My Childhood Friend Turned Yandere in the Apocalypse

The air inside the camp became tense. The monster waves also became harder to deal with.

But things were still easy for their settlement and it was all thanks to those who had leveled up during the vampire den incident.

Only two more days were left and the tree had gotten quite large. The fruit had also started to grow and it was only a matter of time before others with the extra quest showed up.

Rin already knew about a few people who had received this quest, and that included Shelly and even Collin. But no one had shown any intention of acting on it so far.

The settlement was peaceful so Rin did not expect Albus to slam his door open. Unfortunately, Albus was not able to control his strength and it caused the door to shatter.

"Ah...I did not mean to do that...."

Cough

"Is there anything I can help you with?"

Rin asked in a clear voice and Albus realized that the person he needed to pay attention to was in front of him. He smiled at Rin with a shaky smile at best.

"Ah, there is something I needed to tell you...have you decided what to do with the sacred tree’s fruit?"

Why was Albus talking about this? Did he want to convince Rin to give the fruit to Shelly? Or, did he want to take it himself and was testing the waters?

Rin decided to test him in return.

"Can we do something with that fruit? Won’t it put the settlement in danger if we pluck it?"

Albus’s expression showed a minuscule change at Rin’s question, but he did reply to Rin’s question.

"It should be fine if we pluck the fruit 3-5 minutes before the task’s end. I am sure that this settlement is strong enough to withstand that pressure. As for the fruit...I want you to give it to me and Shelly. The fruit is only big enough for two people and we are the best fighters. So I want you to trust me and share the fruit with me."

That was a big thing to ask for.

But more importantly, wasn’t this deviating from the story? Albus did not have that special quest in the original story.

’After all that talk about the original story, this is what the system decided to do?’

[Rookie, you will never understand the depths the system is going to ensure the original story remains unchanged. Due to changes in the past actions, the development of the original MC is a little behind. So we are just trying to get it on track.]

’So it’s fine if you make these changes, but not fine if I make the changes?’

[Your changes won’t be this outrageous if you get the approval of the higher-ups. Please send your proposal to the right department next time.]

"Are you...right? Was my request too much of a shock?"

Albus carefully observed Rin’s expression before asking this. Now, Rin had a choice to make.

"Why did you come to me to ask for permission to take the fruit? Aren’t you strong enough to grab it on your own?"

Rin asked but Albus made a terrified expression.

"Are you joking? Do you think I am stupid enough to put my life on the line like that? Sorry, but I have no intention of dying so young."

Rin could see real fear in Albus’s eyes so he was sure Albus was not lying. But he could not think of a single thing that could scare Albus enough to make him reveal his plans so early.

A scene of pink hair and purple eyes flashed through Rin’s mind but he dismissed it.

Shelly might not have the same relationship with Albus she had in the past, but that did not mean she was the reason he was so terrified right now.

"Alright. Let’s say I give you the fruit and share it between you and Shelly. Are you sure you won’t betray my trust? Also, would its effect even work if it’s divided between two people?"

Rin asked and Albus immediately shuddered at his words.

"Don’t even say anything about me betraying you or I might die before I even have a chance to explain. As for the effect of the fruit...I have insider information that it can work for up to two people."

It was news to Rin as well. This had never been mentioned in the original story.

’Is that insider information his system or his past life? Should I ask Albus?’

Rin felt tempted, but decided not to ask in the end. There was no point in him knowing this anyway.

"I do see your point, but I am not sure if I can trust you."

Albus looked relieved at the fact that Rin did not ask him extra questions.

"Don’t worry. I can give you a vow not to betray you. And if that does not work, you can just make Shelly keep an eye on me."

It was hard to tell if Albus was joking or not, but Rin decided to take his suggestion.

Honestly, there were no better candidates when it came to powering up. Both were the main characters and would need a lot of leveling up to keep up with the original story’s power creep.

"It’s a shame that I cannot take the fruit for myself. But I guess it isn’t so bad to give it up to protect myself and this settlement."

[Rookie, if you continue to power up others, then you will fall behind. Why don’t you focus on your own powers? This gracious senior of yours will give you an opportunity to level up your craftsman skill. Are you interested?]

Why was the system being so gracious all of a sudden? It made Rin feel like he was falling into a trap.

Still, it was something he felt interested in.

"What do you have in mind?"

He asked and the system immediately replied to his question.

[Just for a limited time, the system is offering a special deal- two enhancements for one. You will be able to enhance weapons at twice the speed and increase your chance of gaining enlightenment.]

That...sounded far too good to be true. So there had to be a catch.

And the system did not disappoint.

[Unfortunately, nothing good comes for free. Rookie, please fill your weapon enhancement quota. The weapons you enhance will be returned to the system and you will get to level up.]

[This will also add to your performance points, so think carefully before you make a decision.]

This felt unfair but expected at the same time. Somehow, Rin was not even surprised that he was being exploited already.