With the loud thud of his fist hitting the wall, Yang Feng let out a pained howl, clutching his swollen hand with tears nearly streaming from his eyes.
"System... Didn't you say I have the strength of a mercenary now? Why does it still hurt this much?" he grumbled, his voice filled with frustration. He had expected superhuman power, enough to shatter anything in his path. Instead, he was left nursing his aching fist, realizing the fairy tale might have been just that—a lie.
"Ding-dong~ Host, do you realize how foolish you are? Who in their right mind punches a wall as hard as they can without expecting pain?" the system retorted with mockery, its tone laced with disdain.
Yang Feng glanced at his reddened hand and mumbled, "Well... that does make sense. But I swear, I felt like my power was overflowing!"
At that moment, the bedroom door creaked open. Yang Lianqing stepped in, her petite frame trembling slightly as she clutched her chest. Her wide, concerned eyes darted around the room.
"Yang Feng, what happened in here? That noise scared me half to death—I thought you blew something up!"
"Uh…" Yang Feng's lips twitched. Does she really think I'm capable of exploding things?
Then, her gaze fell on the wall, where a dark, fist-shaped hole now marred its pristine surface. Her delicate jaw dropped slightly, and she pointed with a trembling finger. "Yang Feng... this...?"
He turned, and his eyes widened in shock. "What the… I actually did that?"
Murmuring to himself, Yang Feng began to piece things together. "It's real... This system, it's real…"
His disbelief turned to excitement as the implications of his newfound strength sunk in. If the system is real, I might actually rise to the top of the world!
After brushing off his sister's concerns with a half-baked excuse, Yang Feng returned to his room. Lying on his bed, he stared at the ceiling, heart pounding with exhilaration.
"System, explain all your functions. I need to know what you're capable of."
"Ding-dong—Initiating the beginner's guide."
The system's mechanical voice filled his mind again, detailing its features: "I am the most advanced technology in the universe, capable of…"
Yang Feng's eyelids began to droop as the system droned on in a monotonous tone. That is, until it mentioned, "The system supports a lottery feature. Profession scrolls can be converted into lottery scrolls to spin for prizes. There are five categories: Profession, Special, Skills, Lifestyle, and Technology."
His eyes lit up at the mention of a lottery. "A lottery, huh? This is getting interesting."
"Scrolls are earned by completing system-assigned tasks. The difficulty of the task determines the reward. Naturally, harder tasks yield greater prizes," the system explained.
Yang Feng nodded thoughtfully, realizing he'd have to earn his rewards. Looks like there really isn't such a thing as a free lunch…
The next morning, sunlight streamed into the room, waking Yang Feng. Stretching as he got out of bed, he felt a surge of power coursing through him. Looking at the fist-shaped hole in the wall, a grin spread across his face. It's all real.
After freshening up, he went to the small dining area and found a simple breakfast of soy milk and fried dough sticks left for him by his sister.
Yang Lianqing had already gone to school, as usual. Being a top student, she always left early to squeeze in extra study time.
After breakfast, Yang Feng made his way to the school gates, feeling lighter with every step. His excitement bubbled over as he anticipated what lay ahead. However, his mood quickly shifted when he spotted a group of thugs approaching.
Leading them was none other than Chen Xu, the spoiled rich kid Yang Feng had beaten up days before. His pale complexion hinted at a life of overindulgence, and the posse behind him swaggered with their hands in their pockets, exuding menace.
Yang Feng's heart skipped a beat. He knew Chen Xu's family had considerable influence, and rumors about his misdeeds being covered up by his powerful father were common."Ding-dong—Mission triggered. Profession: Mercenary. Eliminate these small-time thugs within one minute. Reward: One lottery scroll. Failure penalty: The host will be struck by a 100,000-volt shock and permanently disabled."
"What?! One minute? And you'll cripple me if I fail?" Yang Feng's voice rose in disbelief.
The system's cold response followed. "Time remaining: 58 seconds."
"Crap!" Yang Feng gritted his teeth, his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles cracked. He glanced at the group drawing closer. With my mercenary skills, there's no way I'm losing to these clowns.
"Hey, you brat—" Chen Xu barely got a word out before Yang Feng's fist slammed into his face, sending him sprawling to the ground.
The rich kid groaned in pain, but managed to yell, "Get him! Kill this punk!"
The thugs rushed forward, but before Yang Feng could act, a familiar scent of lavender wafted by.
A girl with a high ponytail stepped between him and the thugs, her voice firm but tinged with nervousness. "What are you doing? This is a school! Don't you dare cause trouble here!"
It was Han Shilan, his seatmate of over a year. Yang Feng's chest warmed at her bravery, but he quickly stepped forward, shielding her with his body.
"Leave this to me," he said softly.
Her heart fluttered at his protective gesture, but before she could react, the lead thug sneered. "Oh? And what are you gonna do, little miss?"
Yang Feng's eyes narrowed. The time to act was now.