NOVEL NEXT Chapter 8: The Bully Gets Cooked.
"I didn't think you would come. I'm surprised." Steven said with a smirk.
"Just because I was busy with other stuff doesn't mean I would miss your beating." Michael shoved his hands into his pockets. "I'd always make time."
Steven chuckled evilly, his face expression turning cold immediately. "I'm gonna give you one last chance to apologize cripple, so when I beat you up I won't seem like the bad person."
"You want an apology so bad?" Michael approached him slowly. "I have an apology right here in my pocket, come get it."
"Huh?"
At close distance, Michael dig out his fist and threw a punch at Steven. The force sent the bully bouncing against the elasticity of the tussle ropes.
Whoa.. Michael stared into his fist, astonished by how powerful his blow had become.
"Hey! I didn't declare the fight yet!" The referee yelled, blowing his whistle. "Foul foul!"
Of course, they were going to take Steven's side. If it was the bully who had thrown the first punch, the referee would assume the fight had started.
He was the cripple after all.
"I'm gonna go through the rules again." The referee paused, obviously giving Steven time to regain himself. "There are no rules!! Just... Don't kill each other okay?"
"What in the..." Michael couldn't finish, Steven had stampeded towards him and grabbed him by surprise, slamming his back into the hard floor.
He was strong, mostly because his barrier had been activated in full extent. His body force pressed against Michael, and he a deafening punch grazed his cheekbone.
And another, and another. Until eventually, Steven felt a little satisfied. He stood up and smirked at Michael.
"Get up."
As Michael stood, he understood it wasn't the time yet. He had only tossed him to the ground and given him a few punches, and he observed that Steven could only channel his Physical Cast talent to one part of his body at a time.
It probably took a lot of focus to do that.
But still, there was still more, and he just needed time to figure out all of his moves.
WHACK! Michael tumbled down at the impact of the kick sent to his face. His head crashed into the hard floor again, and he must've misinterpreted the 'ding!' sound he heard in his head.
[System Notification. The Writer is A Weapon, A Manipulator Of Existence, an Omnipotent Being.]
[TALENT EQUIPPED: WRITER'S LEGACY]
[CLASS SELECTION IS COMPULSORY]
"Wait...no, stop, I didn't ask for this." Michael groaned, apparently his Writer's Legacy Talents was going to activate and probably blow his cover.
[THREE CLASSES FOUND]
[SHAPE-SHIFTING. CORRODE. AURA MANIPULATION.]
"Shape-shifting? Corrode? These are all other talents!" Michael yelled beneath a whisper. "Why are more talents being categorized under another talent?"
What exactly was this Writer's Legacy?
[CLASS SELECTION IS COMPULSORY]
Michael thought about it since he had to choose now, he needed a talent he could easily control, something that won't blow his cover in front of everyone as he didn't intend to use it anyway.
"Aura manipulation."
[System Notification: The Writer is a Manipulator of Existence, An Editor of The Plot System.]
[NEW SKILL LEARNED: AURA MANIPULATION.]
"Wait just like that? I thought usually there's a violent gust of wind before—"
CRASH! Michael quickly dodged as the buttstock of two fists came down his way.
[AURA DETECTED: 1.]
[MANIPULATION IS POSSIBLE]
[PROCEED/DECLINE?]
"Shut up system!!" Michael groaned. Steven's fists woodshed in from all direction at him, and he was having a tough time dodging the attack. "Can't you see I'm in the middle of something here?!"
[MANIPULATION IS POSSIBLE]
[PROCEED/DECLINE?]
"Who the hell are you talking to?" Steven asked, this time, he was able to throw a punch up Michael's jaw.
"Fuck it." Michael cursed as he collapsed to the floor again. The system had been distracting him, redirecting his attention from the beastly punches of Steven.
[MANIPULATION IS POSSIBLE]
[PROCEED/DECLINE?]
"You know what?! Do whatever!" Michael sighed with exasperation. "Proceed."
"You're acting kinda strange." Steven pointed out, but a satisfied smile quickly surfaced his expression. "The beating affected your head bad, didn't it?"
Michael chuckled. "Arrogant bastard." He said. "Did you think I'd be so foolish to lose to you when I didn't even raise an arm?"
"I'm just that powerful." The bully boasted.
[AURA MANIPULATION IS COMPLETE]
"Well, for one thing I'm glad your foolishness always remains consistent, you bought me enough time." Michael said.
"What in the world are you talking about?!"
[AURA: PHYSICAL CAST. RANK SSS]
"How do you think I'm alive right now?"
As Michael stood, he felt his body stiffen, it was tougher. Just like another lump of skin had been thrown into him, his abs pressed tightly against his body, he felt powerful, like he could punch anything in his way.
So this is the physical cast power? It projects a stronger version of your body. And in this case, it was projecting all throughout his body, than Steven who could only do it with one part at a time.
Michael wanted to test this talent out, he dashed towards Steven and threw a punch at him. The bully wanted to block the attack but his strength only wasn't enough and so he crashed against the cold floor.
The force was so powerful, that even the floor severed cracks. The whole room rumbled, likened to the after affect of an earthquake.
Michael didn't stop, dashing towards the half unconscious bully, he grabbed him by his feet and smashed him again into the floor, he swore he even heard a bone crack.
"Quite a powerful talent, considering it's not in your C-Rank level." He kicked his feet before the battered Steven. "I hope you're satisfied now?"
The room went quiet, astonished looks etched on everyone's faces as they definitely hadn't been expecting the cripple's win.
[SKILL HAS BEEN INCREASED BY 3.3%]
"Don't worry, with this we're even. I'll forget you ever tried to kill me."
He turned around. Now only King left.
* * *
[NAME: MICHAEL ALASTAIR]
[TALENT: AURA MANIPULATION (Physical Cast)]
[RANK: SSS (RARE)]
[STRENGTH: 56 (+802) SPEED: 87 (+102) STAMINA: 60 (+450) SKILL: 33 (+850)]