2025-02-23 19:03:47"Look at yourself and look at me. A toad like you wants this?"
Reyna's voice dripped with disdain as she gestured at her body, her short skirt swaying with every move, and her shirt struggling to hold her chest.
The crowd of Manila High School, a high school in Manila, gathered quickly, drawn to the commotion.
"I... I..." Rico stuttered, feeling the weight of their stares like stones pressing down on him in the hallway just outside the classroom.
He was 'Rico Santos', an orphan forever branded the 'loser' of the school.
His tattered uniform was a constant reminder of his struggles, his trousers barely brushing his scuffed shoes—an echo of a life he could never afford.
Laughter erupted around him.
"Haha, hilarious, Rico!" Mateo pushed through the crowd, his sneering face a symbol of Rico's humiliation.
"Look at her closely, Rico. That's the closest you'll ever get to my goddess," Mateo taunted, flanked by his friends, their laughter sharp and cruel.
It cut deeper than any punch ever could, but the punch came anyway.
!!!
Without warning, Mateo delivered a swift kick to Rico's stomach.
Rico doubled over in pain, barely able to react before a punch slammed into his nose, sending him sprawling onto the floor.
His vision blurred as pain shot through him, making it hard to breathe.
"That's where trash like you belongs—beneath the rest of us," Mateo sneered, gesturing as if dismissing garbage.
"Leave the trash, Mateo. Let's go eat," Reyna said casually, flipping her hair as she turned and walked away.
Rico lay there, gasping, defeated.
The crowd's laughter echoed as they dispersed.
"Pitiful Rico."
"Aiming for higher fruits when he can't even pick the ones on the ground."
"Pathetic."
The taunts echoed, and though some of the students pitied him, none dared to help, too afraid of being Mateo's next target.
So much for loving her... Poor me,
Rico thought, gritting his teeth as he struggled to stand with his lean, bruised body.
He dragged himself to the bathroom, his blood staining the sleeve of his old jacket.
A few minutes later, he stood in front of the bathroom mirror, staring at his reflection. His face was a mess.
"Damn it, damn it, damn it," he whispered, his voice thick with frustration.
"I'm pathetic. What did I expect? This isn't a movie."
His voice cracked, choking on his emotions.
"You're pathetic, Rico Santos. Pathetic!"
He mumbled to himself, his emotions swelling until they overflowed.
He broke down, kneeling on the cold tile floor, tears streaming down his face.
"Why me? Why, Rico, why?" He cursed himself, recalling how Reyna, the girl he loved, had humiliated him in front of everyone.
Being bullied was something Rico had endured for years.
But today was different. Today, his pride—what little he had left—had been shattered.
Being humiliated by the girl he loved cut deeper than any insult or beating ever had.
He stayed in the bathroom, cleaning the blood off his face, trying to fix his clothes, and waving his jacket to dry.
Time seemed to slip by as he stood there, lost in thought.
Then...
Thud, thud, thud.
Footsteps and laughter echoed down the hallway. Panicking, Rico rushed into one of the stalls, clutching his jacket tightly.
"Haha, Mateo, you're the man! I've got everything arranged for tonight," one of the boys said as they entered the bathroom, the door slamming behind them.
"I trust you, Jomar. You better have everything ready," Mateo replied.
"Of course, Mateo. One sip, and they'll be begging for it," Jomar laughed darkly.
"Perfect. We're gonna have fun tonight, boys—a great way to start the weekend," Mateo said, licking his lips.
"I talked to Reyna. She said she and her friends will meet us at the spot," Mateo reassured them.
"Ha! Tonight we'll swap those girls and enjoy them till we drop," Mateo boasted, and his friends joined in, laughing as they mimed thrusting their hips.
As they continued talking, Rico stood frozen in the stall, his emotions spiraling out of control.
They were planning to drug Reyna and her friends, to take advantage of them.
His crush... the girl he loved... was in danger.
His teeth clenched, and his breath came in ragged gasps as he struggled to contain the flood of emotions.
Then...
Ring, ring, ring.
The school bell rang, signaling the end of the day. Mateo and his friends left the bathroom, still laughing.
Rico stayed in the stall for a moment, breathing heavily, unsure of what to do.
His mind raced as he barged out of the stall, running toward the classroom to warn Reyna.
He ran like a madman, pushing through the crowd, barely able to think straight.
He burst into the classroom.
Empty.
The classroom was empty except for his bag sitting on one of the desks. He didn't care about it.
He had to find her.
Panting, he rushed to the window at the end of the hallway, looking down.
He saw Reyna and her friends getting into a car. Another car, with Mateo and his friends, followed closely behind.
"Dammit!" Rico shouted, banging his fist on the window frame.
"He's lost it," a student muttered as others exchanged glances.
But Rico didn't care. He had to act.
His hands shaking, he pulled out his phone, scrolling through his contacts as he ran.
He had no plan, no clear direction.
He only knew that they were heading Somewhere around 'Dominga Street' where an abandoned construction site lay.
His hands trembled as he scrolled through his contacts, finding Reyna's number, saved under the name 'Goddess.'
His heart pounded in his chest as he dialed, but the call didn't go through.
He tried sending messages, every last one of his remaining texts used up.
Meanwhile, in the car, Reyna and her friends sang along to the music blasting from the speakers.
She glanced at her phone, seeing a flood of messages from Rico before it shut off—her battery was dead.
