Child of Judgment
"You idiot! The moment you brought her here, you became our accomplice! You think pretending to be a good guy now changes anything!?"
James desperately scrambled down the hill in search of the flying flowerpot... Watching him, Marco and his gang wouldn't stop sneering.
"Hahaha... What was that about some stupid flower anyway."
"Right?"
"Well, whatever. We used him good thanks to it."
"But you sure he's okay? What if that punk holds a grudge and snitches later?"
"Don't worry. I've already got something prepared to shut his mouth."
"As expected of Marco! So thorough!"
"Heh, this is nothing."
I might have been wrong about them. I figured kids could only do so much... I let my guard down, but these bastards were even more vicious scum than I'd imagined. Honestly, I was shocked.
That flowerpot he'd thrown just moments ago... it must have been something precious to James. And they'd probably used it to force him into luring me here.
How could they torment and exploit someone so ruthlessly? He'd thrown such a fit over a fork stabbing his hand... Did these guys feel no guilt? No shred of pity for others?
In my short life so far, I'd unluckily crossed paths with some of the worst humans. The orphanage director who abused kids, forced them into labor, and sold their futures for cash. The demon cultists who tortured countless people and offered them up as living sacrifices for whatever they believed in.
From dealing with them, I'd reached one conclusion: They didn't deserve mercy.
Of course, I couldn't compare these punks directly to them, but... they reeked the same. Maybe that inexplicable disgust I'd felt since first meeting them stemmed from this.
And talk about lucky. Vanessa's buff was still active on me.
I had to face three boys older and bigger than me... I didn't fully grasp what the numerical strength values meant yet, but honestly, I didn't think I'd lose.
I crept toward them while they were distracted, laughing away.
'No more taking this shit lying down from these trash heaps.'
It was different now.
'I've gotten a little stronger... and I'll keep getting stronger.'
Not just to survive, but so I wouldn't be helplessly crushed by this kind of malice anymore...
'I have to get stronger.'
Before I knew it, I was right in front of Marco's nose.
The moment he noticed me—
"!"
My fist was already flying at his face with all my strength.
—Crack!
A dull thud echoed, followed by the sharp crack of Marco's nasal bone breaking as his body flew backward.
'...So this is what it feels like.'
The intense shock rippled through my fist, wrist, and entire arm, but it was surprisingly bearable. Punching someone full-force for the first time wasn't as exhilarating as I'd imagined. No regrets, though. It just felt like the obvious thing to do.
And then... a familiar chime rang out, and something utterly unexpected appeared before my eyes.
Awakening as a Judge
...'
Will you accept 'Hidden Quest: The End of Twisted Obsession and Hatred'?
I hit YES without hesitation.
—Ding!
The quest window popped up immediately.
Twisted Obsession and Hatred's End
"Marco's hatred for you has long crossed the line. His endless malice threatens you, and his warped fixation will ultimately drag you to ruin. The crimes of him and his followers are no longer mere pranks or rebellion—they are evil itself, beyond tolerance.
Evil must be judged. You resolve to personally condemn their obsession and violence. Shatter their misguided will and deliver justice's iron fist so they can never rise again. Only amid their screams can you place the final period on this twisted fixation."
• Subdue Marco's gang (0/3)
• (Optional) Retrieve James's flowerpot (0/1)
• (Optional) No one dies.
• Hidden Trait: Judge
• (Optional) ???
Judge, huh?
'What a joke.'
Me? (Probably) contracted with a demon, saddled with this damn curse? Fit to judge others?
'Or am I misunderstanding what "Judge" means?'
A chuckle escaped my lips.
'Heh... whatever.'
If it was an opportunity handed to me... I had no intention of letting it slip.
'I can kill them, but to get the extra reward, no deaths for now, right?'
I turned toward the quest objectives in front of me.
"...Y-you... you bastard!!! I won't forgive you!!!"
Marco, his broken nose a bloody mess, glared and screamed at me.
"Crazy..."
"Did that girl just send Marco flying with one punch?"
The other two burly kids gripped their improvised weapons, hesitating, not knowing what to do.
It was a surprise attack, sure, but they seemed genuinely shocked at how effectively my punch had smashed Marco's face.
"What are you standing around for, idiots!? When I get hit, you counterattack right away! You morons!"
Even so, fury blazed in Marco's face.
"But Marco... this girl's stronger than we thought... Can we even win?"
"Idiot! Even if she's a bit tough, it changes nothing! She's alone, we're three. You gonna wuss out over one little girl!? Earn your size for once!"
"O-okay... Sorry, Marco."
"...I-I won't forgive you...! Y-you... you!! You fucking bitch! I'll kill you!!"
Bowed by Marco's pressure, his goons finally mustered courage and closed in, surrounding me with him.
'Something's off.'
The guy who'd wailed over a fork in his hand... why was he so enraged now?
'...Sigh, whatever.'
This must be their true colors.
"Come at me."
The fight erupted in an instant. But it wasn't flashy like I'd imagined.
We were all total noobs who'd never really fought. Punch, get punched, bite, get bitten, kick, get kicked... an endless loop of sloppy brawling.
Early on, I was mostly on the receiving end.
"...Th-this girl!?!? Why is she so fine!?!"
"Weird... We're hitting her way more..."
Right then, Marco's fist slammed into my chest.
"Die!!! You fucking bitch!"
I ignored the pain and countered straight to his solar plexus.
"...Gah, urk!! Y-you... fucking bitch!! Seriously!!! Why doesn't this hurt her... no matter how much we hit her!!!"
Of course it hurt. Even if wounds healed fast... getting hit still stung.
"..."
I was just enduring it.
"...And not just that... Isn't she getting stronger?"
"Just your imagination..."
"No... She's definitely getting stronger. Her attacks hurt more and more... and at some point, she's starting to dodge ours a bit!"
And then...
Gained a small amount of unarmed combat EXP
Gained a small amount of unarmed combat EXP
Gained a small amount of unarmed combat EXP
Gained a small amount of unarmed combat EXP
Gained a small amount of unarmed combat EXP
Gained a small amount of unarmed combat EXP
→ Unarmed Combat skill has reached Lv. 2
The longer the fight dragged on, the stronger I got.
Gained a small amount of unarmed combat EXP
Gained a small amount of unarmed combat EXP
Before long, it turned into my one-sided beatdown.
"Gah!—"
I finally knocked one of the burly kids flat, landing a decisive blow to his face that knocked him out cold.
"Tony!! ...Y-you... how dare you to T-Tony!!"
"...M-Marco... something's wrong here... this bitch... she's seriously messed up... W-we gotta run... or we'll get taken out too... M-Ma-Marco!!"
"Idiot! You saying we ditch Tony and run!?"
"B-but..."
I'd worried they might both bolt, but luckily, they seemed set to keep fighting.
"...Come on, let's keep going. You can do more, right?"
I flashed them my warmest smile to keep their fear at bay.
"Eek!—"
"...Th-this... this bitch..."