PROLOGUEIN THE heart of a man-made pine forest east of La Verde City, a car cam be seen speeding along a narrow asphalted road. Tall pines lined the path with their dense branches forming a green tunnel overhead. The scent of pine needles and fresh earth lingered in the air as the road twisted and turned, guiding the car toward the horizon where the colossal Bronze Mountain stood, its majestic peak dominating the skyline.As the car approached the well known tunnel road under the huge rocky hill leading beyond the city's boundary, the couple inside wore anxious expressions. Their faces reflected a mix of worry and regret as they silently stared at the tunnel looming ever closer in their view."Are you sure he'll be okay on his own?" The man, who appeared to be in his late thirties, asked the woman in the passenger seat beside him. His cyan eyes were fixed on the road, especially on the tunnel looming ahead, as if bracing for what lay beyond."You know you don't have to do this, right
CHAPTER ONE"GALE, get my package delivery from outside the gate," Danny shouted, pulling a crumpled bill from his pocket and tossing it at Gale. "Keep the change, if there's any," he added as he shrugged off his hooded jacket, the fabric clinging to his sweat-drenched skin as he returned to the basketball game in the dormitory courtyard."Check it first, make sure nothing's broken or missing, or I'll make you pay for it," Danny added without looking at Gale, as he was focused on shooting the ball that he'd just caught."Grab the water I had refilled outside too. It's already paid for."Before he could pick the money that Danny threw, Jeric, one of Danny's teammates called out, flinging a twenty-peso note towards Gale."Guys, isn't this too much? Why is it always Gale who has to do everything for you?" a girl sitting on the bench, spectating the game, asked. She's obviously new here since she seemed affected by what the other is doing to Gale."Nah, he's used to it. If we didn't give
CHAPTER TWOAFTER relaying the message over the intercom, the security guard gestured for Gale to sit in the dormitory's waiting lounge.He waited, feeling the eyes of the passersby on him, until he saw the doors of the dormitory flung open. Out walked a group of women, and among them, a vision of unparalleled beauty made her way towards him. Her fitted purple t-shirt accentuated her curves, highlighting her ample bosom, while her short denim skirt showcased her slender, flawless legs. Each step she took was graceful, her hips swaying with an elegance that seemed almost otherworldly.A mere glimpse of her was like looking at an angel from heaven.For a moment, Gale was spellbound by the sight of Sherly White, one of the Academy's most beautiful students, listed among the top ten beauties of the school."You piece of trash!"However, Sherly's harsh words snapped him back to reality. Her voice was sharp, a stark contrast to her angelic appearance.Gale quickly composed himself, straight
CHAPTER THREEIn moments of peril, the human body awakens a primal response, surging adrenaline through the veins, sharpening senses, and amplifying strength and reflexes. It’s the fight-or-flight instinct, an ancient mechanism meant to safeguard human survival.For Gale, this instinct kicked in as he teetered on the brink of death. His lungs burned, and his muscles screamed in exhaustion, but an unexpected warmth spread through him, igniting a desperate resolve. With a final, explosive effort, he propelled himself upwards, cutting through the water with astonishing speed. He broke the surface and found himself hurled several meters into the air, landing in the shallows. He collapsed by the lakeside, gasping for breath, disbelief washing over him. He had escaped death.But what saved him was not merely the fight-or-flight instinct. Something else awakened an unknown energy within him when he chose, using his mind, the [Yes?] option that appeared before his eyes.He had no idea what w
CHAPTER FOUR"YOUR complaint is being processed, Rushton. We'll just call you if we have any updates regarding this matter," the officer said upon returning snapping Gale from his daze."Thank you, Sir," Gale replied, bowing slightly to show his respect as he stood before leaving the station.While walking, Gale decided to check on the notification from the weird system that seemed to be inside his head. He was staring at it earlier, clueless, when the officer interrupted him.Now that he's alone, he can check on it while walking back to Lexington Academy campus.[System Sync Complete][You are now ranking up][Ranking Up Status: 2%]Gale frowned upon reading the notifications again. He's really confused about this system thingy as it seemed to be loading all the time.'What's the use of it when it's always like this?' He complained in his mind and decided to close the system as it only hinders his line of vision.After more than thirty minutes of walk, Gale finally arrived at the Aca
CHAPTER FIVETormented by the feeling of fear that he might never had a chance to get out in this dark prison, especially after challenging the powerful Lopez family, Gale finally succumbed to the temptation to flee.Emerging from the cell, he carefully restored the iron bars he had bent, though they remained slightly twisted, ensuring no one could pass through. He then searched frantically for a window to exit without being detected. But every window in the police station was fortified with iron grills and thick glass. Breaking the glass would alert the officers, and before he could bend the grills, they might shoot him.So he shifted his focus to the ceiling, searching for a ventilation opening. Upon finding one, he leapt up, his fingers just brushing it. Surprised at his incredibly high reach, he applied his strength, and the metal gave way easily, as if it were a paper. Climbing through, he navigated the ductwork until he found another opening leading outside.Carefully prying it
