Bully Lord

Part-20

The dismissal bell echoed through the halls, a sweet yet bittersweet escape from Principal Byzed's office. James' stomach rumbled loudly, reminding him of the skipped lunch. His head swam with the whirlwind of revelations: Principal Byzed's past, his grandfather's secret history, and the bizarre power the system had bestowed upon him.

As he entered his classroom, a hush fell over the room. All eyes turned towards him, a mixture of curiosity and newfound respect in their gazes. Even Jahir, the notorious bully, seemed to shrink back slightly in his seat.

"Dude, that was epic!" a voice blurted from the back. It was Mark, a quiet boy in James' class, rarely seen participating in classroom chatter. This sudden outburst was a complete surprise.

A girl named Sarah, who usually sat in the front row, approached James, her eyes sparkling with admiration. "I wish someone would do something like that for me whenever I'm stuck in an awkward situation," she admitted, a touch of envy coloring her voice.

James blinked, overwhelmed by this sudden wave of attention. He was used to being invisible, an afterthought in the vibrant tapestry of high school life.  But now, everyone seemed to be looking at him, their gazes filled with a newfound interest. 

A thought flickered in his mind – could it be the Bully System?  Had the increase in his "CHA" stat, a stat he barely understood, somehow altered his social standing?

He brushed the question aside for the moment.  The truth was, he still didn't understand what exactly had happened.  Standing up to Ryan had felt right, but the "Thunderclap Slap" skill and its bizarre effects left him deeply unsettled.

The rest of the afternoon crawled by. James found it difficult to focus on the droning lectures, his mind constantly replaying the events of the day.

After school, the weight of the detention settled on him. He trudged to the back of the school, where a neglected patch of overgrown weeds awaited their attention. Ryan, looking equally disgruntled, stood beside him, a scowl etched onto his face.

"Ugh, this is so stupid," Ryan grumbled, kicking at a clump of dirt.

James ignored him, picking up a discarded garden rake. He wasn't sure what the future held, what other bizarre missions the Bully System might throw at him. But for now, he focused on the task at hand, the rhythmic scrape of the rake against the dry earth a strangely calming sound against the chaos swirling within him.

James grunted, the rhythmic scrape of the rake against the dry earth a monotonous counterpoint to the storm brewing within him. He glanced sideways at Ryan, who was leaning against the school wall, arms crossed and a picture of sullen defiance.

"Seriously, dude?" James couldn't hold back any longer. "We're both going to be here for hours at this rate. Just grab a rake and help out."

Ryan scoffed. "Why should I? You're the one who started this whole mess."

James clenched his jaw. He couldn't deny that. However, the thought of slaving away all afternoon while Ryan stood around doing nothing fueled a surge of irritation.

Just as he was about to retort, a familiar blue screen flickered into existence before his eyes.  This time, the mission was…