Chương 29: Unlimited Pepper Spray

Jack returned to the convenience store. The moment he stepped inside, he said directly, "LOSS, I want to claim the reward." The system's voice sounded at once.

"Basic supply permissions have partially unlocked."

"You may choose one existing resource and convert it into an unlimited supply." Jack did not hesitate. He raised a hand and pointed at the box of twelve pepper sprays on the table.

"Pepper spray."

"Selected resource: pepper spray. Confirm?"

"Confirm." The next second, another identical box of pepper spray appeared on the table. Jack looked at it and shook his head.

"Tsk. Still plain and simple." He opened one of the boxes, took out several bottles, and went back to the tent. Jack handed the pepper spray to Vane and Reed.

"Two each. Carry them with you." Vane and Reed accepted the small bottles and looked them over.

"What are these?" Reed asked.

"Pepper spray," Jack said.

"Use it like the brake cleaner from earlier, but this is much stronger. Be careful when you spray it. Don't catch yourself in it." Vane and Reed both nodded. Marlin perked up at once.

"Stronger than that cleaner? How much stronger?" Jack considered it briefly.

"It's nasty stuff. If it gets on your skin, it burns. And you don't have to get too close. Just aim and spray." He added, "If you hit someone in the face, they'll have a hard time fighting back." Marlin's eyes brightened.

"That useful?" His gaze shifted to the remaining bottles in Jack's hand.

"Can I trade for some?" Jack glanced at him, then nodded.

"Sure." Marlin smiled at once.

"Good. Very good." Vane and Reed both held the bottles a little tighter. To them, this was not just another tool. It was another chance to stay alive. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it Jack noticed and smiled.

"Don't be so tense. If you really run into trouble, spray as much as you need. Don't save it." Vane and Reed exchanged a complicated look. Something like this, if it were in their hands, would normally be hidden away like a life-saving treasure. But Jack said it as if pepper spray was something they could use freely. Elias spoke before either of them could say anything.

"All right. Hurry back. Don't waste time." Cass nodded quickly from the chair.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm dying over here. Go fast and come back faster." Vane and Reed put the pepper spray away, checked their weapons one more time, and left without delay, heading toward the settlement. As soon as they were gone, Marlin seemed ready to speak again. Elias cut him off before he could start.

"Put the trade aside for now." Marlin opened his mouth. Then he closed it again. Elias looked at Cass.

"We need to get him settled first. It's getting hotter. If this keeps up, the wound may become a problem." Only then did Jack notice the heat again. During the fight, he had been too tense to care. Now that everything had stopped, the heat came rushing back. The air under the tent felt dry and scorching, and even breathing was like sucking in sand. He looked at Cass. Cass was not saying much, but his clothes were soaked through in places, and sweat kept beading on his forehead.

Elias and Marlin did not look much better. Jack got up at once and moved the portable air conditioner closer to Cass, aiming the vent toward him. Cold air brushed over, and Cass finally let out a long breath.

"That's much better." Jack waved Elias and Marlin closer.

"You two sit closer too." The portable air conditioner was not enough to turn the space under the tent into a real air-conditioned room, but at least it made the heat bearable. Marlin shifted closer and felt the cold air for himself. His expression turned strange again. He looked at the portable air conditioner, then at Jack, clearly wanting to ask something. A second later, he seemed to remember that the thing needed electricity, and his face fell. Jack had no energy to explain.

After the fight, he had sweated through his clothes again. The fabric stuck to his skin, uncomfortable and damp.

"I'm going to take a shower," he said.

"I'll be back in a bit." He turned toward the convenience store. Marlin, who had still been studying the portable air conditioner, immediately looked up.

"A shower?" His eyes widened.

"Now? With water?" Jack paused and looked back at him.

"What else would I use?" Marlin had no answer. For a moment, Marlin looked as if Jack had just said something completely unreasonable. He looked at Jack. Then he looked toward the convenience store, as if trying to confirm that Jack really meant what he had just said.

"You mean," Marlin said carefully, "you are going to cover your whole body with clean water?" Jack stared at him.

"That is usually how showers work." Marlin opened his mouth, closed it, then opened it again.

"And after that, the water just goes away?"

"Yes?" Marlin pressed a hand to his chest, as if the conversation itself had hurt him.

"Just… gone?" Jack rubbed his forehead.

"It's a shower, Marlin." Cass, who had been listening from the chair, finally could not hold back.

"A shower is nothing," he said.

"He even waters the ground." He lifted a hand and pointed outside.

"See? Over there. That hose." Marlin followed his gaze. Not far away, the hose was still letting water run slowly onto the ground. Marlin stared at it for a long time. Water. Clean water. Just flowing into the sand. Jack looked at Cass, who was still trying to laugh through the pain, and scolded him with a smile.

"You really can't keep your mouth shut, can you?" He did not bother arguing and went back into the store. Upstairs, Jack took a proper shower and changed into clean clothes. As the water washed away the sweat and dust, he finally felt like he had stepped out of the chaos from earlier. After the shower, he stood in front of the wardrobe, ready to head downstairs, when he suddenly thought of the people under the tent. Cass was injured. His clothes were soaked with sweat and blood.

Letting him keep wearing them would only make the wound more likely to get infected. Elias and Marlin were not much better. When Jack had been close to them earlier, he had already caught the smell of sweat. Jack took several sets of clean clothes from the wardrobe. He carried them downstairs, but when he reached the first floor, he stopped. He looked down at the clothes in his arms, then toward the storage room.

"Almost forgot." He set the clothes aside and turned toward the storage room.