Capítulo 33: Humble Bragging
John arched an eyebrow at Octavia, "different how?" he asked.
"I mean..." she muttered, "forget it. It's your turn, go get some sleep."
If Octavia wasn't going to talk, John wasn't going to insist. He grabbed a sleeping bag from their inventory and chose to sleep outside the tents. As he lay there in exhaustion, his lids grew heavy as he surrendered to slumber.
The still of the night ticked on uneventfully and John's senses were roused by the sound of footsteps. He saw Julia chatting with Octavia near the entrance. He rose up in full alert and approached the duo.
"Someone's coming, stand back," he directed. Julia's body tensed, Octavia brandished her blades.
Heavy boots echoed louder as soldiers clad in military garb entered the store.
"Theodore wants you back at the shelter," their leader stated gruffly. John eyed him up and down and used his Appraisal skill.
[James Gunther]
[Strength: 14]
[Vitality: 9]
[Agility: 12]
[Energy: 17]
John's eyes narrowed. This random soldier was stronger than him, but he had expected this. These people had been using the system for much longer than him. He wanted to hold on to this mall, but it would be foolish to openly declare war against Theodore so early. He had to grow stronger.
"Round up the others. Also, let's have a chat after." John muttered to Octavia before discreetly stashing useful supplies in his inventory.
He watched resentfully as soldiers secured the mall, using alien tech. Autonomous vehicles and machinery hummed to life to interrupt the haunting silence. This had been their sanctuary, their hard-fought haven. Now Theodore's cronies swarmed, erasing all traces of their existence here.
The group gathered their sparse belongings as soldiers herded them out of the mall. Their haven invaded, they trudged reluctantly back onto eerie streets strewn with debris.
John's pace slowed, glancing warily at the armed escorts. "The shelter is dangerous," he muttered to Octavia under his breath.
Octavia met his gaze, eyes narrowing. "I know a safer place," John continued after a tense beat of silence. He pressed a paper into her palm. "Find Maria. Tell her I sent you. Take Mika and Edward with you."
Octavia pondered for a second. She wondered what was so dangerous about that shelter, but she wasn't going to risk her brother's safety.
"Okay. Thank you, John," she replied. Turning, she called for August to join her as she veered away from the group.
John watched them blend into the shadows, hoping he had spared them some misery. But his own fate was sealed in stone, destined for Theodore's viper's nest and its secrets.
He had realised then that strengthening Maria's shelter would be beneficial. He could continue these quests, gather more survivors and raise a force strong enough to contend against the shelter.
As they stepped into the shelter's main building, Stephanie spotted them. She rushed towards John, a blue ponytail swinging, but her eyes widened when she noticed Dalia's limp. She struggled with each step and would sometimes wince quietly.
"Dalia! Are you okay?" Stephanie asked, inspecting Dalia's injury.
As they walked inside the shelter, John tuned out the noises. It was time to begin unravelling Theodore's plans. He knew Theodore's end goal, but what would he do in the meantime? What were his detailed plans? It was time to find out.
He settled onto a makeshift bed on his lean-to, scanning the bustling shelter. The shelter was much cleaner and to no one's surprise, there were significantly less people.
'Dead,' John thought.
At his current pace, most of the people here were doomed. He had to gain strength faster and dig up intel on Theodore's endgame. John was lost in thought when a soft voice interrupted.
"John," the voice said and John glanced sideways to spot Stephanie. She looked splendid as usual, her blue hair livened up the grim shelter, but her usual liveliness was not there.
"Stephanie. You okay?" John asked as Stephanie sit down on a wooden stool next to him.
"Yeah, but..." Stephanie's voice cracked.
"What is it?"
"It's Nelson."
"What about him?"
"He... he saw something that day," she said, her cheeks flushing red.
Of course, John knew exactly what she was talking about. Normally, he would be tempted to tease her, but he sensed it was not the right time.
"I see. Has he been bothering you?"
"Yes... I told him we couldn't be together anymore, but he is persistent."
