The next school day arrived like a rumor made flesh.
By the time West stepped through the gates, it was already everywhere.
"…You saw the video, right?"
"No way he wasn't awakened."
"That punch knocked Caleb out of transformation."
"Iron Chain was there. I swear."
Phones were out. Screens glowed. Voices buzzed.
What had happened the day before wasn't just gossip anymore... it was circulating.
Someone had recorded the entire confrontation.
From Caleb activating his branch…
To the blur of black movement…
To the punch that sent him flying.
The clip had already spread far beyond the school.
Students who hadn't even been present were watching it on repeat, pausing, zooming and replaying the exact moment West's fist connected.
"How is that even possible?"
"He's not awakened."
"Look at the timing. He moved before Caleb finished transforming."
Speculation exploded.
Some called it luck.
Others called it talent.
A few whispered darker theories.
Caleb, unsurprisingly, was nowhere to be seen.
He hadn't shown up.
No announcement. No explanation.
Just absence.
West noticed immediately.
He still felt sore from yesterday. A deep, heavy ache settled into muscle and bone. His legs felt stiff and his chest carried a faint tightness that hadn't fully faded since yesterday.
--------
Skill — Adrenal Control
Type: Active (Physical)
Rank: Basic
Duration: 60 seconds
Cooldown: 24 hours
(( Skill Description ))
Host gains temporary, conscious control over his body's adrenaline response.
For one minute, his body enters a heightened state where fear, hesitation, and physical lag are suppressed, allowing him to move, react, and endure at the absolute edge of human capability or beyond it depending on host stats or the level of the skill.
Effects (During Activation)
Speed: Sharply increased reaction time and burst movement
Strength: Temporary boost to grip strength and explosive force
Pain Response: Significantly dulled (pain still registers, but doesn't hinder action)
Mental State: Panic suppressed, focus sharpened
Body Control: Movements become instinctive and efficient
For 60 seconds, host becomes hard to stop.
Aftereffects (Mandatory Drawbacks)
Once the duration ends:
Severe fatigue
Muscle soreness
Elevated heart rate
Possible trembling or nausea
Using the skill does not cause permanent damage, but abusing it repeatedly or at the wrong time can leave West vulnerable immediately afterward.
-----
'Adrenal Control really does make you pay,' West thought.
Still—
He didn't regret it.
For the first time since everything with Caleb and Lena began, West had acted.
He had struck back.
Even if it had been calculated desperation… even if it had been luck…
It counted.
West adjusted the strap of his bag as he walked deeper into the school grounds.
The way people looked at him had changed again.
Not curiosity this time.
Not confusion.
Something closer to interest.
Groups fell silent when he passed... conversations slowed... and eyes lingered longer than they should have.
By the time he reached his locker, he understood why.
When he opened it—
Letters slid out.
Pink envelopes.
Cream-colored paper.
Some folded neatly. Others hastily scribbled.
West stared down at them for a second, genuinely taken aback.
"…What?"
He bent down, gathering them calmly.
Love letters.
Actual love letters.
Both from names he recognized and names he didn't.
Girls whispered behind their hands. Some smiled openly when he glanced their way. Others quickly looked away, embarrassed to have been caught staring.
Word had spread fast.
Not just about the punch.
But about Iron Chain.
"They say Iron Chain tried to recruit him."
"No way."
"I heard a leader offered him a spot on the spot."
"He turned them down."
That last part hit harder than anything else.
Turning down a street gang... especially Iron Chain? Did he have a death wish?
West closed his locker and exhaled slowly.
'This is dangerous... but dangerous is good so long as there is enough power to back it up...'
He was well aware that attention like this didn't come without consequences even though he needed the attention in order to effectively gain boons from the system.
Caleb might be gone today, but West knew better than to think it was over.
Someone like Caleb would not let humiliation sit.
He would look for payback.
West's expression hardened slightly. 'I need to get stronger. Strong enough to face an awakened directly. Strong enough that luck wouldn't be the deciding factor anymore.'
As he walked toward class, the system stirred.
A soft, deliberate chime echoed in his mind.
> [Hidden Quest Completed]
West paused mid-step.
Hidden?
> [Hidden Quest: Lingering Presence]
Condition Met: A target continues to think about you in your absence.
His pulse quickened.
He didn't need the system to tell him who.
It was undoubtedly Aria.
'Looks like her boyfriend might have done something to make her feel undervalued again... good, opening spot to farm Cuck Points...'
> [Rewards Granted]
+25 Cuck Points
+2 to All Sub Stats
Affinity Increased
The interface flickered briefly before updating.
When he finally sat down in class, he opened the panel discreetly.
---
[STATUS UPDATE]
Cuck Points (CP): 50
Affinity: Increased
All Sub Stats: +2 (Applied)
---
'Fifty... halfway there.'
West leaned back slightly in his chair with his eyes unfocused.
He had been right.
He didn't need to wait for quests.
The system rewarded momentum.
Rewarded influence.
Rewarded occupying space in people's thoughts.
He wasn't interested in dating.... not after what Lena did to him.
But girlfriends?
Wives?
Taken women?
That was opportunity...
> [ New Quest Available ]
West's eyes narrowed in surprise.
...
...
By the time lunch break rolled around, West didn't even make it halfway into the cafeteria before it happened.
"West—!"
"Hey, over here!"
"There's space, right?"
He stopped walking.
Students were already pulling chairs out.
Girls.
A lot of them.
West blinked once, then let out a quiet breath through his nose.
"…Sure," he said calmly. "There's room for many."
That single sentence did something dangerous.
Within seconds, chairs scraped across the floor and a small crowd formed around his table. They arranged themselves naturally, as if West were the center point and gravity did the rest.