Reign Of Loner

The warmth of the food and the easy laughter shared with mom and Isabel felt like a distant dream as I collapsed onto my bed. The springs groaned under my weight, a protest against the day's exhaustion. My mind was a chaotic whirlwind, replaying the day's events on a loop. The sickening image of Lina's sex tape, her betrayal that felt like a knife in the gut, and the brutal beating from Friedrich's thugs that left every inch of my body screaming. Then came his threat, a cold promise to harm my family, the only people I had left.

Just when I thought I'd hit rock bottom, that strange, disembodied voice had echoed in my mind, offering a lifeline. It promised me power, a chance to become a king. And with it came the King's Conquest System. My first mission—reconnecting with my family—had been a surprising success. The dinner wasn't just food; it was a bridge rebuilt, a warmth I hadn't realized I was freezing without. For finishing it, I'd gotten a reward: +10 Prayer Coins, a skill called Normal Close Combat, and a +2 boost to all my stats. I hadn't paid much attention to the rewards then, too caught up in the simple joy of being with my stepmom and stepsister.

But now, in the quiet of my room, curiosity gnawed at me. "Open status," I whispered to the empty air.

A translucent blue screen flickered into existence before my eyes, like something out of a sci-fi movie. It was filled with text and numbers that made my head spin.

STATUS

Name: Adam Wilson

Strength: 22

Agility: 17

Endurance: 12

Mentality: 42

Intelligence: 50

Mana: 0

Potential: Undetectable

Skills: [Normal Close Combat]

Coins: [Prayer Coins: 10] [Fear Coins: 0]

A notification pinged softly, displaying a message: Host's physical stats are significantly below the average for a healthy male of his age. Urgent improvement is recommended.

Thanks for the vote of confidence, I thought wryly. My eyes drifted to the last two stats. "What do 'Mana' and 'Potential' even mean?" I asked aloud.

The system's voice, calm and unnervingly neutral, answered instantly in my head. "Mana is the energy source required to activate powerful skills and abilities the Host will acquire in the future. Potential determines the Host's capacity for growth. 'Undetectable' signifies limitless growth potential. This trait is exceedingly rare, occurring in approximately one in a billion individuals. The last known case was recorded millions of years ago."

One in a billion? Limitless potential? My heart skipped a beat. After a lifetime of being average, of being a nobody, this was… a lot to take in. It felt like a dream.

Shaking off the shock, I focused on the more immediate things. Ten Prayer Coins. I wondered what I could do with them. "Open system store," I commanded.

The status screen was replaced by a digital marketplace, a grid of items with descriptions and prices. Most things were grayed out, costing way more than I had. There were exotic weapons, glowing armor sets, and skills with names like "Dragon's Roar." My eyes scanned the affordable section. And there it was.

[Minor Body Enhancement Potion] A simple concoction that floods the body with vitality, permanently increasing all base stats by 50 points. Cost: 10 Prayer Coins.

It was the only thing I could afford, but it sounded incredible. A 50-point boost to everything? That had to be a huge deal. Without a second thought, I said, "Buy it."

One of the ten glowing coins next to my prayer coin count vanished. In its place, a small, corked vial materialized in my hand with a soft pop. It swirled with a faint, golden liquid. It didn't look like much, but if the system was to be believed, this little bottle was my ticket out of being "below average."

I uncorked it and downed the contents in one go. It tasted like honey and electricity, a strange but not unpleasant sensation. A wave of warmth spread from my stomach through my entire body, a comforting, heavy heat that seeped into my bones. My eyelids felt like lead weights. The last thing I remembered was the world fading to black as a profound, dreamless sleep claimed me.

