Charles stood frozen, eyeing the two guys in front of him until a low chuckle slipped out, catching them off guard.
The tall one with the scar furrowed his brow, puzzled.
"What's so funny, dumbass?" he snarled, while the shorter one clenched his fists, visibly fuming.
'I'm not letting you clowns get the better of me,' Charles thought, a smirk creeping across his face.
He was a gamer, through and through. In video games, he always chased the win, no matter how stacked the odds.
These two were just low-level mobs, and he wasn't about to cower like Rian had time and again.
The tall guy spat on the ground.
"Getting all high and mighty, huh, trash? We'll wipe that smug look off your face!"
Without warning, he threw a punch straight at Charles's face.
On instinct, Charles dodged to the side with a swift move, even though he'd never been in a real fight before.
The fist grazed his cheek, the air hissing with a soft "swish!"
The shorter guy cackled mockingly.
"What's the matter, Rian? Think you're in some dodgeball game? That won't help you!"
As he taunted, the tall one spun and aimed a kick at Charles's ribs.
It was sloppy, slow, almost telegraphed.
Charles stepped aside again, feeling the foot miss him by inches.
'Man… these guys are painfully slow,' Charles thought, almost let down.
Even in janky indie games, enemies had tighter attack patterns.
The static in Charles's hands began to surge.
The tall guy was off-balance after his botched kick, wide open and vulnerable.
Charles raised his fist, ready to swing back.
'Now!' he thought, picturing a flawless counter, but… his arm wouldn't budge.
[You do not have the authority to attack the target]
"What…?" Charles muttered, baffled.
The same panel that had flashed an error earlier… was now blocking him from fighting?
He tried to swing again, but his body refused to cooperate.
It felt like an invisible wall was holding his fist back.
The shorter guy pounced on the opening, throwing a punch right at Charles's face.
Smack!
The hit landed, and a sharp sting shot through Charles's cheek.
It wasn't as brutal as he'd braced for, but it hurt enough to make him stagger back a step.
"Ha! What's wrong, Rian? Scared stiff?" the tall guy jeered, steadying himself.
He swung another punch, more confident this time. Charles dodged on pure reflex, tilting his head as the fist sailed by with a "zwoop!"
The static in his hands flared again, but when he tried to strike back…
Nothing.
His arm stayed locked in place.
'This stupid system…' Charles thought, irritation bubbling up.
Why couldn't he hit them?
What kind of "authority" did he need?
Before he could piece it together, a sharp blow slammed into his back.
Whack!
The shorter guy had struck from behind while the tall one drove a fist into his stomach.
Thump!
The air rushed out of Charles's lungs, and he dropped to his knees, gasping.
"Tired already, Rian?" the tall guy said, crossing his arms with a smug grin.
The shorter one stepped closer, kicking the dirt near Charles's feet.
Charles struggled to stand, backing toward the fountain.
Without meaning to, his arms lifted into a defensive stance, just like in that memory of Rian taking a beating.
"Damn it!" he growled under his breath.
He couldn't believe he was losing because of the system.
Weren't systems supposed to help their users?
What could he do if he couldn't even fight back?
Then, a wild idea sparked in his mind.
Charles grinned, despite the throbbing pain in his face and stomach.
"If I can't hit them directly…" he muttered, glancing at the fountain behind him.
Without a second thought, he hurled himself at it with all the strength he could muster.
Splash!
Charles plunged into the water, soaking everything around him.
The icy liquid drenched his tunic and splashed his face, but he didn't care.
"I'm gonna make this work somehow!" he yelled, shoving his hands into the water, feeling the static in his fingers spread slowly.
He closed his eyes and let that energy flow.
Crack!
A dazzling flash burst from his hands, tearing through the water like rogue lightning.
The electricity fanned out in all directions, sizzling with a piercing "Bzzzzt!"
The guys, soaked from the splash, screamed in unison:
"Arghhh!"
The water, a perfect conductor, channeled the current straight into their bodies.
Their legs wobbled, their eyes bugged out, and they crumpled to the ground with a dull "Thud!", knocked out cold.
Charles, still in the fountain, felt the electric tingle course through him.
It didn't hurt—it was… kind of fun.
[Experience acquired detected…]
[Error. Unable to process experience]
[Converting experience to energy for system repair]
[Repair in progress…]
[1…%]
"Ow, damn it…" Charles groaned, rubbing his forehead.
Sure, his plan had worked, but slamming headfirst into the fountain had left him a little banged up.
He hauled himself up, his soaked tunic clinging to his skin, water dripping everywhere.
His heart was pounding, his breathing rapid, but he couldn't stop grinning.
Charles glanced at the blue panel floating before him, smirking as he saw his efforts bearing fruit.
'So these things need tune-ups too, huh…'
The courtyard was a wreck—puddles on the ground, the two guys sprawled out, and him, standing there, drenched but triumphant.
"Well… here's hoping you're less useless next time," he muttered, watching the percentage creep up slowly.
Charles had tapped into Rian's power, even if it was by accident.