Capítulo 26: Companions
Dalia reached down and pressed her fingers between the lips of her cleft. Her wet flesh quivered as she coated her fingers with the fluids of her desire. She watched as the hot, creamy liquid spurted out of Julia's sex and along John's shaft and then she, too, reached her climax.
Just then, her eyes widened. She was supposed to look for them, but here she was, touching herself. Was she a voyeur? No, she shook her head. She needs to insert herself without making things awkward.
She took out a paper towel from her pocket and wiped herself clean. With a deep exhale and a determined nod, she steeled herself. She took a few steps back and began to run towards the exhibitionist duo.
She called for them from afar, hoping to give them enough time. She would rather play dumb than walk into that awkward situation. She had just driven herself to orgasm watching them, after all.
As she neared the corner of the stalls, John and Julia came into view, already prim and proper. Dalia had fixed herself up, but her flushed cheeks and the beads of sweat on her skin didn't escape John's gaze.
"H-hey..." Dalia stammered as they strode through the deserted mini-market, "can you help us move some camping gear?"
"Sure," John said, Dalia thought he was too good a liar. He was acting as if nothing had happened, although the same couldn't be said for Julia whose gaze was locked on the marble floors.
Julia trailed silently behind, gaze fixed on the scuffed marble floors. Shelves once bursting with snacks now sat bare and ransacked, their footsteps echoing across the vast empty space.
They regrouped with Martin and John stowed away the gear in his inventory. As a team, they left the ghostly market behind, the automated doors creaking open to the dead mall beyond.
Their footsteps rang out in unison across the otherwise silent mini-market, passing dark storefronts with shattered glass and stripped mannequins. Dust motes danced in the streams of sunlight from the skylight overhead.
John finally had some time to think and so, he decided to take a look at his notifications:
['Make your intentions known' completed.]
[5 Vitality Obtained]
['Make the married woman climax' completed.]
[Shockwave Skill's Rank has Increased to E]
A sly smile spread across John's face as he dismissed the notification. The rewards weren't outstanding, but he could call it a freebie with how easy it was to accomplish. Not to mention he had a good time doing it.
"There, look!" Dalia's voice broke the silence as she pointed towards an untouched sporting goods store. Rack after rack of gleaming athletic gear stood pristine behind the unbroken glass.
"Jackpot," John muttered, already making plans. Not only was the store intact, but a sporting goods store made a decent strategic base of operations in the mall.
John entered first, senses alert. The others fanned out behind, gaping at the bounty of equipment lining the shelves.
Heavy footsteps rang out from the rear. John whirled, his Venomlash drawn. A tall figure strode from the shadows - a young woman with dark red hair, shocking green eyes, and a black eyepatch over her right one. She wore ripped jeans and a leather jacket, a wicked curved blade at her hip.
"Thought this place might be safe. Guess I was wrong," she drawled. Her gaze flickered from John's dagger to his companions.
"We don't want trouble," John said evenly.
The woman smirked. "Neither do we. Name's Octavia. That lug over there is my brother August." A blonde young man waved cheerfully, seemingly unbothered by the tension.
Julia introduced them in turn. Octavia's bold gaze lingered on John, sizing him up. "You sure know how to accessorize," she quipped, nodding at his weapons. "Have you killed a lot of them?"
"Something like that."
Their stand-off broke as August bubbled over with friendly questions. But John remained wary. Octavia's confident poise and scars made her dangerous. And he wasn't one to trust easily. An uneasy truce settled between the groups - for now.
Now was a good time as any to check his status screen.
[John Sarack]
[Age: 21]
[Strength: 12.9]
[Vitality: 14.1]
[Agility: 10]
[Energy: 12]
[Skills: Quiet Steps (F), Critical Hit (F), Shockwave (E), Love Meter, Appraisal (B)]
[Skill Borrowing: Muscle Strengthening (E)]
John was satisfied with his progress, even though he wasn't sure of what the average stats were. 'I should use Appraisal more often,' John thought.
