Bruce managed to fall asleep rather quickly after taking that shower, and at the same speed he fell asleep, he woke up. Bruce was usually a sleepyhead, but he woke up feeling a lot of tension that time. Although he fought during the whole night while maintaining a carefree spirit, he ended up paying the tool in some other way.
"It must be noon," Bruce said while checking the sun in the sky through the window of the apartment. "Holy crap…"
Bruce was only on the third floor, but even at that height, he could see how much damage his city had suffered. Several buildings were still on fire, and others had collapsed. Not only that, Bruce could see several dark points in the sky flying around and occasionally flying low… those were some flying monsters, and they were hunting humans.
"I had plenty of rest," Bruce said after checking the situation of his body and confirming that everything was back to normal. "I can't waste any more time! That being said… I need to clean this mess."
Since his sword had a high level of rarity, the long sword only decreased by ten points in durability despite all that. The same could be said about the other pieces of equipment; Bruce was the type to attack first and ask questions later, after all.
Iron Boots (Common) (+0)
A common pair of boots that possess no significant capabilities or effects. Forged by an average blacksmith.
Physical Defense: + 5
Durability: 20/20
Requirements: 10 Strength
Leather Gloves (Common) (+0)
A common pair of gloves that possess no significant capabilities or effects.
Physical Defense: + 3
Dexterity: + 2
Durability: 20/20
Requirements: 5 Strength
Status
HP: 41/46
MP: 08/15
SP: 46/46
Level 08 (55/1200)
STRENGTH: 29
P. Attack: 29 + 12
VITALITY: 10
P. Defense: 11 + 20
AGILITY: 02
Movement Speed: 6 meters per second
INTELLIGENCE: 4
M. Attack: 5
DEXTERITY: 3 + 2
M. Defense: 5
LUCK: 5
Range: 6 meters + 1
Free Points: 00
Spiritual Coins: 345
Social Status
Level 03 (50/350)
Karma: 00
Intimidation: 02
Charisma: 05
Persuasion: 05
Insight: 05
Perception: 05
Presence: 03
Allies: 25
Enemies: 01
Skill List
Magic: Fireball Lv 01,
Physical: Bash Lv 01, Dash Lv 01,
Passive:
Production:
"Not bad," Bruce said after checking his progress and cleaning his equipment. "Not bad at all."
In the end, Bruce couldn't keep moving forward, relying only on attacking first. He only did that before because his hot blood made him think that he could do that. However, he ended up increasing his vitality and strength at the same time. It was quite nice progress for a single night, given that he had nine potions, but all of those could only fill his HP two times.
Regardless, Bruce wasn't good or all that much enthusiastic at cleaning things. Still, he saw himself enjoying making his equipment 'shine' again. Those were his lifeline now, so he couldn't slack off on cleaning them. Although they might appear magically, it was hard to believe that blood and rust wouldn't damage them. Bruce saw himself humming while cleaning his gear, and that made Diane, who suddenly opened his door, slightly frown.
"Oh, you are awake," Diane said. "Chris and Lucius want to talk with you."
"Why would you open the door of someone who you don't know is sleeping or not?" Bruce sighed. "What is it? I'm kind of busy here."
"I think it will be better if you see for yourself," Diane replied.
Bruce sighed again… something problematic was waiting for here the moment he left his room. As if he hadn't problems enough. In any case, Bruce could spare them at least five minutes of his time and then ignore them if his hunch was right. Still, he wondered if that was the right choice. Obtaining power was excellent and all, but would that be enough in the long run? Bruce would need an intelligence network and perhaps a support team in case something unexpected happens, like his main weapon breaks during an important battle. Thus, he needed to create a relationship with others so that he could benefit from it.
After half an hour, Bruce's gear was completely clean, and the smell had disappeared along with the dirt. There was a mirror in the bathroom, and he felt quite awkward while seeing himself using what seemed to be the armor soldiers used in the Middle Ages. The only thing that made him feel proud was the long sword on his back. He learned that by accident, but something weird happened when his sword touched his back. A scabbard appeared, and Bruce would be able to carry it like that. The scabbard was just like two resting points for the sword, but despite being rustic and small, it was cool.
It was already 01:00 PM, and given that, he most likely would have to listen to other people's problems. At the same time he ate, Bruce decided to hurry. As it turned out, his hunch was right. The survivors who had arrived at the hotel were arguing with each other as to how they should proceed. Some wanted to look for survivors and then create a force that would forcefully open their path toward the city's exit.
In contrast, others wanted to stay right there and just wait for the police and military to solve their problems. Needless to say, Lucius told them about what he learned from the letter Bruce found and from his own experience. He waited for several hours and even made some calls to the police department and even the fire department, but no one accepted his call. Every single of them were busy trying to survive or being wiped out to think about helping others. Diane, Chris, and Lucius were watching them making complicated expressions.
"It seems things aren't proceeding as well as you planned," Bruce said while serving his own meal. "I can't say that I'm surprised by this."
Apparently, Diane and Chris had cooked quite a bit to make everyone feel comfortable. Everyone would calmly talk and find a way to solve their problems after filling their bellies, right? Wrong. Now that they didn't have to fear the darkness of the night and not a single monster was approaching, the survivors there began to act like that. They relaxed a bit too much.
"So, why did you guys call me?" Bruce asked.
"We are thinking about creating a stronghold," Lucius explained. "However, we need some things to do that. Firearms, food, water, medicine, and survivors to increase our numbers. That being said, we can't bring more survivors until those who first accepted the idea."
Bruce glared at Lucius, imagining that perhaps he had spoken about the contents of the letter perhaps a bit too much. Lucius flinched, but judging by his eyes, he didn't give many details about it.