1 Chapter 1: Pilot
The bathroom stall was small, dimly lit by the flickering fluorescent lights overhead. The sound of fists connecting with flesh echoed within the confined space, punctuated by stifled grunts and mocking laughter. Koda Ihono, a small and frail high schooler, huddled against the cold tiles, his body trembling with pain and humiliation.
"Come on, Koda, is that all you've got?" a voice taunted, its cruelty slicing through the air.
Koda's battered form offered no resistance. He had grown used to the routine—the relentless bullying, the feeling of helplessness that had become a constant companion. Each blow inflicted another wound, both physical and mental, eroding his sense of self.
His vision blurred as he fought to stay conscious, his breaths shallow and ragged. The world seemed to spin around him, his tormentors mere blurs of motion and laughter. He closed his eyes, his thoughts a jumbled mess of despair and anger.
Amidst the darkness that threatened to consume him, a faint, unfamiliar sensation began to stir within Koda. It was a strange pulsating energy, a resonance that seemed to emanate from deep within his very being.
And then, as abruptly as the beating had started, the pain ceased. Koda's eyes snapped open, his heart pounding in confusion. The bathroom was eerily silent, his attackers frozen.
A voice echoed in Koda's mind, a strange mix of calm authority and calculated curiosity.
System Online.
Koda's breath caught in his throat. What was happening? Was this some sort of delusion, a byproduct of the beating he had just endured? He struggled to comprehend the situation, his mind racing to make sense of the sudden stillness.
Participant: Koda Ihono.
The voice continued, its words clear and direct, as if it was speaking directly to his thoughts.
Initializing Delinquency System...
As if responding to an unspoken command, a holographic interface materialized before Koda's eyes, hovering in the air. It displayed several parameters and fields, each one pulsating with an otherworldly glow.
Name: Koda Ihono
Age: 15
Lvl: 1
STR: 2
AGI: 2
DEF: 2
STA: 1
CHA: 1
Koda's heart raced as he read the information. The words on the interface were foreign yet strangely familiar, like fragments of a puzzle that he was beginning to piece together.
Skills: None
TP: 0
The term "TP" caught Koda's attention. What did it stand for? And why was it at zero? A sense of urgency gnawed at him, a feeling that he needed to understand, to unravel the mysteries that were unfolding before him.
Welcome, Participant. This is the Delinquency System—a path to empowerment through the chaos of delinquency. To upgrade your stats and gain skills, you must earn TP or 'thug points'. The System will provide quests that offer TP rewards. Once you accumulate 100 TP, you can exchange them for a Gacha Box that may contain skills, items, or other things to aid you.
Koda's mind whirled. A path to empowerment? Was this System offering him a way out of his endless cycle of torment? The idea seemed too fantastical to be true, but the interface, the voice—it was all too real to ignore.
His body ached, his wounds a reminder of the pain he had endured. But now, a glimmer of hope ignited within him. Could this be real? Or was he nearly dead and just hallucinating?
Suddenly, another text brought him out of his thoughts.
Quest: Stand Up and Fight
Description: Confront your bullies and demand respect. Show them that you won't be a victim any longer.
Rewards: 10 TP
'Fight?' He thought as his attackers were no longer frozen in place, and their cruel grins were wide staring down at his beaten and battered form. 'Can I... Really do that?'
Koda gritted his teeth, standing up slowly as his body cried out to him to give up. Either way, he was dead, so why not see if his hallucination was real?
"Nah... I can keep going... I'm tired of being a punching bag, all of you just come at me!" Koda yelled spitting in front of the three boys.
Quest Complete! Awards distributed.
Startup bonus Applied! Free [Skill Box] received. Would you like to open it?
[Yes] [No]
"What'd you just say, shithead?" One of the boys growled as he grabbed onto Koda's collar, bringing him close enough for Koda to smell his disgusting breath.
"Hehe... Heheh... Hahahahahahahaha!" Koda laughed aloud, right in the bully's face, tears gathering in his eyes. "It's real..."
"Yo fuck him up Tsuga!" One of the boys behind the one holding Koda yelled.
Tsuga Shihei raised his fist, anger apparent on his face. "Clench your teeth."
Suddenly, Tsuga went flying back, and Koda continued laughing to himself, standing up and looking at the three as Tsuga groaned, his back stuck in the wall.
"It's real haha!"
Skill Received from [Skill Box]-
[Street Brawler]{Lvl 1}
Koda stared down the three as another message caught his attention.
