*Ada's POV*
"I got something to do at the club. I'll come on tonight to play though!" I turned around and began running back to the main building.
'Tsk... I told them not to bother me because I was gonna be with Everette today. It better be important because I could be using this time to spend more time with him.' I gritted my teeth in frustration as I neared the club room.
I hated nothing more than having my time with Everitte reduced.
I pulled out my phone and read the text message again.
["Hey! Could you come by the club room right now?"]
The club had a group chat for easier communication between each other. Of course, I had to join to keep up the appearance of a kind and approachable persona that I had created. I responded by saying:
["Sure! I'll be over there in a jiffy!"]
How someone speaks and the type of appearance they give off to others can affect how they think of you.
This can leave you ostracised, bullied, or even thinking about causing suicide due to it.
That's why, to me at least, having a pristine reputation in a society is one of the top priorities someone could have.
However, I know someone who cares not for such things.
And that person is Everette Garden.
He's always been uninterested when it came to being social and wouldn't actively make conversation with someone unless spoken to - a loner. Always has his head down, focused on doing his work.
I would probably be a loner too, if I wasn't always being pestered by my parents to make friends.
Anyway, he was like that since we were kids but I, however, through sheer persistence (and clinginess) was able to knock down his walls. After that, I wasn't the only one starting the conversation, we would also occasionally hang out and have fun, although we do bicker a lot.
'I swear there is a Japanese term for this type of behaviour...'
"Pfft", I couldn't help but laugh at the thought of calling him it, when I find out what it is.
I stood outside the door and changed my expression to an approachable one. I held the door handle and pushed down on it.
The room wasn't much but it had the bare necessity for a room designated as a club room for sports to look like a sports club room. Rows of chairs all faced one singular mobile whiteboard that had scribbles already drawn with a black whiteboard pen and a tall, open cupboard filled with some sports equipment.
The room was not devoid of people, however. It seemed like most of the club's members were here.
"Yo! What did you guys need that I had to be here?" I walked in and closed the door behind me.
Everyone then looked at one another before staring back at one singular person in the back. A guy with black hair and black eyes stood behind them all before giving a nod.
Everyone got up to leave and some of them even patted his back before whispering words of encouragement.
*Door shuts*
"..."
"Soo... I assume you wanted to talk to me in private?" I gave a fake yet convincing smile and stared at him.
'Darren Hilbert, one of the track runners of the club.'
"Yeah, I wanted to ask you something, Captain." He pulled two chairs and made them face each other. He gestured, with his hand, for me to take a seat.
I complied and sat down. I saw him take a deep breath before looking at me with a... determined look, "Please go out with me, Ada Ambrose."
"Nah, I'm fine. Thanks for asking though."
"W-what...?" He responded with a surprised look, probably due to my immediate response, which is pretty understandable if I was in his position.
I then got up from my chair, "So is that it or...?" He then looked towards me with a questioning look.
"Could I ask why? Is there any part of me that is dislikable?"
I sighed, I couldn't really say much considering I don't pay much attention to him. And when I do it's only when he runs or I need his help with something.
"I'm merely not interested, Darren. And you're not really my type too—", As I said that, he abruptly stood up from his chair and stared at me with a frustrated expression.
"Oh? And who is your type? I bet it's that "Eve" of yours huh?" He may have responded in a calm tone but I can tell that his ego definitely took a hit.
'Heh... My "Eve"...' I giggled inwardly a bit at that.
Breaking my daze, I sighed inwardly. He's the type of guy to brag about something he achieved that others haven't but is a very big sore loser when someone else achieved something he couldn't.
"...I'm not gonna say. Can I leave yet?"
"No, not yet. I just want to know why you don't want to date me, that's all. Because from what I remember, that Everette guy isn't nearly as good-looking as me."
My "smile" faltered a bit, when he said that before I fixed it back up. 'He's not wrong but I rather take personality over some good looks.'
"Shouldn't you respect my decision?"
"And shouldn't you at least answer my question?"
I pinched the bridge of my nose with an annoyed expression. 'This is getting nowhere. Should I just make something up about him I don't like and be done with it?'
As I was thinking about what to say next, Darren began vigorously twitching.
'What the...? Is he sick? I should probably call for an ambulance.'
"You okay? Should I call an ambulance?" I held out my phone but decided to ask him just in case this was a regular occurrence. Just to be considerate, y'know?
As I said this, my phone was then suddenly smacked out of my right hand. It slammed against the wall and I swore I heard the screen crack.
My eyes widened in both shock and anger, as I went up to it to check if it was broken or not.
*Click Click Click*
'Are you serious!? Come on! Turn on!' I began to get more frustrated after seeing that it wasn't turning on even after pressing the power button more than a couple of times.
I turned back towards the bastard with a furious look.
"What the hell, dude?! Are you that upset I didn't accept your damn... confession..." My eyes began to shake as I saw he was foaming at the mouth. Not only was the foam made of saliva but also some kind of black liquid.
I gripped my left arm to keep it from shaking. 'H-his skin is peeling', his skin lost its normal pigment colour and was replaced by a more greyish-looking colour.
Darren then turned his face towards me, 'His sclera changed as well, it's black now.'
Although I was sure I wasn't dreaming, I still gave myself a pinch.
"A-ah... crap..." I let out a shaky breath.
