'How did I get myself involved in this...'
The morning sun spilled across the rooftops, bathing the street in a warm, golden light. The air was crisp but carried a faint promise of the day's heat, the kind that made you wish for shade by midday. Trees along the sidewalk swayed gently, their leaves shimmering like emeralds against the clear blue sky.
Birds chirped in a cheerful chorus, flitting between branches, while the distant hum of traffic blended with the rhythmic crunch of shoes on gravel. A soft breeze brushed against the skin, carrying the faint scent of blooming flowers and freshly cut grass.
And yet on such a beautiful morning there was something that annoyed him on his way to class. Just one tiny...little thing.
You see... Kyle woke up in a good mood this morning, after his shift the night before, Kyle went back home and slept the night away soundly and woke up in a good mood for class.
However, while walking to class... he was alerted to something...
Or more like the system had alerted him...
[DING!]
[New quest unlocked: Beat the protagonist at his own game!]
[Quest summary: [Heroine] is being cornered by the [Minor Antagonist], leader of the {Tiger Fist Clan} and his minions. Find [Minor Antagonist] and put an end to the charade and rescue the damsel in distress!]
[Reward: +10 in any stat of your choice, Heroine receives ???]
'You have got to be kidding me... THIS IS SO UNFAIR!'
Kyle raged internally; he had never encountered in all his readings with such a stingy system in all his days. Often from his research he had found that once someone had acquired a system their rewards would be much better.
While Kyle liked the reward only for his reward, he knew beating the protagonist at his own game was going to difficult, especially knowing how the OP the protagonist truly was in these types.
"I haven't even made my mind up whether or not I want to get involved with the Heroines or the protagonist's yet and you're already giving me quests..." kyle let out a sigh, he knew whoever put him here must have been laughing at his pain.
[DING!]
[Do you Accept?]
[I'm the antagonist, I decline.]
The blue system flashed in front of him with two options in front of him, Kyle stared intently at the screen, trying to decide what to do next. He had class soon, he knew he needed to make the decision quickly.
"I decline." Kyle gritted his teeth.
'Nope If I say no, then I say no! No system can tell me I can do or don't do something.'
[DINNG!]
[Do you Accept?]
Kyle's expression went blank as he looked at the new pop-up blue screen for a few seconds.
'Shitty system! You are just toying with me now, aren't you?'
He couldn't help but snarl at the system, his snarls quickly caught the attention of students around them, and they began gossiping about the strange expression Kyle was making. Luckily for the young lad, he picked up on this quickly and regained his usual demeanour.
"Did you see that?" one of them murmured.
"What's he so angry about?" another asked, craning their neck for a better look.
Clearing his throat, he straightened his posture and ran a hand through his hair, acting as though nothing had happened. The murmurs around him slowly died down, though he could still feel their eyes on him.
As if by magic, the murmurs began to dissipate, though the weight of their eyes still lingered, heavy and uncomfortable. He refused to look back at them, keeping his focus steady, locked on the glowing blue screen that remained stubbornly in front of him.
Inside, though, the storm was far from over. His gaze shifted back to the persistent blue screen, the words [Do you Accept?] Gnawing at his resolve. The screen pulsed rhythmically, almost taunting him with its persistence.
'Fine,' he thought grimly. 'You want to play games? Let's see who wins.'
[Quest accepted! Location: Miro construction site: Time to completion: 30 minutes remaining.]
Kyle's heart gave a slight lurch as the system's voice, soft but commanding, echoed in his ears. He glanced around, checking to make sure no one was watching too closely. Then, in a low voice that barely stirred the air, he muttered, "System."
The word was almost swallowed by the ambient noise of the academy grounds, but it was enough. The interface responded immediately, its pale blue glow intensifying. Kyle took a quick step to the side, scanning for cover, and spotted a cluster of bushes just a few feet away. Without hesitation, he dove toward them, slipping into their leafy embrace and vanishing from the sight of any prying eyes.
"Equip item [Phantom Facade]," he commanded in a hushed tone.
The response was instantaneous. The moment the words left his lips, the system's light expanded, surrounding him in a swirling cascade of azure energy. The change wasn't slow or laborious it was a seamless transformation, almost like a ripple passing through water.
Kyle glanced down as the cloak materialized over his academy uniform, its rugged texture rough but surprisingly lightweight. The brown fabric hung loosely around his shoulders, blending perfectly with the earthy tones of his surroundings. He flexed his fingers, feeling the edge of the fabric brush his hands. A hockey mask appeared next, its surface gleaming faintly in the filtered sunlight, obscuring his features entirely. He caught a glimpse of his reflection in a small puddle nearby—his normally dark hair now replaced with a shaggy mane of blonde strands that fell over his forehead.
