System Activated: Soldier's Returned

Chapter 1: System Activated

Bruce Waylen, a man lying on a hospital bed opened his eyes. Bruce saw the flicker of lights and smelled the strong cent around him. Bruce tried to understand his situation as he felt dizziness.

"What happened? Why am I ended up here?" Bruce said as his eyes looking around.

Flashes of memory seemed to shine back in his blinking eyes. Bruce was at a Halloween party. He came because he heard the news that his girlfriend, Valerie Brown, was dancing with a famous guy who had just joined their Officer Military School.

Bruce had heard the rumours about their relationship lately, but he decided to close his eyes and believe Valerie's words, even though his girlfriend was treating him so coldly.

"Why didn't Valerie invite me? Why did she have to lie to me too?"

Bruce realised that the gap between Valerie and him in their relationship was getting wider. She often made excuses whenever Bruce wanted to spend time with her.

While thinking about his life, Bruce took the medicine he bought online. The pill is helpful as an immune booster so the condition can continue to be fit. The medicine seller said that it was not just any pill. It contained an efficacy effect in it. Bruce didn't care; as long as his body felt fit after drinking it, he didn't have a problem, even though sometimes he felt like he was getting electrocuted.

Amid the guidance Bruce was feeling, his mobile phone rang. He quickly checked it—a message from an anonymous sender, sending Bruce a photo of a crowded party scene. The picture showed Valerie dancing intimately with a man.

RING! RING! RING!

Bruce's mobile phone kept ringing, and the school's gossip group account started discussing the same. This time there were more messages and pictures. They complimented her appearance, but at the same time, they pitied her.

"Poor Valerie, she said her boyfriend just dumped her."

"Yes, even though it's unfortunate that a beautiful and popular girl seems to want to be with a guy like that."

"Her boyfriend is quite handsome but too bad he's just a poor and weak man."

Bruce was then surprised to see such a statement from another student in the group gossip account. He couldn't believe what he had just read.

The other messages kept coming, and some started talking about how foolish Bruce was when he decided to leave Valerie. The students sympathised and supported Valerie, and they even vilified Bruce.

"What the fuck? I can't believe this!"

Bruce felt that they messed everything up and needed to clarify the situation. He knew that this was just a misunderstanding.

Bruce decided to head to the party immediately because everything was so chaotic. He knew where they were holding it. It's just that Bruce didn't get an invitation at all.

After getting ready and about to leave the house, Bruce suddenly felt a shock effect like an electric shock when he opened the door. It didn't stop there, he also heard a voice he didn't know where it was.

"System activated. Adjusted to the user. Installation process started."

But Bruce ignored it, thinking that he might have heard wrong or it was coming from a neighbour who also happened to be having a movie show together in the yard. He was hurrying to the Halloween party.

When he arrived, Bruce immediately went inside the building. The sound of music echoed clearly. The glow of the dance lights also made Bruce's vision blurry.

"Valerie, Valerie," Bruce tried to call out his girlfriend's name.

The people who began to realise Bruce's presence in the middle of the party started to stare at him and sneer at him. They weren't even ashamed to address Bruce directly.

But Bruce didn't care about them; he focused on finding Valerie's whereabouts. Bruce felt it was vital for him to clear up all the misunderstandings.

In the middle of the crowd dancing, a woman came closer and deliberately threw the drink she was drinking into Bruce's face.

"Oops, sorry, not sorry. That's for what you did to Valerie."

Several other girls, angrily looking at him, doused Bruce with the drinks in their hands. Bruce knew them, as the girls were among the most popular students at Officer Military School.

But Bruce still didn't respond to them, even though he felt humiliated by the girls in his heart, whereas he had done nothing wrong.

Glancing at the end of the room, Bruce found the silhouette of Valerie making out with another man. Bruce, who was hurt, became even more emotional at sight. He continued to walk in that direction.

"What are you doing, Valerie?" Bruce shouted when he got there.

"I really didn't expect you to get this low," he continued.

Valerie caught off guard, was shocked that Bruce had met her there. As a few glances turned towards them, Valerie quickly played her act.

"Bruce... you still dare to come here after what you did to me."

"Well, I admit I lied when I said you had dumped me. But it's all because I still love you. The retaliation you gave me was unnatural. I'm tired of you assaulting me and treating me with contempt. Yet you still dared to appear before me after I reluctantly broke up with you."

Bruce couldn't believe that Valerie had completely twisted the situation. The girl had had an actual affair, but she accused Bruce of being responsible.

She ruined Bruce's reputation in front of his schoolmates. He had no idea that Valerie would behave this ridiculously in front of everyone. Bruce came with good intentions, but instead, Valerie treated him unpleasantly.

Amid the tense situation, a voice rang out in Bruce's mind. "Synchronisation complete. The Mission launched, avenging Valerie's deeds right now. If not, punishment will follow."

But Bruce, who was still in a daze, ignored the notification. He thought it was just the moaning sound of his heart screaming because it hurt. But Bruce's love still clouded his vision.

In a chaotic condition, some students from the basketball club came up to Bruce and took him away. They were not Bruce's friends, but they were all so friendly.

"Never mind, mate, don't be too sad. You can persuade your girlfriend later. Now enjoy the party."

"Have these pills; you'll be much happier," he said, putting some pills into Bruce's mouth.

System: "Mission declared a failure. The user will receive punishment. Body protection will be deactivated."

Bruce, who was in turmoil, followed whatever they did. Bruce's mind could have been clearer, so he ended up on the dance floor. He even forgot that he didn't recognise the people around him.

On the other hand, the basketball club lads didn't stop to give him pills and drinks that they had mixed with a special liquid. They were playing a prank on Bruce because he had ruined Valerie's mood, so the girl would no longer dance with their boss. The students played around with Bruce before they finally sent him away.

"What liquid did you mix into the drink?"

"I don't know; I just bought it online."

Bruce started to feel restless, hot, and sick from drinking too much. He then disappeared into the toilet. But not long after, the basketball club kid immediately followed him and was about to ask Bruce to leave. The students in the basketball club were friends of Valerie's mistress.

"Where are you guys taking me?" asked Bruce.

"To a place that's more fun than here, mate," they replied, then carried Bruce out of there.

"As military lads, we won't let you off easy. After what you've done, you should be punished, my friend. Let us show you the real war situation," muttered one of them.