[Central District Detention Center - Cell Block 3]
Alex sat in the corner.
Concrete floor. Cold. Damp.
Walls gray. Stained.
Single dim bulb overhead.
Flickering.
The air slled wrong.
Mold. Rust. Sothing tallic.
Blood, maybe.
He leaned back.
Head against wall.
Closed his eyes.
This is fine.
Totally fine.
Just a little detention.
Nothing bad will happen.
Then—
Footsteps.
Heavy.
Getting closer.
CLANG.
tal door opened.
Light flooded in.
Two figures appeared.
Rex walked in first.
Face twisted.
Vicious smile.
Behind him—
Ethan.
Wheelchair rolling.
Bandages still wrapped around his lower half.
Face pale.
But eyes burning.
Hatred.
Pure hatred.
They stopped at the cell bars.
Behind them—
Two guards carried boxes.
Set them down.
Opened lids.
Alex’s stomach dropped.
Tools.
Interrogation tools.
Whips.
Batons.
Electroshock devices.
Pliers.
tal rods.
All lined up.
Gleaming under dim light.
Oh.
Shit.
Alex’s mind raced.
This is worse than I thought.
Way worse.
WILSON WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU?!
Outside the cell—
Two officers walked past.
Talking.
"Did you hear?"
"Captain Victor got called out."
"Yeah, big case."
"Left like a few hours ago."
"Won’t be back till tomorrow at least."
They kept walking.
Voices fading.
Alex’s eyes lit up.
"HEY!"
He jumped up.
Grabbed bars.
"I KNOW VICTOR!"
Officers stopped.
Turned around.
One laughed.
"Sure you do, kid."
"I’M SERIOUS!"
Alex shook the bars.
"CAPTAIN VICTOR!"
"HE OWES A FAVOR!"
"BIG FAVOR!"
The other officer smirked.
"You?"
Looked him up and down.
"A student?"
"Knowing Captain Victor?"
First officer laughed harder.
"Kid, you’re a nobody."
"Country bumpkin."
"You’ll never even SEE soone like Victor in your life."
They turned away.
Kept walking.
Gone.
Alex’s heart sank.
Looked back at Rex and Ethan.
They were grinning now.
Ethan picked up a whip.
Tested it.
CRACK.
Against the ground.
Rex grabbed electric baton.
Turned it on.
BZZZZT.
Sparks flew.
"Ready, Alex?"
Rex’s voice dripped venom.
"We have all night."
Alex swallowed.
Fuck.
Those tools look REALLY unfriendly.
Then—
Golden text appeared.
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]
[Option 1: Get on your knees! Beg for rcy! Say you’ll do ANYTHING if they don’t hurt you!]
[Reward: dium Spiritual Energy (Excess energy will reinforce your Sea of Consciousness, exploding after breakthrough. No waste!)]
[Option 2: Take it silently. Don’t make a sound. Show them you’re a real man!]
[Reward: All Attributes 5%]
[Option 3: TAUNT THEM! Scream "HIT ! I DARE YOU! DO IT!" Make them FURIOUS!]
[Reward: Gigantification 1 Level!]
[New Title: Brave One - Level 2!]
[Effect: Gain 25% Respect from others!]
Alex read through.
Option 1?
Hell no.
Eliminated imdiately.
Option 2 vs Option 3?
Hesitated for half a second.
Then grinned.
One has a title.
One doesn’t.
Easy math.
He looked at Rex.
Gathered saliva.
PTUI!
Spit hit Rex’s face.
Right on the cheek.
Rex froze.
Wiped it slowly.
Face turning red.
Alex laughed.
"You know what’s funny?"
Leaned against bars.
"Without your family?"
"You’re NOTHING!You eat bugs and worms in the school dining hall! HaHHHH!"
"How does that taste?!"
Rex’s eye twitched.
"Just two spoiled brats."
Alex kept going.
"Playing tough guy."
"But take away mommy and daddy’s money?"
Grinned wider.
"You can’t even tie your own shoes."
Ethan’s hands gripped wheelchair arms.
Knuckles white.
"You, Ethan."
Alex pointed.
"Sitting in that wheelchair."
"Ass still sore?"
"Does it hurt when you shit?"
Ethan’s face went crimson.
"I BET IT DOES!"
Alex laughed louder.
"Every ti you sit down—"
"You rember !"
"Rember that umbrella!"
"Opening up inside you like—"
"SHUT UP!"
Ethan scread.
Grabbed the whip.
"Rex, open the door!"
"NOW!"
Rex fumbled with keys.
Hands shaking.
Too angry to think straight.
Finally got it open.
CLANG.
They rushed in.
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]
[Option 3 Complete!]
[Gigantification Level 5!]
[Effect: Sli can grow 10x bigger! Approximately 12 ters tall!]
[Title Acquired: Brave One - Level 2!]
[Effect: 25% Respect gained from others!]
Alex grinned.
Nice.
12 ters.
That’s a whole building.
