20 Class Quest: Part 3

'No! Wait! ' Adam pleaded, with his hands stretched out while the light blinded him momentarily.

'Who was that? '

'Was it the system? '

'My mother was not pregnant before the incident, was she? '

'What is this maintenance business? '

'What is the purpose of this bizarre quest? ' Endless questions circled Adam's mind. 'I need answers... ' He thought before opening his eyes to a completely different scene

'This place... ' A strong feeling of nostalgia struck Adam when he scrutinized his surrounding. A fenced basketball court with asphalt ground and hoops made of worn-out steel chains surrounded by the peaceful buildings of his old neighborhood.

*Thwack! *

Two young kids walked into the court while dribbling a basketball.

"It's empty today! We can practice all we want! " It was the young Adam who spoke with a bright smile.

"Y-yeah, those scary 10th graders aren't here yet... " James said timidly while hiding behind Adam.

"Don't worry, James! Even if they show up, I will not allow them to touch you. " Adam reassured James, "my dad always says it's only okay to fight back when someone is being a bully! "

"Only when someone is being a bully... " James spoke with wide eyes.

"Yeah! It's never okay to hit someone, but not if they start it. " Adam said before looking back at James, "you shouldn't let them bully you, you know? If you don't step up, then it's your fault for being a wuss. "

"B-but it's scary. " James said, while fiddling with his jersey.

*Thwack! *

Adam threw the ball, which collided with James's unguarded face.

"O-ow! What's that for?! " James asked in an annoyed tone.

"I just felt like it. " Adam replied nonchalantly, "you ma- "

*Thwack!! *

But before he could finish his sentence, the same ball that he threw came back at him with twice the speed and force.

"10th graders might be scary, b-but you're not. "James spoke with a slightly nervous expression.

"You... " Adam said with a serious tone as he covered his face.

"E-eek! " James let out a fearful shriek.

*Pffft! *

"Hahahaha! Your face is so funny! " Adam laughed while holding his stomach.

"You terrified me there! " James sulked.

"Haha, sorry, but it felt great, right? Fighting back. " Adam wiped his tears as he spoke.

"Y-yeah, it did... " James said with a smile.

*Thump! *

Adam placed his fist on James's chest before speaking.

"Never forget that feeling. " He said while looking straight into James's eyes. "It's called confidence. "

"Confidence... " James said as his gaze alternated between Adam's fist and eyes. "That's cool. "

"I know, right?! " Adam retracted his fist before picking the ball. "Now, let's get back to practice! "

"Y-yeah! " James said while running towards Adam.

Adam, who saw the scene in front of him silently, watched the two young boys play basketball without a care in the world.

'Confidence, huh? Pretty big words for a guy who kept running away for 3 years... ' Adam thought with a weak smile. 'I now understand why he did all that. '

*Fwoosh! *

A strong wind blew past the court before the two boys disappeared, turning the scene into a silent one.

'Now, to my next destination... ' Adam thought before turning towards his house, which was burning in the distance with a nervous expression.

'I don't know how the system got to know all these long-forgotten memories or why it's showing them to me, but it's too late to back out now... '

_____________

After a brief walk through the lifeless streets of his old neighborhood, Adam finally arrived at the street of his childhood home and could see that it had already turned into a clump of charred ruins.

'Is this another flashback? ' He questioned as he walked closer to the burnt building.

But as soon as he got close.

*DU-DUM *

His heartbeat turned loud and wild as he saw the silhouette of a man standing in the middle of the street.

*DU-DUM! *

'Who... ' He could not see the man's face because of the hood that covered it, but something deep inside his mind told him... That this man should die...

*DU-DUM! *

Unreasonable hatred swirled in his chest before his mind went blank.

Rationality gradually faded; replaced with a violent intent to kill.

'Kill! ' That single word reverberated through Adam's head like a record on repeat.

His steps turned heavy as he approached the man with a hateful gaze; not remembering that this is a mere imitation of reality. His hands balled into a bloody fist because of the nails that sunk deep into his palms as he walked towards the burnt house.

But before he could get any closer, another scene forced him to stop. A scene that Adam was not ready to see.

'H-huh?! ' He could only question when he saw the corpses of his family laid down at the man's feet while endless emotions blocked his throat and pressed his chest.

His father, who taught him the meaning of confidence.

His mother, who taught him the meaning of love.

And his sister, who taught him the meaning of patience.

Breathless, motionless, and lifeless.

The sight of his dead family in front of him was too much to handle, even if a part of him knew that this was an illusion.

"You're finally here. " A gruff voice woke Adam from his shock.

He turned to the source and saw that it was the hooded man.

Adam could no longer differentiate between the feelings swirling in his heart.

Was it sadness or anger?

Regret? Or guilt?

Helplessness

*DU-DUM! *

He was sad because he wasn't there for his family's last moments

*DU-DUM! *

He was angry at his own inability to protect them.

*DU-DUM! *

He regretted his weakness.

*DU-DUM! *

He felt guilty for being the only survivor.

"You're late, as always. " The man spoke as he crept closer to Adam.

'Stop. ' Adam's eyes turned dark as his gaze alternated between the approaching man and the corpses of his dead family.

"You couldn't save them, just like last time. " The man said with a hint of anger in his voice.