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Huff! Huff! Huff!"Not... not... no... not Reyna," Rico panted, his breath ragged as he forced himself onward. His legs burned, his breath ragged from exhaustion.He had been running for what felt like hours, dragging himself across the streets toward the abandoned construction site around Dominga Street, where he knew Reyna and her friends were.His body screamed for rest, but the thought of what they might do to her pushed him onward.He had to warn her.Finally, the towering unfinished building came into view. Rico saw the cars parked outside, his heart sinking.They're here.Desperation fueled his legs as he charged forward, calling her name with every ounce of strength left in him."Reyna!! Reyna!!" His voice echoed through the half-built structure, his throat raw.He darted inside, climbing the rough concrete stairs two at a time.At the rooftopLaughter and music filled the rooftop.Six of them—Mateo, his friends, and the girls—lounged around with music playing from a portabl
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As Rico lay on his back, staring up at the ceiling, he felt anticipation and a bit of nervousness bubbling up inside.He had an eagerness to explore the new abilities and powers he had received in this realm.Determined to access his stats, he tried speaking aloud:"Open," he murmured, but nothing appeared."System open," he repeated, with no luck.Finally, he muttered, "Luna open," and with a soft chime, a translucent blue window materialized before him.Glowing softly in the dim light, it displayed neatly arranged options that he scanned eagerly: • [Quests] • [Inventory] • [Stats] • [Skills]Rico focused on Stats, and the display shifted smoothly, bringing up his current attributes in a structured layout.---[Name]: Rico Tiyaga Santos [Rank]: Warrior(Novice)[Occupation]: Trainee of Ares [Trait]: Favour of the Gods [Title]: none---STATS • HP: 200 • Stamina: 80 • Divine Energy: 20 Strength: 22 (+20) Agility: 12 (+10) Intelligence: 70 (+40) Endurance: 23 (+20)
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Eila's fingers snapped, and four scrolls appeared before Rico, each one floating and slowly unfurling, their text glowing with divine light.A system chime echoed in his mind, mirroring the options displayed on the scrolls.Ting![Main Quest Generated][Description: Choose Your Destiny][Option 1: Archangel Michael's Crusade]Trait: The Holy OneDescription: Holy magic is enhanced, and the wielder gains the ability to summon one of Archangel Michael's swords. Weaker opponents perish in its presence, while equal beings are greatly weakened and stronger beings are slightly diminished.---[Option 2: Halls of Valhalla]Trait: Warrior of OdinDescription: Favored by the god Odin, any wielder who takes up arms in battle will never lose the will to fight. All stats increase by 1.5x during combat, making them a formidable warrior with Viking resilience.---[Option 3: Mount Olympus]Trait: Favor of the GodsDescription: Blessed by the gods of Olympus, the wielder receives a random blessing f
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Heavenly Guide.
Rico's eyes widened as he saw the glowing text appear before him, floating in the air.This was no dream. His life, as he knew it, was about to change forever. The being holding the scroll waved his fingers once more.Suddenly, Rico's body shimmered, glowing faintly before disappearing from the spot.All around him, the scenery shifted, and soon everything was consumed by a vast expanse of white clouds.!!!"What now?" Rico muttered to himself, looking around in confusion."Where am I? What is this place?"Ting!A soft chime echoed in the void, followed by a voice in his head.[System integrating with Tiyaga...]Huh? What's with this system? Rico thought, bewildered by the sudden intrusion of the voice.[Integration complete!][Congratulations on making it to heaven, Rico Tiyaga Santos.][I am called Luna, your heavenly guide.][I was your monitoring spirit or let's say, your guardian angel—while you were in the Earth realm.][I shall be your guide from now on.]What?! Rico's mind ra
Fall and Ascension.
Huff! Huff! Huff!"Not... not... no... not Reyna," Rico panted, his breath ragged as he forced himself onward. His legs burned, his breath ragged from exhaustion.He had been running for what felt like hours, dragging himself across the streets toward the abandoned construction site around Dominga Street, where he knew Reyna and her friends were.His body screamed for rest, but the thought of what they might do to her pushed him onward.He had to warn her.Finally, the towering unfinished building came into view. Rico saw the cars parked outside, his heart sinking.They're here.Desperation fueled his legs as he charged forward, calling her name with every ounce of strength left in him."Reyna!! Reyna!!" His voice echoed through the half-built structure, his throat raw.He darted inside, climbing the rough concrete stairs two at a time.At the rooftopLaughter and music filled the rooftop.Six of them—Mateo, his friends, and the girls—lounged around with music playing from a portabl
A Toad's Struggle: The Beginning
"Look at yourself and look at me. A toad like you wants this?"Reyna's voice dripped with disdain as she gestured at her body, her short skirt swaying with every move, and her shirt struggling to hold her chest.The crowd of Manila High School, a high school in Manila, gathered quickly, drawn to the commotion."I... I..." Rico stuttered, feeling the weight of their stares like stones pressing down on him in the hallway just outside the classroom.He was 'Rico Santos', an orphan forever branded the 'loser' of the school.His tattered uniform was a constant reminder of his struggles, his trousers barely brushing his scuffed shoes—an echo of a life he could never afford.Laughter erupted around him."Haha, hilarious, Rico!" Mateo pushed through the crowd, his sneering face a symbol of Rico's humiliation."Look at her closely, Rico. That's the closest you'll ever get to my goddess," Mateo taunted, flanked by his friends, their laughter sharp and cruel.It cut deeper than any punch ever co
