Chapter 8: Fall of the king

The air felt different as Ethan walked back into the school. His body didn't look any stronger, but something inside him had shifted. The cold, invisible pressure of the Fear Aura sat quietly in the background — waiting.

He didn't need to activate it.

It was always there now.

The hallway buzzed with students moving between classes, but their eyes kept flicking in his direction. The whispers had grown louder — a mix of curiosity and tension.

"Did you hear what happened with Logan?"

"I heard Walker humiliated him…"

"Logan's gonna snap sooner or later."

Ethan's lips curled slightly. Let them talk. Let the rumors spread.

He stopped at his locker, acting casual. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Tyler lingering near the stairwell. He wasn't alone this time. Three other guys — older students from the senior class — stood nearby, talking quietly.

Tyler's gaze locked on Ethan, cold and sharp. He wasn't just watching — he was waiting.

So Logan still had his dogs.

Good. Ethan had been hoping for this.

He turned his head just enough to make direct eye contact with Tyler.

He held the stare.

For three seconds. Five. Ten.

Tyler's expression tightened, but he didn't look away. Not yet.

Ethan felt the Fear Aura pulse — a silent wave of pressure rolling outward. He saw the shift almost instantly. One of the seniors — a muscular guy with a buzz cut — rubbed his palms together nervously. Another shifted on his feet like he couldn't get comfortable.

Tyler's smug grin faltered.

They felt it.

The air had grown heavy, the tension thick enough to suffocate. The Fear Aura wasn't just intimidation — it was mental pressure, forcing uncertainty and anxiety into those who couldn't resist.

Ethan smirked and turned back to his locker, acting like Tyler didn't even exist.

The system chimed in his head.

[Skill Effect Activated: Fear Aura]

[Three targets affected: Moderate anxiety induced]

[+10 SP earned]

Ethan's smile widened. He wasn't even trying — and he was already gaining SP.

He grabbed his books and started walking toward class. Tyler didn't follow.

Neither did his friends.

---

The rest of the morning passed quietly, but Ethan couldn't shake the growing feeling that something was coming. Logan wasn't the type to let things go, and if Tyler was still testing the waters, that meant Logan was preparing something bigger.

Ethan didn't mind. He was ready.

By lunchtime, the cafeteria was buzzing louder than usual. People grouped together, whispering like something was about to happen.

Ethan took a seat at the far end of the room, positioning himself with a clear view of the entrance.

And then Logan walked in.

Not just Logan — his entire group. Tyler, Chase, and at least half a dozen other guys. They moved as a pack, scanning the cafeteria like wolves on a hunt.

And they weren't looking for a fight.

They were looking for an audience.

The system chimed in Ethan's mind.

[New Mission Generated: Face the Challenge]

[Objective: Stand your ground and establish dominance over Logan's group.]

[Reward: 75 SP]

[Failure: Loss of Reputation and Potential Retaliation]

Ethan set his tray aside. He didn't need to check the mission details — this was obvious.

Logan wasn't here to talk.

Logan wanted to reclaim his status.

"Yo, Walker!" Logan's voice boomed across the room. Conversations stopped. Every eye turned toward them.

Ethan stayed seated, keeping his expression calm.

"Got nothing to say now?" Logan sneered. "Thought you were real tough yesterday."

Ethan let the silence hang for a few seconds longer than necessary. He knew what Logan wanted — an emotional response. Something loud. Something messy.

Instead, Ethan leaned back in his chair and smiled.

"You still talking?" he said flatly. "I thought I made you quiet already."

A ripple of murmurs spread through the cafeteria.

Logan's face hardened.

"You think you're smart, huh?" Logan growled, stepping closer. His crew followed behind him like vultures circling a dying animal.

"You're not as scary as you think," Logan continued. "And I'm not gonna let some nobody act like they're on top."

Ethan's smile widened. "I'm not acting. I am on top."

The tension spiked. Logan's face twisted with rage, but Ethan could see it — the flicker of hesitation beneath the anger.

"Go ahead," Ethan said. "Take your shot. But if you swing and miss again, Logan..."

He leaned forward slightly, his voice lowering just enough that only Logan and his friends could hear.

"...you're done."

For a second, Logan's hand twitched at his side — like he was about to throw a punch.

Ethan felt the Fear Aura pulse again. Logan's fingers curled back into a fist — but he didn't move.

He couldn't.

The aura was working — pressing on his mind, feeding his doubts.

"Yeah, that's what I thought," Ethan said coldly.

Logan's nostrils flared, but he turned away, muttering something to his group. They followed him out of the cafeteria, looking frustrated and restless.

The cafeteria noise returned in waves — students whispering, eyes flicking back toward Ethan's table.

He didn't care.

The system chimed again.

[Mission Complete: Face the Challenge]

[Reward Earned: 75 SP]

[New Hidden Mission Completed: Establish Fear as Control]

[Objective: Force an opponent to retreat without violence.]

[Reward: 30 SP]

Ethan leaned back in his chair and exhaled slowly.

105 SP. Enough to make another purchase soon.

Ethan knew Logan was finished.

He had seen it in his eyes — the flicker of doubt, the hesitation, the way Logan's group had started to waver. But victory wasn't enough.

Not yet.

If Ethan wanted true control, Logan couldn't just lose — he had to be broken. Humiliated.

Crushed so completely that no one would ever think of challenging him again.

