Chapter 6: More Than Just a Fight
The tension in the hallway was thick. Students whispered among themselves, excited to see another fight after what had happened yesterday.
Jason's smirk widened as he cracked his knuckles. "You really think you can take me and my guys on, Nick? I'll make sure you don't get up this time."
Nick's heartbeat was steady. This was different from before. Yesterday, he had fought with pure instinct and desperation. Now, he had the system.
He glanced at the floating blue screen only he could see.
[QUEST: PROVE YOURSELF]
Objective: Defeat a stronger opponent within 48 hours.
Time Left: 44:15:27
Reward: Combat Instincts (Basic)
No choice but to win.
Jason signaled his lackeys—three guys stepped forward, standing beside him. One of them was a tall, muscular guy named Roy, Jason's right-hand man.
Jain sighed beside Nick. "Man, you really love making things hard for yourself."
Nick smirked. "I'm just tired of watching idiots like him do whatever they want."
Jain chuckled. "Alright, alright. But if you get your ass kicked, I'm not carrying you home."
Jason took a step forward. "Enough talking. Let's go."
The crowd backed up, clearing space in the hallway.
Fight Start
Jason rushed in first, swinging a right hook.
Fast. But Nick was faster.
Nick ducked and countered with a sharp punch to Jason's ribs. Jason grunted but didn't back down, immediately throwing a knee toward Nick's gut.
Nick twisted his body, dodging at the last second. His reaction speed had improved.
Jason cursed. "You little—"
Roy charged in from the side. Nick barely had time to react before a fist slammed into his shoulder, sending him stumbling back.
Shit. They weren't attacking one at a time anymore.
Jason smirked. "What, you thought this was some honor fight? This is the real world, dumbass."
Nick steadied himself, rolling his shoulder. The pain was there, but it was manageable. He had to focus.
The third guy, Marcus, lunged at him from behind.
Nick saw it from the corner of his eye—and acted.
[Dodge!]
His body moved before he even processed it, twisting at the perfect angle to avoid the attack. Marcus stumbled past him, completely missing his target.
Nick's mind raced. That was… too smooth.
Then it clicked.
The system was assisting him.
Jason came at him again, this time with a straight punch. Nick parried it with his forearm and countered with an elbow to Jason's jaw.
CRACK!
Jason's head snapped back, his eyes wide. That one hurt.
But Roy didn't give Nick time to breathe. The bigger guy tackled him, slamming him into the lockers.
Nick gritted his teeth. Too strong to overpower directly.
Roy grabbed Nick's collar and lifted him slightly. "Not so tough now, huh?"
Nick narrowed his eyes. Use technique, not strength.
He twisted his body and hooked his leg behind Roy's knee, shifting their balance. Then, with a sharp pull, he yanked Roy forward while pushing off the lockers—using his own weight against him.
Roy lost his footing and fell forward, slamming face-first into the floor.
The crowd gasped.
Jason wiped blood from his lip, his expression filled with fury. "You little bastard."
Nick stood up straight, cracking his neck. "You done yet?"
Jason's eye twitched. He rushed in again, this time sloppier, angrier. Big mistake.
Nick sidestepped at the last second, tripping Jason and sending him crashing into the lockers.
The fight was over.
Jason groaned on the ground, clutching his head. Roy was still down, and Marcus was nowhere to be seen—probably ran off.
The system beeped.
[QUEST COMPLETED: PROVE YOURSELF]
Reward Acquired: Combat Instincts (Basic).
Nick exhaled, letting the tension drain from his body.
Jain clapped him on the back. "Damn, man. That was beautiful."
Nick smirked. "Felt good."
Jason glared up at him. "This… isn't over."
Nick looked down at him, his expression unreadable. Then, he simply turned and walked away.
Jason wasn't worth his time anymore.
But deep do
wn, Nick knew.
This was only the beginning.
End of Chapter 6.