Ryan leaned against a wall outside the store, clutching the newly bought cold plastic bag in one hand, a carton of milk swung inside of it, its condensation chilling his fingers.
"Man…" the events of the last few minutes were replaying in his head. "I would've been so screwed if that cop hadn't shown up."
The sting in his cheek pulsed with each word. He prodded it gently and winced, his body still felt weak—pathetic even.
'It definitely sucks to be weak… if only I was a bit stronger… only if I was…'
He started walking towards home, sneakers crunching slowly against the gravel as the streetlamps bathed the narrow road in dim light. His mind kept drifting back to Arthur—his calm eyes, his precise movements, his overwhelming pressure.
'Hey system, I'd like to ask one thing.'
[Yes, host. Feel free to ask anything from me.]
Ryan took a deep breath before letting his voice out. "If it was Arthur in my place and not me, what would have happened?"
[After calculating all kinds of outcomes, I came to the precise outcome.]
[Arthur would have beaten them all in only 20 seconds. The movements, the strength, the agility. Everything of Arthur Kane is calculated and precise.]
"Heh…" Ryan sighed. 'As expected… He's Arthur, of course he'll beat them. Only I'm the one who's miserable.'
[No, host. You're a beginner and trying, on the other hand, Arthur is a master among the masters. You will reach that stage one day, let's aim higher, Host.]
'Yes, you're right, system. It would be better if I train harder and push past everything.'
Arthur wasn't just strong, he was on another entire level.
"I want to be strong…" Ryan whispered, almost like he was admitting it to himself for the first time.
"I want to be like Arthur… and those other guys who don't have to be scared and live a pathetic life like me."
[DING!]
The system's voice rang in his head.
[You could definitely be like them, Host… but only if you work for it. Let's conquer this together. You need to train harder and get in better shape before the tournament.]
Ryan sighed, a puff of white mist forming in the cool evening air. "Yeah, yeah, I get it," Ryan grumbled a bit, adjusting his pace towards home.
When he got back, he tossed the milk straight into the fridge and immediately headed for his small desk, where the faint blue light of the System interface appeared before his two eyes.
[Stats Updated.]
Ryan scanned the screen and he couldn't help the grin which spread across his face.
[Boxing Jab – Rank: D]
"Damn… nice. Level D already."
He flexed his small hands, the knuckles still raw from earlier.
"But, it's just a jab… I need better techniques, something that can actually win me a fight, not just poke someone in the nose."
Curious, he scrolled further down the screen.
[Strength: D-]
[Speed: E]
[Potential: Unidentified]
[Intelligence: C-]
[Endurance: D]
A small sense of pride swelled in him. "At least I'm getting better, not a lot but still I made a bit of progress." His eyes were heavy and before he knew it, sleep caught him.
The next morning came, the familiar chaos of school life greeted him.
Chatter filled the hallways, lockers slammed shut, and somewhere, someone was shouting about a late assignment.
Ryan entered his classroom and slowly went to his seat, finding Arthur already there—head rested on the desk as usual.
He sat down quietly as the teacher started taking attendance.
'Man, I want to ask Arthur to train me because I can't do shit alone.'
He looked at Arthur but didn't let a single hum come out of his mouth. 'Will he even agree to train me?'
He hesitated, then forced the words out from his mouth.
"Hey… Arthur."
Arthur slowly lifted his head up from the desk as he looked at Ryan through the side of his eye. "Yo."
Ryan gulped, then muttered. "Uh… Would you mind, uh… help me train? For the inter-club tournament?"
Arthur's gaze completely lingered on him for a brief moment, unreadable, before he answered flatly. "Fine. I don't mind."
Ryan blinked. "Wait, really? Just like that?"
Arthur gave a small shrug. "I don't repeat myself."
Ryan bit back a grin. "Thanks, Arthur. That'd be a hugeeeee help."
Arthur ignored him as he kept his head back on the desk.
Ryan thought in confusion. 'Wha—what?'
After the class ended, Arthur and Ryan both went to the school gym.
The gym was empty when they both entered, the faint smell of chalk and dust lingering in the air as they made their way near the treadmill section.
The dim winter sunlight filtered through the high windows, casting pale strips of light across the polished wooden floor.
Arthur walked in first, his gym bag slung casually over his shoulder. Without even looking, he tossed it toward a chair in the far corner.
THUD!
The bag landed perfectly on the seat, straps folding neatly. He didn't even glance at it.
Ryan stared, jaw slightly open. 'What the hell…'
Inside Ryan's mind, he whispered. 'System… can you scan the stats of Arthur once again for me?'
[DING!]
[Yes, Host, I can do that.]
[Scanning target's stats…]
The system's voice echoed in his head and a moment later, the interface lit up.
[Arthur Kane]
[Strength: S]
[Speed: S]
[Intelligence: S]
[Endurance: S]
[Potential: Limitless Evolution – No fixed cap. Capable of surpassing all standard growth limits through sustained effort.]
Ryan looked at Arthur with a little fear in his eyes. 'He literally is a goddamn monster…'
[Yes, Host. And you sparred with him. Statistically, you should not have survived without serious injury.]
'Wow, thanks for your kind reminder, you blue screen bastard.'
Arthur's voice cut in, pulling him out from his thoughts.
"One hour treadmill."
Ryan blinked in confusion. "Wh—what!?"
Arthur looked at him without an ounce of sympathy.
"I don't repeat myself."
The chill in his tone sent a shiver down Ryan's spine.
He quickly scrambled towards the treadmill, the sound of his sneakers hitting the machine echoing in the empty hall.
'This is gonna kill me…' he thought, but somewhere deep in his chest, that same ember of determination from last night flickered even brighter.