"Breaking News," the anchor said, voice trembling slightly.
"A robbery just occurred in the Slum District. The suspects are currently escaping through the main highway—accompanied by one... Hunter."
A Hunter?
I frowned. Since when do gangs still use codenames? That's 19's shit.
The camera feed shifted. On top of a speeding car stood a man—calm, balanced, coat fluttering in the wind.
"Damn…" I muttered. "Even with my old body, I couldn't pull that off."
He raised a hand toward the police helicopter—then boom! A blast of fire shot from his palm, engulfing the screen.
Pfff!
The soup I was drinking exploded out of my mouth and splattered across the table.
"Oh no—let me clean that fast!" Bella said, bending over, giving me a full view of her perfect, heart-shaped ass.
I shook my head violently. "No! No horny thoughts, Mark! A guy just fired an RPG out of his hand!"
I slumped back in my seat, staring at the TV.
"Damn," I muttered. "Where the hell did that admin throw me?"
After cleaning up and setting the bed, I tried to sleep.
Tried — because no matter how much I turned, I couldn't ignore the fact that there were people out there shooting fire from their hands.
I forced my eyes shut, muttering curses until the weight of exhaustion finally dragged me under.
When I opened them again…
A cold silence.
Then—
"What the—"
Standing above me was the teacher from this morning.
Not in her usual outfit.
Black leather. Tight. Glossy.
A whip dangling from her hand.
My mind short-circuited.
How, why, who—what kind of fever dream was this?!
I stared at her blankly, my thoughts spiraling.
Don't tell me…
Was I about to become some kind of sex slave?
I touched her thigh. Warm. Definitely not a dream.
I touched… a bit more—not because I enjoyed it, of course.
"Did you finish?" the teacher's cold voice cut through me, a stark contrast to her cheerful tone this morning.
Ahem. You've got two choices, boy," she said coolly. "We do this the easy way… or the hard way."
"How about the hot way?" I smirked. "You know—where we both bang and sleep. Must be hormones messing with you,"
I was bluffing, of course. Fake it till you make it.
The only reason she hadn't killed me yet was probably because she thought I was dangerous—or insane.
"Elio was right," she murmured, eyes narrowing. "You are different."
Bingo.
I leaned back, hands behind my head, pretending to relax while my eyes "accidentally" trailed down her curves.
"Elio, huh? Your boyfriend sent you to me?"
A smirk tugged at my lips. "What—he into that cuck stuff or something?"
She froze, then burst out laughing—a sharp, unsettling sound that didn't reach her eyes.
I didn't bother responding. Instead, I quietly opened the system interface. The translucent blue screen flickered to life.
[Gift Box: Open?]
Tap.
Ding!
Congratulations! You've obtained [Boost Strength ×3]
A surge of raw energy ripped through my veins. My pulse quickened—steady, powerful. I could feel my muscles tighten, my reflexes sharpen.
The weak shell I'd been trapped in just got an upgrade.
The teacher's laughter softened into a dangerous grin.
Then, without warning—she snapped her arm back.
My body tensed—then I flashed to the other side of the room, arm cocked back.
My fist connected with her face, shattering her makeup—and the window behind her.
She hit the ground hard, then pushed herself up slowly, unfazed.
"Strength type," she muttered.
"Damn, woman. You gonna pull Bella into this too?" I smirked. "Let's take it to some asshole's rooftop and blame it on the cat afterward."
I gave her my trademark sardonic grin.
For a second, I could've sworn her lips twitched—just barely—into a smile.
She turned back, shooting me a look over her shoulder, and then jumped away.
I didn't know whether to laugh or get scared—her jump was clearly superhuman. Even with this buff, could I really win?
But… seeing that ass swing and jiggle mid-air, there was no way I was going to chicken out.
Ding!
> Quest: First Contact with Gifted People
Objective: "Beat" Mary, the undercover agent sent from overseas to eliminate potential Gifted.
Reward: 100 points, rare gift box
Hmm… a rare-grade reward? Sounds exciting.
I leapt to the roof, following her trail, still sneaking glances at her swaying ass, tight in that custom outfit.
Then she stopped. I lifted my head—she was smiling. Damn, she knew exactly what she was doing.
We were ten meters apart. She jerked her whip against a pillar—it splintered like tofu.
"Hey, Mary… bad for you, I'm not into BDSM shit!" I blurted. Her eyes went wide—was it the kink, or that I'd just said her real name? Probably both.
Without thinking, I tensed my legs and leapt at her. She was caught off guard by my comment, and I managed to land a solid punch to her belly.
"Home run~!" I shouted, watching her fly back.
But my earlier bravado didn't hide the pain in my broken hand. Damn, it felt like I'd punched a wall.
She rose again, like a terminator, completely uninjured—except for the ripped costume. I couldn't help but smile wryly.
Well, the system said beat her… it didn't say how, right?