Day 6
I began my day early in the morning. There was none to keep watch, but anyone would have to go through me first. 'My arrogance would be the death of me,' I chuckled, remembering the original Wesker.
I was doing pull-ups, hanging on the balcony's edge, testing out the skill I got yesterday. I had noticed the Lv-1 on both of them. 'Maybe I can use those points to upgrade these skills?' I wondered.
468th
I had taken off my shirt in fear of it stinking after my session, but to my surprise, I wasn't sweating much- effects of the skill, maybe.
I wanted to see how much muscle recovery I could do with the Metabolism skill and how long I could move around for. Basically, I was testing out what my breaking point was.
500th
I stopped my pull-ups at 500, and began my push-up session, as my mind began to wonder, 'It took me 200 Walkers to level up, so the next one should be around 450-500, maybe I can unlock more functions if I level up, though the yesterday's level up didn't do much except that it now shows me my status.
[Name:] Wesker
[Condition:] Healthy
[Level:] 2
###
(Baseline: Normal Human = 5(E) | Athlete = 10(E+) | Peak Human = 20(D-))
[Strength] – 18
[Stamina:] 23
[Endurance] – 20
[Agility] – 22
[Dexterity] – 19
[Perception] – 21
[Intelligence] – 24
[Marksmanship] – 23
[Melee Proficiency] – 22
[Stealth] – 20
[Kill Points - 73]
'Wish I could use those points to enhance my stats.' There was no option to do that. 'Maybe I can do it by training?'
[SKILLS]
Tactical Map Lv-1 Level up
A mental map that records locations you have physically visited. Only terrain and structures are displayed.
Metabolism Lv-1 Level up
Increases digestion efficiency, stamina regeneration, and minor toxin resistance. Muscle recovery is slightly improved.
However, there was an option to level up my skills, but it costs 100 points to level up one time. 'That's expensive as hell,' I sighed as I did my 200th pushup, hardly breaking a sweat.
100 points
5 walkers for 1 point. I'll need to kill 500 of them for 1 level up, I sighed. It might be worth it, Then I remembered my encounter with the Lv-2 Walker yesterday.
'Does a higher level mean more points?' I wondered, 'I should move to Atlanta,' I considered.
'I should first assess my capabilities, then I might go on a trip to Atlanta,' I thought.
305th
I heard footsteps heading my way, 'Who's up this early?' I wondered but didn't care to look up. The steps drew closer, steady but hesitant, and I continued my push-ups with slow, controlled movements. 311… 312… 313… The presence behind me didn't speak, but I could feel the weight of the stare pressing against my back.
"Aren't you tired?" the familiar voice said, there hid something beneath it—something tightly coiled, waiting to snap.
'Alicia.'
I exhaled through my nose as I continued my workout. "Take a seat," I said between my reps. "Gonna need it."
I heard her cross her arms. "No need."
Silence followed. I finished my set at 500 and stood up from the ground, rolling my shoulder. 'I feel famished; I need something to eat.' I looked at Alicia. She was sitting a few steps away from me. No need? My ass I took the towel and dried my face of sweat and hung the towel on my shoulder.
"Couldn't sleep?" I asked, seeing the dark circles under her rainbow'ish colored eyes.
Alicia scoffed, standing up, "I was mourning someone's death."
I met her gaze. There was no rage, no desire to attack me like yesterday, but there was still hurt, still injured.
"I did what I had to."
I moved toward the RV. On the side, there was a box. I opened it and picked a pack of crackers and began to eat. "You aren't even sorry, are you?"
"No," My answer was immediate and unapologetic.
She sneered, but it wasn't entirely unexpected. "Of course not." She turned away for a moment, pacing as if trying to find an argument that would make a difference. Finally, she stopped, her voice quieter but no less angry. "You didn't even give me a chance to say goodbye."
"You wanted a moment," I acknowledged, "But moments get people killed."
Alicia's breathing was uneven. "He was my father."
"You're right. He was,"
Her shoulders trembled, but she refused to cry. "You don't care, do you?"
I walked toward her, wiping the tear that was dripping from her eyes to her cheek. She flinched at the sudden touch but didn't back away. "I care enough."
Her tears stopped, her mind deep in thought, "Why?"
I raised an eyebrow. "What?"
"Why do you know all this? How the hell do you understand what's going on when the rest of us are still trying to catch up?"
There it was.
Doubt.
Fear.
Suspicion.
I was expecting this. "I gave you the answer last night, didn't I?"
Alicia narrowed her eyes. "That was no answer."
"It's the only one you're getting."
She stared at me, her lips pressed into a thin line. Her hands clenched on her sides, debating whether to hit me or not.
I heard the door open above us. I looked up and saw a recently awoken Carley looking down.
Alicia widened the gap between us. "I still don't forgive you." She walked away.
"Another 'fucking' option," I heard Carley tiredly say from above, I turned to her, "You might be right," I said to her with a straight face.
She stormed off the balcony and went inside her room.
'Let's hope the breakfast will go better than this.'
.
.
.
The morning air was crisp, the kind that lingered even after the sun had begun its slow crawl over the horizon. The scent of beans—ones I despised—and instant oatmeal filled the air as Katjaa worked over the fire, preparing breakfast for everyone.
I sat in a sturdy chair, absently chewing on the crackers I'd opened earlier. I surveyed the group silently. Alicia sat with her family, her body language off, though her eyes flickered toward me every so often. She wasn't done being angry. That was fine—she will be once I prove that people do turn even when not beaten.
Lilly sat next to me, absently stirring a cup of weak coffee. Her dependence on me had become obvious, though she tried to act otherwise. Her gaze rarely left me, watching my every move as if trying to read me. Like I had done to her.
Kenny and Katjaa were talking in hushed tones about the fortification, with Duck kicking his feet against the table, lost in his little world. Nick was eating quietly, more reserved than the day before. While Madison kept a protective presence near her children.
Clem sat left to me, quiet but observant, silently watching the newcomers, and the tension between Alicia and me.
And then there was Carley.
She sat a few seats away from me, arms crossed, an unreadable expression on her face. She hadn't said a word since she came down from her room. When she finally spoke, it was blunt. "So, what's the plan?"
Everyone turned toward me.
"First, we finish eating."
Carley exhaled through her nose. "And after?"
A tick formed on my jaw, I gave the rest of my crackers to Clem, who took it without hesitation. "Then," I continued, "I'm assigning roles to everyone. We have new people to account for, which means adjusting how we handle things around here," I said, my eyes flickering toward the Clarks. "You're healed enough. Time to contribute."
Nick, ever the rebellious one, narrowed his eyes. "What if we refuse?"
Lilly scoffed, leaning back. "Then you can leave."
Nick clenched his jaws, but before he could speak, Madison cut in, "We'll help."
Alicia turned to her mother, giving her a sharp look, but Madison returned it with a firm stare. "We need to pull our weight, Alicia."
Alicia turned away and fidgeted with her fingers, her stomach growled as she waited for breakfast.
I nodded. "Good. After breakfast, we'll go over who does what." I stood up from my chair, surveying the table once more. "Enjoy the moment while you can."
I walked toward my room. Katjaa called from behind, "Wesker, you aren't eating?"
"I got my fill," I said without turning and walked to my room.
Silence settled over the group, and the tension thickened, particularly between Carley and me.
Kenny casually stirred his oatmeal. 'Effects of two-timing,' he thought, shaking his head.
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