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Zack charged at the other vagrants, his body moving with a speed he never thought possible. His fist crashed into one's nose, a swift kick sent another tumbling, but he wasn't completely untouchable—he took some hits. One of them punched him in the stomach, another managed to shove him hard into one of the tattered seats.
But he was learning fast.
Every move he made felt natural, as if his body was remembering fights he had never experienced. It was thanks to the title "Master of Mixed Martial Arts", but that didn't mean he wasn't feeling the pain.
Then came the real problem…
The bearded hulk—the first man who had spoken—wasn't just some ordinary vagrant.
While Zack had taken down his men with relative ease, this man was different. He wasn't just some scrawny guy struggling to survive—he was probably a former fighter.
Zack noticed the scarred knuckles, the firm stance, the lack of hesitation.
"Damn… this isn't a regular thug."
Before Zack could prepare, the man lunged at him with surprising speed.
BOOM!
A massive fist slammed into Zack's chest, forcing him back several steps, pain radiating through his body. If he hadn't enhanced his reflexes with that skill, he might have blacked out instantly.
The system laughed. "Hahaha! Looks like you found your first mini-boss in Gotham! Good luck, hero!"
Zack spat on the ground and straightened up. "Alright, old man… I'm not going down that easily."
He had to finish this fight quickly… or he might not make it out of this theater alive.
The fight was brutal.
Zack tried landing direct punches, but the bearded man was more skilled than expected—dodging some, blocking others, and even countering with powerful blows that struck Zack's ribs and face.
"Damn… this guy isn't just a regular vagrant."
Zack felt the pain, but he didn't stop. Using his newfound martial arts skills, he began weaving in and out, striking fast before the hulking man could react.
A punch, a dodge, a low kick, a step back…
The vagrant was slowing down, his breaths growing heavier. Zack noticed and decided to end it.
The moment the man lunged again, Zack ducked swiftly, then pushed forward, driving a powerful elbow strike into the man's jaw, followed by a spinning kick to his side.
The massive body collapsed to the ground, letting out a weak groan before losing consciousness completely.
Zack stood there, breathing heavily, while the remaining vagrants stared at him in terror.
He wiped the blood from his mouth and said in a cold voice, "Take him and get out of here."
He didn't need to repeat himself. Quickly, the vagrants rushed to their fallen leader, struggling to lift him before retreating from the theater, throwing wary glances at Zack.
Zack sighed, then heard the system laughing in his head:
"Hahaha! You were this close to getting your ass kicked! But I have to admit… that fight was fun to watch."
Zack muttered as he sat down on one of the seats to catch his breath, "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"
The system replied mockingly, "Oh, absolutely! And now, it's reward time… check your quest screen, oh mighty warrior!"
Despite his exhaustion, Zack smirked slightly.
This was his first victory in Gotham.
As Zack sat there catching his breath, a sudden system notification appeared before him.
Quest Completed: "Relentless Strikes!"
Condition: Land 20 consecutive hits without stopping.
Reward: 500 XP + $200.
Zack stared at the screen in shock before muttering, "Wait… what? When did I complete that?!"
The system burst into laughter and said sarcastically, "Hahaha! Didn't you notice? While you were taking hits like a punching bag, you were also dishing them out nonstop! Congratulations, you were a beatdown machine without even realizing it!"
Zack ran a hand over his face and sighed, "So I finished it by accident… well, at least I got a reward."
He opened his inventory and saw his money had increased to $700, and his XP bar had risen significantly.
Zack muttered as he stood up, "Well, that makes the pain a little more bearable."
But before he could rest, another notification popped up…
New Quest Completed!
"Hideout Exploration!"
Reward: 200 XP + $50.
Zack smirked slightly and said, "Looks like I'm not done yet… let's see if this theater is worthy of being my new home."
The system commented sarcastically, "Hah, a haunted theater as a hideout? Excellent choice, hero!"
Suddenly, a blue arrow appeared in front of Zack, guiding him somewhere.
Zack looked at the small blue arrow that appeared in the corner of his vision, floating in the air like an internal GPS program. He had no choice but to follow it.
"Alright, let's see where this takes me…"
He moved slowly, his body still aching from the previous fight, until he reached an old metal door beneath the theater. The walls in this lower section were damp, and the air was noticeably colder.
As soon as he arrived at the door, the arrow disappeared.
