Side Quest...
~ Ayano's Pov, A week later... ~
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A week. It's been a full week since I first got dragged into this messed-up system. And honestly? I'm still trying to wrap my head around it all...
Right now, though, I'm stuck in class, sitting at my desk, trying not to fall asleep. It's just another boring lecture that I can barely focus on... The teacher's voice drones on in the background, and all I can think about is the training I've been putting myself through each day since I came here... Practically. Now, I've been doing 130 squats, push-ups, crunches, and now 3 kilometers of running.
A massive jump, and each time I do them, it breaks me before I get to the next day...
It's been hell, but my body's been handling it, somewhat. Not great, but it's not falling apart either.
And the weirdest thing? No matter how exhausted I am, the next morning, it's like I never even did it. No soreness. No weariness. Just… recovery. Which proved my theory that my recovery is likely aided by whatever this system is
If I think about it too much, my brain starts to hurt. I don't know why this is happening or if it's just some glitch in the system. There's no stat increases, no signs of power-ups. Just me, pushing myself, with no feedback from the damn thing.
I glance around the room, pretending to pay attention to the lesson. The others don't seem to have a care in the world. They don't have this… system thing going on, so they can just focus on the lecture without thinking about what else is weighing them down.
I'm just here, stuck with my strange little set of rules. And as far as I can tell, there's no way out. No answers. No guidance either. Just a bunch of the same quests that demand completion, and a body that recovers far too quickly to be remotely normal.
I let out a quiet sigh, resting my chin on my hand. If only I could just get an explanation from the system. Just one damn answer.
But I guess that's not how it works, huh?
The bell rings, snapping me out of my thoughts, and the class starts to clear out. I quickly shove my notebook into my bag and make my way out the door, heading toward the next thing on my never-ending list of tasks.
All I can do for now is keep moving forward, and maybe—just maybe—I'll figure out what this all means...
"Hey, Ayano? Wanna grab lunch together?"
I turned to him, "Nah, I've been making my own lunches... Haven't you realized that it makes no sense to get in that tediously long line?" I said it as a matter of fact. That damned lunch line was massive when the time came, and I wasted time I could've used to workout on waiting there instead...
Still, why is he looking at me as if I spoke Española?
"Fortunate for you then, I can't cook for shit... Literally, and I can confidently speak for most guys here, you must be a rare gem amongst us." Given his tone and demeanor, he wasn't joking..
I lifted my brow at that. "Seriously? I don't think I'm a separate species because I dabble in the arts of food? Plus, guys like you have someone who preps those meals right?"
He nodded at me, "Congrats for you I guess, I don't have that kind of thing..." I shrugged it off though, since I was used to it in my last life, trying not to think too much about it was better too. "Well, it's not a big deal. It just saves me time, that's all. Besides, it tastes better than whatever they serve in that so-called cafeteria."
He laughed, shaking his head. "True, true. Anyway, if you're not grabbing lunch with me, I guess I'll just have to survive the line. But hey, let me know if you change your mind."
I gave him a half-hearted wave as I slung my bag over my shoulder. "Yeah... maybe." It's good to have someone to talk with in my kind of situation...
I stepped into the hallway, and I found myself wondering what else I could be doing right now... Training? Resting? There were always these damn quests hanging over my head, but for once, the thought of them didn't seem as pressing to me... Weirdly enough, 'I'm kind of getting used to-
PING!!!
-it...' For fuck's sake. I just HAD to open my big mouth. I looked ahead of me again, I found myself frowning instantly.
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{SIDE QUEST: Help a dude out! Stop Makoto Itou from getting bullied...
REWARD: 2 bronze keys and 1 silver key...}
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'Someone was getting bullied, and I should just help him...? But, the rewards... I get two of those bronze keys, and a new silver key?'
I was kind of curious as to why the system wanted me to do this, much less what that silver key even did too... But is potentially getting my ass beat worth it here? AND my pride? FUCK it! I might as well shoot my shot. Plus, it's not like it told me I should beat the bullies, I just needed to stop whatever this is...
But... I don't even know where to g-
Before I could finish, I saw that familiar blue arrow pointing ahead of me... 'Well, I guess I don't need to look.'
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"You son of BITCH!" The shout made my head snap in the direction of the commotion. I immediately locked my eyes on the scene. A decently tall, brown-haired guy was yelling at someone on the ground...
It didn't take a genius to realize who that was... a battered Makoto, who looked like he'd been through hell.
"You just HAD to try and get with her, huh!!? HUH!!? Can't keep your dick in your fucking pants!"
I froze, 'What?' watching as the bully got right up in Makoto's face. His words hit me like a slap to the face, and honestly? I didn't know what to think right now... 'So that's what this is about…' I'll make sure to note that thought, narrowing my eyes.
But, it's pretty clear. Makoto was trying to get with someone's girl...