'Stop. ' Adam's mind could no longer take any more.

"I killed them. " The man said, bluntly.

'Stop! ' Adam shouted, but as usual, no voice escaped his lips.

"My only regret was not killing you the first time. " The man continued. "But I can finally do that now. "

'This is not real. ' He tried convincing himself. 'It's just an illusion. '

"You granted me this opportunity. " The man's words came to a halt when he stood in front of Adam. "Thank you. " He whispered.

'I'll wake up any moment-! ' Before Adam could finish his thoughts.

*BOOM! *

A heavy punch landed on his abdomen.

'Gwack! ' Blood escaped his lips as he flew several meters in the air while the sense of pain, which he no longer remembered, coursed through his body.

'How?! ' Adam entered a state of confusion, not just because of the sudden surge of pain, but by some strange force, his body floated in the air.

"You're pathetic. " The man said before jumping swiftly to arrive in front of Adam before wrapping his hand around his face.

*BOOM! *

And rapidly descending downward, burying Adam's skull, deep into the hard concrete.

"Wake up! This is reality! No one is here to save you! " The man said to the dazed Adam in an enraged tone.

*BOOM! *

Before delivering a heavy blow to Adam's face.

*Splat! *

Drops of blood splashed on the grey concrete.

"This is genuine pain! " He continued.

*BOOM! *

*Splat! *

"This is reality! This is how pathetic you are! "

*BOOM! *

*Splat! *

"A part of you wants to die! You know you deserve this! "

'No. ' Adam retorted.

*BOOM! *

*Splat! *

"I will grant your wish! " He continued as he prepared his fist for another punch.

*DU-DUM! *

'My wish... ' His eyes widened, and he clenched his teeth.

*BOOM! *

Another heavy punch dropped with a loud boom, however, unlike the former punches, this one landed on the hard ground. Adam slipped out from underneath the endless downpour of punches.

'My wish... ' He swayed with the wind, barely standing. 'Kill... '

"You think you can do something if you stand up? " The man asked in a sarcastic tone.

'Kill... ' But that was the only response from Adam.

"I will finally end it! " The man exclaimed before dashing towards Adam once more.

'I need to dodge. ' Adam thought, but suddenly, his body felt too heavy to move, as if his weight suddenly doubled, making it harder to dodge. 'What is this? '

"You're not good enough! " The man said.

*BOOM! *

Before delivering a heavy blow to Adam's jaw.

'Wrong! ' Adam refuted while gritting his teeth to endure the blow and jumping back to avoid the next one.

But before he could think of his next move, his vision turned dark.

'?! ' Adam saw nothing around him, which made him remember the deep sea of nothingness.

*BOOM! *

'Gwak! ' What followed was a punch to his abdomen. 'How?! '

"This is what you deserve! " The man's voice invaded Adam's ears.

Before his vision returned, just as abruptly as it vanished to the scene of the man slowly taking off the hoodie covering his face.

"This is what I think you deserve... " The face hiding under the hood was none other than Adam himself.

The scrawny, tired-looking, and lifeless Adam from before he got the system.

When he could no longer feel love, summon courage, or have patience.

'What is the meaning of this? ' Adam's confusion only increased at the strange development.

"I killed them! They died, but I'm still alive! " The other Adam, the one who gave up on himself, screamed with a hoarse voice.

"Are you not ashamed?! "

"Do you not feel guilt?! "

"This is the revenge you want! "

"Stop being a wimp and end it! " He ordered.

'Yeah... It's about time we end this... ' Adam wobbled closer as he opened his palm in the air. 'I don't need weakness like you lingering inside me. ' Blue sparks flashed out of thin air.

"You don't need to stand up. I'll kill you swiftly! " The other Adam said while holding his hand up in Adam's direction.

"Huh?! Why aren't you kneeling?! " But his expression quickly turned sour when he noticed that there was no effect.

Adam calmly pulled a pitch-black sword out of his previously inaccessible inventory and approached his doppelgänger.

All the pain he felt was slowly dissipating.

The regret was turning into a deep desire for justice.

The guilt was turning into a motive to move forward.

His helplessness turned into confidence.

And the anger reflected itself in his cold, emerald eyes.

"I need no more answers... " His voice, which was mute, finally returned colder than ever.

[User has unlocked a unique class!]

[The ruler of the nothingness and the tyrant of void]

[Unique class: Void Master]

[Do you accept? Y/N]

"It's not like I had a choice to begin with... " Adam said with an indifferent expression. "This was all a part of your plan, wasn't it? " He looked at the doppelgänger standing in front of him.

"What are you blabbering about?! Kneel! " The doppelgänger said in a terrified tone.

*Step! *

Adam, however, did not reply and kept approaching him.

"Kneel! " The doppelgänger stretched his hand out and yelled in desperation.

*Step! *

The two were now standing at an arm's length.

"I will take my revenge! Knee- "

*SLASH! *

*THUD! *

Adam's sword interrupted the doppelgänger's words by separating his head from his body with a single, clean strike.

[Congratulations!]

[You have successfully completed the class quest!]

[Do you accept the class? Y/N]

"I will accept this strength now, but remember... " Adam looked up while speaking with a stony expression. "I will find you one day... "

[You have chosen the class Void Master.]

[The user will now teleport back]