"Okay," John said, standing abruptly with chilling stoicism. Stephanie's eyes widened.
"John, wait!" Stephanie called in a panic.
"Don't worry. I will just talk to him," he reassured her, but then the system notification chimed:
[Brag about Your Conquest]
[Quest: Show Stephanie's ex-boyfriend who she belongs to.]
[Rewards: 2 Strength Points with potential for bonuses.]
John's lips curled into a sly smile and turned his attention to Stephanie, his voice said he was up to no good. "You know what, Stephanie? Why don't you come with me?"
He said, but he didn't wait for her to reply as he grabbed her hand and scanned for Nelson. He skilfully avoided the people cleaning the floors and beelined towards the largest gathering near the cafeteria.
His gaze darted around the tall hallway. Many people were gathered, hushed conversations, clandestine plotting and casual banter coloured the hallway. The air was charged with secrets, worries and ignorance.
John's eyes locked onto Nelson as he stood amidst a group of survivors. He felt a surge of adrenaline, he felt he could grasp the quest's rewards already.
With a swagger that would put Muhammad Ali to shame, he approached Nelson, Stephanie trailing shily behind him. "Yo, Nelson," he said, a smug smile dancing on his lips.
Nelson turned his attention to John, his expression revealed a rare mix of emotions. Jealousy, inferiority, and anger.
"What do you want?" Nelson asked, his eyes narrowing into razor-sharp blades. However, his expression changed when he saw Stephanie behind John. A bad feeling crawled up his soul, a secret of dread that shivered his spine.
"Oh, nothing much. I was just walking around," he said, feigning innocence. He turned around towards Stephanie and coiled his arm around her, flashing a sly, self-assured smile.
[Favourability +10]
John smirked at the notification. Just this small gesture at this random moment net him 10 points, women were truly a mystery. Nelson clenched his jaw, his nostrils flaring. An unsettling unease gnawed at his gut, but he had to pull through before that dark abyss swallowed him. "What's the meaning of this?"
PENSAMENTOS DOS CRIADORES 
Anaesthetic_Dawn
Anaesthetic_Dawn Listen up, young'uns. You might think adding this book to your library ain't worth the effort, but let this old-timer tell you a thing or two about why it's the bee's knees. Picture this: you're having the worst day of your life. Your crush rejected you, you have your whole family's pressure on you and you can't even pull that one character from that gacha you like, but then suddenly, you get a notification about a new chapter. Brillian, right?
So, don't be a whippersnapper. Show some respect for the written word. Click that button right now.
Capítulo 34: Sceptical Stephanie
Nelson's mind whirred violently. He was a squirrel caught in the maw of a coyote. An acidic bile poisoned him from within, he felt a plague swarming his insides.
He stared at John, inferiority slithering through him like a spectre. Intangible, yet so suffocating that it left him gasping for breaths. Life had never prepared him for this indignation or the inner moil that manifested physically on his trembling fingers and quickened pulse.
And things only got worse as he stared in disbelief at John's actions. Just hugging his Stephanie wasn't enough. No, this monster had the audacity to claw at her ass right in front of him. Something Nelson had never dared to do. Stephanie was a confident woman and someone like Nelson wasn't qualified to take the initiative with her.
The world around him warped and distorted, like nightmares seeping through reality. Reality itself was being manipulated and it was all because of the man in front of him.
John clawed his fingers deep into the squishy flesh of Stephanie's buttocks, one of his fingers sneaking towards her slit. Stephanie fought hard to suppress a moan as she pressed herself closer to John. This was too embarrassing, even for her. She had worked hard to maintain her strong presence, but here she was, like a doll in his hands.
The hallway had been cut in half. Nelson's side was coloured black. His inner moil spreading over the hallway like a black mass of illness and disease, whereas John stood proud, like a shining beacon at the top, a glimmer of hope amidst the disease-ridden lands.
John looked down at Stephanie. Her cheeks were flushed crimson as she panted with ragged breaths. He lifted her chin and asked, his voice feigning concern, "are you okay, babe?"
