Maximus had never heard of anyone who didn't possess an attribute being able to obtain an attribute after awakening. Yet, with the system, it was clearly possible. He could only hope that in his next Final Boss run, he might obtain another attribute and extract it.
'Do I need Fear Points to extract rewards in the future?'
Maximus didn't speak the question aloud. Instead, he sent it through his thoughts. He didn't want to go around speaking to the system loudly, so he practised communicating with his thoughts.
[It depends. Some dungeons will require Fear Points for reward extraction. Others may require a time limit or a kill count. The system differs for each dungeon, so you may only be able to find out the requirements for reward extraction during the next dungeon run.]
Maximus nodded.
'Why can't I also extract the Final Boss skills?' he asked.
[Those skills are system-level abilities granted to you due to obtaining the Final Boss Role-Playing System. As such, they cannot be ranked. You will be able to use them in whichever Final Boss you role-play as.]
'How about my personal skills? Do I also get to use them while role-playing as a Final Boss?'
[Yes. However, it is advisable not to use your personal skills while role-playing as a Final Boss so that you do not get recognised.]
Maximus nodded again.
'When is the next Final Boss role-playing?'
[The system requires some time to connect the host to a suitable Final Boss. However, you can expect a new Final Boss within the next 24 hours.]
'So it isn't fixed?' Maximus thought.
From his perspective, it made sense. Hunters were constantly challenging dungeons, and since the system needed to search for a suitable dungeon and Final Boss for him to connect to, it would obviously take time before he could role-play as a Final Boss again.
However, he still needed to get a job, or he would be homeless before then.
Maximus considered applying for a Hunter Certification at his city's Hunter Association but quickly shook the thought away. If he applied now, he would be treated like any other ordinary Hunter.
He needed to raise his stats to B- or A-rank to be recognised as someone with incredible potential. With the Final Boss Role-Playing System, Maximus was certain that he could achieve the unprecedented and push his stats to S-rank, something only a handful of Hunters he had ever heard of had accomplished.
The problem was that Maximus didn't know how long it would take. He had heard of Hunters who had spent two years stuck at Level 1 before they were able to raise their stats and accumulate enough experience to advance to Level 2.
So, until then, he would have to find a job and pay his bills.
"Hopefully, there's a grocery store looking for a new hire," Maximus muttered as he stood up.
"I'll need to clean my room and change into something better before heading out.
Maximus swiftly went to work, cleaning his room and emptying the dirt outside. After he was done, he took a bath and put on a pair of black shorts and a hoodie. He exited the apartment, closing the door behind him.
As Maximus walked down the staircase, he halted at the door at the bottom of the building.
This was Mr Jonathan's apartment, where he and his family lived. His mind raced as he hesitated, debating whether to approach and see if Mr Jonathan had survived.
In the end, he pulled back, turned around, and quickly exited the compound.
The streets and buildings were deteriorated from constant dungeon breaks and improper maintenance, to the extent that Mr Jonathan's building was one of the best in the area and had one of the most proper upkeeps.
Because of this, the rent was high, and most individuals residing there were barely able to afford it. This was the reason Maximus had managed to rent it and move in so quickly.
The people living here were displaced from their cities, which had fallen to the apocalypse. However, with the help of Hunters and the authorities, who provided daily food and camps for them to reside in, they could at least live to see the next day.
There were factories and various other industries scattered around the city that provided services to the well-off. Many of the inhabitants worked in these factories.
There were also criminals and well-organised crime groups operating in various parts of the city. However, they didn't dare make too much of a scene in order not to attract attention.
It was a case where everyone knew they were there but pretended not to know as long as they behaved. This was because the authorities would rather not divide their forces to deal with both the apocalypse and criminals at the same time.
For the people living here to dramatically change their lives, they would need to move to the nearest city with better infrastructure and healthcare and secure a high-paying job to sustain their daily living. This required money and connections, and as such, only a few were able to move.
The other option was awakening as a Hunter. However, the probability of that was far lower than moving to the next city.
Just as Maximus would have been unable to awaken as a Hunter without the Final Boss Role-Playing System, many people would never have the opportunity to become Hunters.
One of the main issues with the current state of the city was that the people living here had given up, just as Maximus himself had once given up.
The apocalypse might be a deadly trial or a feast for awakened Hunters, but for ordinary humans who didn't live in well-off cities with proper protection, it was a nightmare. And unless someone did something, no one was coming to save them.
Maximus walked down the streets, passing various passersby, men and women, families with children, entering buses, crossing roads, heading into their homes, or stopping at stores to purchase necessities.
