Dante couldn't stop thinking about what had happened earlier. "Rin Marell," he repeated silently.
Even though they were roughly the same age, her power felt like a force of nature, completely beyond his current ability. She was faster, stronger, and moved with a confidence that made it seem like they were from entirely different worlds.
It wasn't just her strength—it was the way she used it. Every movement, every strike, had been calculated and precise. Meanwhile, Dante had felt like he was flailing just to keep up. Luckily, she didn't see him as much if a threat and decided not to pound him into a pulp.
He walked down the street toward his bunker, his eyes fixed on a system notification which floated gently before him.
[Exp gained: 120]
"Well, lucky me," he muttered with a deep sigh of astonishment. "Guess the system counted getting my butt handed to me as a win."
He sighed, his mind pacing restlessly. It wasn't just the loss—it was the reality of the loss. He had a system now. He was supposed to be different. He was meant to be stronger.
...Untouchable... Or so he thought.
Instead, Rin had destroyed his expectations with grace and frightening ease.
"Strength isn't everything…" he mumbled to himself. "Speed. Agility. You need all of it."
Back in his fight with Rin, he wasn't able to keep up with her speed which was very frustrating.
[Speed: 7 (+3)]
[Agility: 7 (+2)]
Dante made a few more stat allocations on the spot. He had planned to do it once he got back to his bunker, but the urgency clawed at him. He couldn't afford to fall behind. Not again.
Another system notification flickered into view:
[New Quest: Join the Academy]
[The Academy? While Strikx's data is limited, host's research and field observations indicate that it is an elite training institution for developing Neva-enhanced soldiers. Based on testimony from Rin Marell and data collected at the city library, it presents an optimal path for power development.]
[Reward: ???] [Status: Incomplete]
Dante frowned. He hadn't even finished his fight with Rin. In the middle of their clash, she had suddenly stopped, seemingly impressed by his tenacity despite being so clearly outmatched. That's when she extended the invitation.
"Join the academy," she had said, her tone steady and oddly respectful. "You've got potential. Let's finish this properly—there."
At the time, he had been too stunned to reply. She vanished before he could even respond. The idea had caught him off guard. Sure, he knew what the academy was. Everyone did. But he had never once considered enrolling, let alone being invited. Yet here it was, now made a full-blown quest by Strikx.
As if to say: No more sidetracks. Get stronger or die trying.
He reached his bunker after the long walk from the city and shut the metal door behind him with a tired grunt. Peeling off his clothes until he was down to only his boxers before he collapsed onto the bed like a felled tree.
His mind wasn't ready to sleep yet.
"The system still has a lot to hide…" he murmured, staring at the rusted ceiling. "For example, what even triggers a mission?"
This question had bothered him for a while now,
It wasn't random. That much he was sure of. Every quest Strikx had given him so far seemed deeply tied to his mental or emotional state. When he was desperate to understand Strikx's existence, boom—quest. When he wished to be stronger? Another quest. And now, after a painful loss and a potential path forward, the system had once again intervened with another quest.
"Does Strikx respond to what I want?" he whispered. "Or does it respond to what I need?"
He scowled. "What if he had just wanted romance instead of power? Would Strikx still force him into training montages or give them relationship advice?"
No answer.
Typical.
No matter how many times he asked the system questions like this, it always went silent. But even without a clear answer, Dante felt the truth tickling at the edges of his thoughts.
He did need strength.
Strikx wanted strength too.
Whatever its true motives were, they were aligned—for now.
With that realization weighing heavily on him, Dante's eyes drooped. Sleep claimed him with the whisper of a name on his lips.
"Kinetic Reversal… huh, seems pretty useful unlike mine."
---
[Quest updated: Academy entry is now compulsory]
[Objective: Meet required power threshold.]
[Acquire a weapon.]
[Currency needed: 3,000 cores.]
[Time frame: 72 hours.]
[Failure Penalty: Strikx will terminate host.]
Dante exploded upright in bed like someone had hit him with a taser.
"WHAT THE—"
He scrambled to grab the notification window, almost falling off the bed in the process.
He reread it once. Twice. A third time.
"…What the heck!?"
Still half-asleep, hair a mess and eyes bloodshot, Dante looked like a royal mess who'd just been personally insulted by God.
"What the f**k, Strikx?!"
[Strikx detects abnormal heart rate. Please calm down to avoid cardiac distress.]
"Don't give me that crap!" he barked, pacing the room like a lunatic. "You changed the quest overnight! This was optional yesterday! I was gonna do it anyway! What happened to free will, huh?!"
[Strikx sensed reluctance in the host's resolve to grow stronger. A motivational push was deemed necessary.]
He narrowed his eyes. "Motivational push, huh?"
[Correct.]
"Oh, sure. What's next? You gonna threaten to delete my brain cells if I don't brush my teeth?"
[Host's oral hygiene is currently 37% below optimal. Would you like a reminder system installed?]
Dante froze mid-rant. "That wasn't a real suggestion, Strikx."
[Reminder system installation: In progress…]
"Cancel! Cancel, for the love of—you're so annoying!"
[Cancelled.]
He sighed and collapsed onto the bed again, staring at the flickering lights of the bunker's ceiling panel.
"I thought systems were supposed to help you live. Not threaten to murder you in your sleep."
[Strikx is helping. Studies show fear is a highly effective motivator.
Reference: Library Archive 27C.]
Dante rubbed his face, groaning. "Why me? There's gotta be some gym bro out there with abs of steel and the wisdom of a monk just waiting for a system to land in his lap."
[Strikx chose host for a reason. Gym bro lacks creativity.]
He snorted. "So I'm your Plan B with a personality. Wonderful."
He paused, glancing again at the quest panel.
"…3,000 cores. That's a lot," he muttered. "Back at the mansion, that was pocket change. Now? That's luxury."
Still, the weight of the deadline pressed against his chest.
He had to do this.
[Correct. Begin progress or accept dying.]
Dante gritted his teeth. "You know what? Screw it. If you're going to keep making threats, then I'm going to start making moves. Let's see who burns out first—me or you."
[Challenge accepted.]
"That wasn't—ugh, whatever."
He stood from the bed and began pacing again. If he wanted money—real money—fast, there was only one option.
"The Outlands," he whispered.
Dangerous. Risky. But profitable. Especially if you came back alive.
He felt a twist of unease curl in his gut, like something big was stirring just beyond the edge of his awareness. Something was coming. He didn't know what—but it was close.
Still, he couldn't back down.
He freshened up, threw on his gear, and opened the bunker's heavy door.
Time to return to the city.
Time to get to work.
A/N: My novel has just recently passed the vetting process, pls you can now vote in your power stones .
Thank you and have a good read.