Adam looked for a target. A short distance away a man was standing still. He had been jogging. The man was now opening a bottle. It looked like an energy drink. He was probably thirsty after his run.
This was the perfect chance.
Adam focused on the man. He stared at the bottle in the man's hand. He concentrated all of his attention on that single object. In a very low voice a voice no one else could hear he whispered one word.
"Copy."
The moment he said it the familiar blue system window appeared before his eyes. It had a simple line of text.
[One bottle of energy drink has been copied by the Host.]
Seeing the message Adam felt a surge of excitement. It had actually worked. He was a little stunned. Now for the second step. He looked at his empty right hand and whispered again.
"Paste."
A faint blue light flickered in his palm for a second. Then it was gone. In its place was a solid object. A bottle.
Adam's breath caught in his throat. He looked from the bottle in his hand to the man drinking his own bottle. They were exactly the same. The same bright color. The same logo on the label. The same amount of liquid inside.
The man finished his drink and closed his bottle. He didn't notice Adam at all. He just started to stretch his legs.
Adam was more than shocked. He brought the bottle close to his face. He turned it over and over. He could feel the cool plastic against his skin. He could see the tiny water droplets on the outside. It felt completely real. Because it was real.
"Did I really copy this bottle?" he thought. He was still staring at the bottle in his hand.
Suddenly a loud growl came from his stomach. It was a painful reminder.
He hadn't eaten anything since last night. A wave of disappointment washed over him as he remembered his situation. "I haven't eaten anything" he muttered sadly.
He looked at the full energy drink in his hand. He did not hesitate.
He twisted the cap open. He put the bottle to his lips and began to drink.
The liquid was sweet and cold. It rushed down his throat. He drank all of it without stopping. The empty feeling in his stomach was replaced by a sugary rush.
He threw the now empty plastic bottle into a nearby dustbin. A new feeling started to grow inside him. It was a feeling of power.
"I have a cheat skill now" he thought to himself. "I can do whatever I want."
But before Adam could think more or do anything else he saw something.
A short distance away three young men were walking toward him. They were laughing and joking with each other. They had not seen Adam yet. But Adam saw them. And he knew exactly who they were.
A cold feeling of dread washed over him. The excitement from his new skill vanished instantly. It was replaced by pure fear.
"Oh no" he whispered in a shocked voice. "I forgot about them."
Right after saying this Adam moved with incredible speed. He grabbed his backpack and his stack of books from the ground. He dove behind a large thick bush nearby. He landed silently on the soft dirt. Peeking through the green leaves he watched the three boys.
He remembered what happened in his past life.
On this same day after being expelled from the university he had woken up on this very bench. These same three boys had found him. They were John Walker's friends. His loyal lackeys.
And in his previous life they had beaten him very badly. They had kicked and punched him until he could barely breathe.
Right now Adam had no way to defend himself. His body was still that of a weak student. His new skill was amazing but it couldn't stop three bullies from hurting him. Hiding was his only option.
He held his breath behind the bush. The three boys stopped right in front of the bench where Adam had been just a moment ago. Adam was only a few meters away hiding in the shadows of the leaves.
One of the boys spoke. "You said the loser was here. But I don't see anyone."
Another boy who was a little shorter than the others replied. "I saw him sleeping right here. I thought I would go get you guys first. Then we could have some fun and take out our anger on that loser. I didn't know he would run away so fast."
After hearing this the third boy let out a heavy sigh. He seemed to be the leader of the small group. "Don't worry. How far could he go? He has no place to stay. He can't be far. Let's check the alleys just outside the park."
Hearing this the other two boys nodded at each other. They smiled cruel smiles. Then they quickly walked away from the bench and out of the park.