2 Gaining the System

Two years before David's death.

The sun was beginning to set, casting a rosy hue over a sea of grayish-white tombstones. A gust of cold wind blew through the desolate cemetery, covering it with a blanket of melancholy.

In front of one of the tombstones stood a brown-haired, brown-eyed boy wearing black clothes and looking at the tombstone in a daze. His expression was neutral, but his lips quivered from time to time. The young boy was none other than David.

A few minutes later, he snapped out of his daze and deeply stared at the tombstone. "I guess this is goodbye, eh? Dad…"

David's mother had died in childbirth and his father had always blamed him for her death. That had resulted in them being estranged. To be honest, he had been nothing more than a punching bag for his father for as long as he could remember.

His father had never shown him any care or affection. However, in the end, he was still his father, his only kin. To say that David wasn't even a little bit saddened by his death would be a lie.

He exhaled a dispirited sigh and turned around to leave. But right at that moment, he was stopped by four men in fancy suits and his eyebrows furrowed, "What do you want?"

The man standing at the front replied with a smile, "Money, of course."

David was confused, but before he could inquire, the man continued, "You see, Gregory owed me $280,000. I'm here to take it back."

"What!?" David's eyes widened in shock, "Impossible! If my dad really had that much money, we wouldn't have lived like peasants."

"That drunk spent it all on booze and gambling. We have a record of everything," one of the men snickered.

Although David didn't want to believe it, considering his late father's addiction, that was definitely something he would do. He looked at the man standing at the front and asked, "Who're you?"

"Nico Capputi," the man replied.

One of the men behind him added with a smirk, "Boss Nico is a made man of the Rossetti Crime Family."

David stumbled back in apprehension. He didn't know what a 'made man' was, but he definitely knew what a crime family was! In his state of shock and fear, he stuttered, "M-My father is already dead."

"I know," Nico grinned, "that's why I'm here."

The men behind him started chuckling in amusement as Nico continued, "You have two days to return the money."

David replied helplessly, "But I don't—"

"And don't even try to run. I have my eyes on you." With that, Nico turned around and left. The three men cast disdainful glances at David then followed after Nico.

"I don't have any money! How am I supposed to repay you!?" David screamed but received no reply. He dropped to his knees as tears started welling up in his eyes.

"W-What do I do?" he mumbled. A foreboding feeling welled up within his heart. He knew that he would be killed if he wasn't able to pay back the money. He felt utterly lost and devastated.

He turned around and looked at his father's tombstone in resentment. He gritted his teeth and swore, "Even in death you continue to make my life miserable."

…

David didn't know how he reached home. The entire time he'd felt like he was being watched by someone. He didn't know if he was simply imagining it or not.

"Two days…" he mumbled as he sat on the floor of his messy one-bedroom apartment. "Where the hell am I supposed to get so much money in just two days?"

He continued nervously biting his fingernails as he thought of possible things he could do. But he knew he couldn't escape. After all, where could he even escape to? And he had a nagging feeling that he was definitely being watched.

After being unable to come up with any solutions, he clutched at his hair and loudly wailed, "FUCK! FUCK! FUCK!"

He felt helpless, angry, and resentful. But just as all hope seemed to be lost, it appeared.

A solution!

DING!

[System installing…]

A translucent gray panel appeared in front of David, causing his eyes to widen in disbelief. He even had to rub them a few times to make sure he wasn't hallucinating.

"Is this…" he muttered in absolute shock. After having read god knows how many novels, how could he not know what a system was?

"A system!" David's eyes shone with a mixture of hope, incredulity, and excitement.

[Host with suitable affinity found!]

[Name: David Watson]

[Age: 16]

[Affinity: XXXX XXXX]

[Strength: 0.5 (1)]

[Agility: 0.7 (1)]

[Constitution: 0.5 (1)]

[Countdown: 804 days…]

[All system functions are locked]

As David read through the system's notifications, his eyebrows gradually furrowed. "Wait… if the base stats for a human are 1, aren't I pathetically weak?"

When he read the countdown timer and the next notification, he couldn't help but frown. "What the hell? What's this timer for? And why are all the functions locked?"

[The countdown is the time until the system functions will be made available]

[Until then, the system will remain dormant. However, before all functions are unlocked, you will receive a boost that will strengthen your physique to the mortal peak]

[Boosting Host's physique in…]

[3]

[2]

[1]

BBZZZTTTTT!!

Before David could even speak, a bolt of electricity followed by a burning hot sensation coursed through his body. He began intensely spasming and he fell to the floor. His eyes rolled back as his body continued trembling. Soon, he lost consciousness.

A few hours later, David finally opened his eyes, then got to his feet, and began observing his body. He clenched his fists and mumbled, "I definitely feel much healthier and stronger than before!"

Although there weren't any visible changes to his body, he could feel it. If he was initially skeptical about the existence of the system, now he definitely believed it. It was real! How else could this sudden change in his body be explained? It was scientifically impossible!

The next moment, the gray panel appeared in front of him once again.

[Name: David Watson]

[Age: 16]

[Affinity: XXXX XXXX]

[Strength: 1.0]

[Agility: 1.2]

[Constitution: 1.0]

[Significantly boosting your physique in one go will be detrimental to your health. Hence, the enhancement will happen over time]

[System will now enter dormancy]

"Wait, system!" David shouted. "What's the mortal peak? And how long will it take?"

However, he received no reply. Even after trying everything he could think of for half an hour, the system didn't respond. He confirmed that it had actually gone silent.

Despite that, he wasn't disheartened. Instead, his eyes shone with resolve. "With this… maybe I have a shot against that gangster."

…

Two days later, the four gangsters arrived at his apartment in the early hours of the morning. After David let them into his apartment, he didn't speak a word.

Seeing him staying silent, Nico gestured to one of the henchmen behind him. The man cracked his knuckles and walked toward David with a grin on his face. "Oi, where's the fuckin' money?"

David didn't reply. The man frowned and stretched his hand and grabbed his collar. "Didn't you fuckin' hear me, punk? Where's the fuckin—"

However, before he could finish his sentence, David grabbed the man's wrist and kicked him in the balls. The man's eyes widened as he bent over. But before a groan could escape his mouth, David swung his fist and punched him in the chin.

The man was instantly knocked out and fell limply to the floor. David then turned to look at Nico and the other two, who were looking at him in shock, and muttered, "Come on, you bastards. I'll take all of you down!"