Pain was a familiar friend to Zane. The kick that slammed into his torso, the crack of his skull against the wall, he welcomed it all with detached interest. His only reaction was a silent smile no one noticed.
After all, today was the day his perfect plan would finally begin. He just had to endure the usual bullying one more time.
Then, as if to mock his efforts, the sky spoke into the bones of every living being. The ground itself hummed beneath his feet.
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]
Attention: All Players.
A critical system error has been detected.
Your ability trees are currently under revision.
Tutorial stage has been extended to 14 days.
Difficulty: [EXTREME]
Reward multiplier: 3x
Survival is now your top priority.
Good luck to all potential Tower Rankers.
Screams erupted as the entire school descended into chaos. No one could verify the source of the ominous voice which made the entire situation more unsettling.
Zane slowly picked himself up. Unlike the others, what he felt wasn't fear, it was intense, soul-deep annoyance.
"Just which idiot thought today of all days was a good time to set the world ablaze?" He frowned as whispers.
***
It had been a standard Monday.
Zane knelt in the middle of the classroom, trembling. He shook from exhaustion. Typical bullies like these could never strike fear into someone with a private history of attempted murder.
He gave out a wide yawn. This was an everyday occurrence, and each time, no one dared intervene.
How could he expect any rescue or even complain? Everything happening to him had been meticulously planned by him. From being kicked out of his home to being bullied at school, and even the teachers' neglect. Everything was just as he planned it to be.
'Come to think of it, I haven't eaten since morning. Oh, that's right, I almost forgot, I don't have any money.' Just as he was thinking about the condition of his stomach, a sharp kick came out of nowhere, slamming into his gut like a hammer.
He flew back and hit the wall with a hard crack. Pain shot through his gut where he had been kicked. The breath rushed out of his lungs, and for a second, he couldn't see straight.
He curled up slightly, clutching his stomach as he struggled to breathe.
'Fuck, this hurts like hell.'
His vision blurred, but the voice that followed was crystal clear.
"This bastard," Mario spat, stomping closer. "Who said you could lie down?"
Zane gasped, forcing himself upright with one shaking hand, the other still cradling his ribs. "I'm… sorry…" he whispered in a barely audible voice. The perfect, pathetic rasp.
'Patience. After today, all the pieces will fall into place.' Zane thought as he smiled slightly.
The classroom was dead silent—except for the sound of quiet chuckles.
None of the other students moved or said a word. They just watched. Some leaned against the walls with their arms folded, like they were at a show. A few girls giggled behind their hands. One boy took out his phone, probably recording the whole thing.
But no one looked concerned. It was just another day and the class nerd was giving another one of his usual entertainment.
'Arh, I love this class so much. Everyone is so kindhearted.' Zane thought.
Just as Mario pulled his leg back for another kick, the sharp ring of the school bell echoed through the classroom like a siren.
"Tch. Can't believe how lucky you are," Mario muttered, glaring down at Zane with disgust. "We'll continue this later."
He gave Zane a final shove with his foot before turning around and heading back to his seat like nothing happened.
'Is it over already, but... But I was looking forward to that kick. Oh well, I guess another time.'
Zane's eyes swept over the classroom, everyone was going about their day like a boy wasn't just beaten in front of them. Just then, his eyes settled on a girl with red hair.
She looked worried, her hands were clenched at her side. She was contemplating whether to help or not. One thing was certain; she wasn't willing to go against the entire class for one boy she didn't even like.
'Pathetic, if there's one thing I hate, it's an indecisive idiot. They are people who are neither cold nor hot, therefore they can switch sides when the situation called for it. Tch.' He thought with a frown as he helped himself up.
Zane stayed on the floor for a moment longer, coughing hard into his sleeve.
'This familiar pain, I'm going to miss it.'
The sharp pain in his side drew a tear into his eyes. Each step back to his desk felt heavier than the last.
At last, he sat down in silence, still catching his breath, as the English teacher walked in and began the lesson like nothing was wrong even though she notices Zane's dirty clothes and the grins of the backbenchers.
'Well, well, look who we have here. People really are interesting. Aren't they?' Looking at the jewelry that adorned the English teacher, Zane could only smiled.
Mario glanced at the smiling face of Zane from across the room, his expression twisted with something more than hate—frustration. No matter how many times he beat on him, no matter how many insults he threw, Zane never broke. He never retaliates but apologizes instead. A nerd was supposed to be a nerd. The thought made Mario even more agitated.
