Another visit to the street brawl.

When considering ways to become stronger, Devon initially had two options in mind, with one of them being the gym.

Devon had recently started his gym training, and the rewards he received from the system were quite substantial. Although he couldn't guarantee that every day would be the same, the gym was a promising place to begin his journey.

The second option was street brawling. Initially, Devon engaged in street brawls to earn money, but it also provided opportunities to trigger system quests that offered valuable rewards.

During his last street brawl, Devon had a close call and nearly lost the fight. However, given his current stats, he believed he wouldn't need to activate any system skills to aid him in future fights.

With two bags given to him by Kelvin, Devon headed home. Upon his arrival, he spotted Lilly sitting on the couch in the living room, engrossed in TV shows.

For a moment, Devon gazed at her, his thoughts drifting to what had happened to Kelvin. He pondered whether Lilly could ever forgive her brother, considering his inhuman nature and intent to harm her.

The more Devon dwelled on this, the more apprehensive he became about staying around Lilly. The thought of hurting his sister haunted him, and he couldn't bear the guilt.

"Hey, you're back," Lilly greeted with a cheerful tone, noticing the bags in Devon's hands. "You bought something?" She rushed over to help him with the bags.

In that moment, Devon instinctively took a step back, avoiding physical contact with Lilly, which didn't go unnoticed by her. "What's wrong with you?" she asked, puzzled by his reaction.

Realizing his awkward behavior, Devon felt uncomfortable and dropped the bags on the floor. "I'm sorry; I'll be right back," he said as he hastily exited through the door.

"What's gotten into him?" Lilly wondered, perplexed. She picked up the bags and brought them to the kitchen, her curiosity piqued.

"He bought something; I wonder what it is," Lilly thought as she opened one of the bags. To her astonishment, she found Wagyu beef inside.

"Wagyu! Where did he get the money to buy real Wagyu?" she almost exclaimed.

---

Meanwhile, Devon found himself running aimlessly away from home, with no particular destination in mind. He ran through dimly lit streets until he finally came to a halt to catch his breath.

He spotted an empty bus stop at the corner and took a seat, lost in thought.

"Why am I feeling so anxious around her? She might start suspecting something, but I can't treat her any differently. She's all I have," Devon scolded himself inwardly. "I'm just worried. As long as I follow Kelvin's instructions, everything should be fine. My health is stable, and I won't need food anytime soon."

Kelvin had given Devon a list of guidelines to prevent him from going on a rampage, especially around friends. One crucial rule was to avoid any increase in his health or energy.

This proved challenging for Devon, given his financial struggles. Fortunately, Kelvin had offered to supply him with the necessary meat. Yet, Devon couldn't shake the troubling image of himself one day feasting on someone close to him.

"This is getting to me. I need to release some stress," Devon thought, screaming internally.

An idea struck him, and he reached into his pocket. "I still have the fifty-dollar bill from this morning. Maybe I should check out how the brawls have been going lately," he said to himself, rising from his seat.

It was now dark, and streetlights illuminated his path as he headed in a particular direction.

Having been to the brawl location before, Devon navigated there without the need for Malik's guidance.

The place was somewhat distant but manageable on foot. Devon opted not to sprint to save his energy.

"It would be nice if I arrived near the end. Maybe, like the last time, I won't have to endure prolonged battles to claim victory," Devon thought, wearing a faint smile.

Before long, he reached the familiar location. True to his expectations, music blared from the construction site, creating a cacophonous atmosphere.

Devon couldn't help but wonder if such a gathering would attract the attention of the police. He covered his ears and scanned the area, but he couldn't spot Malik.

"It seems Malik isn't here. That's concerning. I thought he enjoyed these things," Devon thought, considering leaving.

However, just as he was about to depart, a voice boomed, breaking through the noise.

"We're accepting the last registrations for today's fights. If you want to participate, step forward!" the voice echoed, audible to everyone, including Devon.

"Why am I even hesitating? Malik isn't with me, but that shouldn't stop me from making money. I'm not relying on him to cover my expenses this time," Devon reasoned as he walked toward the registration desk.

"Oh, your money, please," a teenage boy behind the table requested, extending his hand.

Devon placed a fifty-dollar note on the table and stated, "I go by 'The Hoodie,' and I'll need a mask."

"Oh, so you're the one who defeated Rocky. Do you plan to do it again?" the boy inquired, handing Devon the requested items.

Donning the mask, Devon found it identical to the previous one and a perfect fit. "Rocky? Is he here?" Devon asked.

The teenagers chuckled before responding, "Not only is he here, but he's on track to become tonight's brawl champion. That is unless you defeat him," the boy added.

Hearing this, Devon smiled. "Interesting. Perhaps fighting him will trigger a quest from the system," he thought.

---

Meanwhile, a few buildings stood nearby, adjacent to the construction site where the street brawl unfolded.

Several men and women, dressed in dark blue police uniforms with "POLICE" emblazoned in white, peered down at the ongoing event.

"Rocky is quite the fighter. He's won all his fights with relative ease so far. If only we could steer him away from this path, he might grow up to be an outstanding officer," Oris remarked, having observed the fights.

"Are you seriously finding amusement in a bunch of kids wasting their time on gambling and street fighting when they have so much potential elsewhere?" Kan questioned, his expression sour.

"Believe me, Kan, there's nothing I'd love more than to go down there and arrest every single participant," Oris replied, still gazing out of the window.

"Both of you, stay calm. This is our chance to get closer to the new extraordinary," Maxwell interjected, appearing beside them suddenly.

Maxwell peered through the window, locking eyes with Rocky, who stood below, signaling them by crossing his arms.

"That's the signal. The one we've been waiting for is here. We need to apprehend this new extraordinary before anyone else does," Maxwell declared.

*****

Don't forget to read my other book."My Zombie Game" I am currently re-editing the book. You can also follow and join the Discord channel, Instagram, and TikTok. Discord channel: https://discord.gg/gMXt7Uzu. Instagram: @Jeffweikeson. TikTok: @JWN234. Have some idea about my story? Comment it and let me know. Creation is hard, cheer me up! VOTE for me!