Then Maximus noticed that he was being followed. His senses had sharpened, allowing him to pick up on the footsteps around him, especially those trailing behind him.
He slowed slightly, then slightly glanced back. He noticed two men hiding within the crowd, their behaviour suspicious.
Maximus changed direction and swiftly walked into an alley.
Moments later, two men entered the alley.
They looked around in confusion.
"Where did he go?" One of the men asked. "Don't tell me that we lost him? The Boss is not going to be happy if we were to lose him again," He clicked his tongue in anger.
"He's slick. It's not as though we can drag him out of that building. You know that the owner of the building is living there and is a Hunter," the other man said. "Even the Boss wouldn't dare confront him, because the Hunter barely causes us any trouble, and the moment something happens to him, the authorities and the Hunter's Association will be on our ass."
"The kid is lucky that he was able to live in that building. But he had done it with the Boss's money, and the boss needs his money back. Let's look for him. He might not have gone far and is hiding in one of these dumpsters." He glanced at the garbage dumpsters in the distance.
They nodded at each other and silently began walking towards the dumpsters.
Meanwhile, Maximus hid within the shadows on the ground, out of their sight.
'So, they also know that Mr Jonathan is a Hunter,' Maximus thought.
He realised that the reason he had managed to escape the grasp of these debt collectors and live peacefully in his home was because of Mr Jonathan.
Yet, he had delayed a month's rent payment. And…
Maximus exhaled quietly. The deed had already been done. He wouldn't lie to himself and say that, if he were given another chance to go back in time, he would reject the system or choose not to do it again. The repercussions of his actions were something he had to handle himself.
Once he became a certified Hunter, it would be easy for him to rack up several million Robles within a few days. He would repay the debt he owed to Mr Jonathan's family and continue staying in the building to protect it until he finished dealing with the debt collectors.
That was the only way he could remove the guilt from his heart.
Maximus knew that he wasn't a villain. He was only role-playing as one.
He didn't engage the henchmen, as he wasn't sure if there was additional backup nearby and didn't want to escalate the situation.
Instead, he slipped out of the alley through the shadows.
The darkness rippled like water as he moved, until he emerged once more in another alley.
"That was close," Maximus muttered calmly.
He lowered his hoodie cap over his head and walked out of the alley. He looked around to check where he was and realised that he had somehow arrived in front of a grocery store.
Suddenly, the grocery store's door burst open.
Two masked men rushed out with a bag in their hands.
"GET OUT OF THE WAY!" They screamed at him fiercely. One of them stretched out his hand to push him out of the way.
But the moment he grabbed him, he felt as though he had seized a statue that was far too heavy to move.
BANGG!!
Maximus stretched out his hands to block their path. The two men felt as though they had slammed into a brick wall. They collapsed backwards on the ground, wincing in pain.
The bag split open on the ground, revealing stacks of cash.
"Thieves," Maximus muttered. He had just been thinking about securing payment for his rent when he unexpectedly came across some cash.
"Get back here!"
Suddenly, an old man ran out of the store. He froze mid-step when he saw the scene before him. His gaze darted between the two-armed robbers lying on the ground, their bags spilling cash beside them, and the unknown man standing over them.
"Grab them! Don't let them escape! Please, I'll pay you anything you want...!" the old man screamed, seeing the robbers struggle to get back on their feet.
Maximus swiftly kicked them back to the ground and grabbed the two bags with sharp reflexes. If he had used his full strength, he would've shattered their ribs or crushed their waists, so he restrained himself and used only enough force to knock them down.
"ARGGHH!!"
"ARGGHH!!"
It all happened before the old man could finish his sentence, causing him to freeze once more in shock and fear.
Maximus walked over to the two men, picked up the bags of cash, and then approached the old man.
"How much are you willing to pay me for retrieving your money and catching these criminals?" Maximus asked.
"I... Ahem!" The old man cleared his throat. "Young man, you've done me and this entire community a great service by stopping these criminals. This community needs more people like you, men willing to uphold justice and order instead of waiting for the authorities to arrive."
"Unfortunately, that money is everything my store has at the moment. I need it to cover expenses so my shop can survive until next mon... HEY! Where are you going, young man?"
The old man shouted as Maximus turned away midway through his speech and began walking back toward the robbers.
Maximus halted and turned to look at him with narrowed eyes.
"This is Sapphire City, old man. If you make a promise, stick to it. But if you change your words seconds later, don't be surprised if I look for a better offer elsewhere." He glanced at the two men on the ground.
"I doubt these two would refuse an offer to help them get away, or to stash some cash and testify that I wasn't here against your words if they do get caught. That is, if the authorities arrive in time."
He turned and walked toward the robbers.