Reign Of Loner

He didn't just kneel. He performed a full-blown kowtow, his forehead hitting the grimy concrete with a soft, sickening thud. He stayed there, prostrate, his arms stretched out towards my sneakers like he was praying to them.

Jack stopped dead in his tracks. I froze, my brain short-circuiting. A few other students who were leaving stopped to stare, their faces a mixture of confusion and amusement.

"Your Majesty," the figure on the ground cried out, his voice muffled by the pavement. "This humble servant greets you!"

I blinked. Then I blinked again. The world seemed to tilt on its axis.

Jack leaned in close, his voice a choked whisper that was half-laugh, half-disbelief. "Adam... who the hell is this guy?"

"Do you think I would know?" I hissed back, my face burning with a level of second-hand embarrassment I hadn't thought possible. This was a nightmare. A walking, talking, kowtowing nightmare.

Okay, System, I thought desperately, is this some kind of new enemy? A 'Cringe Fiend' with a special attack that causes social suicide? Because it's working.

"Hey!" I said, my voice coming out louder and harsher than I intended. "First of all, get up. Now. This is really weird, and people are going to think we're some kind of... I don't know, adults playing a very, very strange roleplaying game."

The boy scrambled to his feet, dusting off the knees of his pristine school uniform. He was a first-year, I guessed, based on the fresh-faced, slightly-too-eager look in his eyes. He was all sharp angles and nervous energy, with a haircut that looked like it had been done by a blindfolded gardener.

"Who the hell are you?" I demanded, crossing my arms. My 'loner' reputation was being assassinated in broad daylight. "And what do you mean by that 'your majesty' thing?"

His eyes widened, sparkling with an unnerving intensity. "I am Ken Pots, from the first year, sir!" he declared, his voice ringing with passion. "I am a huge fan! No, not a fan, I am your devotee, Senior! You are my shining sun whose brightness fades all others! You are my empty space where nothing else exists! Should I call you Adam-sir?"

Silence.

The world seemed to hold its breath. I could feel Jack shaking next to me, and I knew if I looked at him, he'd have that smug, infuriating grin plastered all over his face. I didn't dare. My own expression was probably a perfect picture of utter bewilderment. Sun? Space? Devotee? It was like he was speaking a language he'd invented five minutes ago.

What is wrong with this kid? Did he hit his head when he did that kowtow thing? Maybe he hit it a few times before we even got here.

"Do you know human language?" I asked, pinching the bridge of my nose, trying to stave off the headache that was blooming behind my eyes. "Can you please speak clearly? What the hell is all this 'sun' and 'space' and 'sir' stuff? Make it clear. Start from the beginning, and use small words."

Ken took a deep breath, looking like he was about to recite a holy scripture. "I am so inspired by you, sir! Yesterday! How you put that arrogant fool Charles in his place! It was magnificent! The whole school was talking about it! But then... then you kissed Stacy Brooklyn! The school's number one beauty! You kissed her right in front of everyone while proposing to her! It was a power move of such epic proportions, it brought a tear to my eye!"

My jaw went slack. Proposing? Where did he get that from? The rumor mill at this school was more powerful than a jet engine.

"And then today!" he continued, his voice rising with excitement, his hands gesturing wildly. "You didn't just defend your friend, you decimated them! You took on Joey and Charles at the same time, just to save your buddy! And the way you humiliated Charles, telling someone to give him a green hat! A green hat! The symbolism! The sheer, unadulterated dominance! You are my idol, Adam-sir! Please, I beg of you, let this humble servant serve you!"

He was blabbering, a non-stop stream of hero worship that was attracting more and more attention. I could see a small crowd forming at a safe distance. This was getting out of control.

"Okay, that's enough," I said, holding up a hand. "We're leaving."

I grabbed Jack's arm and tried to steer him away. We took two steps before a desperate cry echoed behind us.

"My majesty, please don't leave me!"

I looked down. Ken Pots had launched himself forward and was now clinging to my leg like a human-shaped barnacle. His grip was surprisingly strong.

This was it. My breaking point. Jack was no longer even trying to hide his amusement. He was leaning against the oak tree, his face red, tears of laughter streaming from his eyes. He looked like he was about to have an aneurysm. And I was furious. I wanted nothing more than to activate some hidden skill and teleport to another continent.

Think, Adam, think. I can't just kick him off. That would just make a bigger scene. I can't reason with him, he's clearly not operating on the same logical plane as the rest of humanity.

I tried to shake my leg, but he just held on tighter, looking up at me with those big, pleading eyes. It was pathetic. And yet... his persistence was, in its own weird way, kind of impressive. He was completely committed to this madness.

And then, a familiar green box flickered into existence in the corner of my vision.

[Side Mission] : [Recruitment]Recruit 10 people to form the foundation of your own guild.

