Jolene spun around, taken aback by the unexpected candour of John's remark. Her eyes widened in surprise as she struggled to process his straightforwardness. Normally, she would be mad at such a comment, but this was so out of it that it left her perplexed. The solitude of the sombre streets and the oppressive silence had taken a toll on her mind and John's bluntness offered a refreshing change.
[Favourability +5]
John's smile grew wider as he witnessed the positive reaction, but before Jolene could respond, he steered their focus towards a nearby building, breaking the momentary silence with a practical question, "is that the building?" John pointed to a sleek, modern building, its shattered windows were proof the apocalypse was in full swing.
Jolene turned around, still unable to come out of her stupor. As her gaze landed on the the building's walls, she turned to John and nodded. They ventured inside the building, their footfalls rang loud accompanied by the sharp, brittle crackle of the glass shards spread across the floor.
John cast a glance around the dilapidated interior. Despite the decay, the building retained some semblance of elegance, but the abundance of doors and passageways left John baffled, unsure of which direction to proceed.
"What now?" Jolene asked. She might've been a nurse, but this was not a type of building she was familiar with.
"I guess we'll just have to wing it," John replied nonchalantly as he led the way deeper into the building. Joleen sighed at John's casual approach. While most individuals would take a moment to assess their choices, John was decidedly more impulsive. Unconsciously, a smile tugged at her lips as she admired John's self-assurance.
[Favourability +2]
A smile spread across John's face. At first, he thought it would be hard to gain 20 Favourability, but he was already almost halfway there.
"Let's try this way," John said as he strode towards the closest corridor. The corridor stretched for too long a distance, John even wondered if this building was bigger from the inside.
"Something funny?" Jolene asked as she noticed his smile.
John chuckled, "just my mind thinking stupid things."
Jolene smiled as she replied, "Heh, I can relate to that."
Their exploration continued with lighthearted conversation. Unbeknownst to Jolene, John had intentionally orchestrated this bonding time. John perceived human relationships as a straightforward process: getting to know each other, sharing common interests or experiences, showing empathy or compassion, and finally, emotions developed; this was his understanding of human relationships and his strategy to win Jolene's affection.
It was not some genius plan, John thought he was not the only simple person in the world, he thought almost everyone's bottom line boils down to the same narrow list of needs and wants.
A friendly atmosphere engulfed the pair as they walked side to side. Jolene's worries had begun to fade, but their newfound tranquillity would be short-lived, for they soon caught the chilling, low rumble of a beast's growl echoing through the corridor.
John halted Jolene with his arm, bringing his index finger to his lips. Jolene nodded as she clutched her dagger. She felt uneasy, she thought her class sounded powerful, but her lack of weaponry left her feeling useless.
John walked cautiously towards the source of the sound as he reached the darkness beyond the other side of the corridor. Jolene's wide eyes remained fixed on his retreating form, heart pounding in anticipation. The growl grew louder and John's vision lessened with each step. He tightened the grip on his Venomlash and his senses heightened. He had learned these monsters were somehow good at ambushing people, but he was prepared for it.
Jolene gulped down saliva as John's figure blended into the darkness. She knew it was safer to stay where she was, but that horrendous growl, the lights flickering and the debris strew around the corridor had her on the edge. She couldn't stand it, she had to do something.
She closed her eyes, trying to contain her shallow breaths and calm the fear constricting her chest. She tightened the grip on her dagger, beads of sweat glistening on her hand under the flickering lights. She moved forward with a trembling gait, the fear consuming her with each advancing step.
She couldn't bear the stillness any longer. With trembling steps, she inched into the abyss, her athletic frame vanishing into the black shroud, determined but engulfed in trepidation.
However, it wasn't long until her determination wavered. It was a pair of dreadful, glowing red eyes that struck fear deep into her bones. A horrifying, feral canine beast had seen her and it lunged at her. Life flashed before her eyes in that moment. She wasn't sure what she had expected, but she certainly didn't expect to die two seconds after she hade made the decision of following after John.
She closed her eyes, pain written across her face, but a resounding thud forced her eyes open. As she did, she saw the beast, her reaper dropping dead on the floor.
Jolene's eyes widened as she saw John's figure emerging from the darkness.
"What are you doing here?" He inquired. She glanced at his muscular forearm that was bathed in the creature's blood, and he wiped some of the crimson fluid from his face
He moved closer to Jolene, who stood trembling, her eyes still clouded by shock.
Jolene, gradually recovering from her shock, took a shuddering breath and nodded. "I... I think so," she stammered, her voice shaky. "But how did you...?"
John's lips curled into a smug grin. "Well, it was easy thanks to my bait."
Jolene's brow furrowed in confusion. "Bait? What do you mean?"
With a playful glint in his eye, John pointed a finger at her. "You, my dear Jolene, you were the bait."
Jolene chuckled as she understood what he meant. "I'm sorry," she said.
John's smile remained warm and reassuring. "Don't worry. You did nothing wrong."
[Favourability +10]
John smiled as the notification chimed. He was one step closer. He wouldn't have her now, he would only do it when he could reap benefit from the quests, but the progress made him feel confident. One more cuck would soon be added into this apocalyptic world...