Rylan stayed still behind the thick bushes, ears straining to catch every word the thugs were saying. Their voices carried through the quiet forest, rough and cocky, bragging about the bank they had just hit and how easy the guards went down.
He couldn't help it, a small laugh bubbled up in his mind. 'These idiots have no idea what's coming,' he thought, a mix of nerves and excitement twisting in his gut.
Then a blue screen popped up right in front of him, glowing softly.
[New Quest - Defeat the Thugs]
[Rewards: 2 Level Ups]
[Failure: Sent to Prison Realm]
The prison realm part sounded terrifying, like some endless dark hole he'd never crawl out of. Rylan swallowed hard and mentally accepted the quest without hesitation. No way was he risking that.
He stepped out from the trees and walked straight toward the group, trying to look cool like the heroes he had watched on TV. But his social anxiety kicked in hard, his palms sweaty and his throat tight. It felt a little cringy, but he pushed through anyway.
"You villains, stop right there," he said, his voice coming out with a stutter.
The five thugs turned around, staring at him like he was the biggest idiot they had ever seen. One of them, a big guy with a shaved head, burst out laughing.
"Look at this, boys. Mr. Hero in his little black cape thinks he can play savior. We just robbed a bank, kid. You picked the wrong day."
Another one smirked, cracking his knuckles.
"Go home, rookie. You're gonna get hurt."
They kept making fun of him, calling him names and laughing louder. Rylan felt his face heat up. The anger built fast in his chest, hot and sharp, until he couldn't hold it back anymore.
"You're all bitches," he snapped, his voice rising.
"Come on then, if you're so tough. All of you, right now."
The thugs stopped laughing. One of them, a skinny guy with tattoos crawling up his neck, stepped forward with a nasty grin. "We're stronger than you, pretty boy."
He raised his hand and suddenly his fingers stretched out like living whips, each one tipped with sharp, bone-like spikes that glowed with faint green energy. The power looked painful and twisted, perfect for tearing into flesh.
Rylan barely had time to react before the spiked whips lashed out at him. He dodged the first one by stumbling sideways, but the second caught his arm, slicing a shallow cut through his suit.
Pain flared hot, but his healing kicked in quick, the sting fading almost right away. Anger pushed him forward. He charged in, swinging with everything he had.
His fist connected with the skinny guy's chest. The impact was harder than he expected. There was a sickening crack, and the man flew backward, slamming into a tree.
Rylan's eyes widened as he watched the body slide down the trunk, chest caved in, blood leaking from the mouth. The guy didn't move again.
"I thought… I thought you were stronger!" Rylan said, voice shaking as he stared at what he had just done. His hands trembled a little. He hadn't meant to kill him, not like that.
The other four thugs froze for a second, then panic hit them. They turned and tried to run, crashing through the bushes. But another system screen flashed up.
[New Quest - Kill the Rest of the Thugs]
[Bonus Reward: Randomized Superpower]
Rylan's jaw tightened. He wasn't about to fail now. He took off after them, his new flight power letting him move faster than he ever could on foot. The first thug he caught was the big shaved-head guy.
Rylan grabbed him by the shoulder and slammed him face-first into the ground. The man's nose exploded in a spray of blood and cartilage. Before he could scream, Rylan punched down again, crushing the skull with a wet crunch.
Brains and bone fragments splattered across the dirt.
He felt sick, but the anger kept him moving. The next one tried to pull a gun. Rylan ripped it out of his hand and drove his fist straight through the guy's stomach.
His arm sank in up to the elbow, hot blood pouring over his fingers as guts spilled out in slippery loops. The thug gurgled, eyes wide with shock, before Rylan yanked his hand free and let the body drop.
The last two ran in different directions. Rylan flew after the closer one, tackling him from behind. He wrapped his hands around the man's head and twisted hard. The neck snapped with a loud pop, the body going limp instantly.
