After six months, Charlie Finch stood atop the abandoned building on Maplewood's edge, where the city's lights sprawled below like a scattered constellation. Night cloaked the rooftop, a cool October breeze tugging at his fitted jacket - no hoodies anymore, no loose skin to hide. His frame was carved sharp, abs etched beneath his shirt, a testament to the Better Genes Potion and relentless training at Iron Will Fight Club. The System hummed in his mind, brighter now: Boxing 3 Stars, Taekwondo 2 Stars, Jiu-Jitsu 2 Stars, MMA 2 Stars, Kickboxing 2 Stars, Muay Thai 2 Stars - a constellation of skills earned through sweat and sparring. He'd traded blows with Mike, his hooks sharper each round, and faced Bobby, their gloves clashing in rhythm, respect replacing old grudges. Charlie smiled, gazing at the city he'd outgrown in ways deeper than muscle.
Six months had reshaped more than his body. Bobby had become a true friend, closer than Charlie ever expected. The guy who once taunted "Sludge" now showed him what loyalty meant - inviting him to dinners, movies, paintball, games at his house, training together sometimes, and always offering to pay. But Charlie, flush with System cash, surprised him, covering burgers or tickets sometimes, grinning at Bobby's wide-eyed shock. "You don't have to do that, bro," Bobby said, but his smile said he valued it. Emma Harper drew closer too - her green eyes warmer in class, her laughs softer when they talked, her braid brushing his arm once or a few times by accident, or maybe not. Katie noticed, her glances turning sharp, jealousy flaring, but Charlie let it slide. That's her problem, he thought, his focus on getting stronger; he wanted to see the heights he could reach with the system.
The System had rewarded him richly, piling perks as he leveled up. Agility Spike boosted his footwork by 20%, Stamina Surge climbed from 15% to 30% for longer rounds, and countless $100 cooking bonuses—meals for his parents, himself—stacked his balance to $12,450, even after gym fees, supplements, and new clothes. The real prize loomed: $50,000 and Unbreakable Body 1 Star, earned at 1000 hits but unclaimed until now, a milestone sealed yesterday in a grueling session with Mike's heavy fists. He'd come here to collect it, needing this rooftop—the cracked concrete where the System first chimed—to make it sacred. Charlie leaned against a rusted vent, the city's pulse faint below, and traced the faded scars in the stone. "This is where it started, right, System?" he said, a smile tugging his lips, wild yet grounded.
Yes, Charlie, The system chimed, its tone almost fond. A flicker sparked in his mind - a memory projected like a grainy film: Charlie, slumped on his couch, groaning at the TV, refusing to move. Then, the first steps, gasping, the first jab, in the park, clumsy but fierce. He laughed, the sound echoing off the rooftop. "Man, I was a mess." The system didn't reply, but its hum felt like a nod, proud in its silence.
Charlie stood there, wind ruffling his dark brown hair, feeling stronger - not just in his fists or his core, but in himself. He let the moment linger, Maplewood's lights winking below, his path clearer than ever.
A few minutes passed, then the night breeze whispered across the abandoned rooftop, Maplewood's lights twinkling below. Charlie stood still, his fitted jacket snug against his chiseled frame. He exhaled, a wild grin breaking. Time to cash in.
He thought of his parents - Marge's tired smiles and Harold's proud claps. Half the money, $25,000, would go to them. Gotta sell it right, he mused, grin widening. He'd say he bet big on a boxing match - his own, maybe, hyped as a one-off gamble. "Won a ton," he'd tell them, "and since I came out ahead, I'm done. Why keep betting when you've already won?" The logic felt ironclad, a clean lie to dodge questions. If he'd turned $1 into anything, he'd stop - victory was enough.
Charlie closed his eyes, focusing inward. "Claim it - Unbreakable Body 1 Star perk, $50,000," he said, voice steady. The system chimed, sharp and clear: Unbreakable Body 1 Star fully activated. $50,000 awarded. Balance: 62,450. A rush hit him, not just numbers but something deeper, primal. His bones tingled, like steel threading through marrow, growing denser, harder. His muscles tightened, fibers knitting tighter, tendons thickening like cables. His heart thumped stronger, blood surging with new resilience, every organ fortifying - lungs, liver, skin - all tankier, built to endure. He clenched his fists, feeling the shift, a beast waking inside him. This is power, he thought, his pulse racing, not pain but possibility.
he feeling settled, leaving him solid, unbreakable. The System chimed again, unprompted: Bonus reward unlocked: Leap Ability. Knowledge flooded in, a blueprint etched in his mind: Leap enables enhanced jumping—up to 20 feet horizontally, 10 feet vertically—driven by reinforced legs and back. Unbreakable Body prevents fractures or strains on impact. Your brain trusts your durability, allowing strikes against hard surfaces—walls, posts—denting them without breaking bones. Limits apply: no scaling skyscrapers, no shattering concrete, but resilience is yours. Charlie's eyes widened, testing a small hop. His legs coiled like springs, landing whisper-soft. He imagined it—vaulting a fence, jabbing a steel locker to dent it, fearless. No busting walls, but damn, that's fierce.
He checked the system's display, a faint glow in his mind. Unbreakable Body 2 Star: 10,000 hits required. "Ten thousand?" he muttered, a low whistle escaping. "That's a marathon." Another line caught him: Evolution Progress: 10%.His grin faltered, then steadied. Good and bad news. Tomorrow night, Sleep Fighting would return - the Faceless Man waiting in that endless ring to test him. Bring it on, he thought, confidence surging, his new strength a shield. He'd prove himself, no doubt.
The System chimed once more, sharp: New Mission: Learn Jungle Survival. Hire a teacher, travel to a jungle, and master survival skills - navigation, shelter, and foraging. Then survive alone for a weekend. Reward: Jungle Survival 1 Star, $5000. Charlie froze, his jaw dropping. "Wait - what?" he blurted, the rooftop's quiet amplifying his shock. Jungle? Like, trees and bugs? The city lights below seemed to mock him, so far from any wilderness...