Jayden was already back at home, he had taken a shower, eaten and was currently laying on his bed.
"So how exactly do I use the poison ability?" he asked. "Do i secrete it from my hands or does it shoot out of my mouth like the Serpenthis?"
[Well, i think you have to master it] Luna replied. [And that might take some time, just like it took some time to master your telekinesis]
Jayden sighed. He thought the ability would be something he could just activate and use Immediately he acquired it. Turns out it wasn’t.
"So i have to master every ability i acquire before i can use them?" he sighed even deeper.
[Yeah, pretty much] Luna said casually. [But it shouldn’t be hard because each time you learn a new ability, it becomes more easier to learn the next]
Jayden groaned lazily. "Yeah, but it’s still hard work. I know how much tedious it was to master my telekinesis."
Luna giggled. [You mastered your telekinetic abilities in five hours, Jayden. Not many people can do that... infact that’s basically impossible. Humans take about eight to twelve months to fully understand the abilities they get from the evolution serum, not to talk of using them efficiently] she lectured.
Jayden exhaled. "Oh well, I’ll master it when i have the time. Right now, let’s take care of some things." he muttered, before opening the system’s interface.
*Name: Jayden Starrk
*Race: Werewolf
*Level: 7
*Exp: 340/480
*Hp: 360/360
*Ep: 160/169
*Strength: 112
*Speed: 92
*Agility: 82
*Stamina: 109
*Perception: 64
*Defense: 64
*Charm: 44
Stat points: 30
[Heart Rate: 45 Bpm]
<Skills>
*Health Regeneration [Passive]
*Beastlord Aura [Passive/Active]
*Beast Gene Integration [Active]
*Partial Transformation [Active]
*Dragon Eye [Active]
*Lunar Empowerment [Passive]
<Abilities>
*Beast Energy Acquisition
* Telekinetic Force
*Poison Secretion
<Titles>
*Regent Alpha
Jayden had passed by the park on his way home, he uses that opportunity to complete the daily quests and receive another ten stat points.
"Hmm, maybe i should distribute 20 for now." he contemplated. "I might get into a situation where I need some extra stat points for a particular attribute."
Then he distributed twenty stat points out of thirty, giving five points each to Speed, Strength, Stamina and Defence.
After the fight with the Serpenthis, he found out that his defence wasn’t strong enough to resist poisons yet. And receiving the poison secretion ability didn’t mean he’d become immune to poisons.
______
*Strength: 117
*Speed: 97
*Agility: 82
*Stamina: 114
*Perception: 64
*Defense: 69
*Charm: 44
Stat points: 10
______
Jayden let out a soft sigh of satisfaction, the weight of the earlier chaos melting into the cushion beneath him. The sun was leaning westward now, casting golden stripes through the window blinds. Within minutes, he drifted off into a light nap, wrapped in the comforting silence of the house.
When he woke up, the sky had shifted into a sleepy orange. He rubbed his eyes, adjusted his shirt, and made his way downstairs where the aroma of home-cooked food danced in the air. The familiar clatter of plates greeted him. He stepped into the dining room to find Harleen setting the last plate, and Jacob already seated.
Tasha sat at the end of the table.
But once again... no Jessica.
Jacob and Harleen shared a brief glance. That same worried glance they’d been giving each other since morning. Still, neither of them said a word about her absence. Just quiet sighs and the silent hope that she’d come around... eventually.
Dinner started in almost awkward silence.
Jayden and Tasha sat across from each other, their eyes flickering up between bites. Glances stolen like secrets. The second their eyes locked, they’d quickly look away, each of them smiling under their breath like guilty kids with hearts too loud.
Jacob noticed it.
Harleen noticed it.
But the parent duo, ever so composed, said nothing. Just a shared, knowing look.
After a while, they quietly stood up, conveniently at the same time, and excused themselves.
"We’ll be upstairs if you need anything," Jacob said, casually wiping his hands with a napkin.
"Just holler," Harleen added with a gentle smile.
Jayden blinked. Both of them? At the same time?
Suspicious.
But he pushed the thought aside and focused back on Tasha.
The two finished their meals in sync and stood at the same time. Their movement mirrored like dancers in a duet. They walked toward the sink, shoulder brushing shoulder, sharing that gentle silence again. The kitchen felt warmer now. Thicker.
Jayden leaned in slightly, pretending to reach for a sponge, but his hand hesitated. His gaze settled on her lips for just a second too long. And then, he went for it. Just a soft, shy attempt at a kiss.
But before his lips could get close, Tasha turned quickly, giggling like she’d just remembered something.
"Ah!" she said a bit louder than necessary, lifting her plate. "You missed a spot."
She tilted his plate under the faucet and began scrubbing, perfectly natural. No weirdness. No awkward pause. Just chill. She played it off like a pro.
Jayden blinked in surprise. What was that about?
Before he could speak, she leaned in slightly and whispered, "We’re not alone."
Jayden’s body stiffened. He instinctively dropped his aura low, listening past the kitchen tiles and into the soft creaking air above the stairwell.
There it was.
Two heartbeats.
Faint, but steady.
He narrowed his eyes. Jacob and Harleen... they didn’t actually leave.
They were watching. Listening. Right from the top of the stairs, just out of sight.
Jayden straightened immediately, letting out a fake chuckle. "Man, you’re right," he said, rinsing his plate casually. "I really did miss a spot. I suck at cleaning."
Tasha smiled, playing along like a seasoned actress. "You’ll get better," she said cheerfully. Then she leaned her back against the counter and crossed her arms, pretending to change the subject. "By the way... do you know about the intra-school sports competition tomorrow?"
Jayden tilted his head. "Hmm, no. I didn’t."
Tasha sighed. "Oh, that’s right. You were... absent for a while."
"Every year the school holds a sport competition with a school from another city. And this year, we’ll be facing Findabair high." she explained.
"That sounds fun." Jayden muttered.
Tasha smiled wrly. "It is. And we’ve all been training for weeks now. But we have a slight problem."
Jayden raised a brow. "What happened?"
"Our school is participating in a basketball game," she explained. "But one of the starters dropped out last minute. And we.. kinda need someone to replace him." Tasha said carefully, looking into Jayden’s eyes in desperation.
He paused, confused. "Basketball, huh?"
She nodded.
Jayden scratched the back of his neck. "Well, I mean... I haven’t played in a while, so I’m a bit rusty."
Tasha’s expression softened, but she held his gaze. "Please? Just this once. You’ll only need to fill in for a bit. I just... I need someone capable."
Jayden hesitated for a beat. Then smiled faintly. "Alright, fine. I’ll do it." he agreed.
Tasha’s face brightened, she was overjoyed. "Thank you so much, Jayden. I love y–" she paused mid-sentence, remembering the two prying ears lurking not far away from them.
"Your confidence." she quickly twisted the words. "I love your confidence."
Then she smiled awkwardly and turned away in embarrassment, hoping in her heart that she hadn’t slip up.
Jayden saw the situation, it looked really bad... for both of them. So he quickly brought up another related, yet unrelated subject.
"Y’know, i played basketball a lot as a kid." he began.
Tasha turned to him, chuckling. "Really?"
Jayden nodded. "Yes, but I wasn’t exactly good." he lied through his teeth. He wasn’t bad.. he wasn’t even good. And that was because.. he’d never played basketball before. He’d never even held a basketball in his entire life.
The only sport he knew as a child was martial art and hunting. He had agreed to be the replacement because he didn’t want Tasha to be dissapointed.
"It’s just basketball." he thought. "How hard could it be?"