Darren who had only just turned his head, has now turned his entire body towards me. The skin from his head to his shins, has now been converted to a greyish colour. He then took a step albeit a bit shaky, almost as if he wasn't used to walking before.
*Thump*
Darren then face-planted into the floor while trying to take another step, while simultaneously knocking over his chair.
{"Ding! Initiating download!"}
"H-huh? Downloading? What is this?" I immediately took a step back away from the suspicious-looking floating blue panel.
It had a conspicuous loading bar which was nearly completed.
*Groan*
I brought my attention away from the blue panel to Darren to see that he had already recovered with the help of one of the nearby chairs as a crutch.
'Crap! He's like some kind of zombie that still retained some intelligence!' I then sprinted over to the open cupboard filled with sports equipment.
'Weapon... Weapon....' I chanted in my head as I scoured through the cupboard for something I could use.
*Step Step Step*
Hearing footsteps, I moved out of the way while grabbing onto a long, slender wooden shaft that ended with a flat, angled extension - a hockey stick.
Gripping the wooden shaft of the hockey stick, I turned back around to see Darren stumbling into the cupboard.
"..."
*Groan...*
Seeing that he was trying to find a way to get up, I struck him in the back of the head - wasting no time in trying to end things.
*Smack! Smack!*
I noticed that, while bashing his head in, the colour of his blood was still red but also has black mixed with it. I get the feeling that the red was rejecting the black, for some odd reason.
*Groan!*
Darren's hand slithered up towards the flat part of the hockey stick before tearing it off and tossing it away.
I hastily stepped back away and stared at the broken end of the hockey stick.
"..."
'This might be harder than I thought.'
An idea suddenly struck me, while I was staring at the broken end of the stick.
'It's quite sharp. I could definitely use this to my advantage.'
Looking up from the stick, I stared at the bastard who was pushing himself up and out of the cupboard. He turned his body and stared at me.
He began with slow and steady steps before it shifted to a full-on dash at me.
I avoided his lunge by sidestepping to the left. Not wanting to let go of the chance to get a hit in, I thrusted the broken end of the stick into him. It was able to penetrate the skin but it was now lodged in Darren's back just under his left shoulder blade.
I tried to wiggle it free but it wouldn't come out.
Darren then abruptly turned around and pinned me on the floor.
*Bite! Bite!*
I used all the strength I had to keep his face away from biting me.
{"Ding! The download of [Eden] has been completed. We congratulate you on being one of the many individuals to acquire [Eden]"}
"H-huh?" I heard the ding noise again followed by a woman's voice.
*Bite Bite*
'Crap!', "Tell me how I can use you, Eden!" I yelled out in hopes of instructions.
The blue panel appeared before my face with instructions.
{"To utilise Eden's functions, please state which of these four options you would like to open followed by the word "Gate".
• Stat
• Imprint
• Genetic Nexus
• Party
"}
Sensing that looking at my stats should be the best option currently, I chose that one to open.
"S-stat gate!" I called out.
***
[ Name: Ada Ambrose ]
[ Level: 1 - Civilian ]
[ HEALTH: 122 / 130 ]
[ MANA: 30 / 30 ]
[ STAMINA: 60 / 65 ]
[ Titles: None ]
[ Classes: None ]
[ STRENGTH: 10 ]
[ VITALITY: 13 ]
[ DEXTERITY: 15 ]
[ SPEED: 11 ]
[ MANA: 3 ]
[ WISDOM: 5 ]
[ DEFENSE: 0 ]
[ Stat Points: 4 ]
***
'So these are my stats?' I gazed at it absentmindedly before being awoken by the sound of Darren biting at me.
"C-crap...! I don't have the luxury of thinking about it! Put them all into strength!
[ STRENGTH 10 - > 14 ]
My muscles erupted with newfound vigour and strength.
I pushed against the once-heavy body of Darren and noticed how much lighter it was before. I tucked in my right leg and placed the sole of my shoe onto his stomach. With a sudden burst of strength, I kicked him off of me.
I quickly got up before brandishing the broken stick lying beside me. Looking towards the knocked-down Darren, I lunged towards him with the stick before stabbing it into his eye.
Darren's hands quickly grabbed onto the wooden shaft and tried to pull it out. Feeling the resistance, I stomped on his chest - forcing him to lay flat on his back.
Pulling back out the stick, I stabbed it back but this time into his other eye. I began to twist it to push it further in. His hand then raised towards the stick before going limp and falling onto his chest.
{"Ding! Level 3 Infected Human Killed!"}
[Level 1 - > 2]
*Pant Pant*
After confirming that he was dead, I went over to one of the stray chairs and reclined into the backrest.
I then brought my hand up above my face. It was shaking, but not out of fear——
—— but out of excitement...
My mouth widened to a large bloodthirsty grin.
"Man... that sure was tiring. I wonder how Everette is coming along. It'd be quite the shame if he died." I sighed at the sad thought before laughing.
"HAHAHA! As if that guy would succumb to such a fate. He's way too stubborn for that!" I stood up from the chair and looked towards the infected human's corpse that for some reason... seemed to be glowing?
"Hm?" I examined the corpse before taking a step closer. Such action must've triggered [Eden] because it appeared before my eyes again.
{"Ding! [Genetic Nexus] detected! Would you like to store it?
[YES] or [NO]"}