The inside of 4B smelled like lavender and ozone.
Mrs Higgins didn't have a menu. She just laid out the items on her coffee table as if she were hosting a tea party.
"For the young man," she said, pointing to a dark, swirling orb. [Skill Book: Void Step]. "And for the lady... perhaps something practical?"
She held up a bag of seeds.
[Seeds of the Blast-Pumpkin] [Growth Time: 1 Hour] [Effect: Explodes on contact with enemy signatures.]
"How much?" I asked.
"Three Monster Cores," she said pleasantly.
I only had one.
"Silas," I said. "We are going hunting."
"We are?" He looked pale.
"We need those pumpkins. The Turret can only shoot in a straight line. I need area-of-effect damage."
"Can't we just... stay inside?"
"The Safe Zone shrinks in twenty-four hours," I lied. "If we don't clear the building by dawn, the System will spawn a Floor Boss to flush us out. Do you want to fight a Boss, or do you want to farm some grunts?"
He swallowed hard. "Grunts. Definitely grunts."