บท 21: Face-Off with Nolan

[Ding~!]

[New Task Available!]

As Luke and Leila were heading home, the system suddenly sent Luke a notification.

'Huh?'

Luke was surprised and looked at a window that appeared in front of him with the new task details.

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[New Task]

[Defeat All Your Opponents]

[Reward: 1 New Skill]

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

"Eh?"

Luke frowned at the screen hovering in front of him, his brow furrowing deeper as he read the task description again.

[Defeat All Your Opponents]

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

'This system sure knows how to throw curveballs,' he muttered under his breath while clenching his fists.

If the system assigned him this task, it meant one thing, someone was planning to attack him, and it seemed like he would be facing not just one opponent, but many.

"Brother? Is something wrong?" Leila's soft voice pulled him back to reality. She had stopped walking and was looking at him with a hint of concern in her eyes. Her gaze then shifted to his clenched fists.

"Ah, no. Nothing to worry about," Luke said, 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 that made Luke's stomach churn.

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

'Who was that person again?'

Luke was trying to remember who this guy that Leila seemed to hate so much was.

Suddenly, a memory came back to him, and he recognized that person. His face changed from surprise to anger.

He finally remembered who that person was!

'That day when my past life memory returned, that scum was the reason my head hurt so much,' Luke thought to himself, his eyes burning with anger.

When he got his memory back, he saw his head was wrapped in bandages with some blood on them. He recalled the strong pain and confusion he felt that day, but he couldn't remember how he got hurt.

His sister and mom never asked if he was okay or how he felt, so he thought they didn't know he was hurt. Because of that, he never asked them why he was in such bad shape before.

It all came back to him in small parts, like putting together a puzzle. He recalled the face of Nolan, who, along with his group, attacked him and caused his injuries.

The reason Nolan did this was simple: he was one of Victor's followers, more like a loyal servant, and a key member of Victor's group. The reason for his importance was that Nolan was a Star Warrior.

On top of that, Nolan had some inappropriate thoughts about his sister and often tried to flirt with her.

Fortunately, he never tried to force himself on her, which he couldn't have done anyway, even though this country supports warriors and wealthy families like Victor's.

Still, the law is very strict about assault and harassment, no matter who commits it. But if it happened in private, that would make a difference.

Nolan's smirk faltered, but he quickly recovered. "Relax. No need to get so defensive. I—"

"She told you to leave," Luke cut in, his voice firm but calm. He took a step forward, placing himself slightly in front of Leila.

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

"Oh, and here we have that trash talking back." Nolan smirked as he looked at Luke as if he were a joke, but inside his heart, Nolan was shocked after seeing Luke completely fine.

"What the heck? How is this guy okay after everything we did to him?" His mind was spinning, trying to figure out an answer.

He knew exactly how badly Luke was hurt. He had made sure Luke wouldn't be able to walk for a month, but now here he was, completely fine and standing right in front of him.

Not only that, but Nolan could sense that the Luke standing in front of him was different somehow.

He didn't believe Victor at first. When Victor said Luke was okay and had returned, Nolan thought Victor must be wrong. But now, seeing Luke right in front of him, Nolan had to accept the truth.

For a brief moment, they looked at each other. Nolan's smile faded slightly, but then he laughed and shrugged.

"Fine, fine."

Nolan crossed his arms, the smirk on his face 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 held Luke's arm more tightly when she heard Nolan. "You!! Did you do something to my brother!!" Leila's voice shook with anger as she stared at Nolan, her eyes full of fury.

Nolan chuckled, dismissing her anger with a wave of his hand.

"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. The mention of Victor sent a ripple of killing intent through him, but he didn't show it.

"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, and his fists tightened. The casual pretense evaporated as anger flashed in his eyes.

"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, his voice steady but laced with steel. "I'm standing right here, aren't I? And you? You're just wasting your breath."

For a moment, Nolan seemed stunned by Luke's defiance. The Luke he remembered from before was timid and easy to intimidate. But the person standing before him now was different—his presence stronger, his gaze unwavering.

Nolan shook his head, a mocking laugh escaping his lips. "You think a little confidence can change anything? You're still the same powerless bug you've always been. But don't worry." He cracked his knuckles.

"I'll remind you of your place."

Leila stepped in front of Luke, her arms outstretched as if to shield him. "Don't you dare, Nolan!" she hissed. "If you lay a finger on him—"

"What?" Nolan interrupted, his smirk returning. "You'll report me? Go ahead. Let's see how far that gets you when the people who enforce the laws are on Victor's payroll."

Luke gently pulled Leila back, his hand firm on her shoulder. "Leila, it's okay," he said softly, his eyes still locked on Nolan. "I can handle this."

Leila looked at him, worry etched on her face.

"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."

"Everyone, come over here and show this guy what happens when he messes with us," Nolan shouted.

A few of his thugs quickly gathered and started surrounding Luke and Leila.

"Hehehe, it looks like you're in trouble now, buddy," Nolan said with a mean smile, his eyes showing his bad intentions.

"Well, it wouldn't have mattered anyway," Nolan said.

Nolan felt very sure of himself. He was an Early 1-Star warrior, while Luke was just an ordinary person with no special skills to fight back. So, Nolan believed he would easily win.

But Luke stayed calm and looked at Nolan and his men without showing any fear.