Caster

Derek's mind was still tangled in the eerie connections between the System's warnings and Mr. Calloway's lecture when the final bell rang. He barely registered the shuffle of students packing their things, but the familiar sound of Lila clicking her pen shut jolted him back to the present.

"You sure you're good?" she asked, slinging her bag over her shoulder.

Derek forced a smirk. "Yeah, just… processing."

Lila eyed him skeptically but didn't press. "Alright. See you at lunch."

He gave her a nod before stepping out into the crowded hallway. The usual chaos of students pushing past each other, slamming lockers, and shouting across the halls filled the air, but Derek barely noticed it. His thoughts were too preoccupied with the System's cryptic messages.

[Oh great, trouble incoming. Cue dramatic music.]

Derek's lip twitched as the notification flickered in his vision. He did not dismiss it though, as he immediately surveyed his surroundings. That was when he spotted them—Caster and his usual pack of lackeys loitering near the stairwell, right in his path.

Caster Thornton. The golden boy of Paleview High. Wealthy, well-connected, and a complete menace. His family practically owned half the city, and that gave him a sense of entitlement, Derek had despised since the first day they met.

"You look lost, Derek," Caster called out, his smirk razor-sharp. "Didn't hear the bell?"

Derek didn't break stride. "No, I heard it. Just didn't feel like wasting my time on whatever you have to say."

Caster's smirk widened. His two shadows—Mason and Trent—flanked him like loyal guard dogs, both eager to escalate things. "That's funny," Caster said, stepping forward to block Derek's path. "Because I feel like you and I have some unfinished business."

Derek sighed, rolling his shoulders. "Let me guess. You're still pissed about last time?"

Mason, the taller of the two goons, cracked his knuckles. "You think you can just walk around like you own the place after what you did?"

"Remind me," Derek said, crossing his arms. "What exactly did I do?"

"You embarrassed Caster," Trent growled. "In front of everyone."

"Oh, that," Derek smirked. "You mean when I called him out for failing three subjects despite his daddy's donations?"

"Or is it because Lila rejected you and you want to take it out on me?"

Caster's expression darkened, and the air between them grew tense. Students nearby started whispering, sensing the impending fight.

"Laugh it up," Caster said, his voice low. "But you've been getting way too cocky lately. Walking around like you're something special."

Derek's smirk faltered slightly. Did Caster know about the System? No, impossible. This was just Caster being his usual self—trying to exert dominance.

"I don't 'walk around' like anything," Derek said. "I just don't kiss your ass like everyone else does."

Trent stepped closer. "Maybe you need a reminder of where you stand."

The crowd hushed. This was it. Derek could feel the shift in the atmosphere. Caster wanted a show, and his goons were all too happy to provide one.

But Derek wasn't about to back down.

[Congratulations! You have unlocked: "Local Badass Energy." Time to see if you can back it up.]

A rush of information flooded his mind. Weak points, reaction times, possible attack patterns. The System was already feeding him the optimal ways to end this fight.

Caster's fists clenched. "Let's see if you're still smiling after I'm done with you."

Derek exhaled slowly, steadying his stance.

"Alright," he muttered. "Let's dance."

Caster lunged first, his fist swinging straight for Derek's face. Slow. Predictable.

[Incoming punch! Difficulty: Laughable. Suggested response: Show him what regret tastes like.]

Derek shifted his weight and twisted his torso at the last second. Caster's punch grazed past his cheek, the force ruffling his hair, but he was already moving. He pivoted on his back foot and drove an elbow into Caster's ribs.

A sharp wheeze escaped Caster's lips as he stumbled backward, shock flashing in his eyes. He hadn't expected Derek to react so quickly—none of them had.

Mason and Trent surged forward like trained attack dogs, closing the gap in a heartbeat. Mason's arm cocked back for a wild haymaker. Trent moved to flank him.

[Warning: Dumb and Dumber are attacking. Solution: Make them regret their life choices.]

Derek ducked, Mason's fist slicing through the air where his head had been. Before Mason could react, Derek grabbed his outstretched arm and twisted, using the momentum to fling him straight into Trent. The two crashed into the lockers with a deafening clang, sending students scrambling back with startled gasps.

The hallway buzzed with electric tension. Caster snarled, his pride shredded in front of his audience. He wiped the corner of his mouth and spat on the floor. "You little shit."

Derek barely had time to breathe before Caster was on him again. This time, he wasn't alone.

Caster threw a left hook while Mason swung from the opposite side. Trent aimed a kick for Derek's ribs, looking to pin him down. Too many angles. Too much force.

He acted on instinct.

[Dodge or become a highlight in someone's viral fight video. Your choice.]

Derek let his body drop, flattening to the floor at the last second. Caster's punch met Mason's shoulder, and Trent's foot whiffed past empty space. Before they could adjust, Derek rolled back onto his feet and struck, driving a knee into Trent's gut. The breath left Trent in a choked grunt, and he folded like a cheap chair.

Caster recovered faster, grabbing Derek's collar. "Got you now, freak."

[Enemy grip detected! System suggests: Break his spirit (and maybe his wrist).]

Derek wrenched Caster's wrist outward and twisted sharply. Caster howled, his grip loosening just enough. Derek slammed his knee into Caster's nose with a sickening crack.

Blood spattered onto the floor. Caster staggered back, hands flying to his face, eyes wide with disbelief.

For the first time, the golden boy of Paleview High looked afraid.

Mason and Trent hesitated, exchanging uneasy glances. The fight was slipping out of their control, and they knew it.

Silence hung in the air, broken only by the ragged breaths of his opponents. Then came the whispers. Students murmuring in awe, in shock. Someone had finally put Caster Thornton in his place.

Derek wiped his forehead, blood mixing with sweat. His heart pounded, adrenaline still surging. He stared down at Caster, who was still cradling his nose, and let out a slow breath.

"Still want to dance?"

Caster's lip curled, but there was no fight left in him. He turned on his heel and shoved past the gathering crowd, Mason and Trent scrambling after him.

[Ding! Achievement Unlocked: "Hallway Hero." Reward: Unlimited bragging rights.]

Lila's voice cut through the noise. "Derek."

He turned around to see his friend standing near the locker. He walked over.

"This is what you meant by you would handle it? " 

Derek nodded in embarrassment.

" That was cool, but you could have gotten hurt, okay."

" Don't worry about it, I did not get hurt, did I? Those guys were too weak for me, impressed right?" Derek said flexing his muscles.

" Hmm, isn't it just a fight, what is so great about it?" Lila scoffed, seeing Derek's smug look, her heart filled with warmth as she stared at this familiar and unfamiliar person