As Rudra sat in the bustling school cafeteria, the chatter of students blurred into background noise. He poked at his lunch absentmindedly, his thoughts circling the cryptic words of the god he'd met before he arrived in this world.
"This world is more interesting than you think."
The god's statement gnawed at him. Rudra had the memories of life before his previous life memories awakened, and nothing had seemed particularly extraordinary—aside from the tragic car accident that took his parents and left him in the care of his aunt, Kushina. Sure, life was... different, but in a way that felt mundane, not "interesting" in the way a god would mean.
"What could he have meant?" Rudra muttered under his breath.
"What?" Evan asked, looking up from his meticulously packed lunch.
"Nothing," Rudra replied, shaking his head. "Just... thinking about stuff."
He activated his sensory rune discreetly. The world shifted slightly, becoming a strange overlay of pulsing life signatures. Yet, despite its eerie aesthetic, the skill provided no actual insights. No hidden powers, no strange phenomena, no surges of energy—just a faint glow around living beings.
It was frustrating. His rune-based sensory abilities had always worked flawlessly in the game. They could detect enemies through walls, hidden traps, and even treasure chests. Here, though, the sensory rune felt almost useless. The living signatures it picked up were indistinct like this world was void to it.
"Is it that this world doesn't have anything? Or is it that this world's powers operate on a completely different frequency?" Rudra wondered. He sighed, leaning back in his chair.
"What's with the long face?" Joy asked, munching on his burger with unrestrained enthusiasm.
"Just trying to figure something out," Rudra said, glancing at his friends. Then, on a whim, he asked, "Do you guys think aliens exist?"
Evan's eyes lit up, and he adjusted his glasses, slipping into his "nerd mode" instantly. "Statistically speaking, the existence of extraterrestrial life is not only possible but probable. The universe is vast, containing billions of galaxies, each with billions of stars. The likelihood of Earth being the only planet capable of supporting life is astronomically low."
Rudra nodded, though his mind was elsewhere. "What about ghosts? Monsters? Secret societies?"
Evan tilted his head, his analytical mind refusing to indulge in the more fantastical suggestions. "Ghosts are highly unlikely. There's no scientific evidence to support their existence. Monsters could theoretically exist, but they'd have to adhere to the laws of biology and physics, which means they wouldn't be as fantastical as folklore suggests, and ultimately, they are nothing more than hidden animals. As for secret societies, well... those are possible, but the lack of concrete proof makes them speculative at best."
"Wow, you're such a buzzkill," Joy groaned, slamming his burger down on his tray. "Let the guy dream a little, will ya? What if aliens are real? What if there's some government cover-up hiding them from us? Or, better yet, what if there's a whole alien princess out there just waiting for me to rescue her?"
Rudra and Evan exchanged a look.
"You've been watching too much anime," Rudra said flatly.
"And playing too many dating sims," Evan added.
Joy shrugged unapologetically. "Hey, I'm just saying, life's too boring if you don't let your imagination run wild once in a while."
For a moment, Rudra wondered if Joy had a point. His own life will be far from boring since the system has been activated. He knows this world will have something to offer, but this world still feels empty. The sensory rune continued to pulse faintly in the back of his mind, but it offered no clues.
The rest of lunch passed with Evan and Joy diving into a heated debate about their favorite movie franchises and Joy—predictably—steering the conversation back to girls. Rudra tried to engage but found himself distracted.
The god's words echoed again.
"More interesting than you think."
But why?
As the bell rang and they began packing up their lunch box, Rudra made a silent decision. If this world was truly hiding something, he was going to find it. He didn't know where to start, but he'd figure it out.
As the lunch break ended, Rudra walked through the crowded school corridors with Evan and Joy, heading back to class. The buzz of student chatter surrounded them, but Rudra's mind was still preoccupied with the thought of what was "Interesting" about this world.
Suddenly, someone slammed into him, hard. The force barely made Rudra shift, but the other students ricocheted off him like they'd hit a brick wall. The boy staggered back, clutching his face as blood dripped from his nose.
"Ow, what the hell?!" the boy cried, glaring up at Rudra.
Rudra frowned. "Are you okay?"
The boy didn't answer. Before Rudra could react further, the injured student's friend—a lanky guy with a smug expression—walked up, clearly looking for trouble.
"Well, well, look who thinks he's tough," the lanky student sneered, sizing Rudra up. "You got a big tattoo and suddenly think you're a gangster, huh?"
Rudra blinked, confused. "What? No, I—"
"Let's teach him a lesson!" the lanky student declared, cracking his knuckles.
Before Rudra could explain himself, the boy swung his fist. It connected squarely with Rudra's chest... and then stopped.
The lanky boy yelped, pulling his hand back as if he'd punched solid steel. "What the—?!" he exclaimed, clutching his now-bruised knuckles.
His friends, emboldened by their leader's failed attempt, charged in with makeshift weapons—bats, sticks, and even a heavy textbook.
Rudra didn't fight back. He stood still, unsure how to handle the situation. His rune-enhanced body, however, didn't care for restraint. Each punch and swing landed on him with a dull thud, only to backfire spectacularly.
One by one, the attackers dropped their weapons or fell to their knees, groaning in pain:
The boy with the bat stared at the shattered remains of his weapon in disbelief. Another clutched his swollen wrist, mumbling, "It's like hitting a concrete wall..."Even the guy with the textbook looked dazed as he staggered back, his weapon reduced to loose pages.
In less than a minute, the group was panting heavily, clearly defeated without Rudra lifting a finger.
"What... what are you?" one of them muttered, staring at Rudra in awe.
"I—I didn't even do anything!" Rudra said, flustered.
The injured boys exchanged glances, and then, in an almost comical moment of synchronized submission, they all knelt before him.
"You're too strong," their leader wheezed, clutching his ribs. "From now on... you're our boss!"
"What?" Rudra said, stepping back. "No, I don't—"
"You win, boss!" another boy said, bowing his head. "We'll follow you!"
"Long live the boss!" someone shouted from the back of the group, prompting an awkward cheer.
Rudra's confusion only deepened as the crowd of students around them began to murmur, their voices filled with growing excitement.
"Did you hear? Rudra just beat up a whole gang by himself!"
"I heard he didn't even break a sweat!"
"Isn't he the guy with the dragon tattoo? "
"They say he's connected to the mafia!"
"No way! Really?!"
The rumors snowballed with each retelling, growing more absurd by the second. By the time Rudra made it back to class, the entire school seemed to be buzzing with exaggerated tales of his supposed exploits.
Evan and Joy, who had been watching the whole spectacle from the sidelines, walked beside him, looking both impressed and concerned.
"Well," Evan said, pushing his glasses up his nose, "that escalated quickly."
"You're a legend, dude!" Joy said, grinning. "People are already calling you the Dragon Boss!"
"Dragon Boss?" Rudra repeated, horrified. "What the hell is happening?"
Rudra groaned, running a hand through his hair. This can't be happening...
By the end of the day, the "Dragon Boss" rumors had spread like wildfire. Students whispered about his supposed strength, his tattoo, and his "undeniable connections to the underworld." Some claimed he had a hidden lair, while others swore he could take down ten grown men with a single punch.
All Rudra could do was sigh and hope the madness would blow over. Little did he know, this was only the beginning of his bizarre new reputation.