The Revenger's System

3. The Catalyst

Fueled accumulating rage for years, Ryan charged at Ashton and gave him a punch in the face.

"–the hell?!"

Ashton quickly recovered and stood up, fist curled to get back at Ryan. With his sturdier build and taller height, it meant the actor had longer reach than him. So, when the payback punch came, Ryan couldn't dodge it.

For someone who should have had a hangover and only minutes ago made love with someone – his wife – Ashton should have no energy spared for the punch. But Ryan felt like his cheekbone shattered on the impact. Perhaps he was exaggerating, but it sure felt so.

Grimacing, Ryan was about to launch his next attack. Unfortunately, he was neither fast nor strong. He never raised his hand to defend himself, let alone punch someone out of rage. The fact that he nailed his first punch to Ashton's face was probably out of luck and unexpectedness.

"Take this, lowly bastard!" Ashton pulled his muscled right hand back and shot it to Ryan's other cheek, making him lose his balance. The actor didn't waste time; he hit Ryan's abdomen this time.

So close to his diaphragm, Ryan felt his breath left him. He choked and coughed, slumping down with hands around his stomach.

"Go, Ashton!"

Ryan didn't mishear it.

Violet was cheering for the actor, for the damned person she cheated with.

"Maybe some good punchs will make him remember his place."

Ashton chuckled, no sign of last night's hangover shown. "Yeah, I don't know how you stand a mere housekeeper like him around."

"Oh, if only you know," Violet looked like she was having fun watching him get beaten. Perhaps she truly did. Not only smacking and hitting him, it turned out that even his wife enjoyed watching him beaten to a pulp.

Ryan's heart shattered, broken into far too small pieces and dust. He didn't know what to do. Except to curl his fists and shoot a punch at the one who dared to touch and destroy his wife.

Ashton easily stepped aside and grabbed his hand. He missed.

They laughed, and the actor readily kicked him in the stomach. It was worse than his punch earlier. Ryan couldn't breathe.

Gradually feeling hazy, Ryan distinctly noticed that he heard rushed footsteps over Ashton and Violet's laughs.

"What happened here?" His mother-in-law's voice managed to cease their laugh, but it didn't last long. "Oh? If you're going to give him a lesson, why don't you call us sooner to witness, my dear Ashton?"

"Mmllmmbn!"

"Swallow your food first before talking, dear."

"I want to hit him too, Marisa!" It was his father-in-law.

"What are you talking about? I don't want you get your hands dirty."

"That's right, Rob. Let me handle him, you don't have to lift a finger when I'm here." Ashton said, a vile smirk on his face. "Maybe there's a good in keeping you here. You can be my practice partner."

Ryan gulped, steeling himself for the next attack.

"And by that, I mean as my punching bag."

He totally lost his footing when Ashton hit his face so hard his nose broke, followed quickly by a mean jab at his diaphragm and one more to his jaw.

Ryan couldn't hold the impact, he dropped to the ground. They laughed. His own wife, Violet, and his parents-in-law. They all laughed at him like there was no tomorrow.

But it didn't end there.

Ashton didn't stop even when he was already laying on Violet's bedroom floor. No. The sturdy actor pulled his leg and kicked hard on Ryan's stomach. He repeated the act, ignoring how Ryan curled in a useless attempt to protect his body.

Perhaps, there truly was no tomorrow for him.

He'd die.

He'd die in disgrace. Humiliated beyond belief.

Ryan would die while his own wife excitedly cheered for this evil man to kick him again. He'd die while his own in-laws watched with sparkled eyes, commenting on how weak and useless he was.

He'd die, and there would be nothing left of him anymore.

He'd die, and Violet would know nothing about him. She forgot. She had forgotten him, and all of their memories–

"Take this, you bastard!"

"Agh!"

His stomach hurt so bad. He wanted to throw up. Or perhaps he already did, feeling how wet his mouth was, accompanied by a strong taste of acid. His cough worsened, along with his inability to take a breath.

It was worse. Almost like how his father beat–

Ryan's world went dark.

Not because he closed his eyes, as he already did that since the first kick. He was going under. All pitch black around him, with no single sound he could pick up.

He was thankful, really. If he went unconscious, he wouldn't feel all the pain in his stomach and face. He didn't need the pain. So, he welcomed the darkness. Though, hopefully, he wasn't dead.

