Eric stared at the rewards, his mind reeling. Two hundred fifty experience points. Fifty debauchery points. Five free stat points. A mystery box.
'If the system was generous before, this is philanthropic,' he thought with dark humor. 'These rewards are insane. Which means the difficulty must be equally insane.'
But he had no real choice. Fight or die. Those were his options.
Eric focused on [Yes], accepting the quest.
'I might even marry this system if I survive this,' he thought grimly.
Another notification appeared immediately.
‐‐‐
Quest Accepted
Combat Equipment Detected in Inventory
Equip Combat Gloves?
[Yes] [No]
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'The gloves!' Eric remembered suddenly. The reward from leveling up. Combat equipment with stat bonuses and damage increases.
He selected Yes, his hands automatically going to his pockets.
The sensation was instant and strange. One moment his pockets were empty. The next, his hands were encased in black tactical gloves that materialized from nothing. Reinforced knuckles, wrist support, grip-enhanced palms. They fit perfectly, like they'd been custom-made for him.
'Equipped items gain stat bonuses,' Eric remembered from the description. '+2 strength, +1 stamina, 50% increased unarmed damage.'
He flexed his hands experimentally, feeling the additional power flowing through his muscles. Stronger, more capable. The gloves were light but protective, designed for exactly this situation.
The three gang members watched Eric's strange behavior, confusion mixing with wariness. They couldn't see the system interface, couldn't understand why he was suddenly putting on gloves while surrounded.
Eric pulled his hands from his pockets slowly, deliberately. The black tactical gloves gleamed in the morning sunlight. He held them up, flexing his fingers, letting the gang members see what they were facing.
Then he smiled, all teeth and confidence he didn't quite feel. With deliberate grace, he walked forward, closing the distance instead of maintaining it. Each step measured, controlled, his enhanced stats making the movement fluid and predatory.
'The gains are too good,' Eric thought as he advanced. 'Three on one odds, trained fighters, gang backup probably nearby. This is insane. But those rewards... I can't walk away from that kind of progression.'
Plus, some part of him wanted this. Wanted to test his limits, see what he was really capable of with all his enhancements. The system had been building him into something more. Time to find out what.
The brute recovered first, his rage overcoming his confusion. "Get him!" he roared, charging forward with both fists raised.
The other two moved in sync, flanking again, trying to surround Eric and overwhelm him with numbers.
Eric's enhanced perception made their movements clear, telegraphed. The brute coming straight in, predictable and enraged. Left flanker circling to attack from the side. Right flanker hanging back slightly, waiting to capitalize on openings.
'Coordinated but not perfectly,' Eric analyzed even as his body prepared to move. 'The brute is too emotional, throwing off their timing. That's my advantage.'
The brute threw a wild haymaker, putting all his considerable mass behind it. Eric slipped it easily, his enhanced speed making the dodge trivial. But the left flanker was already there, throwing a combination that forced Eric to retreat.
'They're faster than the brute was alone,' Eric noted. 'Working together covers each other's weaknesses.'
The right flanker joined in, a kick aimed at Eric's ribs. Eric blocked with his forearm, the impact rattling his bones but manageable. He countered with a jab that connected with the flanker's jaw, his enhanced strength and the gloves' bonus making it hit like a hammer.
The flanker's head snapped back, blood exploding from his split lip. He stumbled, eyes going unfocused for a critical second.
'First blood to me,' Eric thought with savage satisfaction.
But the brute was already there, throwing another combination. Eric blocked two punches, took a glancing third that made his shoulder scream, then created distance with a quick retreat.
'I've gotten better since last time,' Eric realized as he moved. 'The stat increases, the perk, the equipment. I'm legitimately stronger and faster. But three on one is still overwhelming.'
The left flanker tried a leg sweep. Eric jumped over it, landed, immediately had to duck a punch from the brute. The coordination was improving, the three finding their rhythm.
'I need to eliminate one,' Eric's tactical mind concluded. 'Three on one I'll eventually lose. Two on one gives me better odds. One on one I can win.'
He focused on the right flanker, the one he'd bloodied. The one who was still slightly dazed, whose guard was lower than it should be.
Eric feinted toward the brute, drawing his attention, then explosively changed direction. His enhanced speed let him close the distance to the right flanker before the man could fully react.
Eric's combination was brutal and efficient. Jab to the face, cross to the jaw, hook to the temple. Each punch landed with enhanced strength multiplied by the gloves' damage bonus. The flanker's head rocked back with each impact, his legs going wobbly.
'Finish him,' Eric's instinct screamed.
The brute and left flanker were closing in, would be on him in seconds. Eric had one chance.
He drove his knee into the flanker's gut with every ounce of enhanced strength he possessed. The man folded with a choked gasp, all the air exploding from his lungs. Then Eric grabbed his head and delivered a vicious elbow strike to the back of the neck.
The flanker dropped like a puppet with cut strings, unconscious before he hit the ground.
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Quest Progress: 1/3 Defeated
‐‐‐
Eric barely registered the notification. The brute and remaining flanker were on him immediately, enraged by seeing their companion go down.
'One down,' Eric thought, dancing backward to create space. 'Two to go. Better odds. Still not great, but better.'
The fight was far from over, but for the first time since this ambush began, Eric felt like he might actually survive it.