I didn't know the details, but from the looks of it, this guy was pissed for a reason. Was Makoto really that much of an asshole? I couldn't say I cared too much, but damn, being beaten up like this? That didn't seem right to me. Maybe he deserved it, though? If it was over a girl… Hell, if I was in the guy's shoes, I'd probably be pissed too...
I shifted my weight, my fingers tapping my pocket while the bully continued to shout at Makoto. He was practically spitting at him now.
I heard the bully's voice rise again, and something in me shifted. No one deserves this. Even if Makoto's a fucking idiot… no one deserves to get beaten like this.
I stepped forward before I even realized what I was doing, my eyes never leaving the scene. The guy noticed me immediately, his glare so sharp I could almost feel it...
"What the fuck are you looking at?" he snarled, taking a step toward me.
My pulse quickened, but I didn't flinch... I wasn't about to back down. I had a quest to complete.
"C'mon man... Get away from him."
The guy's sneer widened while he sized me up. 'Is he gonna try to start something?' My stomach dropped. This was a complete mess, and I didn't want to be a part of it...
"Or what? You gonna play the hero?" he growled.
I didn't back down, though. "No... To be honest, I don't even care what your issue with him is. You can't just beat him like this, he might even die."
The guy cracked his knuckles but I could tell he was hesitating now, taking another step forward. I felt the tension building, like a dam ready to break. I wasn't a fighter, not even remotely... but I'd been in enough tense situations in my past life to know when shit was about to hit the fan.
DIIINNNNGGG~ DOOOONNNNGG~
Then the bell rang, and for a moment, it was like the world froze for me. The guy was hesitating even more, while his eyes turned toward the sound before he spat on the floor and shot me one last glare...
"I'm not done with you," he mumbled, then turned away, the other two following his lead...
I watched them go, letting out a breath I didn't realize I was holding, 'That was hella close' My hands were still shaking, but I tried to steady myself while glancing back at Makoto. He was still on the floor, wiping the blood off his face, looking like he was barely holding it together...
"You, alright?" I asked, trying to sound nonchalant.
Makoto nodded, but it was pretty weak, barely a movement from him overall. "Th-Thanks. I don't know what to—"
"Don't thank me," I cut him off, my tone sharper than I intended it to be. "But next time, don't put yourself in a situation like this dude..."
He looked up at me, eyes wide, like he didn't know how to respond. "I didn't… I didn't mean for it to—"
I raised an eyebrow, staring him down. "I'm sure you never mean for things to go this far, but here we are."
I exhaled, turning to walk away. "Just… stay out of trouble."
Makoto didn't say anything else, I could feel his gaze lingering on me while I walked off... But, I kept on walking, my thoughts more so on the reward while I headed toward the bathroom...
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'Good, looks like no one is really in here...' Taking the small chance I had, I claimed all my rewards; being those two bronze keys, and that silver key. As claimed them all, it shined like it did the first time, It finally dropped in my hands, this time as a bundle of keys instead...
'Oh~ Not bad, getting more than 1 key means it'll bundle, that's nice of the system, I guess.'
Ignoring the bronze ones, I focused on the silver one, it read, 'The silver key allows the user to acquire a passive skill at random. Passive skills are abilities that have no energy cost, no cooldowns and can only be activated when their conditions have been met...'
My eyes widened... 'This really was some kind of game, huh? Since it's random too... That means I can use it now without much thought of the future. It is all random.'
Still, gaining an ability seemed awesome, so why not use it?
I held the key, and interestingly enough, the system panel changed again, showing me a keyhole... 'I guess, I should just push you in...?' Following my gut feeling, I gently placed it into the hologram like keyhole, twisting it...
DING! DING!
"H-Huh?" I heard some kind of roulette sound in my ears, before the screen flashed again, showing me cards, before it sun them all. it was so fat, I couldn't even read them as they constantly switched. Eventually, they started slowing down, just before landing on one of the cards...
Then, the card landed in my arms, it showed golden arms being crossed together. Looking below was a description that read 'Martial-Arts-Mastery: Martial-Arts ability increases slightly...' Looking further below, it had an asterisk beside some more explanations, saying '*EFFECT: Only applies when the user is learning Martial-Arts.*'
I stared at it for a little more, trying to process. Martial Arts? It was a skill I wasn't really expecting, but the more I thought about it, the more it seemed useful... Though, it only applies when I'm learning Martial-Arts, huh? Well, that was… a little specific. But, it was a passive skill, so it wasn't like I had to actively manage it.
I held the card in my hand, the glow still radiating from it, and a small smile tugged at the corner of my mouth. 'Not bad. A little extra boost in Martial Arts could definitely come in handy... Maybe.'
After a few more seconds, I saw the card disappear into thin ear, fading into light particles...
When I get home, I'll have to test it, but my hopes aren't all that high... It does say 'slightly', but testing it won't kill me... Though... Why do I feel like I'm forgetting something...?
Then, it finally clicked... 'I'm late for class... No need to stretch it, I'm absolutely cooked...'
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END