CHAPTER SIX "Don't worry, Miss, I'm not with them. I am here to save you," Gale said with a reassuring smile, hoping to ease the terror in the girl's eyes. Now that he was closer, he noticed that she seemed to be around his age. Her beauty was striking, with fair, flawless skin and a figure comparable to top models and celebrities. Thankfully, the kidnappers hadn't taken advantage of her or harmed her beyond the abduction. "I saw them take you by force earlier, so I followed to rescue you," he explained, striving for a calm demeanor despite the adrenaline still pumping through him. It was his first time engaging in a serious fist fight, a fight between life and death at that. Though with his strength and power, he was certain he'd eventually subdue the kidnappers, the experience still felt surreal for him. "T-thank you," the girl replied, her voice still trembling with fear. "We need to contact your family," he said, approaching the unconscious men and rummaging through their
CHAPTER SEVEN"Your sister is on the rooftop. She's safe now," Gale said with a calm smile, sidestepping Heath's question.Heath slowly nodded in response, though the nervousness in him has slowly subdided given the fact that Gale didn't seem to have ill intentions towards them, his face still etched with shock from the swift events."T-thank you very much! C-can I go to my sister now?" Heath asked, his head bowed. Gale, still dazed from the things he saw in his system, simply nodded. Heath then immediately dashed towards the building, eager to reunite with his sister.Gale, on the other hand, decided to stay and examine the new skill he had unlocked in his system.[New skill unlocked: Scan Skill][This skill will help the user identify things in front of him as long as it is something that the human had seen, heard or identified][To use, the user will just have to look or scan at the things he wants to inspect and the information on that thing will be shown]'What the-- What kind of
CHAPTER NINETEENTHE exam questionnaire given to Gale was a mountain of a challenge with its one hundred pages, where each page was packed with an average of five questions. It was a massive collection of problems pulled from the Licensure Examination for Agriculturist, totaling six hundred questions.Normally, a student would need three full days to tackle this kind of test. But Gale? He was only given two hours to answer it—a nearly impossible task for anyone at his level. The questions were as tough as those on the board exam, and the short time frame made it even worse. It was obvious that the Vice President wanted Gale to fail.As Gale raced through the questions, the VP sat back on the couch with a smirk playing on his lips. He was certain that no matter how quickly Gale worked, he would never make it. The VP knew that even the brightest students would struggle with this test in such a short time. And Gale? He was just an ordinary student, wasn't he?However, what the VP didn't
CHAPTER EIGHTEENGale was led by the Dean's secretary back to the Dean's Office. When they arrived, he noticed a middle-aged man sitting across from the Dean, his posture stiff and his presence commanding.The man wore an expensive black suit with a crisp white shirt and a neat black tie. He looked about the same age as the Dean, but while she seemed worried at the current situation, the VP's face was stern and unyielding. His sharp eyes scanned Gale from head to toe, as if judging whether he was worthy of standing there."So, you’re Gale Rushton," the man sneered, his voice cold and dismissive. His gaze made it clear that he thought Gale was beneath him, unworthy of being in the same room sharing the same air with him."Y-yes, Sir," Gale replied, bowing his head, trying to hide the nervousness creeping up inside him.Gale wasn’t afraid of the man. He knew this was the Vice President of the Academy, a man whose power came from his position, not from any physical strength. Gale could e
CHAPTER SEVENTEENGALE was walking towards the Office of their Department Dean wearing a serious look in his face. His heavy footsteps echoed through the long, empty corridor of the ground floor of the Agriculture Department Building as he focused his eyes towards the huge double glass door of the huge office he's headed to.Earlier, as he came back at their dorm after completing his daily quest at the gym, he was notified by his roommate, Eric, that he was being summoned by their Dean - for what reason, Eric has no idea.The Dean's status in the Academy is nothing to joke about, that's why despite having no idea why he's been called, Gale immediately rush his way here.Unlike the crowded upper floors where the numerous classrooms that housed hundreds of students every day was located, the ground floor of this six story building was quite and almost empty. And it was simply because, this floor was where the faculty offices, the Department Secretary's office, the Registrar's office, an
