Circling the building confirms my suspicion.
I roomed up with the laziest bum, but it might pay off now.
When we left the apartment I told Frank to close the balcony door but we were in a rush.
It's not like I worried that someone would break in.
That freaking room is on the fifth floor.
There are no trees to climb up that high.
"I wish her teleport worked here too," I mumble, looking for something I could grab onto.
My senses sharpened, the time it took to rush here was enough to attune to this body better.
Now I can smell the smog and gasoline, cementing that I'm back home.
The city is also much noisier than the Orc tribe. Still, I don't see movement nearby.
The apartment building is on an alley right off a busy street and its back faces a quiet park. The change is so sudden.
One half basks in the constant traffic noises, and the other looks like it's on a deserted island.
The sounds still get here, echoing from the buildings, but not a single soul trails off the main road.
It's all the better for me.
The balconies jut out enough that I could climb up on them, though if someone decides to look out they could catch me.
The first floor is the problem. The balconies only start at the second level, and since the building has a basement too, it's a good fifteen feet.
I can't jump that high, 18 DEX or not. The nearest trees are across the walking path.
It's almost twenty yards from the lowest balcony.
[Notice: You have forty minutes left.]
Arg, you could be more helpful.
There is a big dumpster near the back door, if I climb it and jump up, I could reach the first protrusion. The problem is, it's on the wrong side.
[Notice: Thirty-nine minutes.]
"Fine, I get it, I get it." That's a hurdle I had to overcome when I got there.
It's a shame that my sense of smell returned.
The garbage makes me scrunch up my nose and I don't want to go anywhere near it, but there's no other choice.
"Here goes nothing." Let's hope someone won't decide to take out the trash right now.
The lowest balcony still seems out of reach and at an awkward angle above me. Jumping once only results in a loud clang when I fall back onto the top of the container.
Come on, 18 DEX, you can do it.
[Notice: Jumping is strength-based.]
I'll ignore that for now. I gather all my strength and make a second attempt. I can grab onto the edge with the tip of my fingers, but pulling myself up from there will be quite an achievement.
"Ugh, I take it there are no Emergency Powers this time?"
[Notice: I can tune out your pain receptors and inject a little adrenaline if that helps.]
The System doesn't wait for my response, and even if I don't appear stronger, I'm very determined. Clenching my teeth, I pull myself up, surprising even myself.
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It looks like 12 STR isn't anything to scoff at either. And while Alexandra's body is still more endowed than my original, it's lighter and in a better shape.
"Okay, it should be easier now." It's a lie. Repeating the same performance three more times will kill me for sure. And I have to cross from the right to the left side.
There's a huge gap between the balconies.
[Notice: Thirty-two minutes.]
No way. I better hurry. Climbing the stairs was already a pain, thank God, this apartment came with an elevator. But climbing from the outside is way worse.
I'm sweating bullets already, and it's still the first stage. Should I climb higher and then attempt to cross over, or do that now so I don't have to fall from that high?
No, I shouldn't plan on falling in the first place. Don't think, take action. I have to get up there before my arms give out. Standing on the balcony's railing, I take a deep breath and run.
Thanks to the artificial adrenaline rush I don't hesitate to jump. This has to be the craziest thing I've ever done that doesn't involve fantasy worlds and magic.
I misjudged the distance. I hang on for dear life by my fingertips again, but the momentum carries me further, and I pull myself up.
"This must have hurt a lot, thanks for the painkillers." Credit where credit is due. The rest of the way up surprises me. It's easy to exert yourself when you don't feel the pain, only the rush.
Alex is the Goddess of Luck for a reason too. Nobody notices my neck-breaking attraction. It still takes a good ten minutes to reach our balcony.
The System turns off all the aids without a warning, and I slump to the floor.
"Ouch, you could have waited until I'm done." The pain in my palms and fingers is so bad, I won't be able to use a keyboard for a while.
And with the adrenaline leaving my brain, I realized how close I was to dying the entire time.
[Warning: Stop shaking, you have twenty minutes left.]
"So what? My laptop is right there. All I have to do is turn it on and find something." Let's hope leaving the place isn't part of the mission. No way I'd climb down the same way I came.
That's Alexandra's problem to sort out.
[Notice: This won't please the Thirteenth Bride.]
"Yeah? She left me in quite the situation too." There isn't much I can do. The laptop turns on with the cooling humming to life, and I navigate to my image folder.
The touchpad and keyboard don't want to cooperate, or are my fingers not working? For something so simple, it takes too long.
"Here, System. This is all I've got. Point at something that you think would work."
[Notice: These are childhood pictures of you. Do you want the Goddess to recreate you as a child?]
"Ugh. Why can't this be easier?"