Stephanie nodded, that was all she could do. Her eyes were a haze, raw and pure lust obscured her gaze. This was enough to set off Nelson.
"You fucker!" Nelson roared as he clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms. As John flashed a smug grin towards Nelson, the wronged man swung his fist wide towards John.
Nelson's fist glowed with power. John thought it must be a skill, but he stood unmoving. Stephanie panicked, unable to do anything, but as the fist got closer, John simply thought of one word in his mind...
Shockwave.
Nelson was blasted backwards like a ragdoll. His momentum stopped when his back hit the wall and he shouted in agony. His anguished cry pierced the air. The hallway hushed in shock as the survivors all stared with wide eyes at Nelson's state.
The intensity of his agony was palpable, like a wounded animal making the forest vibrate with raw, searing panic.
John strode towards Nelson and knelt beside him. "Stay away from Stephanie. She belongs to me, now," he hissed, the venom in his words slithered through Nelson's souls and etched a permanent warning.
[Brag about Your Conquest Completed]
[2 Strength Obtained]
[Bonus Reward: Camouflage Coat Delivered to Inventory]
Satisfied with the rewards, he turned on his heel and sauntered off with Stephanie by his side. The episode had left the onlookers wondering what was going on, but they could only speculate.
As John arrived back at his lean-to with Stephanie, he sat her down back on the stool and he leaned back on his makeshift bed.
"John," Stephanie said meekly. "Am I your girlfriend now?"
He curled his lips into a smile and said, "yes, but..."
Stephanie's nose scrunched up, she wasn't expecting a but, but who would?
"You can't be the only girl for me, Stephanie."
"What!?" She cried, piercing the air with indignation.
"You just want me to be your side-chick?"
John's eyes closed shut and took in a deep breath. He knew this conversation would be difficult, but he had to do it. He guessed he would be with many women in his quest for strength and keeping it a secret was simply impossible.
"It's not like that. It's related to my class," he said as he glanced at Stephanie, scanning for her reaction.
Stephanie cringed, her features distorting beyond recognition.
"That's the worst excuse I have ever heard," she retorted.
John chuckled, though there was a hint of frustration behind his smile. "It's not an excuse, Stephanie. My class forces me to... well, be with other women. It's complicated."
Stephanie's anger ebbed, replaced by confusion. "What do you mean, 'forces' you?"
John sighed, rubbing his temples. Explaining this was never going to be easy. "I can't control it. I have to fulfil certain quests, and some of them involve... being with other women. It's not something I want, but I can't go against my class's nature."
Stephanie's expression softened as she began to grasp the situation, or should we say, fall to his schemes. "So, you're saying it's not because you want to, but because you have to?"
John nodded solemnly. "Exactly. I don't want to hurt you, Stephanie, but I can't escape the demands of my class. It's a curse as much as it is a power."
Of course, this was all a lie. John might not have wanted it at first, but it had been some time since he began to enjoy his class.
Stephanie let out a long sigh. "I... I don't know if I can believe that."
"Well, do you want proof?" John offered and Stephanie nodded instantly. She was not a paranoid person, but this was just too convenient for her to believe.
"Alright, then..." John began, lifting his bare arm to Stephanie's eye level. Stephanie observed, puzzled at what he was trying to do, but her eyes widened as she saw all his muscles tightening and pulsing with energy.
"This is your Skill. Muscle Strengthening."
Understanding flashed in her face. This was proof. John was telling the truth, after all. She rubbed her nose and release a deep sigh. What was she supposed to do now? Was she supposed to be okay with this? Could she be with a man that would be sleeping with many other women just so he could gain strength?
As these thoughts swirled in her mind, Stephanie's eyes narrowed with an edge of scepticism. "Wait a minute," she began, her tone taking on a chilling edge. "Did you sleep with me just to steal my Skill?"
PENSAMENTOS DOS CRIADORES
Anaesthetic_Dawn
Anaesthetic_Dawn
Alright, y'all, let me know if there's anything you'd want to see more of and I'll see what I can do. As long as you add the book to your library, that is
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