《Rick the Brawler》


 Prologue

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    Yeah, that''s me, currently lying down in my own pool of blood. Life¡¯s just not great, you know? Especially since it wasn¡¯t great even before the system arrived. I was born into a poor family, and that itself wasn¡¯t really that bad. But growing up not knowing what love felt like, being beaten by my parents for every tear I cried, for every scrap of food I begged for, and for every piece of clothing I wore¡ªit just wasn¡¯t fair. Being neglected might have been better, but yeah, here I am. Maybe I should be thankful for every beating I received; it molded me into the man I am right now.


    Fuck, I¡¯m getting emotional, haha. It seems those old people were right about one thing: memories do flash through your mind before you die. But I didn¡¯t realize just how unlucky my life was. Beaten half to death from a young age, I could only fight back by the time I was 18. And when I did, I got arrested for it. Then, in prison, I became a punching bag again. Thankfully, I made it out after two years, but man, those were some rough years. But hey, I didn¡¯t die.


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    When I got out, I tried getting back into society¡ªworking odd, respectful jobs at the Carbon fish market. I was a porter, a janitor, and I saved enough to become a fish seller myself by the time I was 25.


    Oh, right, and maybe because of my age and the good people around me who helped after prison, I tried to make my own family. But first, I had to find a loving wife or husband¡ªyou know, love is love after all. I tried making myself more presentable as best I could, standing at 5''5" and weighing about 95 kg. You gotta work with what you have. With a face only a mother could love... oh wait, my mother didn¡¯t even love me! Hahaha, high five to my ever-loving dark humor.


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    Anyway, I did find someone amazing, a loving woman. She was around 5''4", petite, with a model¡¯s face¡ªbeautiful and all. Her name was Diana. We matched on a dating site one day, and after dating for about two years, we were planning our wedding, with her little pumpkin as the ring bearer. Oh yeah, one of the biggest reasons we hit it off was her daughter, Emelia¡ªEmi, as I liked to call her. Emi was smart, cute, and funny. She was 9 years old when Diana and I matched, and from the first time I saw her, I just wanted to protect her. My first instinct was straight out of that ¡°protect the child¡± meme. </time>


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    But I guess lady luck wasn¡¯t on my side. Just before the wedding date, I came home to find some guy giving my fianc¨¦e the best time of her life. Before I could let my instincts tell me to beat the living hell out of them, I covered Emi''s eyes. We¡¯d just come from our Father-Daughter Sunday Funday. I wasn¡¯t about to ruin her day because her mom was a¡­ yeah. I told Emi, "You know what, Emi? We should go back to the mall and get some ice cream. Maybe we can get Mommy some ice cream too since I heard she¡¯s getting a new dog for us, you know? And you know¡­ ice cream helps BITCHES IN HEAT!" I shouted those last words, slammed the door, and went back to the mall with Emi.


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    Then, that¡¯s when the shit hit the fan. There was an announcement to the world¡ªsomething about fate and destiny, I think. I don¡¯t remember the details, but the one thing I do remember is that I had to keep Emi safe.


    Man, I wish I had a higher intelligence stat, you know? If I did, maybe when the system arrived, I could cast spells and shit. But nooooo. Because of all the concussions I got growing up, I don¡¯t even have that fucking stat. I mean, fuck me for hoping, right? But yeah, I just picked the path most familiar to me.


    Alright, enough moping. Time to do something that will probably kill me.


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    I stand up, blood still dripping from the fresh wounds covering my body. I brace myself in front of the entrance to this mall, hands up in a fighting stance (which I¡¯m totally winging) as I face thousands of enemies surging toward the mall, trying to devour everyone inside. For I am the protector of the weak. My body is my armor. My fists are my swords. For I am Rick, the Brawler.

