The monotonous ringing of the bell signaled the end of another school day. Unfortunately for me, I didn't hear the school bell ring, as I was slumped over my desk, sleeping like a new born.
I was having the best dream I had ever experienced in my life, and unbeknownst to me, I was cackling in my sleep. What was I dreaming about, you ask? I was dreaming of a life filled with adventure and privilege—a life where I was reborn as a young master in a great family, where I eventually built my harem of beauties.
I was in the process of acquiring my eighteenth wife when I was awakened by a loud, thunderous sound.
BAM!
I slowly opened my eyes, still groggy from sleep. I rubbed my eyes and wiped the drool from my chin before finally spotting the person looming over me: my homeroom teacher, Ms. Dalton. A woman with the body of a model and a heart as cold as ice.
She had long, free-flowing black hair that cascaded down to her waist, cherry-pink lips, and skin so smooth you had to wonder if she was real.
Her arms were folded as she gave me a look that would've been a masochist's wet dream.
"Liam Hemsworth," she said my name in a tone of professionalism, but her eyes were dripping with contempt. "This is the umpteenth time you've slept through the entirety of my class."
I glanced around the room to see some of my classmates packing up their things to leave for the day, while others watched the scene in amusement.
"If you carry on like this, I'll have to call your parents. Seriously…"
Ms. Dalton continued, but my mind wandered as I stared at the blue holographic screen in front of me.
It still hadn't disappeared.
That's what I get for spending the whole night gaming. I slept through all my classes, and now there was a screen telling me to run three miles or I'll face dire consequences.
+------+
DAILY QUEST
Roadwork: You must run an excess of three miles without stopping.
Miles run: 0/3
Time remaining: 30 minutes
Warning: Failure to do so will result in a punishment.
+-------+
I didn't know what it was, but my guess was that I'd spent so much time gaming that a game-like interface had somehow merged into my mind.
"Are you even listening, Mr. Hemsworth?"
She frowned, bringing her face closer to stare into my eyes. She probably suspected I was on drugs or something..
"Yes, ma'am," I bowed my head. "It will not happen again. You see, I've recently gotten a part-time job to help my mother with the bills. I took late shifts so I would have enough money to assist my family a bit."
It was shameless to lie like this, but that was the kind of guy I was; lying was the only power I had at my disposal, so what else was I supposed to do? Stop spending all night gaming? Pfft, yeah right!
She looked at me skeptically, as if she couldn't tell whether I was lying.
I was lying, of course, but there was no way she could prove it.
"Still, as a student, it's your job to manage your time wisely so that it doesn't happen again."
She decided to let me off with a warning before allowing me to leave the class like everyone else. As I exited the school building, I refocused my attention once again on the screen hovering in front of me.
I watched the timer slowly count down until it reached the final seconds.
5 seconds remaining.
Maybe this was what my mother meant when she said that too much gaming would rot my brain. I can't say this is completely unexpected; I've been losing my mind for months now.
4 seconds remaining.
Most of that was because of my sister. Having an annoying younger sister is a type of curse no one should endure. If I could have my way, she would have been booted off to a military site long ago.
3 seconds remaining.
Still, there is a chance I'm wrong about this. Maybe I'm not losing my mind. Maybe… just maybe, this is a call to adventure.
2 seconds remaining.
Maybe this all had to do with that dream I had. Maybe this is where I get reincarnated as the firstborn in a noble family.
1 second remaining.
If that's the case then take me away from here. I always knew my calling in life was to have a collection of heavenly beauties.
Suddenly, my vision began to warp; everything around me twisted into different shapes and sizes. My vision blacked out, and my body felt as if I was falling into an endless void. An ominous feeling rose from the pit of my stomach stopping at the base of my throat.
I then opened my eyes to the sensation of my skin sizzling. My eyes were immediately assaulted by the blinding light of the sun, forcing me to squint.
"Where am I?"
Around me was an endless sea of sand stretching out in all directions. The land was flat and barren—no buildings, no roads, not even a cactus.
Am I in a desert?
My feet sank, filling my shoes with the scorching sand.
"Dammit!" I hissed as I shook the sand from my shoes.
[DING]
[You have failed to complete your daily training quest.
Penalty: Survive for 5 minutes inside the Barren Lands.]
Survive? What does that mean?
GRR!!
Suddenly, I heard the sound of menacing growls coming from behind me. I slowly turned around and froze. Around a dozen yellow eyes stared back at me, their white teeth glistening as saliva pooled out of their mouths onto the sand—wolves.
These wolves had different shades of brown that formed a strange pattern.
A whole pack of them. For a second, my body froze. My mouth went dry as a shiver climbed its way up my spine. I didn't dare move; every muscle in my body was at a standstill. I was afraid that the moment I turned my back to run, I would be ripped to shreds.
Their growls got louder and louder as saliva fell from their mouth onto the steaming sand. Their bodies crouched low as if they were ready to lunge at me. I slowly stepped back, being careful not to make any sudden movements.
They crept closer and closer, encircling me as they spread out in all directions to block my escape. Their eyes were locked onto mine as if they were staring straight into my soul.
With a burst of power that kicked up a cloud of sand, they launched themselves, exploding toward me like a bullet set free from its chamber. At that moment, every fiber of my being screamed at me to get away. A loud, animal-like noise escaped my lips as I ran as fast as my legs could take me.
They cackled behind me as their jaws snapped at my ankles. I could feel their hot breath bearing down on me as they slowly encircled me on all sides. Luckily, they weren't as fast as I had thought.
My feet sunk into the sand, slowing my speed. My breath was shallow; it was a struggle just to breathe.
My muscles burned as if they were on fire. My joints were stiff, and the sandy terrain made it even harder to move. I was barely outpacing the wolves hot on my tail. I had no choice but to grit my teeth and will myself forward.
My body was severely out of shape; I haven't exercised in years. It felt like I had been running for hours on end without any sign of stopping. I was so engrossed in my escape that I didn't even notice when the time was up. Before I knew it, I was back on the street where I started.
Feeling the hard concrete below my feet was such a relief. My legs crumbled, and I collapsed to the ground, coughing as I struggled to breathe. Just then, the screen popped back up, and an excited female voice echoed in my mind.
[OPENING STATUS]
HOST NAME: Liam Hemsworth
HOST TYPE: HUMAN
RANK: Untrained
AGE: 16
WEIGHT: 120 pounds
HEIGHT: 5'7"
STRENGTH: F (0/10)
SPEED: F (2/10)
AGILITY: F (1/10)
STAMINA: F (4/10)
INTELLIGENCE: D (0/10)
Huh? Are these supposed to be my stats? It looked like a gaming interface but it couldn't be real. For one, my intelligence was much higher than that.
[INITIALISING BOXING STATS….]
BOXING STYLE: n/a
FOOTWORK: F (0/10)
Power: 1
Speed: 1
Endurance: 2
Defense: 1
Reflexes: 0
Ring IQ: 0
Composure: 0
Killer Instinct: 0
[IMPROVEMENTS]
+----+
Speed 0->2/10
Agility 0->1/10
Stamina 0->4/10
+----+
What is all of this? Boxing stats?
Just then a loud, energetic female voice emanated in my mind.
[Congratulations on not dying! For that, your body has made small improvements. You are well on your way to becoming a pro boxer.]
A pro boxer? This makes no sense!