Jordan tried to teach both Joey and Nico the Flow Step style.
For Jordan himself, it took barely an hour to grasp it—but even then, it didn't feel like he was the one who truly learned it. The moment his movements reached a certain level of understanding, it felt as if the system stepped in, quietly implanting the fighting style straight into his mind. Muscle memory sharpened. Footwork smoothed out. Every motion suddenly clicked.
Joey and Nico weren't so lucky.
The Flow Step demanded speed—constant repositioning, relentless follow-ups, and perfect balance between offense and movement. Miss a step, hesitate for half a second, and everything collapsed.
Joey swung his metal pipe downward, then tried to spin and follow with a kick—but his feet weren't planted properly. His heel slipped.
He hit the ground hard.
The golden-haired boy lay there for a moment, staring up at the sky, chest rising and falling as he let out a quiet sigh. If you looked closely, you could see the frustration trembling behind his eyes.
"Sorry," Joey muttered as he pushed himself up, tossing the pipe aside. "But… this fighting style isn't for me."
He forced a small smile that didn't reach his eyes.
"I'm just gonna go home."
Before Jordan could stop him—before he could say anything—Joey had already turned and started walking away.
Jordan reached out instinctively.
"Joey—!"
But the boy didn't slow down.
Nico watched him leave, then let out a breath of his own.
"He's got a point," Nico said honestly, continuing the motions by himself. "This style's definitely not for me either. But… I can still pick up some skills before the academy. So I'll stick around."
Riven barely heard him.
Something about Joey's posture—his shoulders hunched, his steps too heavy—set off a quiet alarm in Riven's chest.
⸻
As Joey walked, his thoughts spiraled.
Mom's starting to notice, he thought. I can tell by the way she looks at me.
She can see I'm gaining weight.
His jaw clenched.
Eventually… she's gonna do something about it.
The street felt colder the farther he went.
That was when a figure appeared ahead of him.
Casfer.
Joey immediately tried to veer around him, lowering his head, hoping—praying—to avoid trouble. But Casfer moved too.
With a cocky grin, the boy stepped directly into his path.
Joey stopped.
Another presence closed in behind him.
Then another.
Casfer's smile widened.
"Let's have a little chat."
Hands grabbed Joey by the arms, dragging him toward a narrow alley. People on the street noticed—some slowed, some stared—but no one stepped in.
Not because it was Casfer.
But because it was Joey.
To them, it looked like the boy was finally getting what he deserved.
Inside his mind, Joey screamed.
Please… someone get them off me. I don't want to—
I don't want to hurt anyone.
But no one came.
⸻
Back at the training area, Riven suddenly stiffened.
"He—Riven, where are you going?" Jordan called out.
Riven was already moving.
"Something feels wrong," he shouted back. "I'll be right back!"
He didn't know why. He didn't have proof.
But his chest felt tight—like something terrible was unfolding just out of reach.
⸻
Joey was already on the ground when the beating started.
Fists.
Kicks.
Blows that came too fast to block.
By the time they stopped, his body was bruised and shaking. They backed off just enough to let him breathe—just enough to keep him conscious.
Joey coughed, forcing himself onto one elbow.
"Why?" he yelled hoarsely. "Why are you doing this?! Why do you like hurting people?!"
Casfer tilted his head, mockingly thoughtful.
"Oh, Joey… naive little Joey. I don't like hurting people."
But his smirk betrayed him.
"I was hired."
Joey froze.
"H-hired…?" His voice cracked. "Who would do that? Why would anyone— I didn't do anything to you! I stay in my lane! I don't bother anyone, I don't—"
Casfer cut him off.
"Maria Cross."
The world shattered.
Joey's eyes widened, his breath catching painfully in his chest.
His mother.
He had always tried to understand her—why she rationed food, why she watched him eat with narrowed eyes. He told himself she was just worried. That she was doing her best.
Deep down… he'd always known better.
But this?
This was something else entirely.
Casfer chuckled softly.
"Now you're probably wondering why your dear mother would do this to you."
He leaned closer.
"In her words—not mine—you've been getting a little too healthy. A little too confident. She doesn't like you testing her limits."
Joey's hands trembled.
"She said if she could, she'd have kicked you out long ago. But the government gives her more support when she has a kid at home."
Each word crushed him.
His mother.
The woman who brought him into the world.
To her… he was just a source of money.
Joey's chest burned as old memories surfaced—how he always blamed himself, how he convinced himself she was acting out of grief.
Because of his father.
Because of him.
I took him away, Joey thought.
Even though he knew the truth.
Even though he never laid a hand on his father.
Even though it was those two angels that killed him.
No one believed him.
Not even Joey himself anymore.
⸻
Suddenly, warmth spread through his body.
Scratches faded. Bruises vanished. Pain retreated.
Joey gasped as his wounds slowly healed—his body repairing itself without his control.
Before he could react, lightning flashed.
A bolt slammed into his chest.
Joey hit the ground, gasping for air.
"Nice aim, Casfer," one of the goons laughed, green aura fading from his arm—the glow of a healing Evolution.
Casfer smirked. "I know. You think the Dawn Faction would take me in if I couldn't drop a weakling like this?"
"Yeah," the other goon sneered. "He's so weak."
The boy vanished in a blur.
"Super speed—!" Joey barely managed to think before a hand grabbed the back of his neck.
"Hey," the goon said casually, lifting him off the ground. "Try again."
Another voice cut in, nervous this time.
"Wait—let me heal him first. He might not survive another hit."
It wasn't concern for Joey.
It was fear.
Casfer could hide behind the Dawn Faction.
They couldn't.
And murder came with consequences.
Here's a polished, intense WebNovel-style continuation of your scene. I tightened the dialogue, clarified action, and sharpened Riven's presence while keeping your tone, humor, and system elements intact.