Then realized—
Oh right.
I’m about to get tortured.
CRACK!
Whip hit his face.
"AH!"
Alex scread.
Stumbled back.
Another hit.
His shoulder.
"AHHH!"
Face twisted in pain.
BZZZZT!
Electric baton jabbed his side.
"AAAHHHHH!"
He fell to knees.
Hands covering face.
Body shaking.
Rex and Ethan grinned.
"How’s that feel?!"
CRACK! BZZZZT!
More hits.
"AAAAHHHH!"
"STOP!"
"PLEASE!"
But then—
Alex noticed sothing.
No pain.
None at all.
He blinked.
Looked down.
The token.
Wilson’s token.
Glowing faintly.
Warm against his chest.
Oh.
OH!
He rembered.
The token absorbed spiritual energy.
Created a protective barrier.
Could block a Rank 6 attack.
Rex and Ethan?
Rank 10.
Barely awakened.
Not even using contract beasts.
This barrier?
They could hit him all day.
Wouldn’t even crack.
Alex’s grin returned.
Internal monologue:
This is amazing.
They can’t hurt AT ALL.
But externally—
"AHHHHHHH!"
Scread louder.
"STOP! PLEASE!"
More dramatic.
CRACK! BZZZZT!
"AAAHHHHHHH!"
Then changed it up.
Made monkey noises.
"OOH OOH AH AH!"
Rex paused.
"What the—"
CRACK!
Alex switched.
Water buffalo sounds.
"MOOOOOOO!"
Ethan’s face twisted.
"Is he mocking us?!"
"Hit him harder!"
They attacked faster.
Left and right.
Whip and baton.
Taking turns.
CRACK! BZZZZT! CRACK! BZZZZT!
Alex went wild.
"UH!"
"HARDER!"
"HARDER!"
Changed pitch.
"AHHHHH!"
"YES!"
"RIGHT THERE!"
"DON’T STOP!"
"I can do this all day!"
The guards outside stopped walking.
Looked at each other.
"What the hell is going on in there?"
15minutes later.
Footsteps approached.
The golden-haired butler walked in.
Hands behind his back.
Calm expression.
Stopped at cell entrance.
Looked inside.
Rex and Ethan still attacking.
Faces red. Sweating hard.
Alex screaming louder than ever.
"HARDER! YES! MORE!"
The butler’s eyes narrowed.
Sothing was wrong.
He walked closer.
Grabbed Alex’s collar.
Pulled.
The token fell out.
Dangling on its chain.
Glowing faintly.
Warm.
Pulsing with energy.
The butler picked it up.
Examined it.
Felt the power.
His eyes flashed.
"Protective barrier."
Cold smile.
"Clever boy."
He looked at Alex.
Then at Rex and Ethan.
They stopped.
Confused.
"Uncle Chen?"
Rex panting.
"What—"
The butler didn’t answer.
Stepped forward.
Grabbed Alex by the throat.
Lifted him.
Slamd him against wall.
Alex’s eyes went wide.
"Wait—"
WHAM!
Butler’s fist connected.
Right in the stomach.
The barrier flickered.
Golden light.
Brief flash.
But held.
Alex gasped.
Felt the impact.
Still didn’t hurt.
But the barrier wavered.
Butler pulled back.
Hit again.
WHAM!
Barrier flickered longer.
Light dimming.
WHAM! WHAM! WHAM!
Rapid punches.
Each one stronger.
Rank 7 power.
Not holding back.
The barrier flashed.
Faster now.
Golden light strobing.
Like dying bulb.
Rex’s eyes widened.
"He had protection?!"
Looked at Ethan.
Ethan’s jaw dropped.
"We were hitting a shield?!"
"The whole ti?!"
They looked at each other.
Then at Alex.
Then grinned.
Wide. Vicious.
"You can do this all day, huh?"
Rex picked up whip again.
"HARDER, you said?"
Ethan grabbed electric baton.
Cranked it to maximum.
"Let’s see how tough you REALLY are."
WHAM! WHAM! WHAM!
Butler kept punching.
Relentless.
The barrier’s glow weakened.
Flickering wildly now.
Golden light sputtering.
Alex’s smile froze.
Oh.
Oh no.
I shouldn’t have scread that loud.
Bad idea.
Very bad idea.
CRACK.
The barrier shattered.
Like glass breaking.
Pieces of golden light.
Dissolving into air.
Gone.
The warmth against Alex’s chest—
Disappeared.
Token went cold.
Dead.
Butler stepped back.
Released Alex.
He dropped.
Hit the floor.
No protection now.
Nothing.
Rex and Ethan moved forward.
Smiles twisted.
Eyes gleaming.
"Now..."
Rex tested the whip.
CRACK.
"Let’s start for real."
Ethan pressed button.
BZZZZT!
Sparks flew.
"No barrier."
"No protection."
"Just you."
They raised their weapons.
Alex’s heart pounded.
Shit.
Shit shit shit!
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