Ascend Alone Chapter 1: The Punching Bag
The sound of fists hitting flesh echoed in the air. A young man around the age of 20 stood in the center of the chaos. He had messy black hair, and his face was bruised beyond recognition. The guild members of Eclipse Guild took turns beating him. They laughed after every punch, and their laughter could be heard afar.
“Come on! Scream for us!” One of the members of the Eclipse Guild landed a punch that sent him stumbling backward.
Kai gritted his teeth, refusing to give them the satisfaction. He had been a punching bag for the guild for over a year now, ever since his brother Ren mysteriously disappeared in the Tower of Eternity.
Once, Kai had been a promising hunter, but without Ren, he was nothing more than a tool for others to vent their frustrations.
As the blows rained down on him, he noticed something strange. A faint, glowing screen appeared in the corner of his vision:
[System Initializing…]
[Welcome, User Kai Arashi.]
[You have been selected as a candidate for the Ascend Alone System.]
He blinked, unsure if he was hallucinating from the pain. The screen didn’t disappear. Instead, it expanded, showing a detailed character panel:
[User Information]
Name: Kai Arashi
Level: 1
Class: None
Skills: None
Title: Punching Bag (Passive: +10% Pain Tolerance)
System Points: 0
“What the hell is this?” He muttered under his breath.
Before he could process what was happening, another punch landed on his stomach, knocking the wind out of him. But this time, the System responded:
[Pain Endurance +1]
[Pain Endurance +1]
[…]
His eyes widened. The more they hit him, the stronger he became? A grin spread across his face, despite the pain. This changed everything.
“Is that all you’ve got?” He taunted, spitting out a mouthful of blood. “I’ve had harder hits from my grandma!”
The guild members froze, stunned by his sudden defiance. Then, with a roar, they charged at him, their fists flying.
He braced himself, but this time, he wasn’t afraid. With every hit, the System’s notifications flashed before his eyes:
[Pain Endurance +1]
[Pain Endurance +1]
[Skill Unlocked: Titan’s Resilience (Passive)]
As the blows continued, he felt his body growing stronger, his pain tolerance increasing. He laughed, a wild, almost maniacal sound that made the guild members hesitate.
“What’s wrong?” He sneered. “Scared of a punching bag?”
One of the guild members, a burly man with a scar across his face, stepped forward. “You’re asking for it, kid.”
He swung his fist with all his strength, aiming for Kai’s face. But this time, Kai caught the punch mid-air, his grip like iron.
“Thanks for the help,” he said with a widening grin. “But I think I’m done being your training dummy.”
With a surge of strength, he twisted the man’s arm, sending him crashing to the ground. The other guild members stared in shock, too stunned to move.
[System Notification: Level Up!]
[You are now Level 2!]
[New Skill Unlocked: Taunt (Active)]
Kai’s grin turned predatory. He had a long way to go, but for the first time in over a year, he felt hope. The System was his key to revenge, to uncovering the truth about his brother, and becoming stronger.
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