The final thug was almost to the edge of the forest when Rylan caught up. He grabbed the guy by the leg and swung him like a club into a thick tree trunk. The impact shattered ribs and spine.
The man screamed once before his head split open against the bark, blood and gray matter painting the wood.
Rylan stood there breathing hard, hands covered in red. The forest had gone quiet except for the drip of blood from the leaves.
The system voice spoke calmly in his head.
"Congratulations, Host. Quest completed. You have gained 2 levels. Bonus reward unlocked: Randomized Superpower."
A new line appeared in his status.
[New Passive Skill - Minor Sensory Echo (E rank)] You can faintly sense the emotions and surface thoughts of people within twenty feet when you focus.
It wasn't much, but it felt useful. Weak for now, but something he could build on. Rylan quickly opened his status and dumped most of his points into Combat Velocity, pushing it up a couple ranks until it felt noticeably faster.
The rest went straight into Flight, bumping it from F to D rank. A small smile crossed his face as he felt the power settle deeper in his body.
'Better,' he thought. 'This is some good progress!'
He walked back to the apartment slowly, the high from the fight fading into something heavier. Once inside he stripped off the bloody suit and stepped into the shower. Hot water ran over his skin, washing away the red stains, but it couldn't wash away the images in his head.
He had just killed people. Real people. He sat down on the shower floor, water pounding on his back, and tried to cry. Nothing came. No tears, no heavy grief, just a numb emptiness.
"Fuck," he muttered, his voice cracking.
"What the hell is wrong with me? I just killed someone and I can't even feel bad about it."
He stayed there until the water ran cold, then dried off and pulled on clean clothes. The apartment felt too quiet. He needed to get out, to do something that made him feel alive again.
So he left the building and headed downtown to a strip club he had noticed earlier. The neon lights buzzed outside, promising escape.
Inside the air was thick with smoke and perfume. He found a seat near the stage and ordered a drink. That was when he saw her. A woman with long, silky black hair that fell like a curtain down her back.
She moved with graceful confidence, her body toned and curved in all the right places. She could have been a pop idol back on his old Earth, with those sharp, pretty features and full lips that curved into an easy smile when she caught him staring.
She danced for a while, then made her way over to him during her break.
"You look like you could use some company tonight," she said softly, her voice smooth and warm. Her name was Lena, and before long she was sitting in his lap, her fingers tracing lightly over his chest.
Things moved fast after that. She led him to a private room in the back, the door clicking shut behind them. Lena pushed him down onto the soft couch and climbed on top, her black hair spilling over her shoulders.
She was already wet when she guided him inside her, her pussy tight and hot, the slick walls gripping him perfectly as she sank down. She felt incredible, soft and warm, every little movement sending sparks through his body.
Rylan groaned, hands on her hips as she started riding him slow and deep. Her breasts bounced with each roll of her hips, nipples hard against his palms when he reached up to touch them.
She moaned softly, leaning down to kiss his neck, her breath hot against his skin.
"You feel so good," she whispered, picking up the pace, her ass slapping lightly against his thighs.
He thrust up to meet her, the pleasure building fast and intense. Her pussy clenched around him rhythmically, wet sounds filling the small room as she rode him harder.
Sweat glistened on her skin, her black hair sticking to her shoulders. Rylan's hands gripped her tighter, lost in the feeling of her body moving on top of him.
She leaned back, one hand on his chest for balance, the other rubbing her clit as she chased her own release.
Her moans grew louder, more desperate, until she came with a sharp cry, her walls pulsing tight around his cock.
That pushed him right to the edge. Rylan felt himself about to finish inside her, the urge so strong it took every bit of strength he had to pull out at the last second. His muscles strained, veins standing out on his arms as he fought the pull.
He barely managed it. Thick ropes of cum shot across her stomach and thighs instead, some still spilling from the tip as he gasped for air.
He collapsed back against the couch, chest heaving, a tired, shaky laugh escaping him at how close that had been.