My shinigami system

The Terror of the Black Ripper

The coldness of the basement suddenly increased. There was a strange smell in the air, like a mixture of rotten flowers and blood. The Black Ripper's terrifying laughter shook the basement. This laughter did not seem to be that of a human. It was deep, heavy and so terrifying that Rudra's legs froze.

"Ha... Ha... Ha... Ha...!"

The Black Ripper's voice echoed off every wall of the basement. Every echo seemed to hit their hearts like a hammer. Max looked at Rudra, who was standing there without moving. There was a shadow of fear on his face.

The Black Ripper spread his hands and said, "You freed me, and now you are part of my game." His red eyes were glowing like a wolf searching for prey.

Suddenly, he struck his hand on the ground, and with its echo, black souls began to emerge from inside the ground. These souls were in blurry, scary shapes. Their faces were so terrifying that Rudra let out a soft scream.

"Wake up, my spirits! It's time for you to rise," roared the Black Ripper.

The darkness grew thicker around the spirits. As they rose up, their deadly energy could be felt. Max looked at Rudra and shouted, "Rudra! Get out of here! This is your chance!"

But Rudra couldn't move from his place in fear. Black Ripper's laughter echoed again, "Ha... Ha... Ha...! Your condition is what gives me strength. And now, you are all my puppets."

Max took a deep breath and ran to Rudra. He put Rudra on his shoulders and ran towards the exit. Suddenly, a girl came running from behind.

It was the same girl who was chasing Max. Max looked at her in surprise, but the spirits blocked their way. Without wasting a moment, the girl folded her hands and said, "Snake Style: Spirit Snake Short!"

Two small green snakes came out of the girl's hand. They swayed in the air towards the spirits and there was a loud explosion near the exit. The way was cleared.

The Black Ripper shouted angrily, "Don't let them out!" But it was too late. Max, Rudra and the girl had already left. As soon as they left the basement, the library door slammed shut.

Inside, the Black Ripper touched the wall, but he got a strong shock. He said angrily, "How long will you run away from me? Just a few days... As soon as that night comes, I will be free, and then I will destroy everything. Ha... Ha... Ha...!"

The fear outside the library

Max, Rudra and the girl were now sitting on a bench in the OCA grounds. Rudra's face had turned white. He was in shock, his eyes wide open.

The girl looked angrily at Max and shouted, "Who are you? Who did you free? What else do you want?"

Max said calmly, "We didn't know what that was. But wait, what were you doing there?"

The girl remained silent for a moment. Then she said, "We should not tell anyone what happened there. Otherwise, the consequences will be very bad."

Just then Max's system gave a notification:

"Strength Points: 5/10

Life Time: 2 days 5 hours

Eat Black Apple."

Max saw the life time on the screen and was shocked. His time was decreasing rapidly.

He looked at his system screen more carefully:

Level: 02

HP: 10/10

Strength: 5/10

Experience Points: 10/30

Life Time: 2 days 5 hours

Max's mind was spinning after seeing all this. He did not understand what to do.

The girl, whose name was Anna, said, "Because of you, a great danger now looms over the OCA. You have to answer for it."

Max took a deep breath and said, "I have to learn more about my power. I have to correct my mistakes."

The Black Ripper's Challenge

Inside the closed door of the library, the Black Ripper let out his terrifying laugh once again.

"You can run, but you can't hide. I will watch your every move. And when that night comes, I will destroy you and this whole place."

His laugh echoed in the basement, like hundreds of souls screaming. It was now clear that a terrible danger loomed over Max and his friends.

Escape from the Library to the Outcast Academy Grounds

Leaving the library basement, Max, Anna, and Rudra arrived panting on the Outcast Academy Grounds. Rudra sat down on a nearby bench and sighed. Anna laughed and said to Max,

"Max, what did you do? Which spirit did you free? Do you have any idea what the consequences will be?"

Max sighed and looked at Anna with angry eyes.

"Why should I tell you? And what were you doing there?" she replied.

Anna was about to say something else when a notification came from Max's system:

"Strength Point: 4/10"

Black veins suddenly started appearing in Max's eyes, which were spreading like a net. Anna was shocked to see this.

"Max, your eyes... what is happening?" she asked nervously.

