Chapter 5: New Quest

The evening sky began to fade as the school bell rang, signaling the end of the school day. The noisy chatter of students hurrying home echoed down the school halls, but for Alex, these were the most terrifying moments. On his way home, he tried to avoid people's gazes, hiding his pale and anxious face under the hood of his jacket. However, as usual, bad luck always found him.

"Hey, look who we have here!" the rough voice broke the silence, making Alex tremble.

Five large figures emerged from the shadows, with sinister smiles plastered on their faces. They were the bullies who had relentlessly made Alex's life a living hell.

"Looks like he's trying to avoid us," one of them, a tall teenager with messy blonde hair, grabbed Alex's shoulder firmly, causing him to flinch.

Alex swallowed hard, trying to stay calm, but his trembling body betrayed him. "Clark? Are you just going to stand there?" Alex knew he was a coward, but he hoped this time Clark would come to his aid again.

"So, this is your new friend?" One of the guys turned to Clark. "Hey buddy, got any money?"

Clark stared at the guy coldly. "Leave."

They exchanged glances. Instead of fear, they laughed. "You think you're a hero? With that scrawny body, are you sure you can take on all five of us?"

Clark remained undeterred. He took a deep breath, feeling the energy pulsing within him. Unconsciously, his hands clenched with an unusual strength. "I'll make you regret this," he said coldly.

Without warning, one of the bullies lunged at Clark, but what happened next shocked everyone. With lightning-fast reflexes, Clark dodged the punch and countered with unexpected force. The guy was thrown back, crashing hard to the ground, groaning in pain. For a moment, everyone stood frozen, unable to believe what had just happened.

"You bastard!" The leader of the gang growled and ordered his men to attack Clark all at once.

All five launched their assault, but Clark moved with incredible speed and agility. He dodged every strike, countering with blows that sent each bully crashing to the ground, one by one. Despite his slender frame, his punches and kicks felt like being hit by steel, leaving everyone around, including Elena who happened to be passing by, stunned.

In a matter of minutes, Clark stood among the five bullies who lay groaning on the ground, not breaking a sweat. He turned to Alex, who was still standing with a look of disbelief. "Let's go," he said, then walked ahead of Alex.

Alex took a moment to mock the bullies before following Clark.

They walked away from the scene, leaving the injured bullies and the crowd still frozen in place. Among them, Elena's gaze followed Clark, filled with admiration and curiosity.

***

In a nearby café, Clark and Alex sat facing each other.

"How did you do that?" Alex asked, his voice still filled with amazement. "I mean, you really took them down! I knew you were good, but I didn't think you were that strong."

Clark sighed, staring at the cup of coffee in front of him. "I... I don't know, it just happened," he replied, recalling the strange feeling that coursed through his body earlier. "I just couldn't let them keep hurting you."

Alex smiled slightly. "Thanks, Clark. You really saved me."

Clark only nodded, but his mind was elsewhere. That power, the ability to fight so swiftly and forcefully, clearly came from the system he had. However, there was a deeper feeling that troubled him. A sense of fear and doubt stemming from memories of his past death, and his determination to find the person responsible. But so far, he hadn't found any clues.

As they conversed, suddenly, the system within Clark issued a surprising notification.

[New Quest: Conquer the School Bully Gang!]

Clark fell silent, staring at the holographic screen only he could see. "Another quest," he muttered.

Alex looked at him, puzzled. "What's going on?"

Clark swallowed hard, trying to make sense of the new directive. "Nothing. I'm just thinking about something. By the way, do you know anything about the gang that's been bullying you?"

Alex frowned. "I do. They're pretty infamous around here. They control several schools."

Clark nodded slowly, still not fully understanding. "I need to take them down, so they won't dare mess with you again."

Alex was touched by Clark's words. All this time, no one had dared to stand up to that gang. But now Clark appeared, offering a glimmer of hope for people like Alex who were often bullied. "I'll help you," Alex said, full of determination.

Clark looked at Alex, seeing the resolve in his friend's eyes. Despite his doubts, he felt a sense of relief. "Thank you, Alex. I'll need it."

***

In the days that followed, Clark and Alex began their investigation.

They used every resource they had to find out who was involved in the bully gang at their school. The information they gathered revealed that the gang was larger than they had initially thought. There were several groups operating under the same leader, with a structure that was more organized than it appeared from the outside.

Clark felt increasingly uneasy about this quest. Why did the system want him to target this group? What was really going on behind the scenes? His curiosity and suspicion grew stronger when he finally discovered who the leader of this gang was.

As Clark was sitting in the library, planning his next move, Alex came with a serious expression. "Clark, I found something," he said, handing over a piece of paper with important notes.

Clark read the notes, his eyes widening. "This...," he murmured, staring at the name and photo printed on the paper. The name of the person who led the bully gang, who had been tormenting other students at their school.

Clark recalled the incident in the cafeteria a few days ago. The guy who arrogantly called Elena 'sweetheart' was the same person leading this bully gang. A mix of anger and guilt welled up inside him. Did Elena know about this? And more importantly, what was this gang leader really planning?

***