A rumbling shook the mall, sending chills down their spines. John whirled towards the sound. Lumbering through a shattered entrance was a massive crocodilian beast standing upright on two legs.
At least that's what he would think if it wasn't standing on its two feet like some lizard out of a wacky fantasy world. Before it could get close, John decided to look at its stats. Nothing in particular was needed to activate the skill. Simply thinking about the skill with the intent to use it was enough.
[Clawback]
[Strength: 19]
[Vitality: 24]
[Agility: 7]
[Energy: 0]
Formidable but not unbeatable. John tensed, ready to act. The others drew their weapons, unity forged in crisis. Now was the time to put Octavia's and August's usefulness to the test.
John steeled himself as the creature barrelled forward. He had grown stronger, but so too had the horrors plaguing this world. New allies were essential, but ultimately victory would come down to his own growth and grit. This beast was just the next stepping stone on his path of conquest.
With a primal roar, the Clawback charged, and John leapt to meet it head-on. He rolled away from a slam of its massive tail, the impact cracking the tiled floor.
Octavia darted in, blade glinting. She sliced at the beast's thick hide, dodging its gnashing jaws with agile grace. John maneuvered behind the creature, driving his dagger into its flank. It shrieked in pain.
"We've got this!" Octavia yelled, her fierceness fuelling John's power. He cast Shockwave, hurtling the Clawback into a storefront amidst shattering glass. Before it could recover, flames erupted as Dalia hurled Fireball after Fireball. The beast stumbled back, enraged. With startling speed, it pivoted and raced towards Dalia.
Time slowed. John saw the killing blow coming but couldn't reach her in time. Dalia's eyes widened in shock and terror.
The claws pierced her stomach, lifting her into the air. A choked gasp escaped her lips as her flames extinguished. Then she went limp in its grasp.
PENSAMENTOS DOS CRIADORES 
Anaesthetic_Dawn
Anaesthetic_Dawn You know what to do, guys. I shouldn't even have to say it, right? As you probably guessed, I will say it anyway and tell you to add to the book to your goddamn library
Capítulo 27: August
John stomped the marble floor and the tiles cracked in spiderwebs. He cast his Shockwave skill and rocketed towards the Clawback. His muscles pulsed with Energy, Stephanie's Muscle Strengthening propelling him even faster. His surroundings blurred and the world stilled for a painful second.
He gripped his Venomlash, the hilt digging into his palm. He drew the blade back with violence and it tore through the air with searing precision before blasting on the Clawback. Blood spurted and a chilling shriek followed. As the dagger plunged deep into the beast, it scrambled away, claws swinging.
"JULIA!" The raw power in John's voice caught Julia's attention and she knew what to do, help Dalia.
John kept the Clawback's focus, driving it back with furious strikes. Octavia flanked it, her own blades seeking vital points with lethal grace. Step by step they pushed their enemy away from Dalia's crumbled form.
It was in retreat now, wailing pathetically from their onslaught. But John's spirit burned hotter than ever.
The Clawback scrambled back, dark blood oozing from countless wounds. But John stalked after it relentlessly, dagger ready to deliver the killing strike.
He feinted left then sliced right, carving a deep gash along its flank. It gnashed futilely at where he'd been seconds before. John's muscles coiled and he launched skyward, propelling off its snout with a Shockwave.
At the apex of his leap, time slowed. John rotated in the air above the creature, surveying its scaly figure. That's when he saw a fissure in the armour plating at the base of its skull.
He angled his dagger as gravity and Shockwave wrenched him downward. The Clawback's enraged jaws snapped shut mere inches from John's feet as he landed in a crouch on its back.
It bucked and writhed, but John clung on. He gripped his blade with both hands, pumping power into his arms.
"Die!" he roared, driving the Venomlash to the hilt through the chink in the monster's armour. It pierced flesh and bone with a sickening crack.
A guttural death rattle erupted from the Clawback's throat. Its legs buckled and its bulk crashed to the blood-slicked tiles. John wrenched his blade free and leaped clear of the twitching carcass.