And today, that would happen.

---

The perfect opportunity came sooner than Ethan expected.

By the end of the day, rumors were spreading like wildfire. Logan was planning something. Students whispered about how Logan was gathering his group, trying to save face.

Ethan barely reacted when the system sent him a mission prompt.

[New Mission Generated: Cripple the King]

[Objective: Destroy Logan's reputation and ensure he loses all influence at Lincoln High.]

[Reward: 150 SP]

Ethan didn't need the system to tell him what to do.

He already knew exactly how to end this.

---

The confrontation happened behind the school, near the old basketball court — the place students went when they wanted to fight without getting caught.

Word had spread fast. By the time Ethan arrived, there was already a crowd gathered, eager to see Logan reclaim his status.

Logan was waiting at the center, arms crossed, his bruisers lined up beside him. Chase, Tyler, and three other guys — all bigger than Ethan.

But size didn't matter anymore.

"You finally showed up," Logan sneered. "I thought you'd run away."

Ethan stopped a few feet away, calm and composed. "You've already lost," he said flatly. "This? This is just your last tantrum."

Logan's grin faltered, but he shook it off. "Cocky now, huh? Let's see how tough you are when you're on the ground."

He motioned for his group to spread out, forming a loose circle to block any chance of escape. The crowd murmured, sensing things were about to explode.

Ethan didn't flinch.

"You had a choice," Ethan said. "You could've walked away. Instead, you dragged all these idiots into your mess."

"You really think you can take all of us?" Logan scoffed.

Ethan smiled coldly.

"I don't need to."

He activated Fear Aura.

The shift was immediate. Chase's hands twitched. Tyler shuffled awkwardly, pretending to adjust his shirt. The others tried to look tough, but their eyes kept flicking toward Ethan like they couldn't help themselves.

Even Logan — who stood rigidly in place — wasn't unaffected. His breathing had quickened, his fingers clenching too tightly into fists.

They were already breaking.

Ethan stepped forward slowly, his gaze locked on Logan.

"You think you run this school," Ethan said. "But the second things didn't go your way, you hid behind your friends. And the second they start to doubt you…"

He let his eyes drift across Logan's group.

"…you've got nothing."

"You're full of shit," Logan snapped. "This school doesn't need a freak like you running around."

"Maybe," Ethan said. "But they don't need a coward like you either."

Logan's temper snapped. He lunged forward, swinging hard.

Ethan sidestepped easily — too easily. His agility, combined with Logan's reckless anger, made him predictable.

Before Logan could recover, Ethan drove his fist into Logan's ribs.

Logan staggered back, coughing, but Ethan didn't stop. He grabbed Logan by the collar, yanked him forward, and slammed his knee into his stomach.

Logan collapsed to his knees, gasping for air.

The crowd murmured. Some of Logan's crew shifted awkwardly, unsure if they should intervene.

"Get up," Ethan said coldly.

Logan gritted his teeth and tried to push himself up. His arm trembled under his own weight. He was too slow. Too broken.

"I said get up," Ethan repeated.

Logan barely made it to his feet before Ethan drove a hard punch across his face. Logan crashed to the ground, blood dripping from his lip.

This time, no one moved to help him.

"You're done," Ethan said quietly. "And if you even think about coming after me again, I won't stop at this."

Logan groaned, curling into himself on the pavement. His crew said nothing.

The system notification appeared.

[Mission Complete: Cripple the King]

[Reward Earned: 150 SP]

But another message followed.

[New Hidden Mission Unlocked: The Power Struggle]

[Objective: Investigate the hidden forces controlling Lincoln High.]

[Reward: Unknown]

Ethan frowned. Hidden forces?

His gaze shifted to Logan's battered form. There was something deeper happening — something Logan had been part of.

He had assumed Logan's power came from his reputation alone. But if the system was giving him a mission like this… there was more to it.

Ethan crouched down beside Logan, speaking low enough that only he could hear.

"You've been playing the tough guy for years," Ethan muttered. "But this school doesn't follow you just because you're loud."

Logan's swollen eye twitched slightly.

"Who's really in charge?" Ethan asked quietly.

Logan let out a bitter laugh. "You think you're smart, huh?" His voice was hoarse. "You really think this place starts and ends with me?"

Ethan's fingers dug into Logan's shirt. "I asked you a question."

"Go screw yourself," Logan muttered. "You're just a pawn. You think you're winning, but you're already too late."

Ethan's grip tightened. "Too late for what?"

Logan chuckled darkly. "You'll find out."

He coughed again, blood dripping onto the pavement. "You're not the only one playing this game."

---

That night, Ethan sat in his apartment, replaying Logan's words over and over.

The system's hidden mission still flickered in his vision.

[Investigate the hidden forces controlling Lincoln High.]

Lincoln High had always been rough — fights, gangs, students pushing for control. But this? This was something deeper.

He opened the system store, his balance showing 155 SP.

He scrolled past the simple stat boosters and stopped at something new.

[Information Broker Access – Cost: 100 SP]

Ethan tapped the option without hesitation.

[Information Broker Unlocked.]

[The broker will contact you soon.]

Ethan leaned back, staring at the ceiling.

He wasn't just dealing with some high school social pecking order anymore.

Lincoln High was part of something bigger.

And whatever it was, Ethan wasn't planning to destroy it.

He was going to own it.