Reward: [Skill : Taekwondo Proficiency]

Time Limit: 2 days remaining.

My brain, which had been sputtering and stalling, suddenly I remember that system issued this mission yesterday. The reward... Taekwondo proficiency. I am really having trouble to find ten people. He will help me to find them. And this kid, this human limpet attached to my pants... he was an opportunity. A very, very weird opportunity.

A slow smile spread across my face. The situation hadn't changed, but my perspective on it had done a complete 180. Ken Pots wasn't a problem anymore. He was a tool.

I stopped struggling and looked down at him. My voice was calm, measured, and held a new weight to it. "Okay," I said.

Ken's frantic shouting stopped. He looked up, his eyes wide with hope. Even Jack paused his laughing fit, looking at me with a curious expression.

"You want to be my right-hand man?" I asked, channeling every cool, mysterious anime character I'd ever seen. "You want to serve me?"

He nodded so vigorously I was worried his head might fly off. "Yes! Yes, Adam-sir! Anything!"

"Then you have to prove yourself," I declared. "Being by my side is not a right, it's a privilege. You have to earn it."

He scrambled back to his feet, standing at attention, his face a mask of solemn determination. "Yes, I will do anything, Adam-sir! I will climb the highest mountain! I will swim the deepest sea!"

"You can skip the cardio," I said dryly. "I have a mission for you. Your first mission." I leaned in, lowering my voice conspiratorially. "I'm starting a group. A guild. And I need members. Your task is to gather at least ten people who are willing to join. People who are loyal and ready to follow my lead. Can you do this?"

I watched him closely. His face went from ecstatic devotion to puzzled concentration. I had thrown him a curveball. This wasn't just fawning over me; it was actual work. This was my win-win scenario. If he failed, his hero worship would probably shatter, and he'd leave me alone. I get my peace and quiet back. But if he won... if this ridiculously enthusiastic kid could actually pull ten people out of thin air, then I'd complete the side mission. I get a new skill and the beginnings of a 'guild' I could probably use to my advantage later.

He was quiet for a long moment, chewing on his lower lip. I could almost see the gears turning in his head. Then, a brilliant smile broke across his face, brighter and more terrifying than any sun he'd accused me of being.

"Yes!" he shouted, pumping a fist in the air. "Yes! Sir Adam! I will definitely complete this task! Consider it done!" He bowed deeply one last time. "This is very easy for me! I am going now! I will find you tomorrow with your new followers!"

And with that, he turned and sprinted away, disappearing around the corner of the gym with the speed of a startled gazelle. He was gone as suddenly as he had appeared, leaving a strange vacuum of silence in his wake.

Me and Jack just stood there for a second, looking at the empty space where our number one fan had just been. The small crowd of onlookers, seemingly realizing the show was over, began to disperse, still chattering amongst themselves.

Then, the dam of Jack's laughter broke.

It wasn't just a chuckle this time. It was a full-bodied, gut-busting roar. He doubled over, clutching his stomach, gasping for air. "Oh man," he wheezed, tears streaming down his face again. "Oh, that was... that was the greatest thing I have ever seen. 'My majesty!' 'My shining sun!'" He straightened up, wiping his eyes, a massive grin on his face. "You've got a devotee, man! A real, live devotee! What are you going to call your guild? The 'Adam-Sir Fan Club'?"

"Give it a rest," I grumbled, though I couldn't suppress a small smile. The whole thing was absurd, but now that it was over, it was also kind of funny. And more importantly, it had potentially solved a problem for me.

Jack finally got his breathing under control, though he was still grinning like an idiot. He slung an arm around my shoulder as we started walking again. "Alright, alright, I'll let it go. For now. But you have bigger things to explain, 'Your Majesty'."

I tensed up. I knew what was coming.

"So," he said, his tone shifting from amused to genuinely curious. "Let's talk about the 'power move of epic proportions'. How did you kiss the top beauty of the school, Stacy Brooklyn? And what's this about a proposal? Are you holding out on me, man? You have to explain."

I heard the question, and my stomach twisted into a knot. I looked away, focusing on a crack in the pavement, trying to figure out a way to avoid answering. How could I explain it? How could I tell my best friend that the kiss wasn't some grand romantic gesture, but a calculated move to fulfill a system requirement? That the 'proposal' was a complete fabrication of the rumor mill?

Yeah, he'd have me committed before I finished the sentence.

"It's... complicated," I mumbled, picking up my pace.

"Complicated how?" Jack pressed, easily keeping up. "You can't just drop a bomb like that and walk away. Did you mean it? Do you actually like her?"

I stayed silent, my mind racing. I didn't have an answer for him. I didn't have an answer for myself. The whole thing with Stacy was a tangled mess of system objectives and my own confusing, half-formed feelings.