The house we found did have a rope, and it even has vaulted ceilings but no sturdy rafters. I'd know. I tested. No one thought it was funny.
It's one of those post-modern places. Open layout, nice kitchen with blood stained cupboards and granite counter tops, as well as lots of glass walls. We start up the stairs so we won't get distracted by the concert crowd of zombies head banging the windows.
We're lined up on the stairs. We all have our Pet Companions safely tucked away. Tabi's leading with her shield, followed closely by Craig, then Jake.
I'm at the lowest stair, staring at our very adoring fans. "Am I the only one worried they'll break the glass?"
"That's plexiglass, duh."
"Oh." I act like I know what that means.
Upstairs, there's an overlook loft type area. Here, there's a single couch facing a home office, which looks somehow pretentious. I think there are two or three rooms up here. Through one of their door's I see what could be a balcony. I want to smoke. But don't wanna be that guy, so keep my mouth shut. We go to the loft's railing, stop and watch the main floor's windowed walls. They're taking a pummeling.
"Plexiglass is strong, right?" I ask.
"It should be…I hope."
Jake asks Craig, "Hey, so my newly upgraded Distant Vision saw at least three zombies in this house. Where'd they go?"
Craig, who naturally did the scouting since he has his rogue shit, says, "Place has a walk-in pantry."
"Okay?"
"I killed them and dragged the bodies inside so Tabi wouldn't have to see."
"Awww. That's both demeaning and sweet." She turns, kisses him. "Thanks honey."
Everyone in the party has level up shit to attend to. Given the way going over new character developments on the HUD creates so many blind spots we decide it best to have one person do look out while the others upgrade themselves. Since Jake is the obvious first choice for that role, we all play watch while he does his thing.
When Jake has finished allocating stat points, and after he's bragged about some new skill — I wasn't listening — he hops atop the loft's thick railing and perches there with his bow ready. He gives us a thumb's up, and we get to doing our individual upgrades.
Craig and Tabi take the couch.
I try the chair situated next to the office desk, but it's too stuffy. I find the bedroom with the balcony. Once there, I sit on the bed and tell myself I can reward myself with a cigarette once I've allocated my stat points…because it's such a monumental decision.
I open up my HUD to complete my task, but don't get very far.
I've got 6 points to spend.
This does feel like a monumental decision.
My focus is dogshit right now. There are too many sounds going on outside the house. That or I'm just getting really tired. It's gotta be late by now. I need an adderall or three energy drinks. Both maybe. I retry inspecting the available stats, consider the best places to invest in. Quickly overwhelmed. I already know that no matter what choice I pick will end up being the wrong one.
What if I don't get enough STR and find a new weapon I need that STR for? What if I could learn a skill but only if my DEX is high enough? Worse…what if I gain access to a spell but my WIS or INT is too low? What if I pick the wrong thing and everyone sees I'm stupid? What if I pick the right thing and they still all thing I'm stupid? What if my choice kills us all?!
I clasp one hand over my head.
Stop, brain…please.
It's just 4-6 stat points. At least do that.
There's that same voice in my head from earlier.
I ignore the fuck outta their words of potential wisdom. Decide instead to have my cigarette. I'll do the stat points after I smoke.
I exit the sliding glass door to the balcony.
Remembering my cigarettes are in my Inventory, I open that up, equip a lighter, toggle a section, find cigarettes, select "use", the quantity drops by one, and my backpack automatically unzips to cough up a lighter and cigarette.
I almost tell the inanimate thanks, but don't. That would be weird.
I use the equipped lighter to ignite my cigarette, take a drag, and stare down the stick to its small flame and beyond, into the vast city below. It's nothing more than a mosaic of burning balls of light no smaller than the end of my burning cigarette. The earth looks like the heavens but closer. Stars burning up in the distance. Stars burning alive in the city. Probably around me too.
We can't have been the only ones to survive.
Stumbled on the wrong rabbit hole with that one, and… it's times like this I can see the appeal of being orphaned young, because now I'm trying to calculate which family members would have passed and which ones might already be zombies. I think about my parents. About my brothers. About my sister. One or two of my cousins. Not much about my extended family beyond that, because most of them are judgmental religionists and if I recall correctly, Ralph the Overseer had shit to say about religion and how it closes off the mind to (figuratively speaking) evolutionary thinking. That or I'm projecting.
Over the sounds of typical zombie shit, I hear a building collapse. At least, I think it's a building.
I take two drags.
Even if my family is still alive, there's not a single one of them within ten miles. I wonder if anyone else in the party is thinking about this shit too. Does it really matter? It seems like a gamble. Does this make me a horrible human? I should just tell everyone I'm going solo and searching for family, but who am I kidding? I'm a stupid simple barbarian. If anything, my family has better chances than I do. They probably all got magic classes. I need magic, damnit.
