☆☆☆☆
Unfold♤¿
Boxing Techniques: Intermediate ☆☆☆
Unfold♤¿
Guard Break (E rank): Novice ☆☆
Unfold♤¿
Improvised Combat (D rank): Novice ☆☆
Unfold♤¿
Last Stand (B rank): Unlocked
Unfold♤¿
Unused skills:
Boxing Footwork(C Rank)
Fold♤¿
>Description: This skill grants the user enhanced agility, precise movement, and the ability to execute professional-level boxing techniques, such as quick pivots, sidesteps, and defensive maneuvers. It increases evasion and balance, enabling the user to outmaneuver opponents effectively in close-quarters combat.
Activation Cost: Moderate stamina drain.
Effect:
Boosts agility and reflexes temporarily.
Enhances ability to dodge and counterattack.
Provides precise movement even under pressure.
Improves foot positioning, reducing openings in defense.
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●CAUTION
Adrenaline Surge Effect:
When using a C-Rank or higher skill for the first time, the user will experience:
1. Increased Stamina Drain: The skill's activation during an adrenaline-fueled state will push the body beyond its normal limits, potentially leading to exhaustion after use.
2. Overexertion Consequences: After adrenaline fades, the user could experience heavy fatigue, reduced mobility, or even collapse depending on their base stamina and endurance levels.
3. Potential Overload: The sudden surge of power might temporarily destabilize their control, leading to unintentional over-commitment in movements or missteps
System Notes:
Fighters with higher Combat Power will generally win against weaker opponents.
Tracker's Intuition grants heightened awareness of hidden threats, alerting the user to nearby bloodlust or aggressive intentions within a 20-meter radius.
---
Ain sat there for a few moments, mentally running through the stats again. The numbers were a far cry from where he had started. In his past life, he had been weak, even invisible. Back then, his fighting skills barely existed beyond instinctive flailing, and his body was frail. Now, however, he had something real to work with. The feeling of the system's power pulsed through his veins, like an electric current.
He was still a long way from his ideal self, but the difference was undeniable. He wasn't the kid who had been picked on anymore. He wasn't the kid who could barely hold his own in a fight. And he definitely wasn't the same loser who had crawled through life, barely scraping by.
In this new life, Ain had control. It wasn't just the combat power or the skills he had acquired. It was the confidence, the belief in himself that had been so absent before.
"I'm not the same," he whispered under his breath, and for the first time, the words felt true.
Ain closed the status screen and stood up, stretching as he looked out the window mentally noting to test out boxing footwork next time during training.
---
The School Day Begins
After taking a quick shower, Ain put on his school uniform. It fit him a little better now than it had before, the fabric more comfortable as his body had grown into it over time. He smiled faintly, recalling the day he had first worn the uniform. It had been a momentous day, one he could never forget.
It was the day he received his scholarship for the school's writing program. He had worked hard for it, not only for the chance to improve but because it gave him the one thing he had always been denied: a place of value. It was a surreal experience, stepping into the school with the uniform for the first time. It had been a mark of his transformation.
But now, with the passage of time, the uniform no longer felt like a symbol of desperation. It was a symbol of his potential. He was no longer the timid, shy kid who couldn't even stand up for himself. Now, Ain was someone who could take charge.
The free school bus was waiting outside as usual, and Ain felt a strange sense of nostalgia as he walked out of the house. The bus wasn't a luxury—it was a necessity—but it had been a lifeline. It had allowed him to go to school, to access the resources and training that were slowly pushing him toward something greater.
The sound of the bus's engine roared to life as he climbed aboard. Inside, the usual chaos of students talking, joking, and playing on their phones filled the air. Ain found a seat near the back, away from the noise, and closed his eyes for a moment, letting the soft hum of the bus's engine soothe him.
Ain sitting on his chair, graudally felt something different. There was a strange sense of tension in the air, as if everyone were on edge.
And that's when he saw him.
Dylan.
Dylan was someone Ain recognized, not from his current life but from the past. In his previous life, Dylan had been one of the more prominent bullies. He had been a regular fixture in the school's pecking order, always surrounded by friends who fueled his arrogance. Dylan wasn't the type to get his hands dirty with petty bullying. No, he was far too clever for that. He used manipulation and the influence of his friends to torment others from the shadows. Ain had been one of those targets.
But now, as they sat across from each other in the slightly crowded bus, there was no recognition in Dylan's eyes. Ain realized that the timeline had shifted so much that this version of Dylan had no idea who he was. This Dylan hadn't tormented him before; their paths hadn't crossed in the same way.
Ain studied him for a moment, noticing the slight bulge of muscles in Dylan's arms and the confident swagger with which he walked. This was the 9th ranked fighter at the school, someone who had gained a certain reputation for his prowess in both sports and fighting. Ain couldn't help but think about the strength ranking system that jack had implemented, a system that was both a source of pride and a mark of division.
Ain wasn't yet high on the rankings, but from what he could tell, Dylan was definitely top-tier. His combat power was higher than Ain's by a considerable margin.
"Dylan," Ain muttered to himself, recalling the story he had heard in his first few weeks at the school in his previous time line. Dylan had once walked around bragging about how he could beat anyone—he even claimed he could beat Jack Stanford, the strongest student in the school .
Jack had heard about Dylan's challenge, and in his usual cold manner, he had accepted. Dylan's arrogance had led him to believe he could take on Jack, but he had learned a harsh lesson that day.
Jack had easily taken him down in front of a large crowd of students, bleeding him with a single strike before calmly explaining that people should know their place. It wasn't just that Dylan was weak—it was that Jack was untouchable. That fight had marked the beginning of the school's current strength-ranking system, a system that Jack had used to solidify his dominance over everyone.
Ain had been fascinated by the way Jack handled things before he started getting bullied by him. He had been weak then—so low on the rankings that no one even bothered to notice him. But now, after the time travel, Ain had made significant progress. He estimated that he should at least be in the top 30 in the school now, and in his class, maybe even in the top 5 when Jack makes it.
He glanced back at Dylan, sizing him up. It was strange, seeing him from this new perspective. Ain's progress felt like a personal victory, and the future felt full of potential.
But there was something else: Jack was in a different class than Ain. They weren't direct competitors—yet. Ain had often wondered how their paths might cross again, and what would happen when they did.
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The Twist of Fate
Just as Ain was lost in his thoughts, Dylan turned his gaze toward him, his eyes narrowing as if sizing him up as well. Ain sat still, pretending not to notice, but something in the air shifted. A low, dangerous hum of energy emanated from Dylan's direction—Tracker's Intuition kicked in, alerting him to the subtle change.
Dylan, without a word, made his way toward Ain, pushing through the students who were still crowded in the bus trying to find a seat. Ain's body tensed instinctively, ready for anything. The last time he had been targeted like this, it had been a battle for survival. But now, with the power at his disposal, Ain felt different.
Dylan stopped a few feet away, his eyes filled with contempt.