"W-what are you doing right now, huh?"
The lanky man looked at Luke with an expression of surprise, seeing as the latter had taken a fighting stance in the face of several adversities surrounding him.
'What an idiot.' He smiled to himself. 'Does he not know who we are? He's not even making the correct stance… what a retard.'
While appearing like a mere thug, this lanky man actually had a degree in advanced psychology.
He was also very good at fighting, mastering several stances and fighting styles. He only decided to be a thug because of the kind of organization they were affiliated with and the fact that he wanted to rise up the ranks in order to reach the upper echelon.
Plus, engaging in criminal activities like this made for a good experience for someone like him.
"Sic him, boys." He ordered the two guys behind Luke to attack, his eyes bulging wide as he watched what happened next.
The moment they got close enough to him, Luke became a blur and appeared right behind them—almost like he had been there all along. They didn't even have enough time to react before he sent them unconscious with a simple kick.
"W-wha—?!"
Before the lanky man could react, Luke charged straight towards him and his partner.
The buff man beside him stepped forward, roaring aggressively as he planned on taking down the defiant young man who armed their team members. Upon seeing this, the lanky man grinned in delight.
'Hehe! Andre is a juggernaut of a beast.' A dark gleam flashed in his eyes. 'You're finished, retard.'
However—
BAM!
Luke grabbed Andre by the face and sent the back of his head crashing into the ground, causing the road pavement to crack a little as the massive figure also fell unconscious in a single strike.
Within a few seconds, the lanky figure found himself the only one left standing.
It was obviously time to surrender.
He dropped his knife and strained an exaggerated smile, his words rushing out like a geyser.
"I-I'm sorry for bothering you, kind sir! Please have mer—!"
He hadn't even finished his statement when a right hook came from Luke, instantly causing his brain to vibrate inside his head. His expression turned blurry, and a strange sense of dull pain assailed him.
"Guh!"
Before he could even recover from the initial strike, he felt two hands holding the back of his head, pulling it towards a knee that neared him at breakneck speed. His eyes widened as he saw this, and despite pleading for Luke to stop, he was too disoriented to do anything about it.
In the end—
BAM!
His nose made impact with Luke's knee, causing bright red blood to spray out of his nostrils as his eyes turned white, and he lost consciousness. He crumpled on the ground, laid among the rest of his colleagues as Luke walked over their bodies and continued his singing/dancing routine.
'Damn… that felt surprisingly good.' Luke smiled to himself. 'I can't remember fighting anyone since juvie.'
Ever since he got out of the correctional system, he promised to leave the violent life behind and never engage in any illegal activities. He cleaned up his act and decided to live a relatively obscure life in order to avoid getting dragged into his previous life again.
Tonight, he had broken that streak, fighting a bunch of thugs… and winning.
He felt no regret whatsoever.
**********
A few days passed, and it was finally time for Luke to return to the game of Hunters & Dragons.
His life had gotten a lot more eventful ever since he began to live as a Level 5 person. Aside from the fight he had with the thugs, he was getting a lot more recognition at work, receiving promises and offers here and there.
He was being referred among his small circle of colleagues and superiors, and it seemed like he was well on his way to becoming a full-time employee.
'The past me might have been satisfied with this much, but… I can't.'
With his current strength, he could defeat most people in a single strike, and he was the most efficient worker when it came to physical jobs. He could already be considered superhuman at this point.
However, what about it?
Luke went to the cyber cafe after his second day as a Level 5 and went through some posts on the Forum, seeing as his fellow Players had already passed his current precipice, going on to achieve even greater things.
'For example,
Everyone was excelling so well, and even though Luke had yet to say anything on the forum or communicate with any of the Players, he felt a special kind of attachment to them.
They were all experiencing challenges and overcoming them with unquestionable success.
He wanted to be like that too—like them!
Why would he be satisfied with a menial job when he could do so much more?
'I can't slack off!' Luke smiled, locking his door and placing his stopwatch in its usual position as he prepared to log back into the game.
After having a small taste of what it could offer, he could no longer resist the allure.
Luke desired more.
[Welcome back, Player!]
He smiled, instantly saying, "Yes," causing his eyes to forcefully shut tight and a new set of eyes to open.
Draco woke up.
He was currently on the ship heading towards Argo City, and since he won first place in the examinations, he had been given a special room to himself. It was relatively small, but compared to the others who had to share rooms, this was a luxury.
'Hehe… good work, Luke.' He smiled. 'So you finally stood up for yourself. Perhaps I looked down on you too much.'
He had gotten a refill of Luke's memories, so he knew what had transpired on Earth. Since he was also somewhat Luke, he felt a surge of pride in himself. It was a complicated feeling, but Draco could not dwell on it due to the System Window that appeared before him next.
[Welcome back, Legendary Dragon Tamer]
Before Draco could even check his Status Window for more details regarding the details, he felt the ceiling and areas around him rumble as the sounds of multiple footsteps caused the wood to creak incessantly. As he jumped from his bed, wondering what was happening, the door to his room flung open to reveal one of the Proctors who spoke to him with urgency.
"All students are required to gather on the deck! Wear your clothes and come up as soon as possible."
"What's the matter? Is it some sort of emergency?"
"Something like that…" The Proctor spoke, a bit of hesitation etched on his face as he struggled with whether or not to tell Draco the details. However, after looking at the latter for a few seconds, he determined the boy was strong enough to handle the truth.
"It's Dragons… a wave of them is nearing us as we speak."
"What?"
"They will soon make contact."
[STATUS WINDOW]
- Name: Draco (Lvl: 5)
- Race: Human
- Class: Legendary Dragon Tamer
- Integrity: 5
- Physique: 5
- Aptitude: 5 (100% Essence)
- S Points: 40
- Quest Completion Rate: 0%
[Current Quest Information]
Primary Quest: Defend the ship against the attacking Dragons (Not Started)
Secondary Quest: Ensure no Dragon escapes (Not Started)
Hidden Quest: Do not use your Dragon Tamer Privileges (Not Started)
[Synchronization Rate: 8%]