The System's new objectives blinked in front of my eyes.
[Optional Objective: Eliminate the Lieutenant.]
I swallowed hard. Eliminate. Not defeat, not knock out—eliminate. That was murder, plain and simple. The shadows seemed to grow, pushing me to do it.
"Yeah, no. I'm not a killer," I whispered to myself. "At least I don't want to be."
Down on the warehouse floor, the lieutenant paced like a predator. Thugs hustled to load crates into trucks, shouting over each other. Every step I took felt like it could give me away. I was using my Stealth skill, but it wasn't much—mostly my own breathing and a desperate hope I wouldn't screw this up.
Observe:[Gang Lieutenant – Level 8 – HP: 250/250 – Furious and itching for a fight.]
I crept toward the stairs leading up to an office. Papers, maps, and shipment logs littered the desk. Jackpot. After quickly taking pictures, I began to move again, but a floorboard creaked behind me.
I turned, heart pounding, to see a thug at the doorway staring at me.
Observe:[Gang Thug – Level 3 – HP: 100/100 – Just wants to finish his shift alive.]
His hand went for his gun. I lunged first, tackling him. We fell to the ground as he cried out, his weapon sliding away across the floor. He tried to grapple me, but I was faster. I swung, hitting his face over and over until it was bloody. Eventually, I stopped when he stopped trying to grab me.
I froze, staring at his limp body. My chest tightened, and I quickly used Observe:
[Gang Thug – Level 3 – HP: 35/100 – Unconscious.]
[Gamer's Mind active] —it made me calm down quickly.
"He's breathing. He's fine. He's fine," I muttered, dragging him behind the desk and wiping my hands on his clothes.
Back on the catwalk, the lieutenant's voice thundered. "MOVE FASTER! Big Man doesn't pay for delays!"
His men scrambled like terrified ants. I hugged the shadows, shaking. I could walk away right now, pretend I'd never seen any of this.
The Quest marker burned in my vision, and my gut twisted. These guys were flooding the streets with guns and drugs. If I didn't stop them, who would?
But… I'm not a hero.
[But you could be, Liam. One who protects and makes sure others don't get hurt.]
I chuckled quietly. "That's the first time you said something nice. Thanks."
[Don't get used to it.]
I found the loading dock controls and yanked a lever. It was like a big red button that told me not to press—but who am I to listen?
Alarms blared, red lights flashing. Thugs panicked, yelling.
"WHO THE HELL TRIPPED THE ALARM?!" the lieutenant roared.
I used the chaos to slip behind crates, staying in the shadows. It was kinda hard with my red hair, but I made it work.
Crack.
I slapped my forehead. "Damn clichés."
Of course, they heard.
"You!" His voice was a growl. "You're dead."
"Hey buddy, you should probably lay off the juice."
System, give me more of his stats.
[STATUS]
Name: Gang Lieutenant (I can't be bothered to give a name for a random)
Level: 8
HP: 250/250
MP: 0/0
STR: 30
DEX: 10
VIT: 25
INT: 8
WIS: 8
CHA: 4
"My first boss and he's a strength build."
He charged. The ground seemed to quake with every step. I rolled aside as his fist smashed into a crate, splintering wood. The shockwave rattled my bones.
[HP: 125/130]
"Really? Splash damage?"
I swung at his ribs. The hit barely made him grunt. His punch came back twice as fast, slamming into my chest. Pain exploded, knocking me to the floor.
[HP: 235/250][HP: 110/130]
He grabbed my shirt, lifting me like a ragdoll. "You think you can mess with Big Man's operation, kid?"
"Man, your breath stinks. Want a breath mint?" I coughed.
I struggled, kicking at his knee. He staggered, dropping me. I scrambled back, my lungs burning. I didn't want to kill him, but he clearly had no such hesitation.
He swung again. I ducked, slammed my fist into his jaw, then his side. He groaned, stumbling back.
[HP: 200/250]
Not enough. Not nearly enough.
He came at me with a roar.[Berserker's Roar activated –20% damage to player.][Gamer's Mind active – Effects of Berserker's Roar negated.]
His fists were like hammers. One grazed my cheek, stars bursting in my vision. I countered with a jab to his stomach, then went for a swing to his face—but my vision blurred. I missed.
He spat blood, smiling like a lunatic. "That all you got?"
His punch hit my shoulder like a sledgehammer, sending me sprawling.