How could someone so pathetic still look calm after all that?
Mario could never break his spirit. He wasn't even close. For someone who tried to kill his younger twin brothers but failed, Zane wasn't a bully like him, he was the real deal.
"That's all for today," the teacher said before walking out of the classroom without sparing Zane a single glance.
As usual.
The door closed behind her with a quiet click, and the room buzzed back to life with chatter and noise. Zane sat still with his eyes on his desk. It wasn't just the students who treated him like a ghost—the teachers ignored him too. No matter how often he scored first place. But he couldn't complain since that was also his doing.
He blinked as his old phone buzzed on the table. A soft smile tugged at his lips when he saw the name on the screen.
[Little Angel]
"Dad blocked my account, so I won't be able to send you money for a while, not that you'd accept if I did. But it's fine, don't slack off on your studies, and don't forget about me! Also, remember your promise—not a single fight until we meet again, okay?"
Zane chuckled quietly, the tension in his shoulders easing for just a second. His sister always knew what to say. Her messages were like little sparks of light in a dark cave.
'She keeps sending me money even though she knows I'll never use it.' Zane smiled as he thought.
But peace never lasted long in his world.
SLAM!
A loud thud shook his desk, snapping him out of the moment. Mario had dropped his notebook hard against Zane's table. The sound echoed through the room like a warning shot.
Then came another. And another.
More books landed beside his hand, one after the other—filled with blank assignments. The usual suspects: Mario, Darren, Leon… even a few girls who used to pretend to like him, only to laugh behind his back. They all stood around his desk like vultures circling a dying animal.
Zane didn't need to ask. He already knew what they wanted.
Every time the teachers gave them homework, they brought it to him. He had to do it all—each one with different answers, different writing styles, different tones. He'd even memorized their handwriting. If he made a mistake, they'd make him pay for it. Last time, his arm had been bruised for a week.
'Are we doing this again? So annoying.' Zane sighed as he thought.
The room was filled with laughter, casual conversations, the tapping of shoes against the floor—but no one looked at him. It was like watching a performance that had played a hundred times before, and everyone knew their roles.
Zane stared down at the pile of notebooks, his fingers twitching,
He had part-time jobs lined up after school, and now this?
'So cruel, I was hoping they'd forget about it for today since I'm on my shift for the evening sales. These guys have no heart.'
He glanced at the message again and clenched his fists under the desk. Don't fight. Don't break. Just survive a little longer.
Mario looked at Zane, but the boy had the same bored expression as always.
'Let's see just how long he can keep apologizing, this time, I'll make sure to force a reaction out of him.' Mario thought.
"Hey, trash," Mario called out. "I'm going on a date after school. How do I look?"
He struck a silly pose, brushing imaginary dust off his shoulders.
"Oh, wait… that's right. You don't even know what a date is since you don't have a girlfriend, nerd!" he laughed, and his little gang howled with laughter behind him. The other girls who seemed to listening to their conversation giggled.
"He's at it again." One of the boys in the class said as he sat near the window, looking at Mario.
"I know, right? I wonder why he won't just leave the poor boy alone, what did Zane ever do to him?" His friend added as they stared at Zane who supposedly had a sad look on his face.
Zane didn't respond. He kept his head down, pretending to look through his bag.
Mario's smile vanished.
"I just cracked a joke, Zane. Why aren't you laughing?" he asked in an irritated tone.
"I'm sorr—" Zane began, trying to force a smile.
A hard punch slammed into the side of his face, cutting his words short. He staggered sideways, crashing into a nearby desk. The metal screeched as it scraped the floor, and Zane's shoulder hit the edge hard.
He winced, clutching his jaw. A few students snickered. Some just glanced and looked away. It was just another day.
Mario stepped forward, cracking his knuckles. "I don't know why, but every time I see your shitty face, I get this itch to punch it." 'Now let's see your true colors, Zane.'
'Punch it as much as you like Mario I'll allow it, or what I'm about to do to you wouldn't be as exciting.'
Zane coughed, slowly trying to sit up. His knees trembled, but he pushed himself upright, one shaky hand braced on the desk.
Mario raised his fist again.
But that was when it happened.
An Alien voice crawled into their heads, ominous yet pleasing to the ears. It announced the start of a tutorial none of them understood.
The classroom was painted in chaos, the sky wrong, it was streaked with colors that hurt to look at.