Vengeance System A Bullied Man

Chapter 4

Alex stared intently at the piece of paper now in his hand.

"What does this letter mean? The system will grant powers according to its choice? Wait, what does that even mean? I don't understand it at all."

Alex shakes his head, trying to comprehend the meaning of the letter but ends up feeling more confused.

His thoughts wander aimlessly, and it becomes difficult for Alex to understand his own mind.

"This doesn't seem like a package sent by someone I know. If my mother or someone from the village sent something to me, they wouldn't write such a cryptic note."

Alex murmurs in his thoughts, attempting to convince himself that what he is seeing is not a gift from anyone he knows.

"Especially the strange words written on this paper. It's hard to decipher. So, it's impossible for people from the village to have sent it."

Alex becomes more certain in his thoughts.

He then reaches out to pick up the futuristic gadget, examining it carefully from every angle.

"Hmm... How do I use this gadget? Why does it look so different from my regular phone? It's so strange."

Alex gazes closely at the gadget in his right hand, while his left hand holds his regular phone, which is also considered a gadget.

He tries to compare the two phones, observing and searching for similarities, but Alex fails to find any common ground between them.

"Even after observing them for so long, I can't find a single similarity between these two objects. So, how do I use this gadget?" Alex wonders to himself.

He puts his own phone back into his pants pocket, focusing his attention on the mysterious gadget from the box, trying to figure out how to activate its functions.

"How do I turn it on? Why don't I understand anything about this gadget?" Alex asks himself, lost in his own monologue.

The curiosity within him continues to grow. Alex picks up the piece of paper that he had found in the mysterious box along with the gadget.

"Even on this paper, there's no explanation of how to operate this gadget. It only mentions that the system will grant powers according to its choice. What does that mean?"

Alex frustratedly runs his hands through his hair. The initial curiosity that had gripped him now turns into annoyance towards the gadget.

He repeatedly tries to observe and manipulate the gadget, searching for buttons or any means to turn it on, but to no avail.

All he feels is frustration and exhaustion.

"Argh! This is such a waste of time for a gadget that seems to be broken!" Alex vents his frustration at his own curiosity.

He carelessly places the futuristic gadget near the mysterious box, where he had found it along with the letter.

"Come on, Alex! How could a stranger give you something good? Wake up! You're always the target of their bullying. I'm sure there's someone who did this as a prank because they know you're gullible and overthink things."

Alex murmurs to himself, shaking his head multiple times, perplexed by his tendency to easily believe in things.

"Enough. It's already half-past 7. I haven't eaten since this morning. Well, I'll just go find something to eat. Instead of thinking about this clearly mischievous gadget."

Alex chooses to ignore the gadget that has consumed most of his time.

He would have forgotten about his dinner if he continued to be fixated and focused on the futuristic gadget.

Alex walks towards the nightstand near his bed, grabbing his wallet that he had placed right next to the bedside lamp.

Before leaving, Alex opens his wallet, checking its contents.

"Sigh... at least it's enough for my meals for the next few days. I'll have to be more frugal with the remaining amount, considering that payday is still far away."

Alex lets out a long sigh and puts his wallet into his pants pocket.

Before he leaves, as Alex is about to close the door to his apartment, his gaze falls upon the gadget he had carelessly left on the table.

He sighs again, staring at the gadget with a gaze that is difficult to decipher.

"Just a waste of time. Because of that gadget, I only look more foolish."

Alex mutters briefly before finally closing the door to his apartment.

Not forgetting the security of his room, Alex locks the apartment door.

"I'd better go find something to eat. My stomach is starting to growl, demanding nourishment," Alex mutters before leaving the apartment room.

Unbeknownst to Alex, as he leaves, the gadget he believed to be broken and non-functional now displays the word "loading" and progresses to reach 100%.

There is no one left in the apartment besides Alex, who has clearly been gone for some time.

The gadget shows signs of activating its system on its own. No one touches the gadget.

The process continues, even after reaching 100%. The gadget appears to be still undergoing further processing, with no clear indication of when it will be complete.

Eventually, the system speaks aloud, despite there being no one around to hear it, as the apartment room is left empty by its owner.

[System ready for use.]

Although no one is present to hear the voice, it is clear that the gadget is now ready for use and fully active on its own.

***

Alex walks along the sidewalk designated for pedestrians.

At times, Alex closes his eyes, allowing the cool night breeze to caress his skin, bringing a newfound sense of tranquility within him.

"In the end, we should always be grateful for whatever happens. If we remain grateful, everything will be just fine."

Somehow, Alex feels a change within himself, and one thing is certain: he feels more positive. Although Alex doesn't know where this optimistic feeling comes from, it continues to grow.

"You can overcome everything, Alex! Stay motivated! For your parents and a better future!" Alex encourages himself.

He continues walking along the pedestrian path, which seems unusually empty that night. There are few people walking around.

"If only I had someone to talk to. It wouldn't feel so boring when I go out to buy food," Alex muses, finding humor in his imagination of a lively conversation.