CHAPTER SIXTEENRUSS'S voice trembled as he protested, "H-hey, why am I the one being arrested?" He struggled against the firm grip of the officers, his eyes wide with disbelief as to how things turned out."Sir, I repeat, you have just provided us with false information, causing a false alarm," with a tone edged with irritation, Corporal Vic responded. His patience was wearing thin as he hated repeating things. "We could have arrested an innocent person because of you. If Mr. Rushton here decides to press charges, you could be facing a felony." The corporal's gaze shifted to Gale as he spoke.At the mention of his surname, Gale's heart skipped a beat. He glanced nervously at Corporal Vic, the same officer who had arrested him just yesterday outside the Academy's main gate.But this time, as their eyes met, Gale noticed a hint of respect in the officer's eyes. Definitely different from the rude and disdainful look he had seen the day before. Now, it was as if the corporal viewed him a
CHAPTER FIFTEENGALE ignored the student in front of him and pulled out the card from his pockets. Its intricate design and unusual color immediately drew the student's attention."What? What kind of card is that? I've never seen one like it!" The student laughed, as if the card were the most ridiculous thing he had ever seen.But instead of answering him, Gale just looked at the receptionist. "I apologize for the interruption, Ma'am. Some people just don’t know how to mind their own business," he said, shooting a cold glance at the student. "But I am serious. I would like to sign up to be a member of this gym." He added handing his card to the receptionist.Nodding, the girl took the black card, examining it closely. Unable to identify it, a frown formed in her forehead as she looked back at Gale. "I'm sorry, Sir, but Mr. Russ here is right. I can't identify this card, so I can't accept it," she said, her tone apologetic but firm. "Company rules."The student referred to by the recep
CHAPTER FOURTEENWith Gale's display of power, the defeated Academy Baseball Team had no choice but to accept their loss and fulfill their end of the bargain. Without his intimidation, who knew if they would have honored their commitment?"I don't know what the hell is going on right now, but what you did, both on the racetrack and that stunt with the baseball, is unbelievably amazing!" James couldn't help but express his amazement at Gale's feats. Standing in front of Gale, his face still showed disbelief and shock. "H-how did you do that? I mean, how is that possible? You weren't like this before," he asked, searching for a convincing answer."The thing I did on the racetrack is something I am actually capable of. You know, I grew up on my own since my parents died when I was still in elementary school. I had to work just to survive. And if you didn't know, during my high school years, I worked as a mountain climber porter on weekends, which is why I have such high stamina and endur
CHAPTER THIRTEENAs Gale picked up speed, the hearts of Steven and his entire team sank. Gale wasn’t just fast; he was incredibly fast, covering half the lap in forty seconds."Shit!" Steven cursed, sweat pouring down his face. He could almost feel their defeat looming over them.He tried to get back on the track, but his knees betrayed him, shaking uncontrollably. He was exhausted, and continuing seemed impossible unless he planned to walk the rest of the way.But what good would walking do? Their opponent’s speed rivaled that of Olympic runners. How could they possibly beat someone like that?"Hey! Are you seeing this? How is that guy running so fast?""Look, it only took him a minute to finish a lap!""With the way things are going, he’ll hand Steven’s group a humiliating defeat in just five minutes!""This is unbelievable! How come we’ve never heard of someone with such talent and skill?""And did you see that he doesn’t even look tired?""Yeah! His breathing is normal, and he’s b
CHAPTER TWELVE"EVERYONE! You've heard it! This piece of trash has challenged us, the Academy Baseball Team. Whoever runs or jogs more laps will win, and the loser will have to clean the entire field! You are all witnesses to this! Whoever loses and backs out will be beaten to a pulp!" Steven shouted, capturing the attention of nearby joggers.At this hour before sunrise, Academy students usually flocks in this area, either to jog or run in the oval, play basketball and other sports in the nearby courts or simply watching their peers doing so.With Steven's identity as a rich kid and the Baseball Team Captain, while having a handsome face that almost everyone knew, his proclamation quickly drew a crowd. Some students even approached, lifting their thumbs in approval, signifying their support for Steven's challenge."This never happens before! An unknown kid daring to challenge one of the Academy's top athletes?""Who is that idiot who dared to Challenge Steven's group?""Whoever is he
CHAPTER ELEVENAS Gale opened his eyes the next morning, he was greeted by the familiar notification sound of his system. He yawned, stretching languidly, before pushing himself off his wooden double-decker bed. Curiosity gnawed at him as he decided to check what the system had for him this time.Gale was somewhat thankful by the fact that his system is real. Meaning, the things that happened to him yesterday as well as the rewards he got were all true and not just his hallucinations after going through a near-death experience.He still can't believe anything, but now, he have to live his life with it. So whether or not everything was too absurd to believe, he had no other choice but to accept it as it was the reality.[Daily Quest has been given]A glowing holographic screen materialized in front of him, displaying the system's latest update. It hovered in his vision, opaque and clear, like a computer screen. Gale could still see what wa