God System: The Path Beyond Heavens

As Luke and Leila made their way home, the system's notification startled Luke.

[Ding~!]

[New Task Available!]

Luke's eyes narrowed at the translucent window that materialized before him.

****************

★[New Task]

★[Defeat All Your Opponents]

★[Reward: 1 New Skill]

****************

"Eh?" Luke muttered, his brow furrowing.

'What opponents?' he pondered, his mind racing.

The system's sudden task implied an imminent threat.

"Brother? Is something wrong?" Leila's soft voice interrupted his thoughts.

She had stopped walking, concern evident in her eyes.

"Ah, no. Nothing to worry about," Luke replied, forcing a smile.

"Just... distracted by something."

Leila tilted her head, unconvinced.

Before she could press further, her expression shifted.

She glanced over her shoulder and frowned.

"Why is he here?"

Luke followed her gaze and spotted a tall, broad-shouldered young man approaching them.

His confident stride and the faint smirk on his lips were hard to miss.

"Leila!" the man called out, his voice carrying a forced friendliness.

Leila's grip on Luke's sleeve tightened, her expression darkening.

"What do you want, Nolan?"

Nolan stopped a few feet away, his smirk widening as he ignored Luke entirely.

"No need to be so cold. I was just passing by and thought I'd say hello."

"You don't just 'pass by' around here," Leila snapped.

"So why don't you save us both the trouble and leave?"

Luke glanced at his sister, surprised by the fury in her tone.

It wasn't like her to lose her temper so easily.

'Who was that person again?' Luke wondered, trying to recall.

Suddenly, a memory resurfaced, and recognition dawned upon him.

His expression shifted from surprise to anger.

He now remembered Nolan—the reason behind his head injury.

The memory of that day was hazy, but the pain and confusion were vivid.

When he got his memories back, he noticed his head was covered in white bandages with some bloodstains. He remembered the sharp pain and the confusion he felt that day, but he couldn't recall how he got injured.

His family hadn't mentioned his injury, leading him to believe they were unaware.

As the pieces fell into place, he recalled that Nolan and his thugs were the ones that attacked him that day. Before he got his previous life memory, that day he was returning from school, he was suddenly surrounded by Nolan and his friends.

They had teased him, pushed him around, and then one of them had swung a bat at his head.

The memory was now very clear in his mind, and he couldn't believe that Nolan would try to harm him in such a cruel way.

Nolan's smirk faltered, but he quickly recovered.

"Relax. No need to get so defensive. I—"

"She told you to leave," Luke interjected, his voice firm but calm.

He took a step forward, positioning himself protectively in front of Leila.

Nolan's eyes flicked to Luke, sizing him up.

"Oh, and here we have that trash talking back."

Nolan's smirk deepened, though internally, he was shocked to see Luke unscathed.

'How is this guy okay after everything we did to him?'

Nolan knew the extent of Luke's previous injuries, yet here he stood, seemingly recovered.

For a brief moment, they locked eyes.

Nolan's smile faded slightly, but then he laughed and shrugged.

"Fine, fine."

Nolan crossed his arms, his smirk sharpening into a grin that didn't reach his eyes.

"You know, Luke," he said, his tone mockingly casual.

"I thought we already taught you a lesson about messing with the wrong people. But it seems like you're too stubborn—or maybe just too stupid—to learn."

Leila's grip on Luke's arm tightened.

"You!! Did you do something to my brother!!"

Her voice shook with anger, eyes blazing.

Nolan chuckled, dismissing her anger with a wave.

"Leila, you're as fiery as ever. But this isn't about you. It's about your dear brother here. Victor's not happy, you see. And when Victor isn't happy…"

He leaned in slightly, lowering his voice but keeping his eyes locked on Luke.

"…I'm not happy."

Luke's jaw clenched at the mention of Victor, a ripple of anger coursing through him.

"I don't care what Victor thinks," he said coldly.

"If he's got a problem with me, he can face me himself. Or is he too scared to come out from behind his lapdogs?"

Nolan's smirk twisted into a sneer, fists tightening.

"Watch your mouth, trash. You don't know who you're messing with. Victor's not someone you can insult and walk away from."

Luke stepped forward, voice steady but laced with steel.

"I can say whatever I want. If you have an issue with it, I'm right here, aren't I? I know exactly why you're here, so why don't you just get it over with quickly?"

For a moment, Nolan looked shocked by Luke's boldness.

The Luke he knew before was shy and easy to scare. But the person in front of him now was different—he seemed confident, his eyes steady and unafraid.

Nolan shook his head and let out a mocking laugh.

"You think being a little brave will make a difference? You're still the same weak nobody you've always been. But don't worry," he said, cracking his knuckles.

"I'll make sure you remember where you belong."

Leila moved in front of Luke, holding her arms out like she was trying to protect him. "Don't you dare, Nolan!" she said angrily. "If you touch him—"

"What?" Nolan cut her off, smirking again.

"You'll report me? Go ahead. Let's see how far that gets you when the people who make the rules work for Victor."

Luke gently pulled Leila back, his hand steady on her shoulder.

"Leila, it's fine," he said quietly, still staring at Nolan.

"But—"

"I've got this," Luke repeated, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Nolan laughed again, taking a step closer.

"Handle this? Oh, this I've got to see."

Luke's eyes narrowed as he assessed the situation. Nolan and his thugs were closing in, their intentions clear.

The system's task echoed in his mind:

[Defeat All Your Opponents].

He took a deep breath, centering himself.

"Leila, stay behind me," he instructed, his voice calm but firm.

"But, Luke—"

"Trust me."

Leila hesitated but nodded, stepping back.

Nolan chuckled, cracking his knuckles.

"Playing the hero, are we? Let's see how long you last."

"Go, teach this trash a lesson!"

The first thug lunged at Luke, throwing a wild punch. Luke sidestepped effortlessly, his movements fluid and precise.

For the current him, it was as if time slowed down. The speed of his opponent's movements was almost funny to him now.

He countered with a swift jab to the thug's midsection, sending him sprawling to the ground.

Another attacker approached from behind, aiming to catch Luke off guard. Without turning, Luke shifted his weight, delivering a backward kick that connected with the thug's chest, propelling him backward into a nearby wall.

Nolan's smirk faltered as he watched his men fall one by one. "What the hell? Since when could he fight like this?"

"No, since when could he fight!"

Two more thugs charged simultaneously. Luke met them head-on, weaving between their attacks with uncanny agility. He struck with precision—an elbow to the jaw, a knee to the ribs—neutralizing them in seconds.

With a fist power of 100 kg, even without Luke using his Cosmic Energy to enhance his body, he could defeat a hundred normal men without breaking a sweat.

Not to mention his speed was several times higher than a normal human's, which was 5 m/s; with the time for the thoughts to move, Luke would already have taken them down.

"This isn't possible... You were nothing but a weakling! Are you guys fucking playing a joke on me?" Nolan shouted, disbelief evident in his voice.

He glanced at his men, checking if they were playing a joke. But they were clearly scared, their eyes wide with fear as they saw Luke easily defeat their friends.