Chapter 9 - 9

A day ago... just after Taylor woke up, he gritted his teeth in anger.

'Just what did he do? How could he be that strong when he was just a toy for us two years ago?'

But Taylor is still unable to move on from it. Currently, lying in the infirmary bed, he took his phone out of his pocket. Then, he tapped a number of some of his 'connections' outside the school.

When the phone rang, he was still crinkling his forehead, but while he was at it, he suddenly smiled.

'You'll pay the price, Skinny. You dare use some tricks on me? Even if let's say that you did well in training, you are still a toy for me.' 

"Hello. I have a favor to ask."

After 10 hours...

Taylor's phone rang, and as he was still in bed, tired of what to do even though the sky was getting darker, he took his phone and answered the call.

'Finally... A good news.'

But unfortunately, it wasn't what he was expecting to hear. The person on the phone didn't have any good news. Instead, they were bringing him a threat.

"Hey, kid. You dare to trick us. That kid was some kind of a gangster from another group, right? What will happen if friction occurs between gangs?"

Hearing it, Taylor was flabbergasted at first. He couldn't comprehend what the person was talking about, so he reluctantly asked about it.

"What are you talking about...?"

"That Skinny you were calling, he beat some of us. But it wasn't that fair since he caught us off guard. But still, if that kid turns out to be a gangster from another gang, prepare for the punishment." That was all the person said before hanging up the phone.

Toot sounds reached his ears, but he was still speechless and frozen.

"That's impossible. Perhaps he still has his underhanded tricks. That's right. If we can gang up on him, we can reveal his trick and take it from him."

That was the pride he was keeping. Even though there were variables showing that Roger became strong over two years of absence from a coma, which is unreasonable, he still didn't want to believe it.

He can still remember how helpless Roger was when they were still in their first year of high school. And now he hears that Roger was from another gang? 

'Don't joke with me.' He then gritted his teeth again and clenched his fist.

"I will surely take that trick you have, Skinny."

But to his disappointment, Taylor would fail, as there were no tricks up Roger's sleeve. He was just... unexplainably strong ever since he woke up from a coma as if something had happened to him.

"D-Did he just awaken?" Taylor mumbled as he watched Roger beat some of his friends with just one punch.

Actually, it's not even valid to call it a punch since Roger was just swinging his fist, randomly hitting them. 

It was fast for them, fast enough for them not to see Roger's movements. Even the spectators were awed, leaving their lips open as they watched Roger beat everyone like some kind of rampaging monster.

For some reason, they were trembling. Roger, the known 'skinny' who had no ability to fight in the past, was beating the bullies even after waking up from a coma?

It was crazy!

And as the number dropped to five, only leaving Taylor and his friends from the same class, they all looked at Roger with fear.

Apparently, they'd had enough of his attacks. Even though they just received one yesterday, the pain was still lingering in their skin. 

Also, they thought that they could take their revenge since they were ganging up on him. But looking at the result, the other 10 were down. How could they think of revenge this time?

"This is nonsense," Taylor mumbled which made the rest look at him with some worried eyes.

"What are we going to do now, Taylor?"

They all asked him, pestering him. He then shouted in anger.

"I don't know!"

Roger just smirked at how traumatized the five were. It was the lesson he was thinking of, putting the trauma on them since he clearly doesn't know them. He remembers them, but not their attitude or background.

'Maybe I should do some background checking later, ' he jokingly noted to himself.

Without making any sound, Roger lifted the body of one of the kids from the other section. Then, he gazed at Taylor.

"You know what, I had enough. You already received one of my punches from yesterday, so let's call it quits. I don't care about you. Just, don't bother me, okay?"

Then he turned his back, facing the building's hallway from outside.

Meanwhile, Taylor was still trembling, even pissing in his pants as he looked at Roger. He felt like a lion was staring at him.

He was contemptuous of it. How Roger talks to them and even acts in front of them, he couldn't take that humiliation. Roger was supposed to be the weak and he was supposed to be at the top. But just like Roger in the present time, how could he stomach it?

"This isn't over..." he mumbled, then Roger faced him.

Taylor was somehow putting his head down, thinking something. His fists were formed into a ball, and just looking at it, Roger knew what would happen next.

'He really hates being at the bottom of the pyramid. Just looking at him holds that kind of pride. How come he still survived in this chaotic district despite its appearance.' Roger noted.

He just shook his head, then looked at Taylor for the last time.

"What is it this time?"

"This isn't over!"

Then, Taylor's fist suddenly lit up with an azure blue, as if a flame was covering his fist. 

Everyone at the premises was shocked, but only Roger was not.

'Is this some kind of joke? He thinks he could defeat me with some kind of that ability? Even his mana was still weak, and also, his talent was definitely useless since he lived in the District Wish.'

Then Roger continued thinking, 'Wait. There are no useless powers. Maybe let's put it that his power is some kind of disregarded.'

Roger sighed and just dashed to Taylor before he could explode himself. Taylor was gathering his mana uncontrollably and thinking that blood would splatter if that happened, he stopped Taylor.

He placed his palm on Taylor's forehead, and in the next few seconds, he dozed off, eventually losing consciousness.

'Dumbass.'