CJ caught his breath from all the laughing and looked down at Monty. His front paws were hovering over his bunny belly as his own chuckling started to die down. CJ began rubbing his chin with his thumb and forefinger.
“I know that look. What decision is your dumb ass fretting over now?”
“I’ve got another attribute point from reaching level seven. I want to put it into Agility but I’m not strong. One of those Lykin just hoisted me into the air like a doll. I get this feeling that one on one fights will not go my way. If I put some points into Strength, I might be able to break peoples grips or lift heavier things. Stuff like that.”
“Oh, so this a serious Slate related conversation. Let me ask you this, why did you initially want to put it into Agility?”
“During the fight on the stairs, one of them just hopped around me and I couldn’t coordinate myself well enough to take advantage of an opportunity.”
“There. You just said it. You were already in a fight, Strength, or no Strength. You adapted to using that mana wire without any formal training. Combat really isn’t what your class is geared toward. You just happen to have a power set that forces you to engage just to replenish your mana. No wonder Wukong dangled combat training out in front of you like a carrot. He must know something we don’t. I suggest we keep going. Maybe he’ll explain more once his quest is complete.”
“What about the attribute point?”
“I say go with your first instincts. Elena is creeping up on twenty points in Strength as it stands. I think brute force is covered for the time being.”
CJ took Monty’s words to heart. He dropped his latest attribute point into Agility. Bringing his total Agility up to fourteen. He felt slightly more balanced as he walked but other than that, no real changes. Jenn waived them toward the exit to the graveyard. It didn’t take CJ very many steps to realize his shoe was still gone. Just a few taters of patent leather clung to his ankle.
“So, what does it do?” asked Monty while pointing to the ring box CJ had just pulled from his storage. “I mean we didn’t really have the time to check it back in the dungeon.”
“Right. Let’s a… pop it open and see.”
CJ opened the ring box to reveal a plain looking silver band. He plucked it from the box, slipping the casing into his sleeve for later use, before reading the Slate message he’d just received.
New Item: Ring of Refurbishment- Once per day this ring can repair any item that fits into one foot cube to its original pristine form. Larger items require multiple uses.
“Neat.”
“What is it?” asked Monty, before kicking CJ in the shin, “I can see the description just because you read it. You still have to tell me.”
“Ow, hold your horses. It fixes objects. Only works once a day though.”
“Once a day items are fairly good. They don’t take any of your power. Too bad it’s only once though. How big an object?”
“A one foot cube of space.”
“Not very big, Sure your used to that though.”
“If my shlong were one cubic foot, I’d be shouting from the rooftops. Mostly because I’d be a horribly deformed monster. Speaking of which, you feel the difference in the mana out here? It was cleaner inside the dungeon. I feel like I’m walking through fog out here. Do we just get used to it after a while?”
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“It’s the corrupted mana.,” Monty began before stopping, “Hang on the other two should here this, I don’t like repeating myself.”
CJ and Monty caught up with Jenn and Elena. The two ladies were just casually talking on the sidewalk outside the broken gates of the cemetery. CJ thought the attitudes of his teammates were too casual, considering monsters could pop out at any time. Then he reconsidered given the events of the last couple of hours. They could probably use some down time, but another dungeon was only three blocks west of their current position. He wondered if it was too harsh asking them to challenge another one so soon.
“So, we hitting this other dungeon or what?” asked Elena, as she hoisted her trusty chainsaw over her shoulder.
“If you two are up for it yea. The sooner we are done here the sooner we can head back to town.”
“I think Roger said it was west of the retirement home,” said Jenn after swinging her bag in front of her chest, “I hope I’m remember that right. If so, we should stop back there so I can refill my bag. I used pretty much everything during that last attack.”
“Agreed. Everyone needs to be at full readiness. We should check our ammo supply as well. Let’s jog a little if everyone’s stamina is back up.”
They took off down the street headed back to Roger’s place. Halfway there, CJ stopped everyone and looked at a small three story apartment building. There couldn’t be more than two apartments per floor, but it didn’t look like anyone had picked it over yet. The door was still shut and none of the windows were blown out.
“Give me ten minutes and go without me if I don’t come out right away.” He spoke.
“What are you doing now?” asked Jenn.
“I’m going shopping.”
In no time at all, CJ had the front door open. The walls were lined with green wallpaper with a floral pattern in the hallway. That pattern reached halfway down the wall until it met wood paneling that covered the rest of the wall to the floor. In the back was staircase leading up and a door on either side of the hall. His hunch was right. To units per floor. He moved to the first door on his left, using Hand is quicker than the eye, popped the lock and stepped in. The furniture was white and brown floral pattern and festive drapery adorned each window. The carpets were fluffy, and doilies were strewn about the coffee table.
“Nope. Old ladies house.”
CJ ducked back out into the hall and popped open the second door. In here the living room was covered in fisher price toys and a playpen. This apartment belonged to a young family. It was a long shot, but CJ skulked into the back bedroom away from the sitting area. There was one closet next to the bed. He took a look at the family photo in a picture frame on the single dresser and swore. It was two women cradling a toddler. There were no photos of the kid at any older age. CJ kicked a slinky dog toy on his way out.
“What the hell?” asked Monty hopping up the stairs after CJ, “What was wrong with that one?”
“Nothing wrong. They made a beautiful family, but that apartment wouldn’t have what I’ve been looking for.”
At the top of the stairs CJ tried the next door on the right side of the hall.
Jackpot.
There was a single two seater sofa in the sitting area facing a fifty inch flat screen with a crack running down the center. The entertainment unit was the focal point of the room with multiple video game boxes and a stack of 4k movies. There were no pictures on the wall unless you count a framed Giants jersey. CJ did not. He made a bee line for the back bedroom before holding his nose and choking. Apparently, this tenet was a state trooper. Unfortunately, he opted for early retirement via service pistol express. His body was splayed onto the bed, but his brains dripped from the walls and ceiling.
CJ wished he had a spell to filter air. He took off his only shoe and tried to fit it on the deceased mans foot. It slid onto it almost perfectly. CJ then thought better about taking it back.
“Consider it a retirement gift. Thank you for your service.”
Gagging after he was done disrespecting the dead, CJ made it over to the closet. Monty hopped into the bedroom and spun around quickly, racing back toward the hallway. Closet doors flung wide; CJ found what he was looking for. Apparently, this trooper not only had a pair of lightly worn combat boots but was a bit of a sneaker head. He had three glass cases behind his hanging shirts all with a different pair of Air Jordan’s inside. Deacon grabbed the pair he coveted most in his youth. A pair of black Airforce Ones. As he touched them, he received a Slate prompt.
New Item: Black Air Force One’s- These sneakers allow the wearer to step without making a sound. All footfalls landing on any surface while wearing these are reduced to zero decibels of sound.
“Fucking sweet... ugh… I gotta get out of here.”