The next morning, I woke up feeling… different. Incredibly different. The usual morning grogginess was gone, replaced by a vibrant energy that hummed under my skin. I felt light, powerful, and ridiculously refreshed. I threw off the covers and stretched, my joints popping satisfyingly. I commanded system to open the status. The status window appeared;

STATUS

Name: Adam Wilson

Strength: 72

Agility: 67

Endurance: 62

Mentality: 92

Intelligence: 90

Mana: 50

Potential: Undetectable

Skills: [Normal Close Combat]

Coins: [Prayer Coins: 0] [Fear Coins: 0]

I am amazed by my status. I stumbled out of my room and headed for the bathroom, still half-asleep. In the living room, I nearly bumped into Isabel, who was on her way to the kitchen. She stopped and blinked, tilting her head as she looked at me.

"Whoa," she said, her eyes widening slightly. "Did you grow overnight or something? You look… taller."

I chuckled, ruffling my messy hair. "Nice one, Izzy. Just trying to lighten the mood before school?"

"No, I'm serious," she insisted, frowning. "You definitely look bigger."

I waved it off with a smile and continued to the bathroom, dismissing it as her just being a weird sister. But when I flicked on the light and looked in the mirror, my own eyes went wide.

It wasn't a joke. Isabel was right.

The person staring back at me was still me, but an upgraded version. My shoulders seemed broader, my jawline sharper. My perpetually lanky frame now had a clear, lean definition. My t-shirt, once loose, now hugged the faint outlines of a well-toned chest and abs. And I was, without a doubt, taller. At least by a couple of inches. The potion hadn't just boosted my stats; it had physically remolded me.

A shocked, involuntary shout escaped my lips.

Seconds later, the bathroom door burst open. Joyce and Isabel rushed in, their faces etched with worry. "Adam! What happened? Are you okay?" Joyce asked, her hand on her heart.

I just pointed a trembling finger at my reflection. "Mom… look! I… I think I actually got taller!"

Joyce's expression softened into one of amused disbelief. "Oh, honey, you're not still half-asleep, are you?" But as she looked from me to my reflection and back again, her smile faltered. She saw it too.

Isabel stood by the door with a smug look on her face. "See? I told you so."

The morning was a cheerful blur of disbelief and excitement. After a quick breakfast where Joyce kept sneaking glances at me as if trying to solve a puzzle, Isabel and I headed out for school.

"It's been a while since we walked to school together," she said, falling into step beside me.

"Yeah, it has," I admitted, a pang of guilt hitting me. I'd been so wrapped up in my own misery that I'd been neglecting her. "We should do this more often."

"Definitely," she beamed, her smile bright enough to chase away the morning chill. "Every day."

The walk was peaceful, a pocket of normalcy in my increasingly bizarre life. We reached the school gates, and Isabel waved as she headed off toward her middle school building. The moment I was alone, my mind was flooded with a barrage of notifications, pinging one after another like a machine gun.

[New Daily Mission Issued!] [New Side Mission Issued!] [New Main Mission Issued!] [Three New Love Missions Issued!]

My head swam. Before I could even process it, the system's voice explained.

"Missions are categorized by color. Yellow missions are Dailies. They are mandatory and must be completed every day until the system deems them unnecessary. There are no rewards for completion, but failure to complete them will result in a penalty: a non-lethal but intensely painful 440-volt electric shock."

My blood ran cold.

"Your Daily Mission is [Build Yourself]:

100 Push-ups

100 Pull-ups

100 Crunches

50 Squats

Run 20 kilometers"

That was insane. A 20-kilometer run? Every day?

"Green missions are Side Missions," the voice continued, ignoring my internal panic. "These are optional. There is no penalty for failure, but they offer excellent rewards for relatively simple tasks. It is highly recommended that the Host completes them. Your first Side Mission is [Companion]."

"[Recruitment]: Recruit ten people to from your own guild.

Time Limit: 3 Days

Reward: [Skill: Taekwondo Proficiency]"

Okay, that one didn't sound too bad. Recruiting ten might not be easy but still possible and this is something normal people do.

"Blue missions are Main Missions. These are compulsory and cannot be skipped. Failure to complete a Main Mission within the time limit will result in the Host's immediate execution."

Execution? The word hit me like a physical blow. This wasn't a game anymore. This was life or death.