 CHAPTER 1: WHEN THE COOKIE CRUMBLES

    Alright, alright, let¡¯s go back a bit¡ªback when the SYSTEM arrived. Emi and I had just come from that traumatic dumpster fire, but hey, screw my feelings, right? Anyway, as long as Emi is happy, I¡¯m happy too. We had just arrived near the mall. I got off the jeepney first, making sure Emi didn¡¯t decide to jump down before me as a joke. I looked both ways before crossing the street and told Emi it''s a good habit to check before crossing¡ªfollowing the rules means not getting run over and all that.


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    I¡¯ve always got your back. It was true, and I¡¯d always have his.


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    <td style="width: 98.8658%; text-align: center">FAITH ACCUMULATION AT 100%


    SYSTEM INTEGRATION IN PROGRESS


    30 DAYS BEFORE COMPLETE INTEGRATION


    TUTORIAL INITIATING FOR INTEGRATION


    COUNTDOWN HAS STARTED


    TUTORIAL SPIRIT MONSTERS HAVE BEEN RELEASED


    SURVIVE, AND MAY YOUR FAITH GUIDE YOU, HUMANITY.</td>


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    <div>I blinked, trying to make sense of it, then it vanished. I heard someone shout, "What the hell was that? Did anyone else see a blue screen?" Murmurs spread through the fast food joint. "Pop, what was that? Did you see the blue screen too?" Emi asked. Before I could answer, I heard screams¡ªscreams of terror from outside. Another blue screen appeared before me.


    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


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    <td style="width: 98.8658%; text-align: center">FAITH DETECTED


    HUMAN, YOUR STATUS HAS BEEN ACTIVATED


    TO OPEN, THINK OR SAY ¡®STATUS.¡¯</td>


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    I hurriedly blurted out, "Status."


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    <td style="width: 98.8658%; text-align: center">STATUS ACTIVATION COMPLETE


    CONGRATULATIONS, HUMAN, YOU ARE THE 99TH PERSON TO ACTIVATE YOUR STATUS IN CEBU


    REWARD: TITLE [TIGHALANGDON] </td>


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    <td style="width: 99.9811%; text-align: center" colspan="2">STATUS SHEET</td>


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    <td style="width: 50.0378%">NAME:</td>


    <td style="width: 49.9432%">Richard Makiling</td>


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    <td style="width: 50.0378%">HP:</td>


    <td style="width: 49.9432%">100/100</td>


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    <td style="width: 50.0378%">STAMINA:</td>


    <td style="width: 49.9432%">100/100</td>


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    <td style="width: 50.0378%">TITLE:</td>


    <td style="width: 49.9432%">TIGHALANGDON</td>


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    <td style="width: 50.0378%">ADVANTAGE: (0/5)</td>


    <td style="width: 49.9432%"> </td>


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    <td style="width: 99.9811%; text-align: center" colspan="2">ATTRIBUTES</td>


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    <td style="width: 50.0378%; text-align: left">STRENGTH:</td>


    <td style="width: 49.9432%; text-align: left">07</td>


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    <td style="width: 50.0378%; text-align: left">VITALITY:</td>


    <td style="width: 49.9432%; text-align: left">10</td>


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    <td style="width: 50.0378%; text-align: left">CONSTITUTION:</td>


    <td style="width: 49.9432%; text-align: left">10</td>


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    <td style="width: 50.0378%; text-align: left">DEXTERITY:</td>


    <td style="width: 49.9432%; text-align: left">04</td>


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    <td style="width: 50.0378%; text-align: left">INSTINCT:</td>


    <td style="width: 49.9432%; text-align: left">06</td>


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    <td style="width: 50.0378%; text-align: left">FREE:</td>


    <td style="width: 49.9432%; text-align: left">10</td>


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    CHOOSE YOUR FIRST ADVANTAGE. MORE CAN BE GAINED BY YOUR OWN FAITH.