Max felt something strange. He quickly went to the window of a building and looked at himself in the mirror. His eyes looked completely blank, and his face started to wither.

He thought to himself, "Is all this happening because of not completing those challenges? If OCA finds out about this, I don't know what they will do."

Distressed by his worsening condition, he hides his face and tries to escape from the Outcast Academy.

"Max! Wait!" Anna called out, but Max didn't respond. He quickly walked out of the academy.

---

Outside OCA: Jackson's Secret

Outside OCA was a completely different area. This place seemed to be a stronghold of the rich and powerful.

Jackson was in a small shop, which was an online shop. There he was talking to someone on a video call. A big, scary man was visible on the screen.

"So what happened to my medicine? Why so late this time?" Jackson said angrily.

The man replied, "We had to work hard to make it this time, but we finally found the one that can control your power."

Saying this, the man put a black box into the machine. Suddenly, blue light came out of a machine placed near Jackson and the same box appeared in front of him. The box was completely black, with blue flames and a paw print on it.

"It arrived just in time," Jackson said, picking up the box. "Who knows what would have happened otherwise."

Coming out of the shop, he reached an empty park nearby and sat on a bench. He was preparing to open the box, but worry and fear were clearly visible on his face. Jackson soon sat in a nearby park.

The effect of the Black Flame Apple

Jackson opened the box in the silence of the park. The apple inside was dark black in color, with a blue flame-like glow waving on it. He looked at it in surprise, "Is this apple different from the Black Apple? And why does it look so dangerous?"

Then he saw Max coming staggering from a distance. There was a strange weakness in Max's gait, as if he was burdened by some unseen burden. Jackson tried to ignore him, but as soon as Max fell on the ground, he froze.

Jackson ran to him. Max's eyes were open, but there was no life in them. His face was pale and withered, and his skin had started sagging. Jackson looked at his condition and thought, "What is happening to him?"

Suddenly, a cold and mechanical voice rang out:

"System notification: Strength points 2/10. 5 hours deducted for not completing the challenge. Life time: 1 day 20 hours. You are about to faint."

Max whispered hesitantly, "Is this the end of me? Have I lost the chance to save myself?"

Jackson straightened him up, but Max's condition was getting worse. It was as if the life was being drained from his face. Then black mist started coming out of Max's eyes.

"System notification: Unconscionable mode has been activated. Strength: 1/10."

Max's eyes turned completely black, and blue glow started floating in them. He no longer looked like a human, but like a machine. For the first time, Jackson was facing something that he could not understand.

Max's eyes turned towards the apple in Jackson's hand. "System notification: Black Flame Apple detected."

"What happened to your eyes, Max? What is all this?" Jackson said in a trembling voice.

Max didn't respond. Suddenly, he snatched the apple from Jackson's hand. Jackson was shocked.

"Wait, Max! This is not for you!" He shouted and chased.

But Max used his Flash Step skill and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

Jackson's restlessness

Jackson stood at a crossroads, looking in all directions.

"Where did Max go? And if I don't eat this apple, what will happen?"

The Black Apple was not just a fruit for Jackson. It was a part of his life, a means of keeping his body's power stable. Since childhood, he had been fed a Black Apple every month. But this time, he was already 10 days late.

"If I don't eat it, my power will go out of control." Jackson's mother's words echoed in his mind. He was oscillating between anger and fear.

Max wakes up in the dark

On the other hand, Max opened his eyes. He was lying in a pile of garbage. He had no clothes on his body, and he felt extremely tired. He slowly tried to get up.

"Where am I? And how did I get here?"

Max looked around. There was darkness and dirt everywhere. His memory had become blurred. The library, the park, the Black Flame Apple... all of this was floating in his mind in pieces.

Then a heavy voice echoed in his ears,

"Max... your time is running out."

Max stood up trembling. He said to himself, "Is this a sign of my death? Or a warning?"

But despite the fear, there was a strange gleam in his eyes.

"If this is the end, I will try to prevent it."

Next Steps

Now there are two important questions of the story—what is the secret of the Black Flame Apple, and what effect will it have on Max? Jackson is running out of time, and the secret to his powers is about to be revealed. Max and Jackson's paths will cross once again, but will this collision lead to their destruction, or their salvation?