[HP: 180/250][HP: 85/130]
My hands trembled as I pushed myself up. I didn't want to kill him. I just needed to stop him. Disable, not destroy. The System's objective loomed in my mind, but I gritted my teeth and forced myself to ignore the word eliminate.
I ducked his next swing and drove a kick into his knee, harder this time. He fell to one leg with a guttural scream. I followed with a strike to his head. Once. Twice. He swayed, and I hesitated—just knock him out.
But he used my hesitation to tackle me to the ground.
[HP: 110/250][HP: 85/130]
His massive hands pinned my shoulders, his weight crushing the air out of my lungs. I thrashed, trying to slip free, but he was too strong. His forehead came down, smashing into mine.
White-hot pain exploded in my skull.
[HP: 70/130]
"Stay… down!" he bellowed, his spittle spraying my face.
I gritted my teeth, ignoring the dizziness and the concussion I probably had. I twisted my hips, hooking my leg around his and using every ounce of strength to roll us over.
Somehow, I ended up on top. My knuckles cracked against his jaw again and again.
[HP: 90/250]
He grabbed my arm mid-swing, eyes blazing. With a guttural growl, he flung me off like I weighed nothing. I slammed into the wall, pain screaming through my back.
[HP: 55/130]
"Fuck, this will hurt tomorrow. Can you not hit so hard?" I breathed, rigged.
"You talk too much!"
"Yeah," I coughed, "but admit it… makes the beating more personal."
The System chimed faintly at the edge of my hearing. Warning: Critical Health. My vision swam, but I forced myself up.
He rose too, limping slightly, blood dripping from his mouth. His grin was all teeth.
We rushed each other at the same time. His fist connected with my ribs—
[HP: 30/130]
—and my knee smashed into his already injured leg. He howled, stumbling. Using the opening, I grabbed the back of his head and drove it into my rising knee.
The impact echoed like a gunshot. His eyes rolled back as he staggered, arms flailing. I hesitated—heart pounding—then delivered one final punch to his temple. His body crumpled to the ground, shaking the floorboards.
[HP: 10/130][Boss "Big Man" Lieutenant Defeated. XP +450]
I collapsed next to him, chest heaving. "…you're lucky I don't kill."
The System's notification blinked in my vision:[Optional Objective Detected: Defeat without Lethal Force – Bonus XP +200][Optional Objective Failed: Eliminate the Gang Lieutenant. Reward: Bonus EXP + Random Skill.]
The remaining thugs froze at the sight of their leader down. Then, like rats, they scattered.
"Idiots… I'm too tired to fight anymore," I whispered, glad they didn't try to fight.
Sirens wailed outside—police were closing in. after quickly going through his pockets for cash I slipped out the back, limping but alive.
By the time I staggered into my rundown apartment, I was running on fumes. I collapsed onto the couch, chest still tight from the fight.
[Quest Complete: Take Down the Criminal Operation.][Reward: 700 EXP + Skill Upgrade Token + Forget Me Why? Because I Wanted.][Level Up! Lv 2 → Lv 5]
My body ached, but Gamer's Body dulled the pain. I checked my updated stats:
[STATUS]
Name: Liam Vale
Level: 5 (0/500)
HP: 160/160
MP: 150/150
STR: 14
DEX: 16
VIT: 16
INT: 15
WIS: 14
CHA: 14
Points: 15
Skills:
Gamer's Mind (Passive): Congratulations, you're now immune to mental breakdowns.
Gamer's Body (Passive): Pain? What pain? Just sleep it off.
Basic Combat (Passive Lv 4): You can fight, but you're not even Robin level yet. You're getting there. (Each level increases damage by 10%; current: +40%.)
Forget Me Why? Because I Wanted (Passive)
Stealth (Active, Lv 2) (i think it would be active at least)
Observe (Active, Lv 3): Stare creepily at things and learn about them.
Inventory
Shop: Locked
Quests: 2 Active
([New Objective: Secure a base of operations.]Reward: 50 EXP. This quest is still active—meant to establish a hero base, not just the apartment.)
The System pinged again.
[New Main Quest: Investigate the 'Big Man.']Objective: Find out who runs the operation behind the scenes.Reward: 1000 EXP + New Skill: ???
I let out a shaky laugh, staring at the ceiling.
"System, do you want to kill me?"
Tomorrow, I'd start digging into who this Big Man was. But tonight, I let sleep take me, knowing I at least did my one good deed today.
(1504 word)