Thors rubbed the back of his head a few times and grumbled,
’Who would have thought the weapons combat classes came with so much reading.’
Thors wanted to jump at the nearest wall and hit his head against it a few times. The theories he had learnt were just too much for him.
Even with all that, he understood it all to a certain extent.
The usage of Superhuman Energy, which circulated around the body to enhance it.
It was something similar to what his Charisma did.
At least, that was what he thought.
Thors turned around another hall, only to be met with a noisy hallway, just like any other he had come through to get here.
Most students were already done with their classes, and most simply lingered around in pairs, arguing energetically about sports or the opposite gender.
The atmosphere was lively, filled with the chatter of students, the occasional laughter, and the sound of footsteps passing through the long corridors.
But turning down this hall, Thors’ teeth clenched, his eyes narrowing at the scene before him.
That noise he had just heard...
Was a desperate cry for help.
It came again, ringing past Thors’ ears, more vile and desperate than the first.
His gaze immediately locked onto the source.
Three boys were beating two other students who were already both on the ground, their bodies curled into balls for protection.
They desperately did their best to protect their heads and bodies from the legs of the three boys that smashed down onto them repeatedly.
Thud!
Thud!
Thud!
It wasn’t an appealing sight to watch.
Thors stared at it only for a moment before ripping his gaze away from the scene.
He began moving past like he had seen nothing.
He saw no reason to interfere.
This was how the world worked.
The weak would get beaten and treated like trash until they became strong enough to stop it.
It was a cruel system.
But it was one that worked.
Thors continued to move past the hall, his face straight and completely unbothered as he walked past the group.
He wasn’t going to get involved.
That was what he told himself, at least.
He kept his head down, his hands folded into his pockets as he walked past, only to hear a loud groan behind him.
A set of hurried footsteps approached him.
Then, a strong hand grabbed onto his clothing, forcing him to stop.
"What the...?"
Thors’ eyelids lifted.
He slowly turned around to stare into the desperate eyes of the beaten student.
His face was halfway disfigured.
One eye was swollen shut, his lips were split and bleeding, and sweat drenched his entire clothing, sticking the fabric against his battered body.
This was one of the students that was being bullied.
And from the looks of it...
Thors raised his gaze back to the group.
He could see one of the bullies seated sprawled on the ground, a deep frown plastered across his disgusted face.
The other two bullies and the other beaten student had their attention turned towards Thors and the boy clinging onto his clothes.
Thors’ eyes trailed back once more to the eyes of the student.
Those eyes were desperate.
Terrified.
Begging without a single word.
[Ding!]
[What decision will you make? To help or to leave?]
[Reward for decision: 5x Charisma on all Charisma gained during event.]
’The system is giving me a reward for what I choose to do now?’
Thors narrowed his eyes as he thought of the situation carefully.
To walk away could award him with Charisma points, with Charisma increasing as, per say, his popularity.
The two students would likely spread the word after this beating session about how he, as a part of the top ten, was the most ruthless.
Spreading exaggerated lies about him to ruin his reputation.
And the other option might very well have a similar effect.
He could save them, and they would tell other students about him. His popularity would rise for a moment.
But seeing these two at the bottom of the barrel, most probably, not many would find their words credible.
It was easier to market a villain than to market a hero.
Thors knew that much.
So the question the system was asking of him was what kind of Charisma did he hope to gain from this encounter.
Was he going to become known as the ruthless senior who allowed weaker students to be crushed beneath his feet?
Or...
Would he become the senior who stood above the weak and showed them mercy?
Either way, his name would spread.
The only difference was the kind of reputation that would follow it.
’Then I have made my decision.’
With that, Thors raised both hands and tore the grip of the student from his clothes, shoving him back a little.
The beaten boy staggered and grunted, his weakened body swaying dangerously before collapsing towards the floor.
Thud!
The moment his bottom hit the ground, what appeared on his face was nothing short of terror.
His eyes widened.
His mouth hung agape.
His jaw jittered uncontrollably in fear.
He had been beaten by the three boys...
But somehow, the sight of Thors turning against him seemed even more terrifying.
At this, Garrick, who was the largest of the three bullies, stepped forward, his lips curling into a smug grin.
"Thank you for not getting involved, senior brother," he said, sounding rather respectful, more than Thors had imagined him to be.
Garrick continued to move towards Thors and the whimpering boy still sprawled across the ground, terrified beyond words.
Then he continued with a much more mocking tone.
"Bastards like this don’t know their place," he said.
"Doesn’t have respect for the hierarchy. Even in front of one of the top ten, he dared to even roughen your clothing, Senior. Staining it with his weakness."
Garrick cracked his knuckles, the sound echoing sharply through the hallway.
"Don’t worry, Senior. I’ll handle this wrench well for his disrespect."
Garrick stretched out his hand and grabbed the boy by the collar, pulling him upwards as he prepared to land a deadly blow on his face with his knuckles.
Or at least...
That was the action Garrick tried to perform.
Instead, he was the one who was grabbed by the collar.
His left hand was caught next in Thors’ iron grip.
Garrick’s eyes widened.
For the first time, the smugness vanished from his face.
He felt the fingers around his hand tighten.
Then—
Crack!
His bones shattered in one fatal squeeze.
"RAAYAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
A horrid, agonized shriek escaped Garrick’s lips as he staggered backwards, his other hand immediately wrapping around his shattered left hand.
His face twisted violently from the pain.
"AAARRRGHHHH!"
He screamed again, dropping heavily onto one knee as his entire body trembled.
At this, the other two tensed.
Their eyes darted down towards the whimpering Garrick.
Then slowly...
They looked back at the Monstrous Top Ten.
Thors Godfrey.
For a brief moment, neither of them dared to move.
The hallway that had once been filled with noise seemed strangely quieter.
A smile slowly formed across Thors’ demeanor.
Then he shrugged.
"My choice is both..."
He stepped forward.
Each step landed with a heavy, deliberate sound against the floor.
"I have been so much looking for a proper punching bag to test my strength on all this time..."
His smile widened.
Then his gaze settled upon the remaining two bullies.
Their bodies instinctively stiffened beneath that gaze.
Thors cracked his knuckles.
"Thank you for volunteering."