"Your first Main Mission is [High School King]: Become the new head of the bully council at your school.

Time Limit: 3 Months

Reward: Unknown"

Become the king of the bullies? The very people who made my life a living hell? The irony was so thick I could choke on it. But the alternative was death.

"Finally, Red missions are Love Missions. The Host must capture the hearts of designated female targets who show potential to become part of your future harem. The target must possess at least a minimal level of affection for the Host to be designated. Failure to complete a Love Mission will result in… castration."

I felt sick. Castration? Harem? What kind of twisted system was this?

"You have three active Love Missions:"

"Mission [Chaotic Kiss]: Kiss the girl named Stacy Brooklyn on the lips.

Time Limit: 1 Hour

Reward: [Skill: Boxing Proficiency], 50 Fear Coins

Penalty: Castration"

"Mission [Childhood Lover]: Date your stepsister , Isabel.

Time Limit: 2 Weeks

Reward: 100 Prayer Coins, 3 Random Skill Vouchers, +200 Stat Points

Penalty: Castration"

"Mission [Comforting Embrace]: Make your stepmom fall in love with you, Joyce.

Time Limit: 1 Month

Reward: 200 Fear Coins, 200 Prayer Coins, 2 Mysterious Skill Vouchers, 2 Random Combat Skills, +100 Stat

Penalty: Castration"

My mind went completely blank. Electrocution, execution, castration. These weren't penalties; they were torture. And the missions themselves… Isabel? Joyce? They were my family. The thought was repulsive, a violation of everything I held dear.

"This is sick! They're my mother and my sister! How can you ask me to do that?" I hissed under my breath, my hands clenched into fists.

The system was silent for a moment, then replied with chilling indifference. "Emotional input is irrelevant. The Host has 58 minutes remaining to complete Mission [Chaotic Kiss]."

It completely ignored my moral outrage. The timer was ticking. One hour to kiss Stacy Brooklyn. The Stacy Brooklyn. The untouchable goddess of Northwood High, a girl so beautiful she seemed to exist on a different plane from the rest of us mortals. And more importantly, she was the girlfriend of Charles Patrick.

Charles wasn't just any boyfriend. He was a mountain of muscle and rage, the right-hand man to the current head of the bully council. He was known for his explosive temper and for putting people in the hospital for looking at him the wrong way. Kissing his girlfriend wasn't just impossible; it was a suicide mission.

But the alternative… castration… a cold dread, more terrifying than any beating, washed over me. I was trapped. Damned if I did, and… well, unmanned if I didn't.

My mind raced, frantically searching for a way out, for any loophole. There was none. I had to do it. But how? Walking up and kissing her would get me killed.

Then, a desperate, insane plan began to form in the depths of my panic. It was stupid. It was reckless. It was almost certainly going to fail. But it was better than doing nothing.

I saw them then, walking down the main hall, coming from the opposite direction. Charles, with his thick neck and varsity jacket, walked with an arrogant swagger. And beside him was Stacy, her wavy ash brown hair catching the light, her green eyes is out of world, she is so beautiful. She is cute and erotic at same time. She is laughing at something he'd said. They were a picture of high school royalty.

My heart hammered against my ribs. My palms grew slick with sweat. The plan was simple, and terrifying. I would "accidentally" stumble into Charles. He, being the hothead he was, would get angry. A fight would break out. With my new stats and the close combat skill, I might, just might, have a chance to not get completely destroyed. And then, in the heat of the moment, to truly humiliate him, to show him he had no power over me… I would kiss her.

My whole body trembled. Every instinct screamed at me to run, to hide, to just accept the horrific punishment. But the image of Friedrich threatening my family flashed in my mind. The memory of my own powerlessness. The system's promise of making me a king.

No. I wouldn't be a victim anymore.

Taking a deep, shaky breath that did nothing to calm my racing heart, I started walking toward them. My path was set. My fate was sealed. One way or another, everything was about to change.