However, a minuscule yellow dot appeared out of nowhere. Soon, it grew bigger and bigger until his vision was flooded with golden lights as darkness no longer surrounded him.

Peeep!

[Potential Host found.]

[Chance of link up succession: 79%.]

[Link up initiated.]

[Loading . . .]

[Link up succeed.]

He was once again surrounded by darkness, but something was different this time. The previous pitch black was complete with faded golden grid lines. Then, floating white letters appeared in front of him, framed by more golden lines.

Another thing that he noticed was that the pain lessened for a fraction. At least he could breathe again and was not on the brink of death.

Peeep!

[Welcome to TEETS.]

[From now on, TEETS will help you achieve your goal.]

[First, please state your name.]

'Name?'

Ryan didn't know what this had to do with his name, but it surely was a strange dream.

The framed letters disappeared and then reappeared after a blink. It was like whatever this was wanted him to do as it said.

[First, please state your name.]

'Ryan Wilder.'

[Potential Host's name has been submitted.]

[Next, please state your goal.]

'My… goal?'

The white letters framed with golden lines reappeared, insisted him to give an answer.

[Next, please state your goal.]

'What goal?'

[These are several examples of the previous Hosts' goals gathered from TEETS's universal database.]

[I want to win and get all of their territories.]

[I want to kill Jul*** Cae***.]

[I want to conquer the Ott**** Emp***.]

[I want to fly.]

[I want to be rich and be fawn over by girls.]

[I want to secretly control the world.]

[I want to blow a city.]

[I want to marry the Crown Prince.]

[I want my family to be happy.]

[Please note that all goals were achieved in varying lengths.]

Ryan now has a clear view of what TEETS expected from him. But what did he want, really?

He couldn't think. Not when the pain gradually worsened once again.

[TEETS only gives the minimum amount of pain killer for Potential Host. It will fade completely within 53 seconds.]

[Please decide carefully.]

Ah, yes… he was in pain.

It seemed that he would always be in pain. Since he was still a kid, Ryan had learned what pain was. His father unkindly introduced them.

Even after he got away from his father and his family, Ryan was introduced to another kind of pain. His in-laws' humiliation was no better than his own father's abuses.

[Please state your goal now.]

[You have 17 seconds left to decide.]

[Failure to do so will mean that Potential Host has no goal, and TEETS will automatically disconnect.]

Ryan took a sharp breath and closed his eyes. He didn't know what happened exactly in this dream-like reality. But he only knew that he didn't want to pass up this chance. Even if it was only in his imagination.

He didn't want to be in pain anymore.

Ryan didn't want to feel pain when his in-laws and old family laughed at his suffering.

[Please state your goal now.]

[You have 6 seconds left to decide.]

'I want to take revenge on my in-laws and my old family.'

[Potential Host's goal has been submitted.]

He didn't need to wait long before the floating black screen framed with golden lines returned.

___

[Status]

Name: Rayven Ashford

Age: 27

Goal: Revenge on the Host's in-laws and old family.

Targets:

- Robbert Crowne

- Marisa Crowne

- Jared Crowne

- Florent Crowne

- Howard Ashford

- Annette Ashford

- Edric Ashford

Percentage Chance to Achieve Goal: 0%

Estimated Time to Achieve Goal: 101 years.

___

[Do you allow TEETS to help you achieve your goal?]

Ryan's eyes widened at the report displayed before him, ignoring its floating question. How did it know his old name?

A string of white letters framed by gold lines appeared out of nowhere.

[Potential Host's name has been submitted.]

But Ryan didn't say his old name, did he?

Surely he did say 'Ryan Wilder' when asked about his name, right? No one should have know that he was actually Rayven Ashford.

How could TEETS know?

[TEETS confirmed all submitted information Potential Host gave to the universal database and automatically corrected all wrong data.]

Before he could protest, the same question once again flared in front of his eyes.

[Do you allow TEETS to help you achieve your goal?]

Surrendering completely to whatever this insanity was, Ryan nodded. 'Yes.'

Peeep!

[Congratulations!]

[Now, you have become TEETS's Host.]

[TEETS will automatically disconnect when Host's goal is achieved.]

‘What the fuck had just happened?’