The night air was chilled, a welcome relief to Ryan's struggle. It made his muscles relieve a bit.
His shirt clung to his back, still damp with sweat from the punishing training he did earlier.
Every step he put made his calves ache for mercy, his arms still trembled faintly from push-ups and pull-ups.
But the thought of cold milk was enough for him to push harder to reach the nearby convenience store.
The bell above the door jingled faintly when he stepped back inside. The harsh fluorescent lights made him squint.
The place smelled faintly of instant noodles and floor cleaner. He took his hand forward as he grabbed a chilled carton of milk from the fridge in a hurry—the cold but sharp against his fingers—and carried it to the counter.
The clerk looked at Ryan as he said. "Oh, Ryan kid. You started working out, eh?"
Ryan greeted the clerk. "Ah, yes uncle. I did."
The clerk gave him a small warm smile as he said. "That's a good thing, you should stay healthy when you're young and eat good so you can grow, you might even grow taller."
Ryan looked a bit confused. "I can still grow taller, uncle?"
Clerk replied as he grabbed the carton and scanned it with a laser device. "Yes, Ryan you can still grow few inches or even a feet, that'll be 2.50 dollars." The clerk said without looking up from the counter.
Ryan fumbled a bit with his change, slid it across the counter and nodded a bit in thanks.
He slowly exited the store, made his way to the nearest route to his apartment building.
The street was quiet… almost too quiet.
He was half way through home when a movement flickered in the corner of his eyes—four silhouettes on the opposite side of the road.
Their footsteps were slow, unhurried. The boys were all about his age, wearing matching black varsity jackets.
On the back, stitched in crimson thread, was a jagged emblem shaped like a set of dripping fangs. Beneath it there were some letters stitched in bold "Crimson Fangs."
Ryan's chest tightened as he had heard some whispers about them in the past.
Trouble, street fights, the kind of people you didn't want to make eye contact with and now he was walking in same street as them.
He quickly looked away, didn't want to pick any trouble. Fixed his eyes on the cracks in the pavement, but the faintest twitch in his neck betrayed him—he'd already been caught staring.
One of them slowed his walk a bit, turning his head over with a cocky smirk on his face. He said something under his breath to the others.
All four of them stopped. Then, like wolves catching the scent of a rabbit, they turned toward him in unison.
A bead of sweat rolled down Ryan's temple because he knew what was coming up for him. He clutched the milk tighter in his grip, legs moved faster—then faster still.
'Just keep walking… no just fucking run if you want to live, Ryan West.'
The sudden pounding of the footsteps behind him shattered his thoughts, his brain went complete foggy.
His heart slammed next to his ribs, nearly stopped beating for a second.
Before he could even react, a rough hand clamped down on his shoulder, spinning him around and slammed him into the wall of a closed shop.
"The fuck were you staring at, huh?" the tallest one barked out loud, breath reeking faintly of cigarettes.
Ryan stammered. "I—I wasn't…
A punch sank into his ribs, forcing the air out from his lungs in a ragged wheeze. His milk carton hit the ground with a dull THUD.
Another blow came flying to his jaw, snapping his head sideways.
"Didn't your mommy teach you that it's rude to stare at others?" one sneered, jabbing a knuckle into his chest for emphasis.
[DING!]
[Quest: Fight back.]
[Reward: New skill move, +3 Strength, -2kg body fat.]
Ryan froze, even though the haze of pain didn't go yet. The words glowed in his mind like neon.
FIGHT BACK!
Something deep in his chest twisted—fear mixing with an odd thrill. His lips twitched into a faint, pained smirk.
He staggered forward, fists curling. 'You want me to, fight? Fine, you glowing bitch.'
The first jab he threw was a bit sloppy—his small, fat hands barely made any contact.
His short arms couldn't generate much force, but he pushed through the awkwardness and threw another and another.
The gang burst out into a loud laughter.
"Look at this guy, trying to make a fool of himself, doing box with T-Rex arms!"
They shoved him back, their mockery ringing in his ears. But Ryan didn't drop his fists down yet. Each punch felt a little faster, a little harder, he was growing mid fight. He was adapting to it.
His lungs burned, but he refused to stop, his ego was bigger than his pain.
'If I stop right now then it's useless. All the training I did, all the suffering I suffered till now would be useless.'
The leader's smirk faded into a scowl, he cocked his fist back—
"HEY! What's going on in there!?"
The voice was loud, authoritative, a beam of light cut through the alley, landing on them. A police officer was jogging towards them, flashlight in hand.
The members of Crimson Fang scattered instantly, disappearing into the shadows of night.
Ryan slumped down to his knees, gasping for breath. The world tilted slightly as his adrenaline rush wore out. Vision started getting a bit blurry.
He glanced at his milk carton which was laying on the ground next to him, split half open and leaking slowly into the gutter.
He closed his eyes for a moment, the ache in his ribs throbbed with each breath.
'I'm still weak… but not for long. And when I will gain enough strength, I will get them…. I surely will make them pay for what they did to me right now…. I didn't even do anything and still…'
Ryan thought as his tears slid down his cheeks. Clearly in pain and agony.
He punched hard on the ground as he self reflected about his current self. That how weak he is, a fire lit inside of him. Revenge? Strength? Or the pain of being so miserable.
[Quest complete.]
[+3 Strength.]
[-2kg fat.]
[Skill learned: Hook Strike (E) – A tight, explosive punch thrown in a short arc, ideal for breaking guards and punishing close-range opponents.]
A sudden heat rippling through his body, starting in his chest and spreading outward. His arms felt denser, firmer. The heaviness in his frame lightened a bit, heartbeat steadied.
[Weight: 80kg]