Chapter 3: Awakening
Darkness.
Nick felt like he was floating in an endless void. The pain in his body was distant, like a fading echo. His thoughts were sluggish, his mind teetering between consciousness and oblivion.
Then, a voice—cold and mechanical—rang through the emptiness.
[SYSTEM ACTIVATED.]
Nick's eyes snapped open.
Suddenly, everything was sharp. His senses exploded with clarity—he could feel every inch of his battered body, hear the faintest rustling of leaves, and even see the subtle shifts in Jason's stance as he stood over him.
[Welcome, User. Initializing Emergency Quest.]
A translucent screen flashed before his eyes.
[EMERGENCY QUEST: SURVIVE]
Objective: Defeat your opponent or escape.
Rewards: Unlock system features.
Failure: Death.
Nick barely had time to process what he was seeing before Jason's voice snapped him back to reality.
"Tch. Still breathing?" Jason scoffed, wiping his blade against his sleeve. "Guess I didn't stab you deep enough."
Nick's breathing was ragged, but his mind felt strangely... calm.
Something was different.
He felt stronger.
Jason sighed and turned away. "Let's go," he muttered to his lackeys. "He'll learn his lesson—"
Nick moved.
Faster than he ever had before.
In an instant, he was on his feet, pain forgotten. Jason barely had time to react before Nick's fist slammed into his jaw.
The impact sent Jason stumbling back, eyes wide in shock.
"What the—?!"
Nick didn't stop. His body moved on instinct, like he'd been fighting his whole life.
Another punch—clean, precise—struck Jason in the gut. He doubled over, gasping.
Jain, who had been watching in stunned silence, finally snapped out of it. "Holy shit, Nick!"
Jason's lackeys hesitated, exchanging nervous glances. This wasn't the same Nick they had beaten down moments ago.
Jason growled, wiping his mouth. "You little—"
He lunged, swinging the knife.
Nick's body reacted before his brain even processed the attack.
He sidestepped.
Jason's blade missed by mere inches.
Then, as Jason overextended, Nick grabbed his wrist and twisted.
Jason screamed as the knife clattered to the ground.
Nick's eyes locked onto him.
For the first time, Jason looked afraid.
Nick didn't hesitate. He drove his knee into Jason's ribs, sending him crashing to the pavement.
A system notification popped up in his vision.
[Quest Completed: Survive]
Rewards Unlocked: Status Window, Basic Combat Boost]
Nick's breathing was heavy, but his body felt alive.
Jason groaned, struggling to get up. His eyes burned with humiliation. "You... you bastard..."
Nick stepped forward, towering over him. His voice was calm but firm.
"This is over," he said. "Stay away from me. And stay away from Sarah."
Jason clenched his fists, but he didn't argue. He knew he had lost.
Jain let out a low whistle. "Damn, Nick. I don't know what the hell just happened, but that was insane."
Nick exhaled, the adrenaline starting to fade. His mind was racing. What was this system? Why did it suddenly appear now?
But one thing was
certain—
Everything had changed.
End of Chapter 3.