Wayne immediately checked the values on his panel. Unconsciously, his health had already recovered to 8 points—clearly the antibiotics and food were taking effect.
What surprised him even more was that his stamina had returned to 0.3.
Checking his phone, it was 3:39. He had slept for over four hours, combined with the food and medicine, no wonder he had recovered so much.
"John, if you don't fucking come out now, you'll be roasted chicken!"
The voice outside grew even more aggressive, accompanied by the sound of liquid being poured and the strong smell of gasoline.
Wayne took a deep breath, tucked the dagger into his pocket with the handle facing outward like a protruding gun barrel, and shouted:
"Stop! Old John isn't here!"
Then he pulled open the tent flap and stepped outside.
It was still dark, but the neon lights from a nearby high-rise illuminated everything clearly.
Two Latinos—one tall, one short—glared at him menacingly. The shorter one was stout and somewhat stocky, while the taller one had a gold tooth, arms covered in tattoos, and bulging muscles. Despite the cold weather, he wore only a tank top and shorts.
[Side Quest: Old John's Debt. The deceased Old John left behind a debt owed to the Two-headed Ogre tribe. It seems these Two-headed Ogres have set their sights on you.]
[You have encountered Two-headed Ogre grunts. Kill/Defeat/Drive them away to receive a reward.]
Seeing Wayne emerge, the two men were taken aback, not expecting such a frail young man to appear.
The tall gold-toothed man snarled viciously:
"Are you Old John's boyfriend? Hey, I'm not in the mood to ask about your ass. Old John owes Big Daddy five grand for Enhancement Drugs. If he's not here, you're coming with us!"
He licked his lips, eyeing Wayne up and down as if wondering what Old John saw in him.
But the frail young man in front of him looked like he was strung out—probably following Old John just for a fix.
Wayne shook his head and said:
"Hey, man, I'm just sharing a tent with Old John temporarily. I don't know where he went either—I only met him yesterday. I think we should keep things civil between us."
As he spoke, he adjusted the protruding knife handle in his pocket, pointing it toward Gold Tooth.
The small dog beside him crouched low, baring its teeth and growling at the two men.
Instinctively, they raised their hands slightly and took a step back.
The shorter tank-top man, who had an almost square-shaped face and build, now wore a gentle smile as he subtly reached behind his back, saying:
"Friend, we mean no harm. We just want that bastard Old John to pay up... Wait..."
The tank-top man suddenly stared intently at Wayne's face.
"Are you... Did you play a role in 'Golden Childhood'? That genius boy, Bang Jack? Are you Bruce Wayne?"
Wayne raised an eyebrow, instantly realizing that the passive skill [Familiar Stranger] had been activated!
He immediately released the dagger in his pocket that he'd been using to mimic a gun barrel, spread his arms exaggeratedly, and said with a laugh:
"Ahem, that's right, it's me. You know me?"
This was the classic pose of the character from Golden Childhood.
"Oh, my God! It really is you!" The man in the tank top grinned with delight, pointing at Wayne as he exclaimed to the gold-toothed man beside him, "Buddy, it's Bang Jack! It's really Bang Jack!"
The gold-toothed man beside him also placed his hands on his head, staring wide-eyed at Wayne in pleasant surprise, saying:
"That was my favorite show as a kid too. Hey, remember the Thanksgiving episode? You beat up those two racist white kids and said something at the end. That line was why I came to America from Colombia."
Wayne nodded, adopting a serious expression and striking a boxing pose. He threw a couple of punches toward the gold-toothed man and the tank top guy, saying as he did:
"On this land, no one is above anyone else!"
Both the gold-toothed man and the tank top guy cooperatively fell to the ground, then scrambled to their feet, exclaiming:
"Yes, yes, that's it! Oh my God, I actually met Bang Jack... Wayne, how did you end up in a... place like this?"
Wayne shrugged, offering a bitter smile:
"Ahem... you know, I've been divorced three times and had severe depression."
Both the gold-toothed man and the tank top guy looked sympathetic. The gold-toothed man shook his head and said:
"Yeah, those women, they'd suck us dry if they could..."
"Since you don't know where Old John went either, forget it. But you should be careful—Old John is close with the Voodooism crowd. They often perform vicious rituals. You'd better stay away from him."
Wayne nodded. "Thanks, brother."
The tank top guy extended a fist and said:
"You'd better not be lying to us. Big Daddy has a bad temper. If he finds out you tricked us, even being Bang Jack won't save you. We can come back anytime. See you."
Wayne bumped fists with them, nodding as he said:
"Thanks, brother. See you."
The two turned and left, excitedly chatting as they walked, occasionally glancing back at Wayne as if to confirm he really was Bang Jack.
Only after they had gone did Wayne return to the tent and slump heavily to the ground.
His body was still very weak. Though he wasn't on the verge of collapsing just yet, the strain of acting and talking for so long had left him exhausted.
Still, this former child star identity was really useful. Who knew he'd run into fans brainwashed by soap operas like this?
He couldn't stay here. Those two might soon figure out that Old John had kicked the bucket, and then he'd have no way to explain himself.
[Brave adventurer, you fought valiantly and defeated two Two-headed Ogres. EXP +20. Your skill "Familiar Stranger" (Passive 30%) has evolved.]
Wayne checked his status panel.
[Class: Adventurer (Beginner, Path Not Chosen)
Stamina: 0.2/0.3
Intelligence: 1.2/1.3
Spirit: 0.3/0.6
HP: 8/60
EXP: 46/100]
Skills: Minstrel Performance (Beginner 10%); "Familiar Face in a Foreign Land" (Passive 40%); Tactical Dagger Usage (Mastery)
Companion: Wild Hound (Level 1 40%)
Status: Severely Ill and Weakened]
His experience points had become 46/100, and the progress of his passive skill "Familiar Face in a Foreign Land" had reached 40%.
His eyes widened in disbelief.
Was this really acceptable?
So even a performative fake takedown counted as a takedown?
Thinking about it, it made sense. To the system, this was the terrifying Infernal Dungeon—how could a real Two-headed Ogre possibly cooperate with an adventurer in acting?
That meant it was a genuine takedown!
A sudden inspiration flashed through Wayne's mind as he realized something crucial.
Since the system was completely misaligned with reality, many complex quests and even dungeon completions might be far simpler than imagined, and claiming rewards might not be difficult either.
The only prerequisite was that he had to make it out of this street alive.
"Whimper..." Seeming to sense Wayne's troubled thoughts, the puppy didn't know how to comfort him except to continuously rub against his leg.
Wayne crouched down, patted the dog's head, and looking into its eyes said:
"Little fellow, Old John is dead. From now on, you're my dog. Your name will be... John Wick."
After gathering useful items from the tent, Wayne set it ablaze.
The two men had doused the tent with gasoline earlier, and flames immediately roared skyward.
By the fire's light, Wayne limped out of the alley with his dog, emerging onto the main street.
Only then did he notice that this street actually contained over a dozen shabby tents—he hadn't been the only one here.
Beside some tents were figures striking bizarre poses, some even standing with their bodies folded in unnatural positions. They either remained completely motionless or repeatedly performed specific movements.
It was truly a gathering of extraordinary talents in this remarkable place.
Limpin
g forward, Wayne soon passed through this street and reached another main thoroughfare.
A curled-up humanoid shape lay by the roadside.
[You have discovered a Goblin corpse. On this cold, rainy night, you might obtain unexpected rewards.]