It was over. John's chest heaved from exertion as the adrenaline faded and a notification chimed.
[Clawback Killed]
[2 Vitality Obtained]
John dismissed the notification, his gaze drawn to Julia's blood-slicked hands desperately trying to stem Dalia's terrible wound. Crimson seeped between her trembling fingers no matter how hard she applied pressure. The alarm in her eyes conveyed the dire gravity of the situation.
"John..." she pleaded, terror and helplessness etched on her features. Though experienced in nursing, Julia was out of her depth with catastrophic injuries of this scale. Her rapid breathing and quivering hands lay bare her lack of qualification to treat such trauma.
Julia kept her gaze locked on John's whilst Martin looked down with stoic pity at Dalia's waning life force. Octavia and August simply observed. They were strangers in the group and they did not wish to intervene.
John's mind raced, evaluating options as he tried to tune out Dalia's weakening moans. A health potion - but did he have enough points? And could he make it to the store in time? Each passing second brought Dalia closer to death's door.
His habits kicked in and the overthinking stopped. There was no time to think, only to act.
"Wait here. I'll be back," John commanded, turning on his heel towards the nearest store. Gasps erupted from the group. Were they being abandoned in their hour of need? John blocked out the reactions. If anyone could save Dalia, it was him. He had to try, whatever the cost.
With John gone, an uneasy silence blanketed the group in the dimly lit store. The flickering emergency lights cast eerie shadows across the worn marble floor. Dust motes hung suspended in the stagnant air. Martin shook his head dismissively, his face etched with frustration, while Octavia's vivid green eyes flashed with intensity.
"He's abandoned us," Martin declared, his voice echoing through the empty aisles. "I knew we couldn't rely on him."
Octavia's eye flashed. "Why would you say that? He wants to save her."
"You don't even know him," Martin spat back. "This is his real self—selfish, running when it gets tough."
Julia, her eyes wide with confusion and fear, opened her mouth to defend John, but Martin silenced her with a glare. She shrank back, hating her dependence on John in mere minutes.
Sensing Julia's distress, Octavia knelt beside her on the scuffed tile floor. "Hey, are you related to John or...?" She extended a comforting hand, her fingertips brushing against Julia's trembling wrist.
Julia shook her head, bewildered by her own spiraling emotions.
"He'll be back," Octavia stated confidently, her voice strong, before rising to scout the store. "We should fortify this place while we can."
August, with a warm smile on his face and a mess of sandy hair, gave Julia's shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "John seems like a stand-up guy. Have faith in him!" His cheerful optimism was contagious, easing her doubts.
Octavia, now barking orders at Martin, moved swiftly to block the entrance with stacks of furniture. She exhibited audacity that brooked no argument. Yet internally, she hoped John would return soon. The store's cool, musty scent lingered in the air. Something about John had sparked her instincts. She wanted him as an ally...or rival. Only time would tell which path he'd choose.
As the others fortified the store, August hummed quietly to himself while organizing supplies. The cheerful tune sounded strangely off-key, as if not quite mimicking what he thought a human song should be.
When speaking, his cadence seemed ever so slightly abnormal. The lilting patterns were plausible enough, yet masked an inherent unfamiliarity with the rhythms of human speech.
His expressions were a beat too slow or fast. Surprise registered a blink after expected; laughter came rapid and effortful as if following a mental script of "laugh now."
Octavia had noticed something wrong with he dear brother, but she had dismissed it as trauma from the apocalypse, but as time passed, she began to think it could be something serious. It was time to get to the bottom of it.
She turned on her heels and her eyes widened as she saw another Clawback lunging at August. 'Too late,' she thought. Her body moved on instinct, but she knew she wouldn't make it.
But none of that mattered after what she had just seen. Her usually frail brother, swinging his arm at the speed of light and splitting the Clawback in half. She stood motionless as a wave of blood splashed her face.
PENSAMENTOS DOS CRIADORES
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