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?"