The SSS-Rank System: From Outcast To Overlord

"Why did you help me?" The blonde hair remained persistent, tugging behind Michael as they walked home after school.

"Don't feel all special." Michael sighed. "I only did it because you had to be so stupid to talk to me in their presence. Trust me, you're probably gonna get into their blacklist."

"Oh." He let out a worried whimper alongside.

"I have a question though," Michael turned around and threw a scowl at him. "Why have you been following me around since we left school?"

The boy jumped, as if he was a girl who had just seen a bug. "I.. Uh... I.."

"You must have a death wish by following me, any moment from now, Steven and the other assholes are going to show up for a rematch. Do you want to be here by then?"

"What are you talking about—"

"Why, let him stay." A mischievous voice interrupted, a voice Michael knew too well. The bully had showed up from nowhere, pitching confidently on the empty streets as he smiled dangerously at the duo.

And with him, were the assholes. The guys that he usually kept around as sidekicks to mess around.

"Steven." Michael whispered beneath his breath. He had been expecting this, but not just along a solicited alleyway.

What was he up to?

"Alright Alastair." Steven said. "I'm going to give you one last chance to apologize, then I won't have to crush a few more of your bones right here and now."

The air turned cold around them, tension flowing palpable as the rivals exchanged death glances. Michael heard cluttering of teeth and before he could tilt his head, the blonde hair guy had dropped to his kneels in surrender to Steven's threats.

"Please spare me!" The boy cried desperately. "I did not mean to go against the rules."

Steven snickered. "Now that's a good boy, but I don't need your apology. " He shoved his face to Michael. "I'm waiting for yours."

"..."

"Go on, kneel. Beg for your life like the cripple you are."

Michael sighed with exasperation. He eased towards the blonde haired and for a moment stared blankly into his desperate pair of eyes. His placed his cold hands on his collar and lifted him up from where he knelt.

And then. WHACK! He gave him a punch that sent him tumbling to the floor again.

"Never you apologize to an asshole!" He yelled with calmness. "I may be a cripple but you're way worse than me."

"So, I'd take that as a no, yes?" Steven grinned. "Fine, I was going to beat you up either way."

As he rushed towards Michael, all his energy seemed have to be concentrated on that one arm, as if he was deliberately trying to use his strongest attack against him.

Steven's fist reached for Michael's face, but he dodged, obviously faster than him. Although he was just a cripple, Michael's physical training was primarily based on his speed, and every other thing besides that was at low function.

So, all he could do at the moment was to avoid Steven's hits, since he hadn't made an opening yet for a rush of blows.

Michael knew however that he was going to be screwed if he sustained one hit from the bully, as his stamina wasn't that durable enough to withstand pain.

"You can't avoid my punches forever!" Steven cackled, persistently trying to hit Michael. "And I can do this all day!"

He was right. Michael couldn't keep dodging his punches forever, soon enough he was going to wear out and get it. He had to make his attack now before that happened.

Michael pulled back and brought forth his legs, the only thing he considered immobile against a strength user,afterall he couldn't risk the chances of throwing a weak punch.

He reached to kick his guts, as it seemed to be the best penetrant part of his body. But as soon as he did, his legs caught, firmly in Steven's grip.

"Is this all you got?" Steven grinned. "Pathetic."

Shit! Michael wasn't spared another second to think before he was flung into the wall of a building. It was quite obvious that Steven enjoyed that move while trying to weaken his enemies.

Blood seeped down his forehead as he was rendered immobile, unable to move at the impact of the first attack. Curse my stamina!

"Being a martial artist isn't enough against me." Steven said, mimicking his kick movement. His eyes immediately turned sour and was replaced with an intention to kill. "Get him up."

The side kicks walked towards Michael and helped him to his feet. Although he seemed already half beaten to death and probably severed broken bones already, Steven wasn't satisfied.

He never was.

"You'd have no choice but to learn where you stand cripple." Steven took out his fist and swiped a punch into his jaw. And another. "And we can always teach you the hard way."

Michael laughed, and it accompanied a snort. "Where do I stand that you don't? You're just a weakling whose powers are useless against anyone else but a cripple."

"How dare you talk back at me?" Steven gave him a knee jab in his stomach, and it made Michael want to collapse but he had been held in the grip of two other students.

"How about I just kill you now?" Steven grinned with anger. "King wanted someone to get the job done afterall."

King wanted him dead? Why was he surprised, of course everyone in his school wanted him dead. It was only normal for the leader of the hierarchy to find his existence more offensive.

"Steven, this could backfire." A sidekick said worriedly behind him.

"Relax it won't, Wisteria High has the government's backing, you won't even notice there was a murder case taken up." Steven explained. "And besides we don't have a choice now... He already knows."

Michael gulped. These bastards!! Bullying wasn't enough for them, now they wanted to kill him?

Why? Why didn't he listen to pure wisdom from Mr Diego four some months ago and dropped out of school? Why did his life had to be the cost of everything?

A punch grazed into his temple, the strongest one he had felt so far. Michael didn't know how he was still alive but he realized he wasn't going to last. Blood spilled red from his nose, staining his lips.

Another punch and he clenched his teeth wrongly, making him lose a few. His mouth bled and they gave a different vibrance to his school uniform.

Michael couldn't feel his jaw, neither any area of his skull. The punches came like a cluster until slowly, his hearing stopped working fine. And the least he could hear was a synchronized sound from his brain.

The very BEEP sound a man heard before he died.

"Any last wishes?" Steven demanded.

I... I don't want to die.

"Fine, I hope you have a nice time in Hell."

The last thing Michael registered was a punch headed his way. And with that, it was all over and darkness quietly seeped in.

* * *

Where was he to go now? The afterlife? The underworld? Or some new world where his major problem would be to keep up with a harem?

He wanted that.

BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.

[System Notification. YOU HAVE GAINED EXP POINTS FOR COMPLETING THE TRIALS OF LIFE.]

[NEW TALENT UNLOCKED: THE WRITER'S LEGACY. RANK: SSS]

[CONFIRM ACCEPTANCE. PLAYER WOULD ABANDON ALL CHANCES IF DECLINED]

[ACCEPT/ DECLINE]

A System. Of course. The only cheat code that could redeem a character.

Why didn't he think of that?

"Accept."