The disguise was flawless. He ran a hand over the mask, it's cool surface reassuring beneath his fingers.
'Not bad,' he thought, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. 'I'll admit, System, you've got style.'
Kyle crouched low, listening for any signs that his sudden disappearance had been noticed. The students in the distance seemed none the wiser, their attention diverted back to their own conversations and routines.
With a sharp intake of breath, he steadied himself. Time was ticking, and the quest wouldn't wait. The cloak's edges fluttered as he shifted, his body now almost indistinguishable from the shadows cast by the bushes.
--
"I have done everything you asked..." Claudia, a black-haired beauty shouted, her expression showed she was seething. "Will you please just give it to me?" She exclaimed. Her eyes getting heavy with tears.
"The most important task was to give up on him Claudia! That was the most important thing!" Zack got closer to Claudia, he held her hand and looked into her eyes. "All I wanted... was for you to give up on him!" He stepped back and looked away from her. Disappointed and angry.
"I did... I really did..."
Claudia said with her eyes welling up with tears, Zack turned back to her with a face full of rage.
"Liar! He is always getting involved between me and you!" His anger was nearing a boiling point. "Every time I think I have you he takes you away from me over and over again!"
"That's not true!" Claudia exclaimed. Tears rolling down her cheeks.
"What does he have over me that makes him so special Claudia?" Zack growled, ignoring her protest. His words were laced with venom, his disbelief evident. He took a step closer, his tone demanding, accusatory.
From the shadows of a nearby tree, Kyle watched the scene unfold. He had stumbled upon the confrontation by chance, and now, he couldn't look away. His heart tightened as he took in the raw emotion between the two. The intensity of Zack's anger, the way Claudia's tears fell like tiny shards of glass, everything about the exchange felt heavy, suffocating.
Kyle leaned against the tree, careful not to make a sound. The rugged cloak of the [Phantom Facade] item helped him blend into the darkened surroundings, but he still held his breath as he watched. His mind raced with questions. Who was Zack talking about? And why did it feel like he was intruding on something deeply personal, something he shouldn't have seen?
Zack's voice thundered again, pulling Kyle from his thoughts. "Every single time, Claudia! You say you've moved on, but then I see the way you look at him!"
Claudia's sobs grew louder, her voice trembling as she tried to reply. "You don't understand, Zack! It's not what you think—"
Kyle's gaze shifted to Claudia, her figure trembling under the weight of her emotions. She looked fragile, vulnerable, yet there was a spark of defiance in her eyes as she tried to explain herself.
'I need to move in...'
Zack's frustration boiled over, and he turned sharply, pacing a few steps away. "I gave you everything, Claudia. Everything! And all I asked was for you to let him go."
Claudia opened her mouth to respond, but before she could, the sound of footsteps crunching through the underbrush broke the tension. Zack turned sharply, his eyes narrowing as he spotted a figure emerging from the shadows.
Kyle's showing skin showed a glint of moonlight caught the surface of a hockey mask, giving the appearance of a ghostly visage. Blonde hair peeked out from beneath the hood, further obscuring the person's identity.
"Who the hell are you?" Zack demanded, his voice dripping with hostility.
'6 vs 1... Hardly a fair fight.'
"Does it matter?" Kyle's voice, distorted slightly by the mask, cut through the air. It was low, deeper, steady, and deliberate. "You need to back off."
'Huh... neat, my voice sounds much lower with this equipped.'
"You've got guts, I'll give you that," Zack said, his voice mockingly amused. "But I think you're about to regret stepping in where you don't belong." He snarled.
The two thugs moved toward Kyle, cracking their knuckles and grinning wickedly. One of them lunged forward, swinging a heavy fist, but Kyle sidestepped with ease, his movements fluid and precise.
'These guys will be easier than I expected'
Kyle watched as their movements seemed a little slower than his own. His eyes narrowed on Zack; he seemed to be the only one who could match him.
Claudia stood in a daze, what was she watching? She wondered.
Before the thug could recover, Kyle struck, a quick jab to the ribs that sent the man stumbling backward with a grunt of pain.
'One down, many more to go.'
The second thug tried to grab him from behind, but Kyle spun, narrowly dodging the thugs grasp and quickly delivering a sharp kick to the thug's stomach which caused him to fold like a lawn chair.