Quest: Brawl
Description: Fight and Win against your bullies
Rewards: 5 TP Each
The bathroom felt small, the air thick with tension. But Koda, unlike the many times he'd been in this same situation, smiled.
They thought he was an easy target, a weakling to be exploited.
Koda's voice was steady, his voice clear as he got in a fighting stance. "I'm done being your punching bag, Tsuga."
The bullies exchanged glances, their surprise turning to irritation.
"Why are you just standing there? Fuck him up!" Tsuga yelled angrily as he jumped to his feet, wiping the blood dripping from his nose. 'That loser... Since when can he fight?'
The two lackey's simultaneously attacked Koda.
He ducked and weaved, his body moving with a fluid grace as he evaded their attacks.
A triumphant grin tugged at Koda's lips as he saw an opening. With a swift pivot, his fist slammed into the Jaw of one of the lackeys.
"..."
"Fuck off!" The other one yelled, kicking Koda in the side and forcing him back. He groaned in pain as they grinned at him.
"So you were training? Quite useless when you're this fucking weak, felt like a fly bit me," The lackey he had hit said, his smile widening as he stepped up to Koda.
'Fuck... Even with the skill, my stats are still weak!' He thought, frustrated as he breathed heavily.
Use TP to upgrade your stats!
Koda widened his eyes. 'That's right huh...'
Looking at his stats he noticed there were now + symbols next to each one. He had 10 points to use.
'What should I upgrade...'
As the lackey got closer, Koda clicked on his upgrades, breathing out a s he felt a rush throughout his body.
"Die bitch!"
Koda ducked under the punch swiftly, grabbing both lackeys by the neck and slamming them into the tiles of the bathroom, knocking them out instantly.
Name: Koda Ihono
Age: 15
Lvl: 1
STR: 6
AGI: 3
DEF: 3
STA: 3
CHA: 1
"What the hell?" Tsuga said in shock as Koda looked up at him. The bullies' overconfidence had been shattered, replaced by a mixture of surprise and uncertainty.
Koda's eyes met Tsuga's, his gaze unwavering. His voice held a newfound strength as he replied, "I'm standing up for myself, Tsuga."
Koda's smile was both confident and chilling, a glimpse of the transformation he had undergone. He rose to his feet, his body poised with a self-assuredness that sent a shiver down the boy's spine. Without a word, Koda began to walk toward Tsuga, each step purposeful and steady.
Tsuga took a step back, his bravado waning further. "You think you can take me on?" he sneered, trying to regain his composure.
Koda's voice was laced with conviction as he replied, "I've had enough of being your punching bag. It ends now."
The bathroom was enveloped in a tense silence, broken only by the sound of Koda's footsteps echoing off the walls. Tsuga's confidence wavered, his gaze darting between Koda and his fallen companions.
And then, an unexpected sound shattered the stillness—a choked sob. Koda's gaze didn't change as he looked at Tsuga drop to his knees with his hands together.
"Please... I-I'm sorry," the boy stammered, his voice quivering. "I didn't want any of this... Please, let me go. I'm not actually good at fighting, I just preteneded using you because you're weaker than me!"
Koda paused, his expression unreadable as he regarded the boy before him. The boy's plea hung in the air, a stark reminder of the fear and pain that Koda had endured at their hands.
For a moment, it seemed as though Koda might relent, might give in to the boy's desperate plea. But then, something within him shifted—a surge of anger, a newfound resolve.
"Nah," Koda's voice was cold, his eyes narrowing as he grabbed Tsuga by the hair.. He had been given a chance, a chance to break free from their cycle of torment, a chance to rewrite himself.
The bathroom stall felt like a pressure cooker, the tension building to a breaking point. Koda's clenched fists trembled as he unleashed a flurry of brutal blows, his anger and frustration channeled into each strike.
The boy's pleas turned into agonized cries as he crumpled under Koda's relentless assault.
Koda's mind was a whirlwind of emotions—anger, pain, determination. As he rained down blows upon the boy who had once been his tormentor. "You think you're evil!" He yelled between blows, "You think you're strong!" He continued, dragging Tsuga to the bathroom stall and putting his head between the opening, quickly slamming the stall door closed on Tsuga's head. "I'll be even worse!"
The two remaining bullies woke up and were frozen in shock, their faces pale as they stared at the scene before them. Koda's gaze was unyielding, his voice a chilling whisper as he let go of the limp Tsuga and turned around to address them, "Remember this day. Remember what happens when you mess with me..."
Koda left the bathroom, blood on his clothes and knuckles.
Quest Complete!