Before he could question why, the system's excited voice rang out:
"Finally! Here we are! Remember how you opened the first door? Come on, do the same thing… but this time, don't imagine you're touching an attractive mirror—that's starting to get a bit concerning because you're, uh… you know!"
Zack ignored the system's sarcastic comment and placed his hand on the door.
"Reading…
Servant of the Gods…
Identity: Zack Morkey, Age: 20…
Welcome home, honored servant."
The door vibrated slightly before it began opening on its own, producing a loud, grating creak. Zack couldn't stop himself from stepping back, watching the pitch-black darkness revealed by the door.
"What exactly is in here…?"
The system spoke eagerly:
"Well, why don't you step inside and find out? Maybe it's a hideout full of treasure! Or maybe… a haunted place crawling with ghosts! Who knows?"
Zack sighed, tightening his grip on his Beretta as he cautiously stepped inside… ready for anything.
The moment Zack crossed the threshold, the lights automatically flickered on, one by one, illuminating a massive underground space.
"TNNNG!"
A blue notification popped up in front of him, and as always, the system shouted excitedly:
"Congratulations! You've found a base! It's old, rusty, and falling apart… but hey, it's yours now! Hahaha!"
Zack stood in the center, his eyes scanning the area.
"Damn… this is bigger than I expected."
The hideout wasn't just a small room—it was a near-complete base. Even though it was old and worn down, its potential was clear:
There were two rooms, each containing a simple bed—it looked like these would serve as sleeping quarters.
A long room with a shooting range, its walls covered in old bullet marks, and piles of scattered paper targets here and there.
Another room housed a worn-out lab—broken glass, shelves filled with dried-up chemicals—but maybe it could be repaired later.
A small workshop, cluttered with rusty tools and old tables. With some modifications, it could become a decent place for crafting weapons or repairing gear.
A training area, containing a torn punching bag, wooden dummies, and old weights—the perfect spot for practicing combat.
A tiny kitchen, completely unusable for now, but with some repairs, it might become functional.
Zack ran his hand along one of the walls, thinking out loud:
"This place… it could be a perfect base, but it needs a lot of work."
The system laughed and said:
"Oh, don't worry! We have a base upgrade system! But… of course, nothing is free, my dear! You'll need resources, money, and maybe some special tasks to make this place more comfortable!"
Zack sighed, then smirked slightly.
"Well, at least I have a place to sleep now."
But he had no idea that this place would become his true launching point in Gotham… and that his first real test was coming very soon.
As Zack inspected the place, another notification popped up on his screen, and the system started talking as if it were his personal business manager:
"Alright, alright! Let's start with priorities! You currently have $750, which is enough to clean up this dump and at least buy a decent bed. You'll still have some cash left for food—because I don't want you dying of starvation before your real adventure even begins!"
Zack raised an eyebrow and said:
"Cleaning the place? Are you suggesting I grab a broom and start sweeping?"
The system burst into laughter:
"Hahaha! Of course not! This is a system-powered base! All you have to do is spend the money, and I'll take care of the rest. Just press the button, and voilà—instant cleaning magic!"
Zack sighed but didn't mind making things easier for himself. He opened the base menu and found an option:
Base Upgrade – Level 1 (General Cleaning + Sleeping Bed) – Cost: $500
He didn't hesitate and pressed "Confirm."
Suddenly, the place brightened up, the dust disappeared, the floors became cleaner, and the worn-out furniture looked slightly better. It wasn't luxurious, but it no longer looked like a homeless shelter. Best of all, a simple yet comfortable bed appeared in one of the rooms.
Zack glanced around in surprise and said:
"Wow… this is actually better than I expected."
The system commented sarcastically:
"Hah! Now you can sleep like the King of Gotham! Well… a broke king, but hey, it's something!"
Zack ignored the remark and asked:
"How much money do I have left?"
The system quickly responded:
"You now have $250, and you might want to use some of it to buy food. A word of advice—don't eat Gotham street food unless you're ready to die from food poisoning!"
Zack muttered:
"Alright, food first… then I'll figure out what to do next."
He left the base, heading toward the city, ready to buy some food and begin his real journey in this new world…
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
If you liked the story and want to read more
or just to support me, copy the link below.
You will find a special membership for:
3 chapter
and another one for:
7 chapters.
patreon.com/zakx205
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