Alex smiles wryly, realizing that he can only imagine such scenarios without being able to experience them firsthand. After all, there is no one who wants to be his friend.

"Hopefully, one day there will be someone who wants to be my friend. I want to experience the rest of my life with others who are part of my journey."

Alex murmurs, closing his eyes and hoping that his prayers will soon be answered by God.

He then looks towards a modest warung (food stall) that is still open and not too crowded at that time. Alex stops his steps right in front of the warung.

"Excuse me, ma'am. I'd like to order one packed rice, with this side dish and that one," Alex tells the woman who appears to be around 45 years old.

"Alright, sure, Sir. I'll pack it for you," the warung owner responds kindly.

Alex nods, flashing a small smile on his face. He then shifts his gaze to his phone, which he had just picked up for a few seconds after his small smile.

"Here you go, Sir. That will be 10,000 rupiahs," the warung owner informs him.

Hearing the voice of the warung owner, who states the amount Alex needs to pay, catches his attention. Alex nods and takes out a 10,000 rupiah note from his wallet.

"Thank you," Alex says, handing the money to the warung owner.

Before leaving, Alex makes it a habit to express his gratitude to the person he interacted with during the transaction.

"You're welcome. Thank you too, Sir."

Alex then puts his wallet back into his pants pocket. Just as Alex is about to turn around, not far from the entrance of the warung, he notices two individuals whom he recognizes very well entering the warung.

Alex swallows hard. In his mind, he immediately thinks of avoiding those two individuals altogether. It's better to avoid any potential trouble and prevent it from escalating further.

Alex lowers his head and walks with his gaze fixed on the floor. He hopes to pass by unnoticed.

However, when destiny has its say, whether one agrees or not, Alex accidentally brushes against the guy who had bullied him earlier that morning.

This clumsiness occurs because Alex is walking with his head down, unable to see the path clearly.

"If you're walking, use your eyes! Don't you have eyes?!" the guy reflexively shouts as soon as he feels his steps being halted just as he was about to enter the warung.

His gaze then shifts towards the person who obediently keeps his head down. Observing the body language and movements of the person, it piques the interest of the guy who was bumped into. He scrutinizes the person with the lowered head intently.

Alex, caught off guard by both of them, intends to leave immediately, but a quick remark from one of the guys halts Alex's movement.

"I think I've seen this guy before, Angga. His body language looks just like that of..."

The guy standing beside Angga, the person Alex collided with, approaches Alex. Without seeking Alex's consent, the guy grabs Alex's chin to lift it up and get a clearer look at his face.

"See, I told you! My guess is never wrong!" exclaims the guy, diverting Angga's attention once again.

Angga develops a smirk upon seeing the figure who has often been the subject of their bullying.

"Step back, Adam. Let me handle this kid. Seems like I still have some important matters to discuss with him."

Adam, the guy named Adam, nods in agreement. He steps back, allowing Angga to advance towards Alex.

"Why? Were you trying to avoid meeting me and Adam? Is that it? Unfortunately, your never-ending clumsiness didn't help you accomplish your mission but instead had the opposite effect," Angga taunts, smirking.

Without hesitation, Angga forcefully pushes the head of the person in front of him, causing Alex to take a few steps back.

"What are you buying? I thought you'd be scavenging food from the trash cans since you just received a warning letter from Director Kim. Ha ha," Angga laughs, thoroughly enjoying himself. He finds satisfaction in witnessing Alex's increasingly miserable life.

"Are you serious, Angga? Wow! Congratulations, bro!" Adam joins in mocking Alex.

"Quick, buy me food from this warung!" Angga commands Alex.

Angga can see how Alex's fists are clenched tighter and tighter.

"Why? Don't you like the way we treat you? Enough! Hurry up and do what I want, or you'll face even worse luck than you already have," Angga threatens.

Disgust. That's what now defines Alex. It's difficult for him to accept the disrespectful treatment from the people in front of him.

"Stop bullying me!"

Angga and Adam exchange bewildered glances upon hearing Alex's firm words. It is the first time they have heard Alex speak up against them.

"Oh, now you're starting to act defiant, huh? Daring to go against me?! Huh?!" Angga shouts, feeling challenged.

Alex stands his ground. Gathering his courage, he lifts his head to meet Angga's fierce gaze.

"I said, quickly buy me food from that warung! Quick!" Angga snaps, his eyes widening.

Alex shakes his head firmly.

"I said no, and I mean it!" Alex shouts, accidentally pushing Angga's shoulder lightly.

However, something strange happens. Suddenly, Angga's body is propelled far away from his original position.

Alex's eyes widen. He can feel it clearly; he only pushed Angga lightly. But why did Angga go flying?

Alex then looks at his palms intently, while the two individuals who intended to bully him have already fled in panic.

Alex murmurs to himself, "What kind of power is this? Does it have something to do with...?" Suddenly, he remembers the gadget in his apartment.