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    <td style="width: 99.9811%; text-align: center" colspan="2">ADVANTAGES</td>


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    <td style="width: 50.0378%">KNIGHT</td>


    <td style="width: 49.9432%">INCREASE ARMOR DURABILITY BY 50%</td>


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    <td style="width: 50.0378%">BERSERKER</td>


    <td style="width: 49.9432%">DOUBLE YOUR DAMAGE OUTPUT IF CURRENT HP IS EQUALS TO OR LOWER THAN YOUR MAX HP.</td>


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    <td style="width: 50.0378%">BANDIT</td>


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    DEAL TRIPLE DAMAGE INCREASE ON YOUR FIRST ATTACK AGAINST AN ENEMY WHO IS NOT AWARE OF YOU.


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    <td style="width: 50.0378%">BRAWLER</td>


    <td style="width: 49.9432%">YOUR FISTS DEAL 50% MORE DAMAGE AND HAS A 10% CHANCE TO STAGGER ENEMY.</td>


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    <td style="width: 50.0378%">...</td>


    <td style="width: 49.9432%">...</td>


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 CHAPTER 2: PAIN

    Then everything descended into chaos as people scrambled to escape the mall. I grabbed Emi¡¯s hand, trying to run with her away from the gunfire. As we rushed out of Jollibee, I looked around, trying to pinpoint where the shots were coming from. That¡¯s when I saw it ¡ª on the second floor, a security guard was aiming a pistol at something I couldn¡¯t make out from the ground level.


    I tried to pull Emi away from whatever the guard was shooting at, but it was too late. He fired again, and I saw something get hit, but it kept moving, leaping towards the guard. They both tumbled over the railing and crashed in front of us. The guard didn¡¯t survive the fall, but the creature stood up, more damaged by the fall than by the bullets. It shook its head, recovering from the shock, then its eyes locked onto us ¡ª first me, then Emi ¡ª and it snarled.


    I saw its sharp teeth just as it leapt toward Emi, claws outstretched, ready to tear her apart. My instincts kicked in ¡ª I had to protect my daughter. Without thinking, I selected the "Brawler" advantage, knowing my fists were the only weapons I had. As the creature¡¯s claws came within inches of Emi''s face, I clocked it with a hard left hook, sending it flying five feet away from her.


    I didn¡¯t stop there. Fury surged through me as I pounced on the creature, beating it relentlessly until its face was nothing more than a bloody paste. The only thing that pulled me out of my rage was the sound of Emi crying. I rushed to her, my heart aching.


    ¡°Emi, what''s wrong? Did you get hurt?" I searched her for wounds, but found none.


    ¡°Pop, I¡¯m scared,¡± she whimpered, her voice breaking my heart. Was she scared of me and what I had done?


    ¡°Emi, I¡¯m sorry if Pop scared you. Pop will always be with you, remember that.¡± I picked her up and began looking for a way out of the mall. The sight around us was pure carnage. Blood was everywhere, and the creatures were tearing through anyone they could reach.


    I saw the exit, but it was blocked by a pile of bodies. Outside, larger creatures were devouring anyone who got too close. With no safe way out, I bolted toward the supermarket, punching, kicking, and choking any creature that came near us. Each time I struck, I felt claws and teeth tear at my skin. Blood trickled from my wounds, but I ignored the pain and kept moving toward the barricade the people inside were trying to close.


    As I neared the barricade, I saw fear on the faces of those around us. One of the people closing the barricade was being mauled by a creature. I set Emi down and told her, ¡°Pop will be right back. Stay here and stay safe.¡±


    I ran to the barricade and kicked the creature off the man, dragging him inside. As I helped close the barricade, a claw shot through the gap, slashing my stomach. I screamed in pain but forced myself to keep going, and we finally shut the barricade.


    I frantically searched for Emi and found her huddled with the other children. I ran to her, relieved that she was okay.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    After a few minutes of checking to make sure I wasn¡¯t injured, I managed to calm myself down. I looked around the grocery area, and it seemed as safe as it could be. Then I heard another ding in my mind, and I brought up the status sheet.


