3 Eh? Blue Balls!
Adrian contemplated his next move as he watched the three men disappear into the distance.
They seemed to possess knowledge and abilities beyond what he had encountered so far.
He had stumbled upon a hidden system that granted him the power to enhance his own attributes and unlock new skills but the question was...
Did others have this system too?
They seemed to know of a way to use the power of these marbles.
'Item drops? Seems like there's more to this apocalypse than I thought.' Adrian frowned as he glanced at the red screen floating beside him.
The blue marbles might help him acquire more System Points.
Adrian set off in pursuit of the three men. He followed their trail, careful not to reveal himself.
He moved silently through the debris-strewn streets, his enhanced agility allowing him to navigate with precision and grace.
As he shadowed the men, Adrian noticed their interactions and the way they communicated and strategized.
They had a cohesive bond, honed through survival in this harsh environment. It was evident that they had been through many trials together.
Hours turned into days as Adrian continued to observe the group, learning their routines and patterns.
He witnessed their encounters with the undead, and how they dispatched the zombies with calculated efficiency.
They moved with a coordinated grace, each member playing their part flawlessly.
The leader, with his steel pipe, was the epitome of strength and brute force. Every swing of his steel pipe smashed open the zombie's head.
The man with the bat, while anxious, was nimble and quick, though his strength was subpar.
The one with the butcher knife was the silent assassin, striking with lethal accuracy and precision.
Adrian marveled at their abilities. He knew that if he wanted to stand a chance against them, he would need to find a way to level the playing field.
After all before the apocalypse, he was just a normal man with an average physique, he just lived by the day without any ambition.
It was not that he didn't have any but that he lacked an opportunity.
But now?
Acquiring more System Points became his primary goal.
During his surveillance, Adrian discovered that the men with the blue marbles had a base of operation, a hidden hideout where they stored their supplies and conducted their operations.
The problem was that one of them always stood guard while the other two went out to kill the zombies. Only when hunting nearby would the three of them move together.
The ones guarding would alternate between the one with the butcher knife and the one with the wooden bat.
Adrian reached into his bag for a pack of biscuits but frowned as felt nothing. After a bit of searching, he found a pack of chips and ate that in the meantime.
"I'll have to make a move today, since zombies drop these blue marbles I don't necessarily have to risk it here." He murmured as he fell into thought.
Soon Adrian had made up his mind. He couldn't resist the temptation of stealing the blue marbles from the trio.
"Fortune favors the bold... was it?" Adrian chuckled in mirth.
He wouldn't give up the chance of easy SP.
Through careful observation, Adrian had noticed a weakness among the trio. The man with the bat appeared to be the least formidable of the three.
It was a calculated decision.
He would wait for the right moment when the man was on guard duty.
Timing was crucial.
Adrian knew he couldn't wait for all three to leave their hideout.
They could return at any moment, catching him off guard and outnumbered.
Besides, he had the advantage of darkness on his side, while they were exposed in the light. It was better to face off against one than risk a confrontation with the entire group.
Adrian crouched in the shadows, waiting for the opportune moment.
The guard with the bat stood vigilant, unaware of the impending danger lurking just out of sight.
Adrian's mind raced with calculations, analyzing the best approach to take down his unsuspecting target.
Adrian's eyes shone as he saw the man with the bat pace around with an anxious look. He slowly sneaked over step by step.
His body was tense.
A single mistake could ruin all of his plans.
All of a sudden Adrian noticed the man yawning.
'Now!'
With a swift motion, he gripped his knife and lunged forward at a ridiculous speed. The point he had added to Agility wasn't wasted.
The one with the bat was stunned as heard some noise behind him and turned back abruptly.
A cold gleam was reflected in his eyes as saw a knife flying towards him, aiming for his face.
Through nimble movements, the one with the bat dodged the knife while screaming in fear. He didn't expect to come so close to death.
"W-Who are you!? What do you want!?" He stammered while gripping his bat, stalling for time, hoping his friends come back.
The cold look in Adrian's eyes sent a chill down his spine.
...
The ambush failed...
Adrian frowned as he clutched his knife and observed the panic-stricken man in front of him.
The young man had a head full of brown hair and seemed too young, about 16-18 years old.
'A kid.'
Adrian grit his teeth.
How could he be so weak to even fail to ambush a kid? He couldn't help but blame his inexperience, though he knew it wasn't entirely his fault, the kid had something augmenting his strength.
'It's definitely the marbles!'
"I'm telling you, once Frankis and George come back you're dead meat! Y-you'd better leave before they come back or even I won't be able to save you!" The young man tried to persuade him, too afraid to engage in combat.
Adrian twirled the knife and dashed toward the young man. His eyes stayed on the bat, it could cause him fatal damage.
Once the young man saw Adrian's actions he clenched his teeth and held the wooden bat in front of him.
'Where'd this madman even come from? Is he some serial killer that escaped prison?' The young thought before swinging his bat at Adrian.
But thanks to Adrian's agility he ducked to avoid before using his leg as a spring to push himself forward and plunge his knife into the young man's neck.
Blood spurted out of the neck of the kid who wasn't even a proper adult yet. His eyes showed horror and unwillingness but Adrian paid it no mind.
The fight was anti-climatic but it was expected the young man panicked and froze after his first attack failed.
While Adrian was just as inexperienced, his mind was calm and he was able to make quick decisions.
Adrian didn't waste time and immediately entered their base. He searched around for a bit before filling a lot of supplies into his bag.
As for the dead kid? He had long forgotten about it. Maybe it was the [Peace] Ability.
He was wondering what it was but even Adrian felt his mind was way too calm for someone in the apocalypse.
Perhaps the [Peace] ability just let him keep a calm mind? The system didn't explain so he had to figure it out on his own, unfortunately.
But one could say Adrian's adaptability was monstrous...
He quickly entered the room at the end of the hall and saw a box with glowing blue light escaping it.
Adrian's heart thumped loudly and he quickly opened the box.
His eyes widened with awe as he gazed upon the glowing orbs, each pulsating with a mysterious energy.
He carefully collected the marbles, sliding them into a bag that he had brought for this purpose, and left the area.
...
Adrian's attribute panel flickered to life once again, displaying the new additions.
[Name: Adrian
Age: 18
| Str-1.2(+) | Agi-1.7(+) | Int-1.1(+) | Vit-1.3(+) |
SP- 270
Abilities- Peace.
Function 1- ???
Function 2- ???
Function 3- ??? ]
With the acquisition of the blue marbles, Adrian's SP count had increased significantly.
"Seems like every marble is worth 10 SP." He cast a downward glance at the crumbling spheres and shook his head.
Initially, he thought that he was strong enough and even had the bold idea of interrogating the three on how to use the marbles and some other stuff.
But after facing the kid he became even more wary of the leader of the group. If he didn't have the system he wouldn't have taken the risk.
Adrian carefully studied the attribute panel, contemplating where to invest his newfound System Points.
He decided to allocate some System Points to his Strength attribute. He had agility but the earlier confrontation reminded him of the necessity of brute strength.
He felt a surge of energy coursing through his muscles, empowering him with increased raw power.
[Name: Adrian
Age: 18
| Str-2.2 (+) | Agi-1.7(+) | Int-1.1(+) | Vit-1.3(+) |
SP-70
Abilities- Peace.
Function 1- ???
Function 2- ???
Function 3- ??? ]
A hundred points were equal to a 0.5 increase in the stats. After using 200 points on his strength stat he couldn't help but sigh in admiration.
He was now twice as strong as the average human and if he had such strength before he assaulted the kid he wouldn't have failed.
Just as he was excited...
"James!?"
