I hold the gun in my hand and rack the slide as I pull it back. It works smoothly and without issue. I don't know how long the spring will last, but it will work well enough until we find something better.

  I go back to the kitchen, where Monty has started making lunch. He throws some onions in a pot with some olive oil. I ask what he is making, and he answers, “I'm trying to recreate the goulash my grandma used to make, and if I remember the recipe right, it will taste great.”

  I nod and go upstairs. I have already looted the downstairs area, but now I can loot the bedrooms and the attic. I start with the guest bedroom, and unsurprisingly, there is not much there. The only useful thing I find is a couple of hiking socks.

  I head to the main bedroom. There, in a small box in the sock drawer, I find a diamond engagement ring. I put it in my pocket, as nobody will miss it here. I continue to look through the main bedroom, finding a pack of common painkillers, an unopened disposable camera, and finally, a decent flashlight.

  I take these items and put them in the hallway. The last place of interest is the attic. I pull down the attic hatch and climb up the ladder. The attic is covered in fiberglass insulation, so I have to be careful not to touch any. I grab a box that says "camping supplies," but the only thing inside is an old tent with all the poles missing. I push it aside and pull another box to me. In this one is a bunch of old cookware. There is one thing that catches my attention—an antique copper kettle. I take it for no other reason than that I think it's neat.

  I head back down from the attic and sit at the top of the stairs as I look over my status:

  It looks like I gained a level for First Aid while taking care of mine and Monty’s wounds. It also seems Fast Recovery has taken care of my twisted ankle, and the internal bleeding only left a large red mark on my arm. I think I have to drain the blood to prevent an infection.

  I head back downstairs and sit at the table as the food is nearly done cooking. Monty is also waiting for it to finish and is just sitting there, listening to a cassette radio. I take out the pistol and hand it to him.

  “Here, it should work now, but first, we probably have to find a lone monster to test it on.”

  As he holds the now-functioning pistol, he can't help but smile. It's small, it's prone to jamming, and it has low ammo capacity, but having a shitty gun is better than no gun. He puts it away in his pocket.

  He then stands and gets me a bowl of goulash and says, “For now, it's more than enough. We're on the second floor now. We're bound to find better stuff here.”

  I begin eating the goulash. It is actually pretty good. I ask him how his ribs are.

  “They still hurt, but it feels better with the ice. How's your lung doing?”

  I answer, “It's getting better. The system said it became a lesser bruised lung, so I think it's healing. But I think I might have to use a syringe to drain the blood from the internal bleeding in my arm.”

  I show him the red mark on my arm as I tell him that, but he looks at me confused and asks, “How are you healing so fast?”

  Now it's my turn to look at him in confusion, and I tell him, “My skill of Fast Recovery heals me fast. Didn't I tell you this? I've had it since we got here.”

  Now that we have the time to talk, I ask him what his class gave him.

  He stops eating and tells me, “I got a skill that helps me reload faster, one that improves my eyesight, and the last one is an ability called Focus. It improves my hand-eye coordination and helps me think clearer in stressful situations.”

  I tell him, “It's good you have a gun now. I don't know how much they would help you with a knife.”

  I start eating again and think about the safe. Is it even worth the trouble it might bring by making that much noise? Even in the dungeon, where you hear gunshots at all hours of the day?

  I decide to use my Scavenger's Intuition ability, and if it leads me anywhere but the safe, it's not going to be worth it. So I activate my ability, and it leads me to the safe. So there really is something good in there that will help.

  I tell Monty, “Tomorrow, we will be leaving after breaking open the safe.”

  He nods and says, “Yeah, it was good to rest for a bit, but we need to keep moving and finding better gear.”

  And so, for the rest of the day, we sat around and read a book, as the TV in the living room does not have any channels. The only thing I did in the afternoon was eat.