More importantly, his fighting style was completely unpredictable—utterly shameless.
One moment a groin grab attempt, the next a throat strike, then something that looked suspiciously like a breast-grabbing claw technique.
All sorts of dirty tricks plundered from street thugs emerged in endless succession, leaving Mai unable to fight at full effectiveness.
Several of her elegant attacks were neutralized by his thoroughly underhanded methods.
"What the hell kind of style is this?!" Mai was panting, growing more alarmed the longer they fought.
"Told you—Thug Boxing!" Cloud was drenched in sweat too, but his mouth never stopped running.
The battle reached white-hot intensity. Both knew the next exchange would decide the outcome.
"Special Move: Soaring Dragon Flame Dance!"
"Secret Technique: Invincible Iron Fist!" (Cloud roared internally)
Mai leaped high, her legs transforming into a burning phoenix descending from the heavens!
The distance between them closed in an instant!
The killing blow was about to land!
But at the split-second before impact, hesitation flashed in both their eyes—and both unconsciously pulled back most of their power!
"Crap!"
The same thought struck them simultaneously.
They'd held back the force, but couldn't stop their forward momentum!
And so, under the dumbfounded gazes of Terry and Andy in the distance, a scene worthy of becoming "classic" unfolded.
Cloud's charging figure and Mai descending from above collided in mid-air in an extremely... intimate position.
Worse still, due to the "coincidental" angle and timing, their lips... landed precisely on each other.
Time seemed to freeze.
Soft. Warm. With a faint hint of cherry blossoms.
That was the only thought in Cloud's mind.
He swore he'd only meant to startle her. Who knew the "accident" would be this effective?!
Mai's eyes went wide as dinner plates, her brain completely blank.
Her first kiss... just like this... stolen by a "pervert" she'd known for barely a few days... in an abandoned warehouse... in this ridiculous way?
A few seconds later.
"KYAAAAAAAA—!"
A scream powerful enough to blow off the warehouse roof rang out.
Mai shoved Cloud away like she'd been electrocuted.
She covered her mouth, her pretty face red as a ripe apple, eyes misting over with... embarrassment? Rage? Or something else entirely?
Cloud stumbled backward from the push, touched his own lips, smacked them thoughtfully.
Then he showed an expression of savoring the memory and—courting death—added:
"Mm... sweet."
"I'LL FIGHT YOU TO THE DEATH!!!"
...
That night, Warehouse No. 3 echoed with a certain kunoichi's furious screaming that lasted over half an hour.
Along with a certain man's cries of "Ow!" "Not the face!" "I was wrong!" "Can we do that again?"
When Cloud emerged from the warehouse—supported by Terry, sporting two black eyes—the system notifications in his head rang like triumphant fanfares.
[Ding! Side Quest 'Deeper Exchange with the Shiranui Style' completed with bonus!]
[Quest Rating: S (Spectacular evenly-matched battle, plus a jaw-dropping 'accident')]
[Quest Rewards Distributed: Source Points x5,000, Skill "Shiranui-Style: Flame Dancing Steps," Significant Affection Increase!]
[Target: Mai Shiranui]
[Current Affection: +5 (That... that JERK who makes me grind my teeth!)]
Cloud looked at the distant figure who was still stomping her feet in anger, cheeks perpetually flushed pink. He grinned through his swollen lips.
He knew the path to conquering this tsundere kunoichi was already half-complete.
Meanwhile, Andy watched all of this unfold and silently clenched his fists.
He felt like... something important was about to be taken from him.
...
The aftermath of that "accident-filled" spar with Mai ended with Cloud sporting two black eyes and Mai giving him the silent treatment for an entire day (while secretly blushing whenever she saw him).
Cloud didn't mind at all—he was actually enjoying it.
His mind was fully occupied with the "fortune" that had just landed in his system account.
[Main Quest: Hyena of South Town]
[Requirements: Within one month, raise Constitution, Strength, and Agility to 10 each.]
[Constitution: 13]
[Strength: 12]
[Agility: 10]
[Spirit: 12]
[Quest Complete!]
[Quest Rewards Distributed: Source Points x10,000, Skill "Basic Combat Mastery."]
Adding in all the side quests and "jungle farming" he'd accumulated, his Source Point balance had broken through the 20,000 mark for the first time ever!
Twenty thousand!
What did that mean?
It meant he could drink those expensive permanent enhancement potions like water!
It meant he could ride the gacha wheel like his personal merry-go-round!
"Woohoo! This is what getting rich overnight feels like—so simple and plain!"
Cloud lay on his crappy little bed, staring at the long string of numbers on his system panel, grinning like a 200-pound landlord's idiot son.
"System, it's time to show my true skills!" Cloud rubbed his hands together, eyes gleaming with the light of "whale spending."
"Give me a luxury ten-pull! This time, I'm pulling until the seas run dry and the mountains crumble!"
[Ding! Detected: Host's cumulative Source Points have exceeded critical threshold. Initial power accumulation complete. System upgrade conditions met.]
[Dimensional Plunder System updating to Version 2.0... 10%... 50%... 100%!]
[Update complete! Welcome to the new version!]
Cloud blinked.
The system can upgrade too?