⸻
Casfer didn't wait.
Lightning began to gather in his palm—but before it could fully form, something hit him.
Not physical.
Not visible.
But it felt exactly like lightning.
Just… wrong.
Foreign.
The three boys froze.
At the mouth of the alley stood a black-haired boy, one arm extended, fingers still faintly glowing as residual energy crackled and faded.
"Hey," the subordinate holding Joey muttered. "Who the hell is that?"
"Wait a minute…" The boy squinted, head tilting. "I know that face. It's right on the tip of my tongue…"
Casfer's eyes widened slightly.
Then he laughed.
"Jordan?" he called out loudly. "You dye your hair and get a bit buffer?"
The boy stepped forward.
"Actually—no. It's me," he said calmly.
"Riven."
Silence.
"There's no way," the goon beside Casfer scoffed. "I refuse to believe that."
"How is that so hard to believe?" Riven shot back. "I wasn't that fat."
"Bullshit," the one holding Joey laughed. "You were so fat the scale asked for one at a time."
"Yeah," the other added. "Every time you stepped into an elevator, you could hear it cranking."
The two burst into laughter, piling on insult after insult.
Riven rubbed the back of his neck and sighed.
"Geez, man… I thought I came here to kick your asses. Not get roasted."
The laughter stopped.
Casfer raised a hand.
Then started clapping.
"Whoooo," he said mockingly. "So it really is you. Damn, man—what's your workout regimen? Because whatever it is, you're crushing it."
His grin widened.
"I feel like a proud father. Me kicking your ass really did wonders for you. You should be thanking me—"
"No."
The word cut through the alley like a blade.
"There's only one man in this entire universe I'll ever call my father," Riven said, eyes hard.
"And it's definitely not an egotistical freak like you."
Joey's heart lurched.
Crap… Riven did it again, he screamed in his mind.
Riven, don't do this for me. Just run. You don't even know me that well anymore—
"No," Riven yelled, voice rising as he stepped forward.
"I won't allow this."
Everyone froze.
"I won't let a person who did nothing wrong suffer for no reason," Riven continued. "You don't deserve this, Joey. No one does."
His gaze sharpened.
"To be bullied because people are afraid of your power—to the point where you start being afraid of it yourself—that's not right."
Casfer scoffed, but Riven didn't stop.
"You shouldn't have to limit yourself just so others feel safe," he said. "And then get beaten for it anyway. That's backwards."
His fist clenched.
"Power exists to protect. That's the entire point of being an Evolver—to protect those who don't have what we have."
Lightning flared.
Casfer fired.
Riven barely had time to react.
He threw both arms up instinctively.
The bolt slammed into him.
Pain exploded through his body—electric fire ripping across his arms. The smell of burnt fabric filled the air. His gauntlets smoked, skin charred beneath them.
But he didn't fall.
He didn't scream.
The system flickered.
[-3 HP]
Riven blinked.
That was it.
His first time ever losing HP.
So this is how tanky I am…
"What?" Casfer breathed.
No one had ever blocked his lightning.
Riven lowered his arms slowly, smoke curling from his sleeves. His eyes burned—not with pain, but with focus.
He spread his fingers into a clawed stance, feet shifting naturally into position.
Beast Gauntlet Style.
Then the system appeared.
⸻
[System Notification]
New Quest Received
Get Revenge for Joey
Objective: Defeat the three enemies in front of you (0/3)
Reward: 250 XP
⸻
Riven smiled.
His blood surged.
My first combat quest.
He launched forward.
As he moved, Riven analyzed everything in an instant—and spotted Casfer's fatal flaw.
The charge time.
Lightning didn't form instantly.
Casfer needed four seconds.
Four seconds of being wide open.
Riven struck.
He slashed in an X straight toward Casfer's chest—but the healer lunged in at the last second.
Too slow.
Riven's claws tore into the healer's torso.
Blood sprayed.
The boy screamed as Riven followed up with a brutal kick, sending both Casfer and the healer crashing backward—straight toward the last goon.
The one holding Joey.
Seeing that, the boy released Joey and stepped forward, muscles tensing as he prepared to fight.
"W-what the hell…" the healer muttered, clutching his chest. His hand came back slick with blood. The pain finally hit him full force.
"I don't know what kind of training you went through," he said through clenched teeth, eyes locked on Riven, "but he's way stronger now. His hands—just slashing my torso—made me bleed."
Instinctively, green light began to gather around him.
"Don't," Casfer snapped.
The healer froze.
"If you heal yourself, you won't have enough energy left to heal him," Casfer said, pointing toward the speed Evolver. "Give me a second. He'll put Riven on the ground, and then you can get your revenge."
The healer hesitated… then nodded.
He liked the sound of that.
The speed user vanished.
A blur shot down the alley, aiming straight for Riven's blind spot.
But Riven was already turning.
"Keith," he said calmly.
The name alone made the blur hesitate for half a heartbeat.
"You've always been fast," Riven continued, raising his hand. "Too fast for anyone at school to follow."
Keith reappeared for an instant, confusion flickering across his face.
"But there's one glaring problem," Riven said.
"You're predictable."
Keith's eyes widened.
"If someone finds something faster than you," Riven went on, voice steady, "then you're basically nothing."
Riven's fingers slowly spread, palm facing forward.
"And last time I checked…"
There was a flash.
Lightning.
"—you're not faster than this."
The force slammed into Keith before he could react.
His body shot backward, smashing into the alley wall with a sickening crack. He hit the ground hard, limbs twitching, eyes unfocused.
Silence.
Casfer's smile vanished.
The healer staggered back a step.
That was when it hit them.
Riven hadn't just gotten stronger.
He had Evolved