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    STATUS SHEET


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    <td style="width: 50.0378%"> NAME:</td>


    <td style="width: 49.9432%"> Richard Makiling</td>


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    <td style="width: 50.0378%"> HP:</td>


    <td style="width: 49.9432%"> 009/100</td>


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    <td style="width: 50.0378%"> STAMINA:</td>


    <td style="width: 49.9432%"> 010/100</td>


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    <td style="width: 50.0378%"> TITLE:</td>


    <td style="width: 49.9432%"> TIGHALANGDON</td>


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    <td style="width: 50.0378%"> ADVANTAGE: (1/5)</td>


    <td style="width: 49.9432%"> BRAWLER</td>


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    <td style="width: 50.0378%"> FAITH:</td>


    <td style="width: 49.9432%"> 01/10</td>


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    <td style="width: 48.9225%">TIGHALANGDON</td>


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    Title given to those who are brave enough to stand in the front.


    Increase faith accumulation by 100%, also unlocks own personal attribute.


    Pain Resistance attribute unlocked.


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    What the... That is overwhelmingly good for me, isn''t it? I then feel a tug on my tattered clothes and see Emi, still sobbing. "Pop, I feel tired, can I sleep please?"


    Without anything else to do, since I don¡¯t have any skills to heal someone, I propped myself up to be Emi¡¯s pillow as she rested. While she was sleeping, I opened my status sheet again, noticing the free attribute points hanging at the bottom. I saw that my free attributes were now sitting at 11, and I also had a pain resistance of 15. Damn, that¡¯s a lot¡ªno wonder I barely felt the wounds plastered all over my body.


    But deep down, I knew that even with all my attributes, it wouldn''t be enough to keep my daughter and me safe. So, I dumped 3 points into Strength, 4 into Instincts (since I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯s what helped with my reaction to all these problems), and 2 each into Constitution and Vitality. As I willed the changes, my body started heating up. I felt it coming from my very heart and spreading throughout my body. Then, I started spasming uncontrollably.


    Overwhelmed by worry, confusion, and exhaustion, I passed out. ...


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    <td style="width: 99.9811%; text-align: center" colspan="2">STATUS SHEET</td>


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    <td style="width: 50.0378%"> NAME:</td>


    <td style="width: 49.9432%"> Richard Makiling</td>


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    <td style="width: 50.0378%"> HP:</td>


    <td style="width: 49.9432%"> 010/120</td>


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    <td style="width: 50.0378%"> STAMINA:</td>


    <td style="width: 49.9432%"> 012/120</td>


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    <td style="width: 50.0378%"> TITLE:</td>


    <td style="width: 49.9432%"> TIGHALANGDON</td>


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    <td style="width: 50.0378%"> ADVANTAGE: (1/5)</td>


    <td style="width: 49.9432%"> BRAWLER</td>


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    <td style="width: 50.0378%"> FAITH:</td>


    <td style="width: 49.9432%"> 01/10</td>


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    <td style="width: 99.9811%; text-align: center" colspan="2">ATTRIBUTES</td>


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    <td style="width: 50.0378%">STRENGTH:</td>


    <td style="width: 49.9432%">10</td>


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    <td style="width: 50.0378%">VITALITY:</td>


    <td style="width: 49.9432%">12</td>


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    <td style="width: 50.0378%">CONSTITUTION:</td>


    <td style="width: 49.9432%">12</td>


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    <td style="width: 50.0378%">DEXTERITY:</td>


    <td style="width: 49.9432%">04</td>


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    <td style="width: 50.0378%">INSTINCTS:</td>


    <td style="width: 49.9432%">10</td>


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    <td style="width: 50.0378%">PAIN RESISTANCE:</td>


    <td style="width: 49.9432%">15</td>


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    <td style="width: 50.0378%">FREE:</td>


    <td style="width: 49.9432%">0</td>


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