I want a fucking drink.
Suddenly, in my free hand, a drink loads: tequila, tonic, lime—perfect ratios.
No one seems to be listening so I say, "Thanks Inventory."
Not sure why I was worried about anyone hearing me. Damn near impossible; they would have had to have been right next to me to hear my words, because I could barely hear myself over another nearby explosion of shrieking gunshots. I wish there was a volume setting.
I catch a whiff of something like whatever would happen if you set shit on fire and let it sit out for three day's during mid-july, in Phoenix, Arizona. Feeling grateful for my shitty sense of smell, I take another drag.
The answer to stat allocation comes to me as most my ideas do—out of fucking nowhere. This time I refuse to overthink and act immediately: opening my HUD, toggling few times to my Ability Scores window, allocating…I lose my idea. Fuck.
Three large swigs of the drink. To jog my memory. It doesn't help. Not surprised, but definitely disappointed.
My next idea comes. It's scarier than the first. Terrifying actually. It's that voice again, a newer one. It tells me…
Ask someone for help. Someone in your party who knows what they're doing perhaps?
Ask for help…I'll take death, thanks.
In a roundabout way, that thought solves my problem. I was mostly hung up on STR and CON for survivability reasons. But…I don't actually give two fucks about my own survival, especially with the whole Undying Quirk. I do, however, care about being strong enough to protect those who I'm currently able to, and unless I'm mistaken, which is a possibility, my most important stat or ability score is Strength. Me being stronger gives everyone else the best chance at survival. Right? Right.
A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
I pour all stat points into Strength.
I hope this doesn't prove Wisdom was my inherent dump stat.
Stats taken care of, I realize I have new Feats for whatever my lion-like race is called, as well as options for two new Skills. I check my Character Overview.
Logan: 02
♋: Leonite
♈♉🛈: Barbarian Fighter
♎🛈: Fate Mage
Health: 121/121
Stamina: 92/92
ABILITY SCORES
Augmentation Points Earned: 06
Stats
Stat Score
Augments Made
Strength
30
+6
Dexterity
11
Intelligence
16
-
Wisdom
13
-
Resiliency
28
-
Constitution
11
-
Charisma
21
-
----------------------------------------
----------------------------------------
Ascendance & Race
Ascendant Sign: Leo
Associated Race: Leonite
Features
* Darksight
* Healing Hands
* Light Bearer
New Inheritance Feats Available
At very calculated intervals during your leveling progression, you will be granted new Feature Options. This may be an entirely new Feature, or an Upgrade to a Feature you already possess. These can be purchased using Inheritance Points.
Inheritance Points Available: 04
Light of Leonia
Cost: 02
Channeling the light that swells in all descendants of the ancient simulation, Leonia’s Warriors, you imbue a weapon with radiance to make it cast a gentle light with a range of thirty feet.
Additional Properties:
+12% Weapon Damage (Radiant)
Frightfully Feral Roar
Cost: 02
Unleash a particularly primal roar. At level 1, you may instill Fear into one creature within a 10ft radius of you. Lesser Creatures filled with Fear are incapable of Fight, and will either Freeze or Flee.
Sun & Self
Sun Sign: Aries
Associated Class: Barbarian
Skills
Features
* Cleave
* Block
* Unarmored Defense
* Fury Gauge (Berserk Mode)
* Dual Wielder
New Skills Available:
At excruciatingly mathematical intervals, you gain access to new At Will Skills. This is due to your body and brain positively adapting to the stress of surviving Simulation Apocalypse.
Skill Points Available: 03
Spinning Strike
SP Needed: 03
Transform yourself into a spinning hurricane of savage destruction. Affected foes take an additional 40% weapon damage (slashing).
Range: 10 feet (circle)
Cost: 30 Stamina
Bounding Slam
SP Needed: 03
Rocket forward and use momentum to gather force and strike enemy opponents. Affected foes take an additional 25% weapon damage.
Travel Range: 15 feet
Damage Range: 5 feet (conical)
Cost: 25 Stamina
The moves takes little to no thought. Tabi has something like a bounding slam. Spinning Strike would probably be better for me.
I get both Frightfully Feral Roar and Light of Leonia, because I can. Then I purchase Spinning Strike.
Right as I do, I hear a yelp of what’s almost excitement from down the hall.
“Guys, check this shit out!” It’s Craig.
And Tabi, “There’s a neighborhood watch committee taking charge outside!”
Neighborhood watch committee, huh?