Theodore's Mission

John did not enjoy the thought of completing missions for Theodore, but there was nothing he could do at the moment. At the very least, he could use this opportunity to survey the city, recruit other survivors and to grow stronger. He was deep in contemplation when Julia caught his sight.

Julia approached the group with a weary smile, her arm linking with her husband's as they picked their way carefully through the debris-strewn classroom.

"Hello everyone, hi John!" she greeted, her cheerful voice momentarily lifting the spirits of the group gathered amidst the dust and shadows.

As the group murmured soft hellos in return, Theodore strode up confidently, his boots crunching on shards of glass.

"Well, here," he said briskly, handing out sheets of paper. "This is your first mission. You're to eliminate every monster for two blocks west of the university, up to the National School of Commerce. That's about 400 metres."

Julia's lips parted, questions dancing in her dark eyes, but Theodore cut her off sharply, his voice echoing around the empty room. "Everything you need to know is on those papers. But you can direct any other questions to Ryan here," he said, gesturing towards the stern-faced soldier standing rigidly at his side.

The soldier gave a curt nod, his machete glinting ominously in the streaks of sunlight. Julia and the others exchanged uneasy glances as they scanned the briefing pages. This was really happening.

"Dalia," John called out, his voice echoing hollowly in the abandoned classroom.

Dalia turned, a few stray blonde strands falling across her face. "Yeah?" she replied. For a moment she recalled admiring John's rugged features earlier, and a tinge of pink coloured her cheeks.

"The system," John said, his voice low and serious amidst the dancing dust motes. "What did you get from it?"

"Oh!" Dalia exclaimed, glancing down at the dusty floor. She brought a slender finger to her chin contemplatively. "I have an Elemental Mage class and a Fireball skill," she finally offered, trying to sound nonchalant.

John nodded thoughtfully, glancing around the room. Sunlight filtered through cracked and missing panes, illuminating just how much damage the university had sustained. Overturned desks and scratched walls surrounded them.

John glanced at Dalia, "that's really good. We'll have to learn how to use our skills and complete the mission."

Dalia smiled happily, pleased that John thought she could be a useful addition to the team. She tucked a stray lock of blonde hair behind her ear.

John turned his gaze to his old teacher and her husband, who were whispering quietly to each other in the corner of the classroom. Rays of sunlight streamed in through cracked windows, illuminating motes of dust swirling around the couple.

"What about you two?" John called out, his voice echoing slightly, redirecting the couple's attention away from their hushed conversation.

Julia looked up, strands of her raven black hair falling across her face. She glanced at her husband uncertainly before responding. "Well, we're still figuring things out," she began hesitantly.

"We...I can't use my Skill offensively," Julia stammered, a shyness tainting her tone as their footsteps echoed down the empty university hallway.

Puzzled, John inquired further as they navigated fallen ceiling tiles. Julia explained haltingly that she was a support mage with a buffing Skill. She could increase the strength of others, but was no fighter herself.

Martin, her husband, had received the Soldier class along with a passive swordsmanship Skill. Their footsteps quickened as they neared the lobby, shards of glass crunching under their shoes.

The group deliberated combat strategies, voices hushed in the cavernous space. John and Martin could cover the frontlines with Julia's buffs, while Dalia provided rear cover fire. But that left the two women vulnerable.

"I think I should protect Miss Dalia and cover the rear," said Martin with a smug smile, his voice echoing up to the vaulted ceiling. Julia shot him a sharp glance which he avoided.

John snorted, he could see the man's intentions. He must have wanted to get closer to Dalia, his eyes had been scanning her body whenever Julia would look away. John understood, Dalia had a distinctively alluring body.

She is quite short with wide hips, thick thighs and toned muscles and her large breasts emphasised her already seductive body. It was hard to move your gaze away once it landed. Her round, perky buttocks were an irresistible allure.

What Martin didn't know is that he was sending his wife into the tiger's den. Would you send your wife alone with someone with the NTR Rogue class? Martin would surely come to regret this.

"That suits me just fine," John remarked, a sly smile playing on his lips. "Are you okay with that, Julia?" He asked, gently placing his hand on her shoulder.

Julia replied with a nod and a smile, but John could sense a little sadness in her expression. 

'Trouble in paradise?' John wondered as he scanned the teacher's mature body. He pushed this thought to the back of his mind; there were more pressing matters at hand.

As the group left the campus, they trekked through the ruined streets. 

The group cautiously made their way through the broken remnants of the once-vibrant city. Ruined buildings stood as solemn reminders of the disaster that had hit their world. John, Dalia, Julia, and Martin moved in unison, their eyes sharp, ready to react to any sign of danger.

As the group advanced, John spotted a strange device in one of the apartments ahead, it was glowing red and he could see it through the window. He was curious, but he couldn't exactly convince everyone to go investigate some weird light on a whim.

They kept walking, but John couldn't stop thinking about the device. It was nagging at the back of his mind, as if some outside force was telling him to investigate, and as they passed through the building, he could hear a strange, whirring sound. 

He thought of going by himself, but on second thought, he discarded that notion. Everyone was stressed out enough, they didn't need more on their plate. 

John advanced with Julia by his side while Martin stayed behind with Dalia. Julia's gaze was locked to the floor and her shoulders slouched.

"Are you okay, Julia?" 

Julia jolted, snapping out of her daze. "Huh? What did you say, John?" She asked, trying to regain her composure.

John gave Julia a concerned look as they continued down the desolate street. "I was just checking in on you. You seemed a bit lost back there. Is everything okay?"

John and Julia's conversation came to a sudden halt as a chilling roar pierced the air. Their heads snapped around to find a monstrous lizard creature, towering right in front of them. It was a Razorlin.

With lightning speed, the creature lunged at Julia. She closed her eyes, trembling, and braced for the impact. The impending attack sent a rush of adrenaline through her veins. But in the nick of time, John dashed in front of her, his weapon intercepting the monster's strike.

The creature roared as John's strike reached it, bringing it to its knees. 

[Razor Killed]

[0.2 Strength Obtained]

John took a quick glance at the notification. He noticed the reward for killing Razors had diminished, but he pushed the thought aside.

The danger seemed to have passed, but as they caught their breath, a low rumbling rang from the surrounding buildings. It was as if the city itself was awakening, and something even more menacing lurked in the shadows. John and Julia exchanged worried glances, realising that their ordeal had only just begun.